State Secretary Andreja Metelko-Zgombić participated on Friday in a virtual meeting of the Alliance for Multiculturalism, organized by the German and French ministries of foreign affairs.
The meeting was held on the same week as the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The topic, apart from marking the 75th anniversary of the UN, was the contribution of the member states to the protection of the rule-based national order as well as the promotion of new initiatives and reforms aimed at establishing more effective multilateral institutions.
Metelko-Zgombić underscored the need for promoting and strengthening multilateralism and joint action in the areas of climate, cyber security and health, as well as the need for finding innovative solutions. She cited as an example the Andrija app, a “virtual doctor” designed by Croatian IT experts that helps the Croatian citizens in the fight against the pandemic.
The state secretary also welcomed the UNGA Resolution “Comprehensive and Coordinated Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic”, recently adopted with an almost unanimous support from the member states, whose co-coordinator was Croatia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ivan Šimonović. The Resolution highlights the need for a global approach against the pandemic and its effects.
The participants adopted a joint statement titled “Declaration of Principles”, outlining the basic principles and ideas behind the establishment of the Alliance for Multiculturalism.