UN / COVID-19 UPDATE

Secretary-General António Guterres “has taken the decision to cancel all United Nations system sponsored side events at Headquarters, from 16 March until the end of April, effective immediately,” his spokesperson said. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:17
• Production Date: 12 March 2020
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: ANTONIO GUTERRES; DONALD J. TRUMP; STEPHANE DUJARRIC
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS
• Subject Topical: DISEASE CONTROL; HEALTH
• Geographic Subject: UNITED STATES
• MAMS Id: 2540536
• Parent Id: 2540536
• Alternate Title: unifeed200312e

Description

STORY: UN / COVID-19 UPDATE
TRT: 01:17
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 12 MARCH 2020, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters

12 MARCH 2020, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Stephane Dujarric at the podium
3. Med shot, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
“The Secretary-General has taken the decision to cancel all United Nations system sponsored side events at Headquarters, from 16 March until the end of April, effective immediately. He strongly urges all Member States to consider cancelling all side events for the meetings that they are sponsoring. The Secretary-General will be communicating with Member States and staff in a short while to update them on the preparation measures the UN has undertaken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.”
5. Med shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
“The UN building has been closed to visitors and the Secretariat has instituted arrangements for staff to telecommute to reduce the population density in the building, thereby reducing the risk of transmission.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General:
“The Secretary-General will always balance the need for the UN to continue to deliver in its activities, for him to continue to do his work, and the need to protect public health.”
9. Wide shot, Dujarric at the podium

Storyline

Secretary-General António Guterres “has taken the decision to cancel all United Nations system sponsored side events at Headquarters, from 16 March until the end of April, effective immediately,” his spokesperson said today (12 Mar).

The spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the Secretary-General “strongly urges all Member States to consider cancelling all side events for the meetings that they are sponsoring.”

The UN has undertaken measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, including social distancing in the workplace and assessing the criticality of travel and meetings against associated risks.

Dujarric said “the UN building has been closed to visitors and the Secretariat has instituted arrangements for staff to telecommute to reduce the population density in the building, thereby reducing the risk of transmission.”

Asked about the travel ban from Europe to the United States announced by President Donald Trump and how it will affect the work of the UN, Dujarric said, “the Secretary-General will always balance the need for the UN to continue to deliver in its activities, for him to continue to do his work, and the need to protect public health.”