Coronavirus: UN Security Council remains silent on pandemic

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No common position in the Security Council on the Covid-19 crisis and its consequences. The highest UN body has been completely silent on the subject for the past three weeks. China refuses to mention it, convinced that the United States is seeking to politicize it.

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With our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nooten

Given the gravity of the crisis caused by the Covid-19, it is difficult to imagine that the most powerful executive organ of the UN offers itself the luxury of a semantic war pushing any common declaration to an impasse. This is what is happening in New York.

Once the 15 ambassadors managed to meet in video conferences ten days ago, Estonia offered to make a statement on the pandemic to send a strong message to the public. But China , which, by chance, presides over the Council until Tuesday evening, first rejected the idea, supported by South Africa, Indonesia and Russia.

The United States then went further by asking that the origin of the virus , the Chinese city of Wuhan, be absolutely cited, angering Chinese diplomats.

Delocalized debate

France then proposed to resume negotiation in a small committee, between the five permanent members. An initiative deemed not very transparent by the ten elected members and which did not allow the diplomats to agree.

The debate has now moved directly to the capitals. Many Council members deplore the lack of leadership and responsibility of the two protagonist countries. And if there is finally a resolution, they say, it will come too late anyway.

► Read also: Quarantine and coronavirus: the UN calls for the “respect” of “human rights”

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