Three UN priorities for the coronavirus: global ceasefire, helping the vulnerable and preparing for recovery

With more than 240,000 deaths worldwide caused by the coronavirus, the UN Secretary-General was particularly concerned about the lack of solidarity with developing countries, both in equipping them to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and in addressing the dramatic socio-economic impacts.

For that reason, António Guterres praised the outstanding work the UN is doing in this crisis by highlighting the mobilisation of the entire Organisation to save lives, prevent famine, alleviate pain and plan for recovery. "Our voice has been clear, calling for solidarity, unity and hope," said the Secretary-General.

It will be critical to address the fragilities, inequities and gaps in social protection that have been so painfully exposed. As an example of this, he highlighted his call for a global ceasefire, the launch of the $2 billion Global Humanitarian Response Plan, which has already secured pledges of 50% of the total from international donors, or making the UN System's supply network of coronavirus screening, respirators and surgical masks available to developing countries, which has now reached more than 100 countries.

All of this progress was followed by reports on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, the effects of the pandemic on women, such as the dramatic increase in domestic violence, and the dangers faced by children, including the approximately 1.6 billion children and youth who are not in school.

Looking ahead, he announced that he would publish a report tomorrow on the particular vulnerability of older people with the coronavirus and would subsequently launch an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and the effects on mental health.

These efforts are complemented by action on the ground where country teams work in coordination with governments to mobilise funds, assist ministries of health in preparedness and response to stay ahead of the curve, and support economic and social measures, from food security and household education to cash transfers, among other initiatives.

"Our humanitarian agencies, despite access challenges, are making sure that humanitarian assistance does not stop. They are reaching over 110 million people in 57 countries," he said.But Guterres wanted to highlight three key aspects of the organisation's efforts:

• Achieving a global cease-fire
• Addressing the immediate needs of people facing the most severe economic situation
• Helping to plan for a better recovery should start immediately

The Secretary General said his call for a global ceasefire is supported by 114 governments, regional organisations, religious leaders and more than 200 civil society groups from all regions, including 16 armed groups. Despite these figures, he said that "mistrust remains high" and that it is difficult to move to the implementation phase.

He went on to stress that the ceasefire in Syria's Idlib province is holding, although he hopes it will be moved to the rest of the country and that they are exerting strong pressure for a humanitarian ceasefire between the government and the Taliban in Afghanistan.He was less optimistic about Libya where there has been an escalation of violence and said he "believes there is a chance for peace in Yemen" where all parties joined his call and Saudi Arabia declared a temporary ceasefire unilaterally.

"We are working closely with all parties and key regional and global players, with the aim of achieving a permanent ceasefire, a set of confidence-building measures and the possibility of opening a political process," he added.

Faced with the possibility of hundreds of millions of job losses around the world, the decline in the volume of remittances and the likely increase in poverty, Guterres continued to advocate for a global aid package that represents a double-digit share of the world economy, or at least 10%.

He appreciated the measures to protect people, jobs and development gains taken by the International Monetary Fund when it approved $12.3 billion to finance the emergencies of 36 of the more than 100 countries that requested it, and that current World Bank resources could provide $160 billion in financing over the next 15 months, among others.

"But even this is not enough," said Guterres, who noted that "the debt moratorium must be extended to all developing countries that cannot afford to pay the cost of debt, including several middle-income countries.

"The path to recovery for COVID-19 can help lead the world to a safer, healthier, sustainable and more inclusive path," Guterres prophesied. "Addressing the fragilities, inequalities and gaps in social protection that have been so painfully exposed, and putting women and gender equality at the forefront, will be critical if we are to build resilience to future crises.But this entire road to recovery "must be accompanied by climate action," he stressed.

To achieve this, he urged countries to ensure that spending to revive economies accelerates decarbonisation across all sectors and supports the creation of green jobs. "Taxpayers' money should not be used to subsidise fossil fuels or to bail out polluting and carbon-intensive industries. It is time to put a price on carbon and make the polluters pay for their pollution. Public funds must be invested in the future, not the past. Financial institutions and investors must take climate risks very seriously," he said.

Similarly, he called on all nations, but especially major emitters, to come up with better nationally determined contributions and strategies to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Asked later by the organisation's accredited media whether global leadership has been adequate in the face of the magnitude of the pandemic, Guterres responded that "there is obviously a lack of leadership".

"It is obvious that the international community is divided at a time when it would be more important than ever to be united. There is a problem of leadership or whether you want a disconnect between leadership and power. We see remarkable examples of leadership, but they are not usually associated with power, and when we look at the exercise of power we sometimes do not see the necessary leadership. I hope this will be overcome as soon as possible," he said.

Asked whether the coronavirus pandemic is hampering climate action and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, he acknowledged that polluting emissions are decreasing, but that this does not mean that the solution to climate change is COVID-19.

As a valid example in the face of both threats, he praised the role of South Korea. "The Republic of Korea announced today that for the first time there were no new cases (of COVID-19). At the same time, it has put forward plans for an environmental agreement for the (phase of) recovery, and specifically in relation to the reduction of coal-fired power plants, emission reductions and a very ambitious green agreement," said Guterres.