New Delhi
India on Friday supported renewed global calls for a comprehensive investigation by the WHO into the origins of Covid, days after US President Joe Biden asked American intelligence agencies to find out how coronavirus emerged in China.
There were growing demands by a sizeable number of countries including the US and Australia to investigate whether the virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 from an animal source or from a laboratory accident in December 2019. In March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) came out with a report on the origins of the virus but it had failed to meet the expectations of the US and several other leading countries.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the follow up of the WHO report and further studies deserve the understanding and cooperation of all. "The WHO convened global study on the origin of Covid is an important first step. It stressed the need for next phase studies as also for further data and studies to reach robust conclusions," he said.
Jurists' body seeks 'white paper' on COVID from WHO
Jurists' body ICJ on Friday urged the World Health Organisation to release all scientific and medical information regarding Covid-19.
The International Council of Jurists said in a statement that the decision was taken in the light of reports that coronavirus had originated from a laboratory in Wuhan and not from the 'wet market' in Wuhan.
The ICJ called for a 'White Paper' to be released by WHO to "dispel doubts from across the globe on the origin and spread of coronavirus." "The credibility of WHO will be enhanced if all such information is released along with a 'White Paper'," it said.
In a letter to WHO Director General, the ICJ said there was a great sense of anguish and concern over the situation arising in various countries with the spread of the Novel Corona virus, i.e. Covid-19.
"Various scientific, medical and journalistic reports on the origin and spread of this dreaded virus from a laboratory lend credibility to such fears and concern," ICJ's president and senior advocate Adish C Aggarwala said.
The ICJ said that when the Covid-19 originated in a market in the Wuhan Province of China, the world was not informed about the same on time.
