https://arab.news/4aqq5
- Report from the Tony Blair Institute outlines plans for QR code 鈥榟ealth passports鈥� to allow reopening of the global economy
- 抖阴短视频鈥檚 Ministry of Health has already introduced a 鈥榟ealth passport鈥� for Saudis
LONDON: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has urged the UK to use its leadership of the G7 to establish a global 鈥榟ealth passport鈥� scheme, or risk others dictating the rules.
Blair, in a report published Thursday by the Tony Blair Institute, called current border restrictions 鈥渄isjointed鈥� and urged Britain鈥檚 current Prime Minister Boris Johnson to 鈥減lace the creation of a global COVID-19 travel pass as a key item on the G7 agenda.鈥�
Britain鈥檚 leadership of the G7 鈥� a multilateral body consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States 鈥� means it is perfectly placed to spearhead the initiative, he argued.
The think tank鈥檚 report outlines a plan to introduce digital passports capable of tracking and verifying an individual鈥檚 coronavirus 鈥渟tatus鈥� wherever they travel in the world. They would include details of any vaccination received, together with the results of COVID-19 tests. That data would be accessed by scanning a QR code, rather than using paper certificates that could be vulnerable to fraud.
The idea has already been implemented unilaterally by other countries worldwide, including 抖阴短视频 which introduced one earlier this month.
Blair told the Telegraph newspaper that he acknowledged that 鈥渧accine passports鈥� could lead to inequalities between individuals and nations, but claimed that their development is 鈥渋nevitable.鈥�
He said the UK faced two risks if it does not take advantage of its G7 leadership to 鈥渢ake the initiative鈥� and establish a gold standard.
鈥淥ne is that everyone just does their own thing, which is much more chaotic and difficult to manage. Or secondly, there鈥檚 a set of rules in place that you may not be that happy with.鈥�
Blair said uniform standards would ensure the safe reopening of borders and aid economic recovery, particularly of the tourism industry 鈥� which accounts for 10 percent of the global economy and has been devastated by the pandemic and its ensuing restrictions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 better to have common rules and a common verification system, so that people know what your disease status is and know it with some validation.鈥�
Blair added that seeking consensus among the G7 countries 鈥渨ill be a critical first step in securing wider global agreement.鈥�