scorecardresearch
Friday, March 29, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeWorldUN chief urges divided Security Council to come together to fight coronavirus

UN chief urges divided Security Council to come together to fight coronavirus

The Security Council has been unable to come up with a united response to the pandemic in recent weeks primarily due to Chinese-US tensions.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged members of the Security Council to come together to fight the global coronavirus outbreak, marking the first time the divided 15-nation body discussed the pandemic.

“The engagement of the Security Council will be critical to mitigate the peace and security implications of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Guterres told council members in a closed-door video conference on Thursday.

“A signal of unity and resolve from the Council would count for a lot at this anxious time,” he said in a text released by his office.

The Security Council has been unable to come up with a united response to the pandemic in recent weeks primarily due to Chinese-U.S. tensions. President Donald Trump initially insisted on calling the disease the “Chinese virus” because it first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Interview
Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), speaks during an interview in New York, U.S., on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Guterres has stated that he is ‘deeply concerned’ about the U.S. decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal.

Guterres said that the council’s ability to work together to fight previous major health crises, such as Ebola and HIV, was crucial in marshaling an effective international response.

While most of the council’s members want to act in unity, two competing texts in recent weeks have failed to move forward. Diplomats pointed out a more positive tone in recent discussions.

The 193-member UN General Assembly last week adopted the first resolution on Coronavirus, calling for international cooperation and commitment to help weaker groups, though its texts aren’t binding.


Also read: Boris Johnson is out of ICU, UK extends lockdown as toll continues to rise


 

Council’s Authority

The Security Council has the authority to step in when it considers a crisis a threat to international peace and security, as it did with Ebola in 2014. The Chinese, who presided over the council in March, were initially reticent to agree to a meeting, arguing that the issue is a public health concern.

But it’s become increasingly clear that the outbreak, which has thus far infected more than 1.5 million people worldwide, will wreak havoc far beyond the immediate health-care toll.

In his speech, Guterres outlined nine areas of concern to international security tied to the virus, from eroding public trust in institutions to the economic fallout to threats of postponed elections to the risk that some conflicts will be exacerbated.

On a more optimistic note, Guterres said his call for a global cease-fire has been heeded in some corners. Saudi Arabia recently announced a unilateral cease-fire in Yemen. -Bloomberg


Also read: New York, New Jersey urge people to stay put as deaths rise and peak of infection nears


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular