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U.N. Security Council ‘Missing In Action’ in Coronavirus Fight U.N. Security Council ‘Missing In Action’ in Coronavirus Fight
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The leader of the United Nations has called the coronavirus pandemic the most challenging crisis since the organization’s founding after World War II. But the Security Council, its most powerful arm, has been conspicuously silent.The leader of the United Nations has called the coronavirus pandemic the most challenging crisis since the organization’s founding after World War II. But the Security Council, its most powerful arm, has been conspicuously silent.
Secretary General António Guterres has pleaded for a unified global response as many nations turn inward and seal each other off in an effort to contain the virus. He has also called for a halt to all armed conflicts so nations can focus on the crisis.Secretary General António Guterres has pleaded for a unified global response as many nations turn inward and seal each other off in an effort to contain the virus. He has also called for a halt to all armed conflicts so nations can focus on the crisis.
But without the supportive muscle of the 15-member Security Council, the only U.N. body empowered to authorize military and economic coercion to back its demands, Mr. Guterres’s calls have been widely disregarded. In Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Mali and Colombia, among other hot spots, fighting continues unabated. North Korea, which claims to have no coronavirus infections, launched two short-range missiles in recent days, its fourth weapons test in a month.But without the supportive muscle of the 15-member Security Council, the only U.N. body empowered to authorize military and economic coercion to back its demands, Mr. Guterres’s calls have been widely disregarded. In Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Mali and Colombia, among other hot spots, fighting continues unabated. North Korea, which claims to have no coronavirus infections, launched two short-range missiles in recent days, its fourth weapons test in a month.
And there are few immediate indications that the situation will change, causing alarm and frustration among rights groups and foreign policy experts who say the United Nations is failing to fulfill its outsize role as the pandemic rages on across the globe.And there are few immediate indications that the situation will change, causing alarm and frustration among rights groups and foreign policy experts who say the United Nations is failing to fulfill its outsize role as the pandemic rages on across the globe.
Diplomats, former U.N. officials and civil rights groups say the Council’s inaction reflected a bitter standoff between two of its five veto-wielding permanent members — China and the United States — over the origin of the pandemic.Diplomats, former U.N. officials and civil rights groups say the Council’s inaction reflected a bitter standoff between two of its five veto-wielding permanent members — China and the United States — over the origin of the pandemic.
China, where the coronavirus was first discovered in the central city of Wuhan, does not want to be seen as culpable, even though Beijing has been accused of punishing whistle blowers and suppressing information about the outbreak. The United States, which was also slow to respond the spread of the contagion, has insisted that China acknowledge responsibility.China, where the coronavirus was first discovered in the central city of Wuhan, does not want to be seen as culpable, even though Beijing has been accused of punishing whistle blowers and suppressing information about the outbreak. The United States, which was also slow to respond the spread of the contagion, has insisted that China acknowledge responsibility.
President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly called the coronavirus the “Wuhan virus” and the “Chinese virus,” which critics have said is stigmatizing, xenophobic and racist.President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly called the coronavirus the “Wuhan virus” and the “Chinese virus,” which critics have said is stigmatizing, xenophobic and racist.
“The Council has sent a signal of shambolic disunity, which I think is resonating quite widely,” said Richard Gowan, a former U.N. consultant and now the United Nations director at the International Crisis Group, an organization that seeks to prevent deadly conflicts. “The damage has been done.”“The Council has sent a signal of shambolic disunity, which I think is resonating quite widely,” said Richard Gowan, a former U.N. consultant and now the United Nations director at the International Crisis Group, an organization that seeks to prevent deadly conflicts. “The damage has been done.”
Louis Charbonneau, the United Nations director at Human Rights Watch, said “the Security Council has been entirely missing in action” on the pandemic.Louis Charbonneau, the United Nations director at Human Rights Watch, said “the Security Council has been entirely missing in action” on the pandemic.
“We’re in a situation widely recognized as our most urgent security issue, with a large portion of the global population on lockdown, and the Security Council is incapable of doing anything,” he said.“We’re in a situation widely recognized as our most urgent security issue, with a large portion of the global population on lockdown, and the Security Council is incapable of doing anything,” he said.
The most immediate and important step the Council could take would be a declaration that the coronavirus represents a threat to peace and security, as it did six years ago during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Such a designation, which carries the force of international law, would signal the Council’s collective resolve to defeat the pandemic and give Mr. Guterres’s requests much more weight.The most immediate and important step the Council could take would be a declaration that the coronavirus represents a threat to peace and security, as it did six years ago during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Such a designation, which carries the force of international law, would signal the Council’s collective resolve to defeat the pandemic and give Mr. Guterres’s requests much more weight.
For the Council to remain paralyzed over the coronavirus is “baffling in many respects,” said Carrie Booth Walling, a political-science professor at Albion College and author of “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention.”For the Council to remain paralyzed over the coronavirus is “baffling in many respects,” said Carrie Booth Walling, a political-science professor at Albion College and author of “All Necessary Measures: The United Nations and Humanitarian Intervention.”
“It is a glaring omission to not have the U.N. speaking with a single voice,” she said.“It is a glaring omission to not have the U.N. speaking with a single voice,” she said.
Distressed at the Security Council’s inaction, ambassadors from Ghana, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland presented a resolution to the 193-member General Assembly expressing support for a strong and unified response to the pandemic.Distressed at the Security Council’s inaction, ambassadors from Ghana, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland presented a resolution to the 193-member General Assembly expressing support for a strong and unified response to the pandemic.
“People around the world expect no less from the United Nations,” they wrote.“People around the world expect no less from the United Nations,” they wrote.
The resolution, adopted by consensus Thursday night, was largely symbolic, but the sponsoring diplomats said they hoped it would increase pressure on the Security Council to act.The resolution, adopted by consensus Thursday night, was largely symbolic, but the sponsoring diplomats said they hoped it would increase pressure on the Security Council to act.
Efforts also were underway by Tunisia, one of the 10 nonpermanent Security Council members, to draft a resolution that would, without assigning blame for the virus, support Mr. Guterres’s appeal for a global cease-fire and describe the pandemic as “a threat to humanity and to international peace and security,” diplomats who had seen the draft said.Efforts also were underway by Tunisia, one of the 10 nonpermanent Security Council members, to draft a resolution that would, without assigning blame for the virus, support Mr. Guterres’s appeal for a global cease-fire and describe the pandemic as “a threat to humanity and to international peace and security,” diplomats who had seen the draft said.
It remained unclear, however, when or even whether the draft in its current form would be put to a vote by the Council, which has not convened a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York for three weeks to minimize the risk of coronavirus spread. The Council members have instead been conducting work via video conferencing, phone and email, hampering the kind of person-to-person contact that shapes international diplomacy.It remained unclear, however, when or even whether the draft in its current form would be put to a vote by the Council, which has not convened a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York for three weeks to minimize the risk of coronavirus spread. The Council members have instead been conducting work via video conferencing, phone and email, hampering the kind of person-to-person contact that shapes international diplomacy.
Some political analysts have argued that the Trump administration, which has disparaged the United Nations in the past and has renounced U.N.-backed agreements, including the Paris Climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal, has further complicated the challenge of a unified global response to the coronavirus crisis.Some political analysts have argued that the Trump administration, which has disparaged the United Nations in the past and has renounced U.N.-backed agreements, including the Paris Climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal, has further complicated the challenge of a unified global response to the coronavirus crisis.
“The U.S. government, reflecting Trump’s disdain for multilateral cooperation and embrace of disease denialism, has shown no appetite to assume its historical leadership role,” Rob Berschinski, a former State Department official in the Obama administration, wrote in a commentary published last week by Just Security.“The U.S. government, reflecting Trump’s disdain for multilateral cooperation and embrace of disease denialism, has shown no appetite to assume its historical leadership role,” Rob Berschinski, a former State Department official in the Obama administration, wrote in a commentary published last week by Just Security.
The pandemic has killed more than 46,000 people and sickened more than 930,000 across 180 countries and territories since late December. But until only recently, the Trump administration had dismissed the outbreak as a nonissue and even a political hoax. Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has since walloped the United States more than any other country.The pandemic has killed more than 46,000 people and sickened more than 930,000 across 180 countries and territories since late December. But until only recently, the Trump administration had dismissed the outbreak as a nonissue and even a political hoax. Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has since walloped the United States more than any other country.
Updated June 30, 2020
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
The pandemic also emerged against the backdrop of rising authoritarianism and isolationism around the world, and the rejection of international cooperation among headstrong leaders, from Brazil and Hungary to the Philippines. Fears are widespread that it could devastate the African continent and the populations in conflict zones in the Middle East and elsewhere.The pandemic also emerged against the backdrop of rising authoritarianism and isolationism around the world, and the rejection of international cooperation among headstrong leaders, from Brazil and Hungary to the Philippines. Fears are widespread that it could devastate the African continent and the populations in conflict zones in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Mr. Gowan and other experts on the United Nations said there was still much that the 193-member organization could do to play a leading role in containing the pandemic through its extensive humanitarian aid network. They noted that the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations that was criticized for its initial response to the Ebola crisis, had been far more diligent in assessing the coronavirus threat. They generally praised Mr. Guterres for what they acknowledged was a difficult job.Mr. Gowan and other experts on the United Nations said there was still much that the 193-member organization could do to play a leading role in containing the pandemic through its extensive humanitarian aid network. They noted that the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations that was criticized for its initial response to the Ebola crisis, had been far more diligent in assessing the coronavirus threat. They generally praised Mr. Guterres for what they acknowledged was a difficult job.
But Mr. Guterres has no coercive power beyond his position as secretary general. He has also sought to avoid offending the countries that are among the biggest U.N. financial benefactors — most notably the United States and China.But Mr. Guterres has no coercive power beyond his position as secretary general. He has also sought to avoid offending the countries that are among the biggest U.N. financial benefactors — most notably the United States and China.
“It’s a delicate dance when you’re the secretary general,” Dr. Walling said. “You represent everyone. You represent the U.N. charter. You’re also elected by the Security Council. It’s a tricky business to know how hard to push and when to pull and make nice.”“It’s a delicate dance when you’re the secretary general,” Dr. Walling said. “You represent everyone. You represent the U.N. charter. You’re also elected by the Security Council. It’s a tricky business to know how hard to push and when to pull and make nice.”
For his part, Mr. Guterres has increasingly pressed the urgency of not only fighting the pandemic, but addressing the social and economic upheavals it is causing among the poorer countries. On Tuesday, in announcing a new U.N. report on the devastating global impact of Covid-19, he also appeared to acknowledge that the United Nations should be doing far more, framing it as “call to action” for developed member states to help the less fortunate.For his part, Mr. Guterres has increasingly pressed the urgency of not only fighting the pandemic, but addressing the social and economic upheavals it is causing among the poorer countries. On Tuesday, in announcing a new U.N. report on the devastating global impact of Covid-19, he also appeared to acknowledge that the United Nations should be doing far more, framing it as “call to action” for developed member states to help the less fortunate.
“The world is facing an unprecedented test. And this is the moment of truth,” he said.“The world is facing an unprecedented test. And this is the moment of truth,” he said.
Mr. Guterres also acknowledged that his pleas for a global cease-fire, which he made more than a week ago, had not been met. “Many of the parties to conflicts in different parts of the world have said that they were ready to accept it,” he told reporters in an online news conference. “But there is a big difference between being ready to accept it and implementing it on the ground.”Mr. Guterres also acknowledged that his pleas for a global cease-fire, which he made more than a week ago, had not been met. “Many of the parties to conflicts in different parts of the world have said that they were ready to accept it,” he told reporters in an online news conference. “But there is a big difference between being ready to accept it and implementing it on the ground.”
Jean-Marie Guehenno, a French diplomat who is a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program and a former under secretary general for peacekeeping operations at the United Nations, said it was premature to judge the organization’s response a failure.Jean-Marie Guehenno, a French diplomat who is a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program and a former under secretary general for peacekeeping operations at the United Nations, said it was premature to judge the organization’s response a failure.
It was not surprising, Mr. Guehenno said, that nations confronted with a mysterious new contagion would initially look after themselves. “In an emergency you first think of your family,” he said. “That is what is happening around the world.”It was not surprising, Mr. Guehenno said, that nations confronted with a mysterious new contagion would initially look after themselves. “In an emergency you first think of your family,” he said. “That is what is happening around the world.”
He took some solace at the reaction in the European Union, where member states that initially acted independently are now starting to help each other. “You see more solidarity, people transported from one country to another. You see masks and equipment sent, you see coordinated procurement — not in the first hour, but in the second hour,” he said.He took some solace at the reaction in the European Union, where member states that initially acted independently are now starting to help each other. “You see more solidarity, people transported from one country to another. You see masks and equipment sent, you see coordinated procurement — not in the first hour, but in the second hour,” he said.
“I hope you’ll see the same kind of evolution at the United Nations.”“I hope you’ll see the same kind of evolution at the United Nations.”