Analyzing the United Nations' Role During the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis

This report examines the United Nations' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the defining global health crisis since World War II. The analysis covers the UN's efforts in addressing the crisis, including its strengths, such as the unification of member countries and its focus on human rights, especially for vulnerable populations. The report also explores the UN's weaknesses, such as operational challenges due to remote work and potential disruptions to peacekeeping missions. The report discusses the importance of human rights during the pandemic and the UN's role in monitoring abuses. It also references the challenges faced by the UN Security Council in adapting to virtual operations. The report concludes by emphasizing the UN's continuing efforts amidst the pandemic and the importance of accountability from nations globally.

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United Nations in the face of Corona Virus
The novel Corona Virus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining world health crisis of our
time as well as the biggest challenge the world has faced since World War two. Since the virus
was first discovered in China late last year, it has spread to every continent and country with
the exception of Antarctica. The cases of the COVID-19 disease are increasing daily in Europe,
Americas and Africa. Many nations and global agencies are racing to reduce the spread of the
virus through testing as well as treating patients, limiting travel, carrying out tracing of possible
contacts, cancelling public gatherings like schools, concerts, and sporting events and
quarantining the population. However, the COVID-19 is not only creating a health crisis to the
respective nations but is also stressing every one of the affected countries it touches since it has
the likelihood of creating devastating political, economic, and social crises which will leave great
and deep scars on these countries (United Nations: Department of Global Communications).
Strengths and weakness of UN in the face of Corona Virus
According to Zeid Al Hussein, former United Nations High commissioner for Human
rights, nations should be keen and strict about human rights even as countries such as China
uses biometric surveillance in tracking the movements of their citizens as well as Hungary giving

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its prime minister absolute powers in the case of the pandemic (De Groot). The laws and
principles of human rights pinpoints that human rights are universal, alienable, indivisible and
interdependent. Therefore, they put binding obligations upon nations including in times of
great emergency like COVID-19 pandemic. These laws are applicable to everyone without any
form of discrimination as well as are indivisible, that is, a set of right cannot be outdone for the
sake of another set of rights.
United Nations has centered on human rights during this pandemic and is continuing to
demand for accountability from nations globally. Drawing their strength from the unification of
almost all the countries their members, the United Nations has continued to address the needs
of the vulnerable members of the society including women. In spite of some limitations and
restrictions the virus has put on their normal activities, UN peacekeeping missions are still being
carried out while also assisting nations in their corona virus response.
With the availability of funds contributed by the member countries, UN is able to monitor
human rights abuses in countries that worst affected by the pandemic while also helping the
vulnerable members iof the society including women.
However, this is also a time where countries can withdraw their peacekeeping troops in
the name of corona virus. Since membership of the peacekeeping troops are voluntary, some
countries can pull their members at will. According to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN secretary
general for peacekeeping, the agency has not received any request from their members to
withdraw peacekeeping troops due to corona but it is a concern should such a request be
lodged (Lynch). The UN agency has found it difficult to operate during this period especially

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with the operations of most organizations being online. For instance, the security council lost a
week in tackling technical as well as political disputes which countries like Russia insisted be
done at the headquarters. This was against the World Health Organization’s guidelines which
required organizations to avoid physical meetings. Nevertheless, they later settled on a strategy
adopted and approved by other security council. The challenge exposed the agency weakness
in accepting technology.
Reference List

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De Groot, Kristen. Human rights during the coronavirus pandemic. Penn Today. April 2, 2020.
Retrieved https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/human-rights-during-coronavirus-
pandemic
Lynch, Colum. U.N Agencies Struggle to Carry on Remotely. FP News. April 3, 2020. Retrieved
from https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/04/03/united-nations-coronavirus-pandemic-
human-rights-council-work-remotely/
United Nations: Department of Global Communications. United Nations Peacekeeping
continues vital work amid COVID-19 pandemic. 2020. Retrieved from
https://www.un.org/en/un-coronavirus-communications-team/united-nations-
peacekeeping-continues-vital-work-amid-covid-19