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The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was the first vaccine to be authorized for use in some countries.
BioNTech

The virus that shut down the world: the path to a vaccine

Vaccines that protect against COVID-19 have been developed in record time over the year but, amid fears that people from poorer countries may miss out, the UN has consistently insisted on global solidarity, to ensure that all are protected. In the final part of our series on the ways that the virus has changed the world, we trace the evolution of the COVID-19 vaccines, and how protected we are likely to be in 2021.

Men unload sacks of onions from a truck in Bamako, Mali, a landlocked developing country. Their lack of direct access to the vital trade links often result in landlocked countries paying high transport and transit costs.
World Bank/Dominic Chavez

The virus that shut down the world: Economic meltdown

With millions forced to work from home this year, offices and shops closing as part of containment measures, and travel severely curtailed everywhere, it was inevitable that the economy would suffer. In part five of our look back at 2020, we focus on the seismic effect that COVID-19 has had on the global economy.

The UN is drawing up international rules governing the use of AI.
ITU

Bias, racism and lies: facing up to the unwanted consequences of AI

Powerful digital tools using artificial intelligence (AI) software are helping in the fight against COVID-19, and have the potential to improve the world in many other ways. However, as AI seeps into more areas of daily life, it’s becoming clear that its misuse can lead to serious harm, leading the UN to call for strong, international regulation of the technology.

Ana Patricia Graça (2nd from right), UN Resident Coordinator in Cape Verde meets young activists on Human Rights Day. (file photo)
UN Cape Verde

COVID-19 threatening development gains in Cape Verde: a UN Resident Coordinator blog

Progress made towards sustainable development by the Atlantic Ocean nation, Cape Verde, is under serious threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic according to the United Nations’ most senior official in the country. In this blog, UN Resident Coordinator Ana Patricia Graça, explains how the UN is supporting the small island country to rebound from the impact of the virus.

Mauritanian students return to school after several months of school closures due to COVID-19.
© UNICEF/Raphael Pouget

The virus that shut down the world: Education in crisis

Children all over the world have had their education severely disrupted this year, as schools struggle to cope with repeated closures and re-openings, and the transition, if it’s even an option, to online schooling. Disadvantaged children, however, have been worst-hit by the emergency measures. In part three of our look back at the effect that COVID-19 has had on the world, we focus on the education crisis provoked by the pandemic.

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