Yesterday, the UN Secretary-General addressed
the Security Council on the Covid-19. It was the right move because the
pandemic is not just a global health problem but also a serious threat to international
peace and security, as well as a major humanitarian challenge for less
developed States. I recommend an attentive reading Mr Guterres’s remarks. They are
very thorough. The link is as follows:
China, Russia and South Africa adopted
a very similar line of response to the Secretary-General. They basically stated
that Covid-19 is a public health issue and therefore it should not be discussed
in the Council.
That’s a very narrow approach. It’s
terribly wrong. They know it, but their main concern was to avoid a political discussion
that would give the UN some room for a more active and comprehensive role. That
has confirmed a trend we know well: to keep away from the Security Council the
most strategic issues the world is confronted with. And to marginalise the UN
Secretariat when it is in their own interest, as major countries.
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