Coronavirus threat to global peace and stability, UN chief warns

Antonio Guterres says Covid-19 represents ‘fight of a generation’ as China wades into row between WHO and Taiwan

The head of the United Nations has called the coronavirus pandemic the “fight of a generation” and a threat to world peace and security.

The secretary general, Antonio Guterres, warned the UN security council that the pandemic had the potential to increase social unrest and violence, which would greatly undermine the world’s ability to fight the disease.

It was, he said, the UN’s most grave test since it was founded 75 years ago and had already hindered efforts to resolve international, regional and national conflicts.

“This is the fight of a generation and the raison dêtre [reason for being] of the United Nations itself,” he said.

More than 95,000 people had died by Friday morning after contracting Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the figures. More than 1.6 million had been diagnosed as the economic impact continued to grow. One in 10 Americans had lost their job as a result of the virus and the IMF chief said the world was on track for the biggest downturn since the Great Depression.

Guterres said the world was already seeing the “ruinous social and economic impacts. But the pandemic also poses a significant threat to the maintenance of international peace and security.”

He warned the pandemic could lead to opportunistic terror attacks, the erosion of trust in public institutions, economic instability, political tensions from postponing elections or referendums, and Covid-19 “triggering or exacerbating various human rights challenges”.

He said security council involvement would be “critical to mitigate the peace and security implications” and “a signal of unity and resolve from the council would count for a lot at this anxious time”.

After its Thursday meeting with Guterres, which was held via closed video link, the security council issued its first statement since the outbreak began. It expressed “support for all efforts of the secretary general concerning the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to conflict-affected countries and recalled the need for unity and solidarity with all those affected.”