Editorial

ABSTRACT

In this respect a roll call of some international anniversaries is a potent reminder. 2020 was the 75 th anniversary of the United Nations and the launch of the Nuremberg Tribunal. The UN is Ireland's primary reference point in international matters, and in 2020 the country secured a nonpermanent seat on the Security Council. 2020 also marked the 60th anniversary of Ireland's decision to contribute to the UN mission to the Congo, which established its unparalleled commitment to UN peacekeeping. 2020 was the 50th anniversary of the operationalisation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NET) and the field remains a key agenda item of the UN. There is, therefore, a strong case for the enhancement and perfection of the innovative EU response, the Joint Procurement Agreement for the Procurement of Medical Countermeasures (JPA), to cope with future cross-border public health crises. In continuation of this negative assessment of the developed world, John Ryan is deeply critical of Boris Johnson's government's conduct of the Covid-19 public health crisis in the UK, an advanced Northern European country that possessed many advantages.