UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres yesterday lamented a lack of leadership by world powers and a divided international community in the fight against the coronavirus as he raised concern about inadequate support for poor countries.
Guterres’ remarks come after US President Donald Trump reignited his war of words with China during an interview with Reuters on Wednesday. Trump said he believes China’s handling of the pandemic is proof that Beijing “will do anything they can” to make him lose his re-election bid in November.
The new coronavirus has so far infected more than 3.2 million globally and more than 227,000 people have died. The virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
In response to questions about global leadership, Guterres told a news conference that the international community was divided when it was “more important than ever” to be united.
“There is ... a disconnect between leadership and power. We see remarkable examples of leadership but they are usually not associated with power. And where we see power we sometimes do not see the necessary leadership,” Guterres said.
“I hope this will be overcome sooner rather than later,” he added.
The 15-member UN Security Council has spent more than a month trying to negotiate a resolution that would emphasise the urgent need for enhanced co-operation among all countries in the fight against the coronavirus and calls for a humanitarian truce in conflicts around the world.
A key sticking point, diplomats said, is how the resolution should reference the World Health Organisation. Trump has halted US funding for the WHO while Washington reviews the agency’s handling of the pandemic, and accused it of being “China-centric,” an assertion the organisation denies.
The US also did not take part in a WHO initiative last week where world leaders pledged to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against Covid-19.
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