United Nations not interested in discussing Coronavirus because UNSC March Chair is China?

United Nations is still to discuss the coronavirus crisis as both the 15 member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and 193 strong United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) haven't taken the matter up formally, as per accounts. The coronavirus was first reported in China's Wuhan province which then let to the worldwide outbreak. and it has killed over 18,000 people globally and infected over 4 lakh.

It is interesting to know that the Chair for the UNSC for the month of March is China. The monthly chair of the UNSC decides what is on the agenda and guides the body. According to reports, China has 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 want to pass a proposal on the global issue but China is constantly putting obstructions, with involved and knowledgable persons hitting out online. 

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'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.

The UNSC last met on 12 March & before that discussed "peace and security in Africa: countering terrorism and extremism in Africa" and the situation in Afghanistan.

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(with PTI inputs)