Tunisia presses Security Council to call for urgent action on pandemic

Tunisia has proposed a UN Security Council resolution calling for “urgent international action” to curb the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a draft obtained Wednesday by AFP shows.

In broad terms, the draft resolution echoes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in calling for “an immediate global humanitarian ceasefire.”

Concern raised about food security

Tunisia, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, proposes in the preamble that the council express “concern about the impact on food security and economies […] all over the world due to work, travel and trade restrictions, lockdown measures and cessation of industrial activities.”

Tunisia’s mission at the United Nations could not immediately be reached for comment on the draft. The draft was embraced by the all 10 non-permanent Council members, a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In addition to Tunisia, they include Germany, Belgium, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa, Niger, the Dominican Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Estonia.

But the resolution appears to reflect growing frustration between the non-permanent members and the permanent ones (Russia, the US, China, France and the United Kingdom).

Council yet to take unified position

According to diplomats, the proposed resolution’s fate is uncertain as long as the United States continues to push for identifying the virus’s Chinese origin, which would likely result in a veto by China.

Russia, which also holds a veto, might also want the resolution to call for a lifting of sanctions to better fight the pandemic.

Without US and European support, the resolution in that case would risk failing to garner the minimum nine of 15 votes required for passage. The UN Security Council has yet to take a unified position on the pandemic, nor has the UN General Assembly.

Only Guterres has spoken out, warning on multiple occasions that “millions” of people are at risk of dying and stressing the need for a coordinated global response to what he described as the worst crisis since World War II.

Guterres has extended his order for non-essential UN to stay at home until the end of April.

Rebel group calls temporary ceasefire

In other news, Colombia’s last recognised leftist guerrilla group, the ELN, has announced a month-long ceasefire in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a statement released Monday said.

The rebels said they would unilaterally suspend military action from 1 April “as a humanitarian gesture.” The statement was disseminated by a group of Colombian senators who are seeking to establish a peace process with the group.

The National Liberation Army, the group’s formal name, noted a recent appeal by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a halt to conflicts worldwide as nations grapple with the pandemic, and said that Colombian organizations had made similar requests.

© Agence France-Presse