The United Nations has informed its staff at the headquarters here that its personnel returning to the US from countries with widespread transmission of the coronavirus should remain home and self-monitor for 14 days, as cases of people infected with the deadly disease increased rapidly across the US.
Spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Stphane Dujarric, told reporters on Monday that following internal meetings over the weekend and taking into account the declaration of a state of emergency for New York State, "it was announced today to all staff that it is recommended that UN personnel who have recently returned from countries identified by the host country should remain and home and self-monitor for 14 days."
Dujarric said that telecommuting and flexible work arrangements are also being recommended for UN personnel, taking into account business continuity requirements.
In Geneva, UN personnel were also notified of how the UN in Geneva aims to maintain essential activities, while postponing or cancelling other activities. "The Palais des Nations is also considering how to put the latest recommendations on telecommuting issued by the Swiss authorities into practice."
"Regarding the situation in-house in the building, the Secretary-General is following the matter very closely. The health and safety of staff is a matter of his utmost priority and concern as well as all of those who use the building, he said.
With a view to slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into the US, Washington has said that people arriving from China, Iran, Italy and South Korea will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time they left an area with widespread or ongoing community spread.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that the global number of confirmed cases now topped 110,000. WHO noted that some countries are demonstrating that the spread of the virus can be slowed and its impact reduced through the use of universally applicable actions, such as working across society to identify people who are sick, bringing them to care, and following up on contacts.
Meanwhile, despite constraints imposed by the new coronavirus disease, activists for gender equality gathered at UN Headquarters for the latest session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), to reinforce the message that women's rights are human rights.
Member States adopted a Political Declaration in which they pledged to step up action to fully implement the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on gender equality, agreed 25 years ago.
In his opening address, Guterres underlined that gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls remain an overwhelming global injustice.
He said the vision of the Beijing Declaration has only been partly realized as progress has stalled, or even gone into reverse, in some areas.
Some countries have rolled back laws that protect women from violence; others are reducing civic space; still others are pursuing economic and immigration policies that indirectly discriminate against women, the UN chief said.
Women's access to sexual and reproductive health services is far from universal. We must push back against the pushback.
The UN General Assembly President, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, called for accelerated progress at all levels, particularly as countries strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
"Make no mistake: it is critical that we mainstream gender equality across all of our work if we are to achieve any of the SDGs, he said. We simply cannot exclude 50 per cent of the population. It is everyone's responsibility to uphold our pledge to leave no one behind.
While the CSW normally meets for two weeks in March, its 64th session was compressed to just one day amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
"I know that activists and women's groups around the world share my disappointment. But I also take heart because I know we remain committed to the cause of gender equality, the Secretary-General said.
CSW provides an opportunity to further galvanize momentum for gender equality and women's rights that has been growing worldwide, and he urged participants to reaffirm the Beijing promise and its full implementation.
"Let us send a clear message to the world that women's rights are human rights, and that gender equality is central to all the Sustainable Development Goals, he said.
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