David Swanson / World BEYOND War/

(May 24, 2020) — Two months have gone by since the Secretary General of the United Nations proposed an absolutely necessary global ceasefire.

The US government has blocked a vote on the ceasefire in the UN Security Council.

The US government during these past two months has led the world in:

• military spending
• weapons manufacture
• foreign weapons sales
• bombs dropped
• imposition of brutal sanctions
• threats of new wars
• attempted coups
• war rehearsals
• destruction of key disarmament treaties
• COVID-19 cases
• COVID-19 deaths
• vetoes and effective veto threats at the United Nations

The world cannot continue to allow the US government to hold it back. A government misrepresenting 4 percent of humanity has no business controlling global policies. The cause of democratizing the United Nations might be aided by the governments of the world working around the UN when necessary. Right now it is necessary.

The world’s government are perfectly capable of agreeing to a Global Ceasefire — signed and ratified by every nation but the United States — and of prosecuting US violations of that law under universal jurisdiction. This would, after all, amount merely to restating the existence of the Kellogg-Briand Pact and/or the United Nations Charter, and committing to upholding one or both of those laws.

The US government is committed to opposing the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and global cooperation. It wants wars to continue for the sake of profits, but claims the justification of “fighting terrorism,” despite the fact that terrorism predictably increased from 2001 through 2014, principally as a predictable result of the “War on Terrorism,” which itself has been indistinguishable from terrorism.

The world has no excuse for tolerating this madness.

More information on the global ceasefire can be found here.

20,000 people have signed in support of it here. Add your name!

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).

Call for a Global Ceasefire

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres 

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.

ACTIONS You Can Take:

•   Listen to this audio.

•  Watch this video.

•  Read this letter from 53 countries.

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 US National Security Council:

The trouble is that it is simply not clear whether the NSC speaks for the US government and whether it simply wants everyone else to cease firing or is committing the US 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).

Here’s the list.

• Afghanistan
  The Afghan government proposes a ceasefire, not for itself or Western invaders but for the Taliban.
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
  The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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
  Does this mean that Austria wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing?
• 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
  The UN Sec. General claims that unspecified parties to conlict in Cameroon support the global ceasefire. One military in Cameroon has reportedly declared a ceasefire on its own firing for two weeks, one of the rare examples of a ceasefire declared for one’s own group as opposed to “supported” for everyone else in the world.
• Canada
• Central African Republic (CAR)
  The UN Sec. General claims that unspecified parties to conflict in CAR support the global ceasefire.
• Chad
• Chile
• China
  France claims that France plus the US, U.K., and China agree. US reports, when not blaming US and Russia are blaming US and China, but there’s one common factor in all the stories of impediments to a ceasefire: the US
• Colombia
  The ELN has declared a month-long ceasefire for itself, one of the rare examples of a ceasefire declared for one’s own group as opposed to “supported” for everyone else in the world. The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Comoros
• Congo, Democratic Republic of the
• Congo, Republic of the
• Costa Rica
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Croatia
  Does this mean that Croatia wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan will cease firing?
• 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
  France claims that France plus the US, U.K., and China agree.
• 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
  The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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
  The UN Sec. General claims that “the Government of National Accord and Marshal [Khalifa] Haftar’s Libyan National Army” support the global ceasefire verbally but are not acting on it. The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh. UPDATE: Reports are that Haftar has declared a ceasefire, compelled by circumstances and ordered by Russia.
• 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)
  The UN Sec. General claims that some unspecified parties to conflict in Myanmar support the global ceasefire. The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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. Second source.
• The government, too, has announced its intention to abide by a ceasefire. Here we have a ceasefire on both sides of a war, declared by both sides for themselves, not hypocritically for the other. // According to a comment below: “Update from the Philippines. The Communist Party of the Philippines / New People’s Army / National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) has extended their unilateral ceasefire in support of this call. However Duterte has ended the government’s ceasefire and is continuing the war, which is hurting civilians and particularly the indigenous and rural people so much.
• While the poor are starving under lockdown and health workers don/t have the PPE they need, he is spending money on military operations and bombs. We demand for the government to resume peace talks and address the social-economic roots of the conflict!”
  The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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
• Romania
• Russia
  UPDATE: Reportedly, Russia and the United States have been standing in the way of the global ceasefire. 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
  The Saudi royalty seem to have ceased fire out of shear incapacity to continue firing, and to have indicated that it is part of the global ceasefire.
• Senegal
  The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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
  The UN Sec. General claims that some unspecified parties to conflict in South Sudan support the global ceasefire.
• 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
  The UN Sec. General claims that some unspecified parties to conflict in Sudan support the global ceasefire. The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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
  The UN Sec. General claims that some unspecified parties to conflict in Syria support the global ceasefire. The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Ukraine
  The UN Sec. General claims that some unspecified parties to conflict in Ukraine support the global ceasefire. Does this mean that Ukraine wants others to cease firing or that its troops in places like Afghanistan as well as Ukraine will cease firing? The UN claims armed groups have “responded positively” in Colombia, Yemen, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Angola, Libya, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Indonesia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 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)
  France claims that France plus the US, U.K., and China agree. In the UK 35 MPs support.
• United States of America (USA):
  UPDATE: The United States has blocked a UN vote on a global ceasefire. UPDATE: Reportedly, Russia and the United States have been standing in the way of the global ceasefire. // 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.
  France claims that France plus the US, U.K., and China agree. US reports, when not blaming US and Russia are blaming US and China, but there’s one common factor in all the stories of impediments to a ceasefire: the US
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City (Holy See)
  See here.
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Yemen
  The UN Sec. General claims that “the Government, Ansar Allah and many other parties — including the Joint Forces Command” support the global ceasefire verbally but are not acting on it.
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe