House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Wednesday called on the Duterte administration and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines to support the United Nations Security Council plans to call for a 90-day “humanitarian pause” in conflicts worldwide as part of the ongoing struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being a member country of the UN, the Duterte administration should readily support this call, especially that the country is still reeling from the grave effects of the COVID-19 crisis,” Zarate said.
Zarate also said the NDFP should also support this call “since it has also previously acceded to the UN’s call last March for a ceasefire among parties in conflict in this time of pandemic.”
It was reported that an initial version of the UN resolution last week–co-authored by France and Tunisia–only asked for a 30-day pause,along with a call to end all hostilities in the involved countries and to increase international cooperation to counter the virus.
The new draft, which was revised on Monday, now “calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days.”
The stoppage would be “in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, provisions of related services by impartial humanitarian actors,” according to the draft.