Academic Article by Cheena Khanna
INTRODUCTION
The United Nations (UN), which was entrusted with defending and guaranteeing international peace and security, is unable to respond to COVID-19, as well as many other crises. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO), a UN specialized agency, proclaimed the COVID-19 illness, which is caused by a novel coronavirus, a pandemic owing to its prevalence in more than 114 countries. The WHO was criticized for making its proclamation too late and for not being able to take significant steps. President Donald Trump of the United States has blocked financing to the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the organization's handling of the outbreak. He charged the UN agency with mismanaging and concealing the virus's spread after it first appeared in China.
The United Nations, as an organization whose fundamental goal has been to promote international peace and security, should have been celebrating its platinum jubilee year. Since its founding in 1945, the United Nations has served as a symbol of international collaboration and global prosperity, which were threatened by the two world wars fought in the first part of the twentieth century. Seventy-five years after its founding, the United Nations is once again confronted with an unprecedented scenario that is jeopardizing world health. The coronavirus has wreaked havoc in several nations, with thousands already dead in Europe and Asia and an estimated 5,00,000 persons afflicted worldwide. Countries such as Italy, China, Spain, and Iran have been plagued by the development of Covid-19, which is killing hundreds of people every day. As a result, the 75th anniversary of the United Nations' existence as an international organization has been marked by intense suffering, grief, misery, and despair. Nation after nation is imposing country-wide lockdowns, putting every notion that the body stands for in jeopardy. The global economy is on the verge of collapse, and to make matters worse, no viable Covid-19 vaccine has yet been developed.
The UN would have fought towards greater globalization, more people-to-people interaction, and countries collaborating economically and socially during its platinum jubilee year. Instead, what we see today is the polar opposite of what the UN would ordinarily desire. To thrive in today's world, ‘social distance' has become the buzzword. Since World War II, the world has not faced a threat like this. The UN, on the other hand, does not have any experience dealing with such a danger because it is primarily concerned with fostering friendly ties between nations. In most nations, the reality on the ground resembles war, without the gunfire and bombing. The coronavirus pandemic is shown its power to wipe out whole communities, similar to the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. However, there was no established global entity at the time, such as the United Nations, to predict a pandemic. In the previous 100 years, the global order has fundamentally altered, and today's world is based on global economic commerce and collaboration, which is a sign of globalization and modernity. If Covid-19's spread is not stopped as quickly as feasible, all of this will be undone.
Given that most nations impacted follow the philosophy of 'to each his own,' the longer this pandemic continues, the greater the harm to the global economy. Surprisingly, the more developed nations and areas have been the hardest struck by Covid-19 this time. Most deaths have occurred in Europe, which is the epicenter of the developed world. However, this does not imply that all poor people across the world are rescued.
The concern among the world's poor is that if the coronavirus doesn't kill you, it will be the economics. Even after the epidemic has passed, tens of thousands of individuals are at risk of losing their jobs and becoming unemployed. Stock markets throughout the world are collapsing, and many multinational corporations are trying to reduce their personnel to stay afloat. The dangers this time are greater than they were during the Great Recession of 2009.
CONCLUSION
It appears that it would take a long time for the world to get back on its feet. As a result, the UN is concerned about not just an economic but also a greater humanitarian disaster. Any humanitarian catastrophe, history has shown, disproportionately impacts the poor, resulting in loss of livelihood and even death. While the UN may be powerless to stop the spread of the coronavirus and prevent fatalities, it can certainly work to create an environment that promotes the free movement of products and services between countries to help the global economy recover quickly.
That would be a massive institutional effort, because any nation ravaged by the coronavirus would opt to fend for itself, acting only on ‘self-interest' in realist terms. Borders are projected to grow more entrenched, as states can no longer afford to be 'liberal' in terms of collaborating. The situation might easily devolve into a ‘survival of the fittest scenario.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO), whose primary mission is to direct international health within the United Nations system and to lead partners in global health responses, is at the forefront of spreading vital information and updates on Covid-19. When the health crisis is over, the UN's true challenge will begin: keeping the world unified and ensuring world peace. This comes at a time when China is being criticized heavily for allowing the virus to spread and turn into a catastrophic worldwide epidemic. Because China is not a minor actor in the international system, if nation-states at the highest levels decide to take serious action against it, global security will be jeopardized once more. It's a nuclear power on the verge of becoming a superpower shortly. The catastrophe is already looming larger and greater over the horizon for the United Nations.
REFERENCE
⮚ https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/the-uns-role-in-times-ofcoronavirus/article31216051.ece ⮚ https://www.abdn.ac.uk/law/blog/role-of-the-united-nations-in-responding-tocovid19/
⮚https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/UNresponse#:~:text=The%20Response%20promotes%20three%20pillars,process%20tha t%20builds%20back%20better