Proposed UN resolution calls COVID-19 a threat to peace

Tunisia has proposed a UN Security Council resolution thatwould call the coronavirus pandemic a threat to humanity and to internationalpeace and security and call for an immediate global humanitarian cease-fire torespond to the unprecedented threat posed by COVID-19.

The UN’s most powerful body has not addressed the pandemicsweeping the globe, but Dominican Republic Ambassador Jose Singer, the currentcouncil president, said Wednesday he expects members to meet on COVID-10 forsure next week, or before.

   

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to brief thecouncil at the request of Germany’s U.N. Ambassador Christoph Heusgen,diplomats said.

Singer said negotiations on the resolution were taking placeamong the 15 council members.

The draft resolution, which diplomats say has support fromthe 10 non-permanent council members, stresses the importance of urgentinternational action to curb the impact of COVID-19.

It underscores that combating this pandemic requires greaterinternational cooperation and solidarity, and a coordinated, comprehensive andglobal international response under the leadership of the United Nations.

In calling for a global ceasefire, the proposed resolutiondemands that all efforts emphasize on fighting the pandemic and saving lives.

It would also express the council’s commitment to takespecial measures to provide protection for the most vulnerable in conflictzones, especially refugees, displaced populations, women, children and personswith disabilities.

The Security Council has twice previously addressed publichealth emergencies, first the HIV/AIDS pandemic and second the swiftlyspreading Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 which it called a threat tointernational peace and security.

The UN General Assembly is expected to decide by Thursdayevening whether to adopt either, both, or neither of two rival resolutions onCOVID-19.

One resolution, which has more than 135 co-sponsors,supports the World Health Organization and calls for intensified internationalcooperation” to defeat the pandemic.

The other, sponsored by Russia with support from fourcountries, also recognizes WHO’s leading role, but it says unilateral sanctionsmust not be applied without U.N. Security Council approval.

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