Coronavirus: first meeting of the Security Council, implementation of a possible global ceasefire

The UN Security Council met this Thursday, April 9 to discuss the coronavirus for the first time, while the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security struggles to find a consensus within it whether or not to take action to deal with the epidemic.

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The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, gave a private report on the health crisis during a virtual meeting of the Council, composed of 15 countries. According to a Reuters count, the coronavirus has infected some 1.5 million people and caused 90,000 deaths worldwide. " The pandemic also poses a significant threat to the maintenance of international peace and security, with the risk of increased social unrest and violence that would greatly affect our ability to fight the disease, " Guterres told members Council whose commitment, he added, will be " crucial " to mitigate the security impact of the epidemic. " In fact, a signal of unity and determination on the part of the Council would mean a great deal during this period of anxiety, " continued the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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The Security Council's inaction on the coronavirus has been criticized by diplomats who have blamed it on the United States and China. Beijing has shown itself to be reluctant with regard to a possible involvement of the UN body, putting forward the idea that this was outside the scope of its mandate. Washington, for its part, insisted that any possible action by the Council mention the origin of the virus - which appeared last December in mainland China -, which bothers Beijing.

" This is not the discussion to be held at the moment (...) The virus is a threat to international peace and security and the Security Council should have spoken on the issue earlier ", a said a senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

China's ambassador to the United Nations told the council on Thursday that the council should reject any act of stigma or politicization. US President Donald Trump last month called the coronavirus " the Chinese virus " and blamed Beijing for its slowness to warn the rest of the world of the danger. " To overcome this global challenge, we need solidarity, cooperation, mutual support and mutual aid, " said Zhang Jun, stressing that looking for a " scapegoat " was counterproductive.

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In recent weeks, Council members have worked on two separate draft resolutions, one of which was drafted by France and discussed by the five permanent members of the body - the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. .

Council resolution may back Guterres' call for global ceasefire to focus on coronavirus, aid and humanitarian approach coordinated global response to the epidemic. " This is a generation's fight ," Guterres told council members. " This is the raison d'être of the United Nations ".