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Coronavirus pandemic

UN Security Council to discuss coronavirus pandemic for first time, says source

Now the countries consider it reasonable to discuss the influence of the pandemic on the issues controlled by the Security Council

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

UN, April 3. /TASS/. Nine out of 15 United Nations Security Council’s nations have requested an online meeting to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on all issues on the UNSC agenda, a source in the organization told TASS.

"Nine non-permanent members of the Security Council (Belgium, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Germany, Indonesia, Niger, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Estonia) have asked for such a meeting," the diplomat said. "The date of the meeting has not been set yet. It is expected to be held in a closed format, and UN Secretary General will participate in it," the diplomat noted.

Such a meeting has been postponed for a long time as the pandemic question is not on the Security Council’s agenda. However, now the countries consider it reasonable to discuss the influence of the pandemic on the issues controlled by the Security Council. Particularly, those are the proposals made by UN Secretary General on easing of sanctions against certain countries, ceasefire, as well as humanitarian aid and the pandemic’s impact on peace-support missions.

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak that occurred in late 2019 in Central China has spread to most countries across the globe and has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. According to the latest figures, around 1 mln confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been registered in the world, with the death toll exceeding 50,000 people.

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