169 to 2 in Favor: US Needs an ‘Honest Reckoning’

According to a report by Agence France-Presse on Sept. 12, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday titled “Comprehensive and Coordinated Response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic,” which acknowledges the key leadership role of the World Health Organization over objections by the United States and Israel. By an overwhelming vote of 169-2 in favor, the resolution, which has been in negotiation since May, was finally passed. The Associated Press said that this was a strong show of unity by the U.N.’s most representative body.

With the coronavirus pandemic still affecting the world, the international community has come together and made a strong showing of solidarity. The U.S., on the other hand, chose to be a black sheep at this solemn moment of unity by voting against the U.N. resolution that urges countries to unite and cooperate to fight against the pandemic. This is not what the international community expected, nor will it help bring this pandemic to an end. It is reported that the U.S. representative opposed all references to the WHO in the resolution during the assembly and accused China of covering up the truth at the early stages of the pandemic and contributing to “needless suffering and the worsening of this pandemic.”

These two excuses are nothing new. After the outbreak, the United States attacked the WHO for its inaction and favoritism toward China, demanded that the WHO reform, and threatened to cut off funding. The U.S. recently confirmed that it will not pay the $80 million it owes the WHO and will redirect the money to help pay its U.N. bill. Experts around the world, including those in the U.S., said that such a move is extremely irresponsible and may sabotage the global effort to control the virus.

Humanity needs to unite against the many unknowns of this pandemic. Even WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted Sept. 13 saying that “we are still in the midst of the danger and leaders need to lead.”

The U.N. resolution adopted at this assembly focuses on international cooperation, multilateralism and mutual assistance. According to the resolution, this is the only way for the world to effectively respond to global crises such as the coronavirus pandemic. The resolution urges member states to strengthen their health and social care systems and encourages them to partner with all relevant stakeholders to strengthen scientific cooperation necessary to combat COVID-19.

In his speech, the Chinese representative refuted groundless accusations made by the U.S. representative and said that since the beginning of the outbreak, China has always shared information with the international community in an open, transparent and responsible manner. China began to officially send regular reports to the U.S. as early as Jan. 3 this year. According to the media, however, while the U.S. recognized the danger of the virus at a very early stage, it deliberately played it down to avoid panic. Who is the one not being honest here?

The Chinese representative did not specify which media report he was citing. According to a Sept. 10 article in The New York Times, American journalist Bob Woodward, who reported on the Watergate scandal, revealed in his new book “Rage,” which is to be released on Sept. 15, that on Feb. 7 this year, President Trump talked about the coronavirus during an interview with him. Trump said that the virus was deadly, but he did not use those words when he spoke to the public at the time. Trump later admitted to Woodward that he has always wanted to downplay the severity of this virus.

In his General Assembly speech, the Chinese representative followed up on accusations made by the United States and asked why America, which has the most advanced medical technology and the most developed health care system in the world, also has the highest number of infections. Why did New York become the epicenter of the pandemic? Why was the U.N. forced to shut down on its 75th anniversary?

On the one hand, the 10 newly confirmed cases in China on Sept. 12 were all imported; no domestic cases were confirmed. On the other hand, the U.S. reported 39,184 new cases and 698 new deaths with a total death toll exceeding 193,000 on the same day, according to The New York Times on Sept. 13.

Just as the Chinese representative pointed out, if the U.S. wants to end this pandemic wholeheartedly, instead of finding a scapegoat and diverting people’s attention, it should focus on protecting its people. The U.S. should immediately lift unilateral sanctions which violate international law and the basic norms of international relations, rather than deliberately sabotage efforts by other countries. The U.S. should embrace multilateralism, rather than undermining the WHO’s efforts to support other countries fighting the pandemic.

Last week, Didier Houssin, chairman of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on COVID-19, published an article in a French magazine saying that after the outbreak, China promptly reported the situation to the WHO and responded quickly. The U.S., however, continuously made unreasonable accusations against China and the WHO. Houssin called the allegations extremely rude. He also thinks the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO will have a negative impact on cooperation among the international community.

Jamie P. Horsley, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, acknowledged in an article titled “Let’s End the COVID-19 Blame Game: Reconsidering China’s Role in the Pandemic” that “earlier transparency by China’s health authorities about COVID-19 and earlier willingness to take measures to inhibit its transmission might have slowed its spread and saved lives, especially within Wuhan, which bore the brunt of China’s COVID-19 infections and deaths.”

“The fact that the United States suffers the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the world is in large part the result of our own leaders’ actions and inactions. Blaming China without also blaming ourselves is not an honest reckoning,” she said.

Just as Horsley asserts, the U.S. really needs an honest reckoning at this General Assembly of the consequences of its “acts and inactions.”