The UN Security Council continues to stall in the face of the coronavirus. While a draft resolution on the Covid-19 pandemic has been discussed for weeks, the United States and China continuing to block any attempt at adoption, Tunisia and France called on Tuesday May 5 the UN body to a "compromise".

It is a "moment of truth for the United Nations and the multilateral system facing the most difficult crisis the United Nations has faced since the Second World War," said Tunisian ambassador Kais Kabtani to some media including AFP.

"In close coordination with France, Tunisia is already working hard to present a final comprehensive agreement to the parties concerned and is counting on the spirit of compromise of the members of the Council," he added. Tunis and Paris organized a meeting of the Council during the day aimed at resolving the situation.

Strengthening cooperation and cease-fire in countries at war

According to diplomats interviewed by AFP, this videoconference behind closed doors did not allow an immediate breakthrough allowing the scheduling of a vote on the resolution: "The positions of China and the United States have not changed", a one of these diplomats told AFP.

The text aims to strengthen international cooperation and support a UN chief's call - dated March 23 - to a ceasefire in countries at war in order to facilitate the fight against the pandemic.

Beijing demands mention on WHO, "out of the question" for Washington

China calls for mention in the text on the World Health Organization (WHO) while the United States, very critical of this UN agency [the United States recently announced its financial withdrawal from it ], do not want it, according to the same diplomats.

For Tunis, there is "an urgency to conclude in the coming days the process of consultations under way on the draft resolution relating to Covid-19," said Kais Kabtani.

Co-author with Tunisia of the text under discussion, France also considers it essential to move the process forward. "The next step is to continue to discuss in order to have the best compromise possible," French ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, told a few journalists. "The Security Council must act now," he added, assuring that "things are going ahead".

With AFP

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