New Zealand's former Prime Minister Helen Clark has been appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead a review of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Describing this duty as "exceptionally challenging", she has warned that the danger of the pandemic will not decrease easily and the possibility of such a crisis rising again still exists. reminding everyone that this is the sixth time in the last 17 years that such a crisis has arised.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unknown-pneumonia-deadlier-than-coronavirus-sweeping-across-kazakhstan-warns-chinese-embassy-312099">Also read|&nbsp;'Unknown Pneumonia' deadlier than coronavirus sweeping across Kazakhstan, warns Chinese Embassy</a>

Clark said that&nbsp;if the world remained "flat-footed" in its response to pandemics, it faces future economic, social and political crisis.

"This is going to happen again. If the world is as flat-footed in response as it has been to this we are in serious ongoing economic, social, political crisis," she said in a local TV interview.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bubonic-plague-being-well-managed-in-china-not-high-risk-who-311353">Also read|&nbsp;Bubonic plague being 'well managed' in China, not high risk: WHO</a>

The statement came after the WHO on Thursday announced that Helen Clark and Liberia's former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will lead a panel investigating and scrutinising the global response to the ongoing pandemic.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called both women "strong-minded, independent leaders" and gave them the freedom to&nbsp;assess WHO's and governments' responses to the pandemic.

Clark and Sirleaf have to choose their panel members. Clark has described this to be a challenging but important job. "But there's also a very real job to do, which is to look at how the WHO has been able to lead. Does it have the right mechanisms? What actually happened here? And there's a lot of politics in that," she said.

New Zealand's former Prime Minister Helen Clark has been appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead a review of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Zealand's former Prime Minister Helen Clark has been appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead a review of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Describing this duty as "exceptionally challenging", she has warned that the danger of the pandemic will not decrease easily and the possibility of such a crisis rising again still exists. reminding everyone that this is the sixth time in the last 17 years that such a crisis has arised. Also read| 'Unknown Pneumonia' deadlier than coronavirus sweeping across Kazakhstan, warns Chinese Embassy Clark said that if the world remained "flat-footed" in its response to pandemics, it faces future economic, social and political crisis. "This is going to happen again. If the world is as flat-footed in response as it has been to this we are in serious ongoing economic, social, political crisis," she said in a local TV interview. Also read| Bubonic plague being 'well managed' in China, not high risk: WHO The statement came after the WHO on Thursday announced that Helen Clark and Liberia's former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will lead a panel investigating and scrutinising the global response to the ongoing pandemic. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called both women "strong-minded, independent leaders" and gave them the freedom to assess WHO's and governments' responses to the pandemic. Clark and Sirleaf have to choose their panel members. Clark has described this to be a challenging but important job. "But there's also a very real job to do, which is to look at how the WHO has been able to lead. Does it have the right mechanisms? What actually happened here? And there's a lot of politics in that," she said.

Flat-footed response will bring back crisis: former New Zealand PM Helen Clark

Liberia went to the polls on Tuesday for a presidential election that voters hope will mark country&#39;s first democratic transfer of power in over seven decades, despite it being tarnished by allegations of fraud.

Former world footballer of the year George Weah is squaring up against vice president Joseph Boakai, with both men promising a break with a heritage of poverty and corruption in a country where most citizens have no reliable electricity or clean drinking water.

They are bidding to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a run-off vote delayed for over a month after Boakai and third-placed Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party alleged widespread fraud in

October&#39;s first-round vote, a challenge that the Supreme Court rejected this month.

There were no early reports of violence as voting proceeded under sunny skies in the capital Monrovia, with polling stations opening at 0800 GMT and election agents telling Reuters first indications pointed to a lower turnout than in the first round.

&quot;It is great day for Liberia - a test day for democracy,&quot; said Boakai after casting his vote in Paynesville. &quot;We will accept the results provided they meet all the standards.&quot;

Johnson Sirleaf&#39;s 12-year rule cemented peace in the West African country after the civil war ended in 2003, and brought in much-needed aid.

But critics, including much of the country&#39;s youth, said her administration was marred by corruption and that she did little to raise most Liberians out of dire poverty.&nbsp;

Liberia was also racked by the Ebola crisis, which killed thousands in the country between 2014 and 2016, while a drop in iron ore prices since 2014 has dented export revenues.&nbsp;

Tuesday&#39;s poll follows a month of political tensions fuelled by claims that the first-round poll was rigged in Weah&#39;s favour.

Weah, world footballer of the year in 1995, won with 38 percent versus Boakai&#39;s 29 percent.&nbsp;

&quot;I voted George Weah because I believe that he will do better for me and my country. I want change,&quot; said Miama Kamara, a 32-year-old businesswoman, before casting her ballot in the capital.&nbsp;

Boakai&#39;s ruling Unity Party had accused Johnson Sirleaf, who is herself a member of the party, of interfering in the October vote by holding private meetings with election magistrates.

Boakai has found it harder to convince voters that he will bring change, given that he worked alongside Johnson Sirleaf for 12 years.

Weah, by contrast, has won the hearts of mostly young Liberians through his star performances for Europe&#39;s biggest football teams in the 1990s.&nbsp;

His arrival at a polling station in Paynesville was met with cheers by a crowd of supporters.&nbsp;

&quot;My focus now is to win,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;From there, I am going to get on the drawing board with my team and then we&#39;ll put a plan together to move our country forward.&quot;&nbsp;

Some however are wary of Weah`s lack of political experience, education and concrete policy.

&quot;Boakai understands diplomacy,&quot; said McArthur Nuah Kermah, a school registrar in Paynesville. &quot;Weah is not experienced and doesn`t know the workings of government.&quot;

Liberia went to polls on Tuesday for a presidential election that voters hope will mark country's first democratic transfer of power in over seven decades

Liberia went to the polls on Tuesday for a presidential election that voters hope will mark country's first democratic transfer of power in over seven decades, despite it being tarnished by allegations of fraud. Former world footballer of the year George Weah is squaring up against vice president Joseph Boakai, with both men promising a break with a heritage of poverty and corruption in a country where most citizens have no reliable electricity or clean drinking water. They are bidding to succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a run-off vote delayed for over a month after Boakai and third-placed Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party alleged widespread fraud in October's first-round vote, a challenge that the Supreme Court rejected this month. There were no early reports of violence as voting proceeded under sunny skies in the capital Monrovia, with polling stations opening at 0800 GMT and election agents telling Reuters first indications pointed to a lower turnout than in the first round. "It is great day for Liberia - a test day for democracy," said Boakai after casting his vote in Paynesville. "We will accept the results provided they meet all the standards." Johnson Sirleaf's 12-year rule cemented peace in the West African country after the civil war ended in 2003, and brought in much-needed aid. But critics, including much of the country's youth, said her administration was marred by corruption and that she did little to raise most Liberians out of dire poverty. Liberia was also racked by the Ebola crisis, which killed thousands in the country between 2014 and 2016, while a drop in iron ore prices since 2014 has dented export revenues. Tuesday's poll follows a month of political tensions fuelled by claims that the first-round poll was rigged in Weah's favour. Weah, world footballer of the year in 1995, won with 38 percent versus Boakai's 29 percent. "I voted George Weah because I believe that he will do better for me and my country. I want change," said Miama Kamara, a 32-year-old businesswoman, before casting her ballot in the capital. Boakai's ruling Unity Party had accused Johnson Sirleaf, who is herself a member of the party, of interfering in the October vote by holding private meetings with election magistrates. Boakai has found it harder to convince voters that he will bring change, given that he worked alongside Johnson Sirleaf for 12 years. Weah, by contrast, has won the hearts of mostly young Liberians through his star performances for Europe's biggest football teams in the 1990s. His arrival at a polling station in Paynesville was met with cheers by a crowd of supporters. "My focus now is to win," he told reporters. "From there, I am going to get on the drawing board with my team and then we'll put a plan together to move our country forward." Some however are wary of Weah`s lack of political experience, education and concrete policy. "Boakai understands diplomacy," said McArthur Nuah Kermah, a school registrar in Paynesville. "Weah is not experienced and doesn`t know the workings of government."

Liberians head to polls in historic, delayed election

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Flat-footed response will bring back crisis: former New Zealand PM Helen Clark

Liberians head to polls in historic, delayed election