Macron Urges Global Cooperation Against Covid-19 at UN Address

French President Emmanuel Macron called on the world to put aside the rivalry between China and the US and work together against the Covid-19 pandemic in his address to the United Nations General Assembly. Macron emphasized the need for nations to work together in new ways, highlighting the long-term changes in international order that the pandemic has brought. He warned that the crisis had set back many of the issues at the heart of the UN since its foundation, including poverty, education, and women's rights.

Key Takeaways:

• Macron urged nations to work together against the Covid-19 pandemic, rather than being dominated by a China-US rivalry.
• The French president emphasized the need for cooperation, stating that "this crisis, more than any other, demands cooperation."
• Macron warned that the pandemic has set back many of the issues at the heart of the UN, including poverty, education, and women's rights.
• United States President Donald Trump blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic and defended his own handling of the crisis in a prerecorded address.
• China's ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, accused Trump of "spreading a political virus" at the assembly.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a mild-mannered speech warning the world not to "politicise" the fight against the virus.

Statistics:

• The death toll of Covid-19 in the US reached 200,000 on Tuesday.
• The coronavirus has claimed countless lives in 188 countries, according to Trump.
• Macron emphasized the need for the international community to "build new alliances" and work together in new ways.

Sources:

• Macron's prerecorded video address to the United Nations General Assembly
• Trump's declaration to the United Nations General Assembly
• Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the UN
• Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech to the United Nations General Assembly
• UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' opening address to the United Nations General Assembly