UN: there was no "global truce" amid a pandemic

Text by: Nicolas Falez Follow

On March 23, Antonio Guterres called for a worldwide ceasefire to unite the efforts of states against the coronavirus. Two months later, the UN secretary-general recognizes the lack of progress. The adoption of a resolution in the Security Council was paralyzed by the standoff between the United States and China.

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Laying down your arms to fight against a common enemy, the coronavirus, is the meaning of the solemn appeal launched on March 23 by the United Nations No. 1, Antonio Guterres. " It may be a failure but we will do everything to avoid it, " said a few days later the UN secretary general in an interview with RFI and France 24. " We must put pressure on the actors of the war so that they understand our enemy it is the virus, it is not the men and women who live in conflict zones , "he said.

As the pandemic rages, several states and armed groups express their support for the idea of ​​a truce, there are then glimmers of hope for Yemen , for Cameroon , for the Philippines . But two months later, the report is disappointing Antonio Guterres recognizes and deplores that his call was not followed by concrete actions.

China-United States showdown

Conflicts continued on the ground when the UN Security Council was unable to agree on a resolution resuming the call for a cease-fire. A text was well prepared by France and Tunisia, but it found itself blocked due to a showdown between the United States and China. Against the backdrop of growing tension between the two powers, the question of whether or not to mention the World Health Organization was enough to paralyze the Security Council. For Washington no question of quoting the WHO at a time when the United States is suspending its funding to this UN agency. An American position unacceptable for Beijing.

" Seeing these two countries not agreeing on a fairly simple resolution illustrates the deterioration in the relationship between the two countries, " said Robert Malley, former adviser to US Presidents Clinton and Obama. Today, Robert Malley chairs International Crisis Group , an NGO that works on conflict prevention. ICG and other organizations signed a joint communiqué deeming " shameful " this paralysis of the Security Council at such a special time.

At the Security Council, the “next world” is very much like yesterday, which “ reminds us that the United Nations is an organization made up of states: if they cannot agree, the UN as a collective body cannot exist ” , analyzes Alexandra Novosseloff, Associate researcher at the Thucydide Center of the University of Paris II. " The Security Council, which is the political and security center, cannot function if the large states are completely divided, " continues the United Nations specialist.

More " resilience " and "cooperation "

Two months after the appeal by Antonio Guterres, France assures that its draft resolution drafted with Tunisia for a global truce is still on the table. But Paris, which takes the rotating presidency of the Security Council in June, does not seem to make it a priority.

On Thursday May 28, around 50 world leaders pleaded for more " resilience " and " cooperation " in the post-pandemic world during a large UN videoconference on financing for development. The United States, China and Russia did not participate. Against the background of "the crisis of multilateralism, the States, and in particular those of the Security Council, should be united to provide common responses ", believes Chloé Maurel, Doctor of History. For this United Nations specialist, unity is all the more desirable since " this crisis is multifaceted because it will affect food and social issues, with the development of unemployment. So all UN agencies like WHO for health, FAO for food, Unesco for education, ILO for work, UNHCR for refugees have a decisive role to play ” .

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• UN
• Antonio Guterres
• Diplomacy