China's successor as UNSC chair takes immediate remedial steps; plans Coronavirus meeting

UN Security Council is likely to meet for first time by "next week or before" to discuss coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 42,000 people globally, according to Dominican Republic Ambassor Jose Singer, current president of world body's top organ.

Dominican Republic assumed rotating presidency of powerful 15-nation council for month of April, taking baton from China, a permanent and veto-welding member. Even as confirmed coronavirus cases across world grew exponentially, Security Council under presidency of China last month did t hold any discussions on pandemic.

"Yes, as we all kw COVID19 will be main topic in world as we speak. (We are) working on it. It ( meeting) was requested by five or six ambassors, and we will make it happen...for sure next week or before," Special Envoy from Dominican Republic to UN Ambassor Singer and President of SecurityCouncil for April told reporters during a virtual press briefing on Wednesday.

Singer was responding to questions from several reporters, including from PTI, on wher Security Council plans to hold a special meeting this month on COVID19 pandemic that has engulfed entire world. Singer said it is his "understanding" that a meeting of Security Council on coronavirus situation "is being negotiated at moment right w." According to estimates by Johns Hopkins University, confirmed coronavirus cases across world w stand at over 932,600 and over 42,000 deaths.

US has highest number of coronavirus cases in world at 213,372, followed by Italy (110,574), Spain (104,118) and China (82,361). Over 4,600 people have died in US so far because of COVID19. Singer said that a few UN ambassors brought up matter during a virtual meeting of Security Council earlier on Wednesday when Dominican Republic presented to members of Security Council its programme of work and informal plan of video teleconferencing (VTCs) for month of April.

matter of a Security Council meeting on COVID19 this month “was brought up by a few ambassors in our meeting and it's taking shape as we speak.” When asked by PTI if any resolution on COVID19 is expected when Council meets to discuss issue, Singer said "we have t discussed issue of a resolution...We are first expecting to hold that meeting, and n we'll see how events play out.”

China’s Ambassor to UN Zhang Jun, as he took over presidency of Council in March, was asked wher China plans to discuss coronavirus emergency. He h said that re is need to panic over coronavirus epidemic and Beijing does t plan to discuss situation in Security Council during its presidency, even ding that world is t far from defeat of COVID19 “with coming of spring.”

“With regard to Security Council, at this moment, is general feeling of Members States, while we watch closely situation, especially new development, we do t need to go panicky about that epidemic,” Zhang said.

He h ded that issue of coronavirus falls within concept of global public health while Security Council's primary responsibility is dealing with geopolitical security and peace matters.

“So, public health security issue is t in scope of mandate of Security Council in a narrow concept. But what we do think is important is that Security Council will also watch situation very closely. At this moment, we do t have any plans to have a specific discussion on this issue,” Zhang said.

Last week, a UN diplomat said that “ silence of Security Council on an issue impacting human security in such a profound manner reflects that it is obviously t fit for purpose for challenges of our times.”