TUNIS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Kais Saied has called for the need to ensure equal access to the coronavirus vaccines, once available, for all countries of the world.

In his speech during the 31st United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the COVID-19 Pandemic held on Dec. 3-4 in New York via videoconference, the Tunisian president assured that "it is urgent to redefine the priorities of international cooperation in this exceptional period."

He said that these priorities should ensure food security and its sustainable systems, strengthening of social security networks, universal health coverage in addition to equality for all.

Saied stressed the urgent need to set up a plan that "satisfies the aspirations and demands of all humanity in order to face the crisis linked to the COVID-19 and mitigate its repercussions."

The president called for "unifying the efforts of the international community to fight COVID-19, the impacts of which have not only threatened human health around the world, but have spread to be one of the emerging threats to peace and international security."