The UN General Assembly on Thursday approved by consensus a resolution calling for "international cooperation" and "multilateralism" to combat Covid-19, the first United Nations text since the outbreak of the pandemic. The resolution, which Russia tried to unsuccessfully try to oppose with a competing project, supported by four other countries, also stresses "the need to fully respect human rights" and denounces "all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia in responding to the pandemic ".
A resolution adopted by 188 out of 193 countries
The text emphasizes the central role of the United Nations in the health and economic crisis that has become global. The resolution adopted by the General Assembly was initiated by six countries: Switzerland, Indonesia, Singapore, Norway, Liechtenstein and Ghana. In the end, it was sponsored by 188 states out of the 193 that make up the United Nations, according to diplomats.
The five countries missing from this co-sponsorship are Russia, the Central African Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. These countries co-sponsored a "declaration" proposed by Moscow which wanted to compete with the adopted resolution, also speaking of cooperation but by including an implicit request for a general lifting of international sanctions. Struck by such measures because of the conflict with Ukraine, Russia considers that they are a brake on the fight against the pandemic.
A non-binding text
The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Ukraine in particular intervened Thursday to block the adoption of this "declaration" which was also to be made by consensus, according to diplomats.
Unlike the UN Security Council, the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are not binding but have a high political value depending on the number of countries which approve them during a vote or co-sponsor them during adoption by consensus.
Security Council paralyzed at the moment
To date, the Security Council has still not agreed on the adoption of a text despite several attempts, blockages continuing to oppose in particular the United States to China on the origin of the virus that Washington wants to highlight.
Permanent members of the Council with veto power (China and Russia) are also reluctant to see the Security Council, responsible for world peace and security, take up a file so far essentially sanitary and economic.