Information from the UN System
Everyone is talking about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Be sure to get your facts from reliable sources. Along with the World Health Organization, which is the leading authority on scientific and public health information on the new virus, the UN offices, field missions, agencies, funds and programmes are providing new information in their spheres of expertise, as it becomes available. Here are some of their resource pages:
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping missions are putting in place a series of mitigation measures to promote the safety, security and health of all UN personnel while maintaining continuity of operations.
Humanitarian Assistance
More than 100 million people already rely on support from the United Nations’ humanitarian agencies. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' (OCHA) top priority is to ensure that we do the best we can to keep providing life-saving help for those people, while supporting the wider system’s response to COVID-19.
Economic and Social Development
A global pandemic is a time of tough choices. The policy decisions taken now will shape the fate of millions and define the future of nations. How to save people’s lives without destroying their livelihoods? Where to allocate scarce resources? How to protect those who do not have the means to protect themselves? UN DESA experts are working round the clock to help decision makers navigate these tough choices and prevent the world from sliding into a dangerous depression.
The SDGs: Our Framework for COVID-19 Recovery
The pandemic is an unprecedented wake-up call, laying bare deep inequalities and exposing precisely the failures that are addressed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. At this moment of crisis, bold steps can steer the world onto a more sustainable path. Learn how each of the Sustainable Development Goals is vital for a recovery that leads to greener, more inclusive economies, and stronger, more resilient societies.
Country Level Coordination
The United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) is the group of 40 United Nations entities working on development at the global, regional and country level. In countries, United Nations Resident Coordinators are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General for development. Under their leadership, United Nations country teams have mobilised to support governments and partners on a decisive and coherent response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on national priority areas such as health and socio-economic protection to save livelihoods and lift economies.
Environment
The transmission of diseases like COVID-19 between animals and humans (zoonoses) threatens economic development, animal and human well-being, and ecosystem integrity. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supports global efforts to protect biodiversity, to put an end to illegal trade in wildlife, to safeguard the handling of chemicals and waste and to promote economic recovery plans that take nature and the climate emergency into account.
Water and Sanitation
As part of the COVID-19 response, UN-Water, the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation, provides water and sanitation-related information from its Members and Partners. Page updated as new information becomes available.
Human Rights
As the virus expands further and wider, and countries are driven to take more and more drastic measures to slow down its spread, a number of human rights institutions and experts have been highlighting issues of concern and proposing possible solutions.
Drugs, Crime and Terrorism
We will not overcome the COVID-19 pandemic if we do not stop the virus spreading in specific pockets of vulnerability and that is why the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime focuses on delivering vital assistance to those in need, including people who use drugs, who are in prison and who have HIV/Hepatitis C. UNODC staff worldwide remain active in delivering on all of the Office’s mandates. This includes addressing crime that seeks to exploit the pandemic, such as cybercrime.
Children
The UN Children's agency is providing the latest updates, explainers for parents and teachers, and resources for media as new information becomes available.
Women
As frontline responders, health professionals, community volunteers, transport and logistics managers, scientists and more, women are making critical contributions to address the COVID 19 outbreak. The majority of caregivers, at home and in our communities, are also women. Additionally, existing trends point to less access to sexual and reproductive health and rise in domestic violence during crisis. UN Women is bringing up-to-date information and analysis on how and why gender matters in COVID-19 response.
Reproductive Health
UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, has issued a statement on COVID-19 and pregnancy.
Medicines with controlled substances
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) continues to ensure the functioning of international licit trade of controlled substances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures are in place for INCB systems to operate smoothly and assist Governments with trade throughout this pandemic.
UN Development Programme
UNDP is working with its partners to combat the spread of the disease and to support the most affected countries where health systems are weakest and people are at their most vulnerable.
Economic Commission for Africa
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Economic Commission for Africa presents its most relevant documents and presentations for use by researchers and the media.
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
In Asia and the Pacific, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have reverberated among a population of more than 4 billion and in economies vital to global supply chains. ESCAP is working quickly and collectively to shape responses for a sustainable future. To support member States' response, ESCAP has developed policy notes with guidance on inclusive protection and economic resilience, sector-specific policy briefs, and expert blogs. Flagship publications, including the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2020 also incorporate the impact of the pandemic in their analyses.
Food and Agriculture
FAO works closely with its partners in supporting member countries to anticipate and mitigate the pandemic’s impacts on their populations’ food security and livelihoods; contribute to discussions on mitigating COVID-19’s impacts on global food trade and markets; and support countries and research institutions in ongoing investigations to identify potential animal hosts of the virus and reduce spillover effects to humans.
Agricultural development
Around 63 per cent of the world’s poorest people work in agriculture, the overwhelming majority on small farms. Most of the poorest, hungriest and most marginalized people live in rural areas, and that is where the development community now needs to focus its mid- to long-term efforts.
Refugees
With coronavirus now present in every country worldwide, the world’s 71 million refugees and forcibly displaced people are among the most exposed and vulnerable. Together with its partners, The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is determined to stay the course and deliver for refugees, internally displaced, stateless people, and their hosts, and ensure their inclusion in public health responses and social safety nets.
The UN agency for Palestine refugees has developed a COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan and launched a COVID-19 US$ 14 Million Flash Appeal for Palestine Refugees.
Migration and Mobility
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working with dozens of countries to prepare for and respond to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, covering a wide range of interventions including cross-border coordination, population mobility mapping exercises, risk communication and community engagement activities, and trainings and simulations for government employees.
Aviation
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), WHO, IATA and ACI have worked in close cooperation on the development of this single source for aviation-specific guidelines with the objective of ensuring appropriate planning and action at all levels and thus in order to mitigate the effects of a human outbreak.
Shipping
International shipping carries more than 80 per cent of world trade and the global population relies on it. Ships and seafarers are heavily impacted by the current situation. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), WHO and others have combined to develop guidance for the shipping industry, governments and others on a variety of technical and operational responses to the current situation.
International Labour Organization
The ILO and its constituents – Governments, workers and employers – play a crucial role in combating the outbreak, ensuring the safety of individuals and the sustainability of businesses and jobs.
Educational Disruption and Response
UNESCO is providing immediate support to countries as they work to minimize the educational disruption and facilitate the continuity of learning, especially for the most vulnerable.
Information and communication technology
Information technology plays a critical role in the collective response to COVID-19. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is mobilizing its global public-private membership and the tech community at large around key initiatives and the necessity to continue unleashing the full potential of information and communication technology to cope with this crisis and defeat this disease. This includes the Global Network Resiliency Platform (REG4COVID) to help policy-makers, regulators and industry ensure that networks are kept resilient and telecoms services are available to all, to the maximum extent possible.
Space applications
Space applications provide unique solutions for improving global health, including tackling the Coronavirus pandemic. The UNOOSA programme UN-SPIDER has created a repository collecting examples of how space science and technology can be leveraged in the fight against COVID-19. UNOOSA helps all countries access the benefits of space, and this web page provides governments and organisations with tools and resources to help improve their Coronavirus response.
International Atomic Energy Agency
The IAEA is providing COVID-19 diagnostic kits, equipment and training in nuclear-derived virus detection techniques to countries requesting assistance. The IAEA is also maintaining its operations, including nuclear safeguards inspections, a key pillar of the international non-proliferation regime, as well as its Incident and Emergency Centre for 24/7 notification and information exchange in nuclear and radiological emergencies.
The World Bank Group
The World Bank is providing new financing to countries on a fast-track basis, as well as policy advice and technical assistance.
The International Monetary Fund
The IMF is helping its member states with emergency financing, debt relief, new financing arrangements and capacity development.
UN Conference on Trade and Development
UNCTAD is monitoring the effects of the pandemic on manufacturing, trade, foreign direct investment and economic growth.
International Trade Centre
The International Trade Centre is closely following how the pandemic is affecting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with a particular focus on those small businesses in developing countries. This dedicated section of the website provides insights and guidance to small businesses searching for ways to cope with the operational stress generated by COVID-19 and is also a useful resource for business support organizations and policymakers assisting MSMEs in these efforts.
UN Industrial Development Organization
As we respond to the emergency and start to recover from the socio-economic shock, we must work together to ensure that the recovery will focus on building inclusive and sustainable economies that are more resilient in facing pandemics, climate change and many other global challenges. Here, UNIDO has much to offer in terms of rebuilding supply chains, creating decent jobs for women and youth, transferring technology, including advanced digital production technology, industrial upgrading, resource efficiency and cleaner production, to name but a few.
South-South Cooperation
Developing countries are taking the lead in sharing their successful early COVID-19 containment, mitigation and social distancing measures with other countries in the spirit of South-South solidarity and global collaboration. UNOSSC is mobilizing and connecting partners across sectors to enable countries to quickly access relevant information, assess unique demands, compare practices, and learn from one another through South-South and triangular exchanges.
UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is committed to continuing to deliver learning solutions to our beneficiaries. We have transformed many of our face-to-face courses into an online format, and made them available as widely as possible, either for free or with a fee. We also offer resources and tips to transform face-to-face event into an online learning and make an online event a success.
UNICRI
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute is enhancing knowledge and capacities to counter extremist and criminal groups and engaging with at risk communities to strengthen their resilience during the pandemic. UNICRI is conducting online training and consultations with partner countries to increase first responders’ protection (biological risk mitigation), countering the impact of organized crime and enhancing the response to COVID-19 in the tourism sector. In this unprecedented crisis, it is also addressing the opportunities and risks related to artificial intelligence and robotics, Big Data and biotechnologies, and the integrity of the supply chain (including supplies of medical equipment and addressing counterfeiting).
UN Volunteers
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the unique common service of the United Nations that mobilises over 8,000 UN Volunteers a year and promotes volunteerism worldwide. UNV is actively joining the UN COVID-19 response by recruiting UN Volunteers with expert capacities for UN entities. UNV also has 600,000 registered online volunteers, ready to take on task-based assignments remotely to fight COVID-19.
Be part of the response
Find out about the UN's response plans and how you can donate to them.
Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan: To address immediate health needs
The plan, produced by WHO and partners, sets out the priorities for the global health response and outlines the public health measures that all countries need to implement to prepare for and respond to COVID-19. The initial plan had a funding requirement of $675 million up until April 2020. An updated plan will be issued covering up to December 2020. The plan will be financed through several channels, above all Governments’ own budgets, the WHO ‘Solidarity Fund’, and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
WHO, UN Foundation and partners launched a first-of-its-kind Solidarity Response Fund to allow corporations and individuals to directly contribute to WHO’s COVID-19 response. It has raised over $210 million so far.
Global Humanitarian Response Plan: To fight the impact in the most vulnerable countries
The plan, coordinated by OCHA with IASC partners, sets out the priorities for the COVID-19 response in vulnerable and poor countries. It is the primary vehicle for raising resources for the immediate COVID-19 related health and multi-sectoral needs in more than 50 priority countries. It brings together appeals and requirements from WFP, FAO, WHO, IOM, UNDP, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR and UNICEF, and was informed by and complements the appeals of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs. As part of the plan the UN is looking to governments to fund the global logistical support setup by WFP to serve the needs of the entire humanitarian community allowing aid and health workers to stay and deliver.
The plan was costed initially at $2 billion, of which $100 million is for country-specific NGO response. Donors have generously pledged $1 billion so far. A second iteration of the Plan includes nine additional countries was issued on 7 May with a total appeal for $6.7 billion.
UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response: To deliver rapid recovery
The Secretary General launched the UN Framework to help social and economic recovery in middle and lower-income countries. The framework guides the actions of the UN system through the next 12 to 18 months. While a significant proportion of the $17.8 billion portfolio of sustainable development programmes across UN entities will be adjusted towards COVID-19 needs, additional funds will be required through a Response and Recovery Trust Fund.
The Fund will support efforts in low- and middle-income countries. The financial requirements of the Fund are projected at $1billion in the first nine months and then will be subsequently reviewed.