Published 10:12 IST, April 2nd 2020
China no longer chairing UNSC, United Nations to finally discuss Coronavirus pandemic
United Nations Security Council is all set to discuss the crisis caused by coronavirus pandemic as the Dominican Republic has assumed the presidency for April
The United Nations Security Council is now all set to discuss the crisis caused by coronavirus pandemic, following the Dominican Republic assuming the rotating presidency for the month of April. Earlier, China blocked the move to discuss novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in the United Nations Security Council on Friday, March 27. The Coronavirus source nation had held the presidency for March.
The UNSC has five permanent members — China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The other 10 non-permanent members are Germany, Dominican Republic, Belgium, Estonia, Indonesia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Tunisia and Vietnam.
The coronavirus was first reported in China's Wuhan province which then let to the worldwide outbreak. and it has killed over 47,000 people globally and infected over 9 lakh. China’s presidency of the UNSC ended on 31 March. The monthly chair of the UNSC decides what is on the agenda and guides the body.
According to reports, China had blocked the draft on coronavirus and is not allowing the global issue to be discussed in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Meanwhile, many countries wanted to pass a proposal on the global issue but China is constantly putting obstructions, with involved and knowledgable persons hitting out online.
'Coronavirus not on UNSC's agenda'
Earlier on March 3, China's UN Ambassador has said there is no need to panic over the coronavirus epidemic and that Beijing does not plan to discuss the situation in the Security Council during its Presidency this month. Beijing's UN envoy Zhang Jun said that there was no plan to have a "specific discussion" on COVID-19.
"With regard to the Security Council, at this moment, is the general feeling of member states, while we watch closely the situation, especially the new development, we do not need to go panicky about that epidemic," Zhang said during a press conference on the occasion of China assuming Presidency of the Council.
Updated 10:12 IST, April 2nd 2020