United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has told the Security Council that the coronavirus pandemic is a clear test of international cooperation that the world has essentially failed.
Guterres was joined by some heads of state and governments including President Cyril Ramaphosa in a virtual meeting of the council to discuss global governance in a post- COVID-19 world.
He said it was international communities’ expectation that the Security Council would continue to play a key role in ensuring that the pandemic did not undermine international peace and security.
“We must coordinate our efforts and strengthen multilateralism if we are to contain the damage that this pandemic could cause. South Africa and the African Union supports the call by the UN Secretary-General for a global ceasefire and the scaling up of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable societies. South Africa calls on all parties to armed conflict to use this opportunity to work towards a peaceful resolution, all the while addressing the humanitarian needs of their populations. We further support the call for the waiving of unilateral punitive measures, such as sanctions, during the pandemic to enable affected countries to secure much-needed supplies and support,” said President Ramaphosa
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ address:
Also speaking at the debate, African Union Commission Chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told the United Nations Security Council that insurgents have been exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to make advances in various vulnerable African nations.
“Additional troops that were supposed to be deployed to the Sahal for example have been held up, armed groups and terrorist organisations have exploited the situation to continue to push their tactical advantage to intensify their criminal activities. The region of the Sahal, the lake basin Somalia and the Cabo Delgado province in the north of Mozambique are stark illustrations of what I’m speaking of.”
