COVID-19 update & other topics – Daily Briefing (27 March 2020)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

– COVID19/Secretary-General
– COVID-19/Peace
– COVID-19/Timor Leste
– COVID-19/School Meals
– COVID-19/Shipping of Vital Supplies
– COVID-19/Women and Girls
– COVID-19/Thailand
– COVID-19/Journalists
– COVID-19/UN
– Myanmar
– Human Rights
– Financial Contributions

COVID-19/SECRETARY-GENERAL
This morning, in a historic virtual briefing, the Secretary-General briefed Member States on the UN’s response to COVID-19.
He outlined how, in this time of crisis, the UN Secretariat is continuing its work, both in field and at headquarters. “Staff are motivated and committed to fulfilling their functions – here in New York and across the globe,” he said.
Guterres said the UN is taking all measures possible to keep staff safe and stressed that the business continuity plan is working, and the UN’s critical work is continuing largely uninterrupted.
In addition, in early February, a Crisis Management Team was activated to mobilize work on critical issues. He said that country teams are engaging with national authorities in preparing preparedness and response plans, and a Field Support Group is assisting peacekeeping missions to address the health crisis while delivering on their critical mandates.
The Secretary-General also noted that the UN has a well-established mechanism to coordinate supply chain support to countries, and that we stand ready to place the global network of supply chain of the different UN entities at the disposal of Member States for health supplies, medical staff and other needs.
The Secretary-General also reiterated his call for a global ceasefire and said his Special Envoys and Special Representatives are working hard to ensure that this appeal is followed by necessary measures to allow the ceasefires to be effective.
Guterres also underscored that there is a need to stand up against the increase in hate crimes targeting individuals and groups perceived to be associated with COVID-19.
In closing remarks, he reiterated that the world needs to show massive solidarity with the pandemic, as it spreads increasingly to the developing world. This massive solidarity will need to support developing countries not only in dealing with the pandemic itself, but also, with the socioeconomic impact that it will come afterwards.

COVID-19/PEACE
In response to an update on the response to the Secretary-General’s call for global ceasefires as the world deals with the pandemic, the Spokesperson shared a few other examples.
In Colombia, there were calls from civil society for a “humanitarian truce” to be put in place once the COVID-19 pandemic started to unravel, even before the appeal. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative there has been relaying the message on a global ceasefire both publicly and in private engagements with stakeholders.
In Yemen, Martin Griffiths, the Special Envoy, welcomed the positive response from the parties to the Secretary-General’s call, calling all of the parties to meet urgently to discuss how to translate their stated commitments to the Yemeni people into practice.
From Syria, the Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, welcomed the statement made by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expressing their support for the Secretary-General’s appeal. The Secretary-General calls on all other parties to the Syrian conflict to support his appeal and the special Envoy will be in touch and working with the parties to follow through on that.
With developments on the statement from the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), they are calling on all parties in Afghanistan also to take all measures to protect civilians and work towards a ceasefire.
In the UN peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan have all put out messages for local ceasefires in those countries.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=27%20March%202020


About This Source - United Nations

The United Nations (UN) was established after World War II with the aim of preventing future wars. The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states.

The UN’s chief administrative officer is the Secretary-General, currently Portuguese politician and diplomat António Guterres, who began his five year-term on 1 January 2017.

 

Recent from United Nations:

Uganda, gaza, lebanon & other topics - daily press briefing (19 january 2024) 1

Uganda, Gaza, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (19 January 2024)

Very First Int’l Day of Clean Energy (26 Jan) | United Nations Secretary-General

UN News in Brief (19 January 2024) | United Nations

In This Story: Afghanistan

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south; Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north; and China to the northeast.

Occupying 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is around 32 million, composed mostly of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks.

3 Recent Items: Afghanistan

Royals in The British Armed Forces

Uganda, Gaza, Syria, Red Sea, & other topics – Daily Briefing (18 January 2024) | United Nations

Can Iran and Pakistan contain cross-border tensions? | Inside Story

In This Story: Central African Republic

The Central African Republic, or Centrafrique, is a landlocked country in Central Africa.

It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi) and had an estimated population of around 4.7 million as of 2018.

As of 2020, the CAR is the scene of a civil war, ongoing since 2012.

2 Recent Items: Central African Republic

Secretary General/Iran, Gaza, Security Council & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (3 Jan 2024)

Security Council, Gaza, Yemen & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (20 Dec 2023)

In This Story: Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a transcontinental country largely in the north of South America, with territories in North America. Colombia is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, the northwest by Panama, the south by Ecuador and Peru, the east by Venezuela, the southeast by Brazil, and the west by the Pacific Ocean.

The capital is Bogotá, the country’s largest city. With over 50 million inhabitants Colombia is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world. The Republic of Colombia was declared in 1886. Panama seceded in 1903.

Colombia’s territory encompasses Amazon rainforest, highlands, grasslands, and deserts, and it is the only country in South America with coastlines and islands along both the Atlantic and Pacific.

3 Recent Items: Colombia

U.S. urges Americans in Colombia to avoid dating apps after 8 deaths

Sofía Vergara Addresses Modern Family Reboot and Shares How Her Upbringing Prepared Her for Griselda

Why China cares about Ecuador’s security crisis

In This Story: COVID-19

Covid-19 is the official WHO name given to the novel coronavirus which broke out in late 2019 and began to spread in the early months of 2020.

Symptoms of coronavirus

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a persistent new cough (non productive, dry)
  • a high temperature (e.g. head feels warm to the touch)
  • shortness of breath (if this is abnormal for the individual, or increased)

Latest News about Covid-19

Below are stories from around the globe related to the 2020 outbreak of novel Coronavirus – since the WHO gave the Covid-19 naming. Most recent items are posted nearest the top.

5 Recent Items: COVID-19

Global National: Jan. 19, 2024 | Health data shows influenza, COVID-19 cases decreasing in Canada

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 hit record highs as tech stocks soar | January 19, 2024

Stock market today: Stocks climb with techs ready to roar | January 19, 2023

Dr Anthony Fauci ‘became part of the problem’ when it came to the spread of Covid misinformation

WEF summit: Canada warns of future supply shocks amid global instability

In This Story: Cyprus

Cyprus, officially called the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts: the area under the effective control of the Republic, located in the south and west and comprising about 59% of the island’s area, and the north, administered by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 36% of the island’s area. Another nearly 4% of the island’s area is covered by a UN buffer zone.

The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, remain under the UK’s control according to the London and Zürich Agreements.

The Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1961 and joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.

2 Recent Items: Cyprus

UN Chief’s travels, Gaza & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (17 January 2024)

Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus on the Country | Security Council | United Nations

In This Story: Kosovo

Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a partially-recognised state and disputed territory in Southeastern Europe. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia. It has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 98 UN member states.

2 Recent Items: Kosovo

Serbians head to the polls to elect new parliament | DW News

Kosovo and Serbia: No EU membership without normalizing relations | DW News

In This Story: Lebanon

Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of Western Asia, and the transcontinental region of the Middle East.

The official language, Arabic, is the most common language spoken by the citizens of Lebanon. Its capital is Beirut.

Lebanon was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and is a member of the Arab League (1945), the Non-Aligned Movement (1961), Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (1969), and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (1973).

2 Recent Items: Lebanon

Uganda, Gaza, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (19 January 2024)

Israel-Lebanon tension: Violence forces thousands to flee southern Lebanon

In This Story: Mali

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of just over 1,240,000 square kilometres. The population of Mali is 19.1 million. 67% of its population was estimated to be under the age of 25 in 2017. Its capital is Bamako.

2 Recent Items: Mali

Gaza, Lebanon, Senior Personnel Appointment & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (11 January 2024)

Gaza, Syria, Ukraine & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (2 Jan 2024)

In This Story: Myanmar

Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 ethnic groups, bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the country’s largest city, is home to bustling markets, numerous parks and lakes, and the towering, gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, which contains Buddhist relics and dates to the 6th century.

2 Recent Items: Myanmar

Iran & Pakistan trade airstrikes, Myanmar’s civil war & who are the Houthis? | Battle Lines Podcast

How ‘tiny homes’ can protect millions in Bangladesh

Leave a Comment

We don't require your email address, or your name, for anyone to leave a comment. If you do add an email address, you may be notified if there are replies to your comment - we won't use it for any other purpose. Please make respectful comments, which add value, and avoid personal attacks on others. Links are not allowed in comments - 99% of spam comments, attempt to post links. Please describe where people may find additional information - for example "visit the UN website" or "search Google for..." rather than posting a link. Comments failing to adhere to these guidelines will not be published.