United National Security Council covid resolution in limbo

Doubts have emerged over the future of COVID resolution at United National Security council as US last week "broke silence procedure" on it and it is unclear how France and Tunisia who are the "penholders" intend to go forward with the draft.

"It will take a bit more time. if the US had not broken silence probably another of the P5 would have. COVID Still under discussion", told a diplomatic source from New York to WION.

“Breaking the silence” is standard diplomatic language and not just in UNSC to describe when a party or parties does not agree with the text or some parts of the text. If there is usually a deadline and when no-one breaks the silence before then, it means there is consensus. 

UNSC member countries are hopeful that some solution will come out soon. Another source from New York told WION "Discussions on the COVID-19 resolution are ongoing".

Currently, a Franco-Tunisian resolution is on the table with both the countries being the penholder for the draft on COVID.

The US-China tiff on the COVID resolution continues especially in the context of WHO and the emergence of COVID crisis which was first reported in China in December of 2019. 

"The problem is with the language in the text mentioning WHO that the US don’t agree on", a 3rd source told WION. 

The former President of the United Nations Security Council has said "differences over the role of the World Health Organization" has "stalled" any outcomes over COVID resolution at the core UN body. Speaking exclusively to WION last week, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations Ambassador José Singer Weisinger, "Security Council can’t remain silent" and "cannot remain inactive towards the response." 

While the first case of COVID was first reported China's Wuhan in December, it was only during the Presidency of the Dominican Republic in the month of April that it was formally discussed. 

 President of UNSC decides the agenda of the body and it is president for a period of one month. All 15 countries rotationally become the president of UNSC each month, with Estonia being the President for the current month.