UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday lamented the fragmented response to the coronavirus pandemic and called for global coordination on vaccines.

In a video message to the annual Nobel Peace Prize forum, Guterres said the world faced “a common enemy” in the virus.

“Unfortunately, governments have not mounted a joint response to this global threat,” he said, adding that facts and scientific guidance provided by the World Health Organization should have been the basis for coordinated global action.

“The response has been fragmented and chaotic, with countries, regions and even cities competing against each other for essential supplies and front-line workers,” the UN chief said. “We cannot let the same thing happen for access to new Covid-19 vaccines, which must be a global public good.”

Guterres said the pandemic was proof that the world needed more multilateralism and stronger international institutions.

He noted that there were inequalities in global power relations, pointing in particular to the composition of the UN Security Council.

“The nations that came out on top more than seven decades ago have refused to contemplate reforms,” Guterres said, calling for African countries and the developing world more broadly to have a stronger voice in global decision-making.