he high-level 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly gets underway next week amid confusion about whether all delegates, including world leaders, need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend.
Here, AFP answers the key questions surrounding the snafu, which started when ny issued a vaccine directive that the assembly initially supported, before reversing course after complaints from members.
WHERE ARE WE NOW
It appears delegates won’t need to show proof of vaccination to enter the UN headquarters but they ought to have their vaccine cards ready if they need to eat or drink any of latest York’s many bars and restaurants.
The Big Apple began enforcing a vaccine mandate on Monday, requiring proof of a minimum of round for several indoor activities, including dining, entertainment venues and gymnasiums .
But UN officials say the city’s jurisdiction doesn’t reach the UN headquarters itself.
The us doesn’t require proof of vaccination to enter the country, only negative tests from some countries, so there’s no enforcement at airports.
HOW DID THIS ALL START
In a letter dated September 9, the town government told the overall Assembly president that “all persons” entering the UN headquarters for the needs of attending the talk within the main hall would need to show proof of vaccination.
The mayor’s office cited its local vaccine mandate law and said the UN debate hall was classified as a “convention center,” meaning all attendees must be vaccinated.
“They must also show proof of vaccination before dining, drinking or exercising indoors on the UN campus, and so as to partake altogether of latest York City’s wonderful entertainment, dining and fitness activities,” it said.
WHAT WAS THE UN’S RESPONSE
On September 14, assembly president Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives wrote to members saying he “strongly supported” the proof of vaccination requirement laid out by the town authorities.
That was met with a fast backlash, led by Russia’s ambassador to the UN, who disputed that ny had the authority to enforce the mandate.
Vassily Nebenzia wrote to Shahid on September 15, saying the agreement between the us and therefore the UN about the headquarters prohibited US actors from regulating the running of the planet body.
He added that preventing delegates to access the hall was a “clear violation of the UN charter” which the directive did not take under consideration the “rights of individuals who have received vaccines that aren’t approved by the CDC.”
Russia’s Sputnik V has not received approval from the planet Health Organization, meaning it’s not recognized in ny .
THEN WHAT HAPPENED
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he no authority to issue a vaccine mandate for entry into the high-level dialogue.
But all public-facing UN staff are subject to a vaccine mandate, his spokesman added.
“Member states will need to come to a resolution amongst themselves,” his spokesman said Thursday.
That day, Shahid wrote to member states again, this point assuring them that entry to the UN headquarters for the talk are going to be supported an “honor system” regarding their vaccination status.
The city will host a vaccine pop-up site outside UN HQ next week to undertake to tempt anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated with a single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
