COMMENT | Covid-19: A threat to international peace and security

COMMENT | The Covid-19 pandemic is though fundamentally a health crisis, and its effects are so extensive that the pandemic has resulted in more than half of the world population in confinement, put trade - international trade in particular - on hold and if not managed well, it could threaten global peace and security.

Recently, the United Nations (UN) secretary-general António Guterres described the Covid-19 pandemic as the "gravest test since the founding of this organisation".

The UN, which came into existence on Oct 24, 1945, has a number of objectives and the primary is the maintenance of world peace and security, without which no friendly relations, no international cooperation and no harmonization of nations’ actions could be possible.

Although nations across the world are currently struggling to address the impact of Covid-19 on health, economy, education and food security, the threat posed by the pandemic to world peace and security should not be taken lightly but should be effectively dealt with.

Otherwise, as the Guterres warned, it may potentially lead to an increase in social unrest and provide opportunities to terrorist groups to strike that would greatly undermine nations’ ability to effectively fight the disease.

Effective combating of this disease requires international cooperation and coordinated efforts to address the issue of terrorism and prevent terrorist groups from taking advantage of the situation created by the pandemic with governments everywhere busy focusing on the health impact.

This created a window of opportunity for terrorists to strike...