In
an attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, classrooms
have been shuttered across the world, causing a record number of
students to miss school, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization said on Tuesday.
Close to 363 million learners worldwide have been impacted said UNESCO,
as it convened a videoconference of higher education officials to step
up an emergency response to minimize learning disruptions worldwide.
According to data from the agency, the COVID-19 crisis is keeping
one-in-five students worldwide away from school, so far, and an
additional one-in-four from higher education classes.
Fifteen countries have ordered nationwide school closures and 14 have
implemented localized closures – spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East
and North America.
“We are entering uncharted territory and working with countries to
find hi-tech, low-tech and no-tech solutions to assure the continuity of
learning”, said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
She maintained that as countries try to prepare their response,
“international cooperation is vital to share the most effective
approaches and support students, teachers and families”.
UNESCO is stepping up its support to ensure innovation and inclusion
continues, despite disruptions, and exacerbate inequality, through
measures like distance learning, in multiple languages.
UNESCO’s expertise in open and distance learning spans
teacher-training platforms, e-learning school models, and the
development of other Information and Communication Technology.
“We are facing an unusual situation with a large number of countries
affected by the same issue at the same time”, said Stefania Giannini,
UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education. “We need to come
together not only to address the immediate educational consequences of
this unprecedented crisis, but to build up the longer-term resilience of
education systems”.
To steer the global response, UNESCO announced the creation of a
UNESCO-COVID19 Emergency Task Force to support national responses and
share effective policy responses – with a focus on the most vulnerable
countries.
International cooperation vital to beat the virus
Meanwhile, the Presidents of the General Assembly and Economic and
Social Council were briefed on the UN’s preparedness relating to
COVID-19.
Globally around 110,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported
in more than 100 countries, which have resulted in more than 3,800
deaths and left several Member States dealing with severe outbreaks.
“No one is in any doubt that we are facing a global challenge which
requires international cooperation”, said Assembly President Tijjani
Muhammad-Bande, maintaining that the coronavirus will only be tackled
“through a multilateral response” in which the UN “must lead by
example”.
He stressed that the UN should take a “coordinated and coherent
approach”, making decisions on whether major meetings can go ahead,
following consistent principles and guidelines over issues such as
business travel, lest public trust in the UN be undermined.
Noting that the Secretariat has developed a set of criteria and risk
assessment methodology, he said, “we have started the process looking at
scaling down, postponing and/or cancelling meetings, as appropriate”.
“The key here is to ensure public health and safety and at the same
time ensure continuity of business”, Mr. Muhammad-Bande spelled out.
UN Women/Ryan Brown
While
the Commission on the Status of Women (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.
Changes in New York and Geneva
The UN Spokesperson in New York , said in a note to correspondents
on Tuesday, that “out of an abundance of caution and following the
decision to reduce the number of staff present in the UN Secretariat, it
has been decided to close the complex to the general public and to
temporarily suspend all guided tours, until further notice.”
“As the Secretary-General has said, the health and safety of staff is
a matter of his utmost priority and concern”, said Stéphane Dujarric.
“The United Nations will continue to monitor the situation closely and
further measures may be taken as circumstances evolve.” António Guterres released a video message on the disease saying the whole Organization needed to be ready, and take on the COVID-19 threat, together.
Hi Spokesperson said that as of the middle of Tuesday, the
Secretariat had not been advised of any cases amongst UN staff in New
York.
In Geneva, UN personnel were also notified that while essential
activities should continue, including the current session of the Human Rights Council, other activities would be subject to postponement or cancellation.
The Palais des Nations is also considering how to put the latest
recommendations on telecommuting issued by the Swiss authorities into
practice.
Apart from the tragic human consequences of
the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, the economic uncertainty it has
sparked will likely cost the global economy $1 trillion in 2020, the
UN’s trade and development agency, UNCTAD, said on Monday.
The global number of confirmed cases of the
new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has surpassed 100,000, the World
Health Organization (WHO) reported on Saturday.
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