VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world must respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with greater attention to the poor and vulnerable and with increased cooperation for fairly distributing ethical vaccines, the Vatican's secretary of state told the U.N. General Assembly Dec. 3. "The challenges of this crisis must be met with a spirit of co-responsibility and with the contribution of everyone," Cardinal Pietro Parolin saidin a pre-recorded video message for a special session of the U.N. Presidents, prime ministers and other top government leaders representing 141 nations contributed via video to the general debate Dec. 3. The assembly began by observing a minute of silence for all victims of the pandemic. More than 1.5 million lives are estimated to have been lost to COVID-19.