(April 2020) — (1) Sign the petition for a global ceasefire.
2) Contact your nation’s government and get a clear commitment to engaging in the ceasefire (not just urging others to do so).
3) Use the Comments section below to report on what you learn!
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres proposed this global ceasefire:
Our world faces a common enemy: COVID-19.
The virus does not care about nationality or ethnicity, faction or faith. It attacks all, relentlessly.
Meanwhile, armed conflict rages on around the world.
The most vulnerable — women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalized and the displaced — pay the highest price.
They are also at the highest risk of suffering devastating losses from COVID-19.
Let’s not forget that in war-ravaged countries, health systems have collapsed.
Health professionals, already few in number, have often been targeted.
Refugees and others displaced by violent conflict are doubly vulnerable.
The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war.
That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world.
It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives.
To warring parties, I say:
Pull back from hostilities.
Put aside mistrust and animosity.
Silence the guns; stop the artillery; end the airstrikes.
This is crucial…
To help create corridors for life-saving aid.
To open precious windows for diplomacy.
To bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Let us take inspiration from coalitions and dialogue slowly taking shape among rival parties in some parts to enable joint approaches to COVID-19. But we need much more.
End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world.
It starts by stopping the fighting everywhere. Now.
That is what our human family needs, now more than ever.
Other nations said the same. There were even startling reports that the United States supported it. The latter were based entirely on this tweet from the U.S. National Security Council:
The United States hopes that all parties in #Afghanistan, #Syria, #Iraq, #Libya, #Yemen, and elsewhere will heed the call of @antonioguterres. Now is the time for peace and cooperation.
The trouble is that it is simply not clear whether the NSC speaks for the U.S. government and whether it simply wants everyone else to cease firing or is committing the U.S. military (and its junior partners) to a ceasefire.
A list of the nations with troops fighting in Afghanistan raises a similar question about a number of nations backing the ceasefire.
So does a list of the nations fighting in Yemen.
So does a list of the nations with wars actually in their territories.
Below is a list of the world’s nations. Those in bold have indicated support for the global ceasefire. We need help in both getting all of the other nations on board, and in pinning down exactly what each nation is committing to. Please help make this idea a reality by taking these steps:
1) Sign the petition for a global ceasefire.
2) Contact your nation’s government and get a clear commitment to engaging in the ceasefire (not just urging others to do so).
3) Use the Comments section below to report on what you learn!
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
Does this mean that Australia wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
Does this mean that Belgium wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic (CAR)
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Congo, Republic of the
- Costa Rica
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czechia
Does this mean that Czechia wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Denmark
Does this mean that Denmark wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
Does this mean that Estonia wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
Does this mean that Finland wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
Does this mean that Germany wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
Does this mean that Hungary wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
Iran has called for a halt in “warmongering during the coronavirus outbreak,” indicating a demand that the United States stop threatening war. It is not clear that Iran has committed to ceasing any role in any wars. - Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
Does this mean that Italy wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
Does this mean that Lithuania wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Luxembourg
Does this mean that Luxembourg wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
Does this mean that Mali wants others to cease firing or that its troops in Mali will cease firing? - Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
Does this mean that Mexico wants others to cease firing or that its troops in Mexico will cease firing? - Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
Does this mean that Montenegro wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar (formerly Burma)
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
Does this mean that Netherlands wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - New Zealand
Does this mean that New Zealand wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia)
- Norway
Does this mean that Norway wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
“As a sign of support for Mr. Guterres’ call, New People’s Army guerrillas in the Philippines have been ordered to stop assaults and shift to a defensive position from March 26 to April 15, the Communist Party of the Philippines said in a statement. The rebels said the ceasefire is a ‘direct response to the call of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a global ceasefire between warring parties for the common purpose of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic’.” Source. - Poland
Does this mean that Poland wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Portugal
Does this mean that Portugal wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Qatar
Does this mean that Qatar wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Yemen will cease firing? - Romania
- Russia
The Russian Foreign Ministry Statement is not crystal clear that it is committing Russia to ceasing fire in places like Syria, as opposed to demanding that others do, as it distinguishes between the illegal aggression by others and the counterterrorism (by Russia?) [bolding added below]: - “In view of the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation is urging all parties to regional armed conflicts to immediately stop hostilities, secure a ceasefire, and introduce a humanitarian pause.
- We support the respective statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of March 23. We proceed from the assumption that these developments could lead to a global humanitarian disaster, given that most people in the current hot spots lack access to medicines and skilled medical assistance.
- Of special concern are the situations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Syria, as well in the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip. We note separately the risks associated with the possible deterioration of the epidemiological situation in African countries, where there is a persisting armed confrontation. The localities with camps for refugees and internally displaced persons are particularly vulnerable.
- Our call is primarily addressed to the nations, which illegally use military force outside of their national borders. We especially note that the current conditions offer no justification for unilateral coercive measures, including economic restrictions, which are a severe impediment on the authorities’ efforts to protect the health of their populations. We are highly concerned over the situation on territories controlled by terrorist groups, who could not care less about people’s wellbeing. These zones might potentially become most prone to the spread of the infection.
- We are confident that counter-terrorist measures must be carried on. We call on the international community to provide the countries in need with the necessary humanitarian support without any political preconditions. Such support should be intended for saving people in distress. The use of humanitarian aid as a tool to force internal political change is unacceptable, as is speculation on the fate of any victims.
- The Russian Federation will continue its work at the UN Security Council to facilitate the political and diplomatic settlement of regional conflicts based on the UN Charter and the universal norms of international law, and is ready for pro-active cooperation in this area with all parties concerned.”
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
Does this mean that Slovakia wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Slovenia
Does this mean that Slovenia wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
Does this mean that Spain wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
Does this mean that Sweden wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing? - Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Does this mean that UAE wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Yemen will cease firing? - United Kingdom (UK)
- United States of America (USA):
The National Security Council either wants others to cease firing in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, or is committing the United States to doing so. It is not clear. - Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City (Holy See)
See here. - Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
