UN chief Antonio Guterres stressed on Wednesday that he cannot ask world leaders to show they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, after New York City officials said proof should be required for anyone entering the UN General Assembly Hall.
A number of heads of state and government and foreign ministers – accompanied by countless diplomats – are due to be in New York next week for an annual high-level gathering at the United Nations. Some leaders are staying away and sending a video statement instead because of the coronavirus pandemic.
New York City officials told the United Nations that under its rules people “entering the UN premises for the purpose of entering the General Assembly Hall would be required to show proof of vaccination in order to gain entry to the Hall.”
But Secretary-General, in an interview, said: “We, as the Secretariat, cannot tell a head of state if he is not vaccinated that he cannot enter the United Nations.”
The UN headquarters in Manhattan is international territory and is not subject to US laws. However, UN official have previously pledged to abide by local and national guidance when it came to the pandemic.
“We have discussed with the municipality the different ways to ensure that we have the maximum of people with vaccination and the New York Mayor’s office has put a vaccination capacity at our disposal. So people that come will be able to be vaccinated,” said Guterres.
