A crew member on the the Ruby Princess displays a sign as the ship departs from Port Kembla in Wollongong, Australia, Thursday, April 23, 2020. The ocean liner became notorious as Australia鈥檚 largest single source of coronavirus infections and is the center of a criminal investigation over the sickness鈥� spread set off a month after it was ordered by police to leave. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
CANBERRA, Australia 鈥� Australia鈥檚 prime minister has said his government will cooperate with like-minded countries to change the World Health Organization (WHO).
Australian said it agrees with the United States that the United Nation鈥檚 agency needs to be reviewed, but Australia continues to support the agency鈥檚 valuable work in the Pacific. President Donald Trump has directed his administration to freeze WHO funding, claiming it didn鈥檛 deliver adequate early reports on the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Friday: 鈥淲hat happens at the upper echelons of these organizations, and how they operate, I think is in need of change.鈥�
鈥淎ustralia will continue to advocate for that change with like-minded countries who share our concerns,鈥� Morrison said.
鈥淲hat ultimate decision the United States ultimately takes on funding will be a matter for them. We will certainly want to see an improved set of arrangements at the WHO, and we鈥檒l continue to push for that through the forums as a participant, as a member, as someone who understands and publicly states the value of the work that it does on the ground. So, I think that鈥檚 a constructive but not uncritical partner,鈥� he added.