New York, September 26: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday (local time) urged the international community to pledge to share the COVID-19 vaccine whenever it is found as it is a "global and moral responsibility".

Speaking at the 75th United Nations General Assembly on Friday (local time), Morrison asked the international community to seek an answer as to how the virus was transmitted to humans.

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"Whoever finds the vaccine must share it. This is a global responsibility, and it's a moral responsibility, for a vaccine to be shared far and wide," he said. "If we find the vaccine we will share it. That's the pledge we all must make."

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Speaking on the source of the virus, the Australian Prime Minister said, "There is also a clear mandate to identify the zoonotic source of the COVID-19 virus and how it was transmitted to humans."

"This virus has inflicted a calamity on our world and its peoples. We must do all we can to understand what happened for no other purpose than to prevent it from happening again...This is a global responsibility and it is a moral responsibility for a vaccine to be shared far and wide," he said.

He said that though some might see "short term advantage or even profit" by withholding information, "I assure you to anyone who may think along those lines, humanity will have a very long memory and be a very, very severe judge."

"Disinformation costs lives and creates a climate of fear and division," he stressed.

On the territorial maritime claims, Morrison said, "We value rules that protect sovereignty, peace and security, and curb the excessive use of power...This includes ensuring that competing territorial and maritime claims are based on and determined in line with, international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

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