Srinagar: In a first, the world leaders will not gather in New York in person for an annual September meeting of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the UNGA president.
“World leaders cannot come to New York because they cannot come simply as individuals,” Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said Monday in a press conference.
This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
A president never travels alone, the UNGA president said, and stressed that it is “impossible” to bring a large delegation to the city.
He said he hopes to clarify in the next two weeks how the UN’s annual General Debate will take place, after being informed of the medical advice for the US and New York.
The US is the country hardest-hit by the pandemic with more than 1.96 million cases and over 1,11,000 fatalities, according to a running tally of Johns Hopkins University. In all, more than 518,500 people have recovered from the virus.
Meanwhile, New York recorded nearly 380,000 cases and over 30,400 deaths.
