Coronavirus: Trump and Macron want exceptional P5 summit

Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron want to organize an exceptional videoconference of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom), known as "P5", to fight the epidemic in conflict zones, while this body is completely blocked.

The American president and his French counterpart "mentioned the upcoming organization of a meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council" to increase cooperation within the United Nations in order to "overcome the pandemic," the House said on Friday. Blanche and the Elysée Palace. "This body has divided in recent years, it would be an important signal in the face of the crisis," commented on Friday evening the French presidency, stressing that such a summit would be "entirely exceptional" , the five countries not having never assembled at the top in the face of a crisis.

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But the Security Council has been paralyzed for several weeks by oppositions between the United States and China on the origin of the virus, which Washington wants to emphasize in any discussion or text at the UN. Russia and China are also reluctant to see the Security Council, responsible for peace and security in the world, take up the Covid-19 dossier, which has been mainly health and economic to date. For Beijing, talking about the pandemic during Council discussions on the various ongoing conflicts is enough, without the need to make it a cross-cutting subject, explains a diplomat on condition of anonymity.

A week ago, the French president announced without further details preparing "an important initiative" with his American counterpart, without action at this stage. Emmanuel Macron called his four counterparts to discuss a resolution supporting the UN secretary general's call for an “immediate and global ceasefire” in conflict zones and to organize “access to the civilian population and avoid the spread of the epidemic in these areas, "said the Elysee.

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But between the United States and China, "the dispute has intensified," said a diplomat on Friday on condition of anonymity. A videoconference with five could help unblock the situation, hopes France, which wants rapid international cooperation in the face of the epidemic. "This is the core of the Security Council's mandate , " according to Paris.

Exasperated by this paralysis between the five permanent members, the ten other members of the Security Council, non-permanent, on the initiative of Germany, requested Thursday a meeting on the Covid-19, with a statement by the secretary general on the pandemic. Antonio Guterres said on Friday in an exchange with the media that this meeting could be held next week. No date has yet been set and this session may not take place until after the five-party summit desired by the United States and France.