World gets "failing" grade for COVID-19 preparedness, OECD says

LONDON - Tensions between Britain and the European Union over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines show how the world deserves a "failing" grade for its past efforts to prepare for unexpected shocks, OECD chief Angel Gurria said on Tuesday.

Gurria, a former Mexican finance minister who has headed the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 15 years, said countries had done too little to ensure supply chains would remain robust in a crisis. "We don't get a very high grade. We basically get a 'failing' grade," he said.