On 3 April, the European Union, in a statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, provided its strong support to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s appeal for an immediate global ceasefire in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The fight against this global pandemic (...) is an unprecedented challenge that requires global unity, cooperation, solidarity and compassion”, the EU statement stresses.
According to the EU, the time has come to agree on a global truce “now more than ever”, in order to end all armed conflicts and to stop fighting immediately.
Noting that sanctions should not impede the delivery of essential equipment and supplies needed to fight the coronavirus, the EU encourages jurisdictions to provide the necessary clarifications to ensure that their respective sanctions do not impede the global fight against the pandemic (see EUROPE 12452/9).
By applying the humanitarian exceptions provided for in the European and UN sanctions (see EUROPE 12461/5), the EU and its Member States will ensure that these sanctions do not hamper the global fight against COVID-19, Europeans promise, stressing that these measures continue to play an essential role, particularly in the fight against violations of international law.
To read the statement: https://bit.ly/3bW0ZKS (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)