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Jakarta Post

Global solidarity to fight COVID-19

Ghana, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland have come together at the UN to draft the first resolution on the fight against COVID-19.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and Retno L.P. Marsudi (The Jakarta Post)
Accra/Jakarta
Wed, April 15, 2020

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Global solidarity to fight COVID-19 A sculture of the globe in Yogayakarta’s Zero Kilometer area shows the spread of COVID-19 across the world. (JP/Arnold Simanjuntak)

“We the peoples of the United Nations...” reads the immortal opening line of the Charter of the United Nations. It paints a picture of the creation of an organization from the ashes of World War II. A coming together of nations to overcome adversity.

Seventy-five years on, in the face of a deadly pandemic, we must again live up to our founding principles. As the secretary-general of the UN, Antonio Guterres, has underlined, COVID-19 is the greatest test we have faced since the formation of the UN. The virus is oblivious to national boundaries and immigration procedures in its trajectory of destruction and pain across our world. A formidable threat to the human race, this challenge undoubtedly requires a multilateral response for meaningful impact.

This is why our countries Ghana, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland have come together at the UN to draft the first resolution on the fight against COVID-19 (A/RES/74/270 “Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019”).

While a resolution on the given crisis of the day is to be expected from the UN, this one represents much more. It is a signal of global solidarity. It is a show of force. It is the first intergovernmental statement from the UN on COVID-19, but it certainly will not be the last. This resolution is an overdue first step to convey a message to people around the world that the UN is responding to this crisis.

Beyond the words of the General Assembly, we must now give our full support to the UN’s operational work at the service of the countries and the people most in need of international cooperation. This human crisis has proven to be a monumental national challenge for every government to reallocate resources and reformulate priorities. On the front line, meanwhile, our healthcare professionals and other essential workers are risking their lives – literally, to save humanity.

The UN system, in particular the World Health Organization, plays a central role in mobilizing and coordinating the worldwide response to this pandemic and in supporting national efforts. Beyond the short term, the WHO, in addition to addressing urgent humanitarian needs, is also dealing with the inevitable long-term economic, social and developmental consequences of this crisis, and building future resilience.

The UN with its convening power and resources on the ground is best placed to bring together not just every country, but also every possible partner, from civil society to the private sector. To overcome this health emergency with a spirit of solidarity, we need to promote action without stigma or discrimination, and ensure that no one in our society is left behind.

It is imperative to underscore that personal and individual efforts are required to complement the national and international response to the pandemic. We are therefore reminded that the first front line in the fight against COVID-19 is our own front door, hence the call on people to stay at home for containment. It is vitally important that every individual adheres to the social distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols.

The challenges we face remain vast. Nevertheless, the resolution adopted on April 2 expresses our optimism. We have put on record our conviction that the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can be mitigated, and successfully reversed, through leadership and sustained global cooperation. We hope this resolution is one of “we the peoples”, towards a new kind of multilateralism, where the UN again rises to face a global challenge with a truly united response.

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Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and Retno L.P. Marsudi are, respectively, the foreign ministers of Ghana and Indonesia. Katrin Eggenberger, Ine Eriksen Søreide, Vivian Balakrishnan and Ignazio Cassis, respectively the foreign ministers of Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland, have also signed the article.

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