UN Security Council to discuss coronavirus pandemic after weeks of disagreement

The UN Security Council will discuss the coronavirus pandemic for the first time at a video conference on Thursday. Led by Germany, nine of the council’s 10 non-permanent members requested the closed-door meeting last week, fed up with the body’s inaction over the unprecedented global crisis.

Talks are moving in “the right direction,” diplomats said, and Washington is no longer insisting UN language refer to the virus as coming from China, which had infuriated Beijing, AFP reports.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to focus on efforts to fight the pandemic, peacekeeping missions and fostering unity between the non-permanent members and the five permanent ones.

There are reportedly two competing texts up for debate. In the council, at least nine votes out of 15 are necessary to adopt a resolution, without a veto of one of the five permanent members.