UN closes New York headquarters to visitors, declares contingency plan

Published on : 10/03/2020 – 07:07Modified : 10/03/2020 – 11:03

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In New York, the UN will close its doors to visitors as of Tuesday evening, March 10. The decision has just been validated internally and should be announced this Tuesday morning. It comes a week after the United Nations Palace in Geneva closed its doors due to the coronavirus epidemic.

From our correspondent in New York,

The announcement will be made in the morning to diplomats. From this Tuesday evening, visitors will no longer be accepted in UN buildings, in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. A building that receives a thousand visitors a day in normal times. The decision comes as theNew York State declared a state of emergency.

Large groups still roamed the UN premises until now. However, the WHO – UN agency – had declared the epidemic ” a public safety emergency of international concern »From January 30.

While they will meet this morning, the 193 member countries received an email a few hours ago explaining that the UN was entering phase 1, in the preparatory phase, of its emergency plan. A business continuity plan was created after theouragan Sandy in 2012, providing unit by unit for what is put in place so that UN staff can work remotely.

Since Monday, the frequency of disinfection of the premises has doubled and staff returning from so-called “risk” areas are asked to self-quarantine.

The Security Council in telework

This Tuesday, it will be advisable to organize his week in three days of work at home and two days at the United Nations. The 15 members of the Security Council even tested, for the first time this Monday evening, a teleworking device which should allow them to meet and possibly vote remotely in the event of force majeure. The Council has never been prevented from coming together in its 75 years of existence.

► To listen: Restrictions linked to the coronavirus: “The population must commit to these measures”

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