New Zealand comments delivered by UN Permanent Representative at WHO member state briefing (8 April)

We see it as a shared responsibility of the global community to cooperate and share information, data and samples with full transparency, so we can learn from this pandemic and better prepare for the next one.

We recognise that the WHO led COVID-19 origins study has drawn together useful material, but as Director-General Tedros has stated, it will need to be supplemented by further studies to identify the source of the virus. 

We call on the Director-General to propose a timeline for the next phase of work necessary to discover the origin of SARS-CoV-2.

And in the same way we look to the past, we must look to the future.

In responding to any future outbreak of a new pathogen, it will be essential for all Member States to commit to allowing rapid access by independent expert analysts to relevant locations, and to environmental data and blood samples. We would also encourage greater collaboration generally on pandemic preparedness, and stand ready to support this work.