Expert says: Coronavirus pandemic requires strong multilateral cooperation

Robin Ramcharan who is the Professor of International Relations in Bangkok, says The World Health Organisation (WHO), despite President Trump’s criticisms, has responded responsibly by coordinating data collection from member-states. Adding that the world community must establish stronger global prevention and rapid response mechanisms; Responses based solely on national interest are evidently inappropriate. The executive director of the Bangkok-based Asia Centre confirms “The international community is duty-bound to suspend or totally lift sanctions in crises such as this pandemic.” Ramcharan also teaches in the School of Business at Alliance; you can read his interview with ILNA news agency as follows:

Q. All countries in the world are now struggling with a crisis called “coronavirus”. What do you think is the best solution to solve this epidemic and reduce its effects?

A: The lethal coronavirus or COVID-19 health pandemic is a global emergency that requires strong multilateral cooperation and international solidarity to help countries like Iran, There has been a dramatic increase in cases in Iran, from 1501 on 2 March to 21,638 by 22 March and to 79,494 cases on 17 April. Thus far there have been 4958 deaths and 54,064 recovered at the time of writing.  Globally there have been 2,251,770 cases and 154,311 deaths. It is widely recognized that the COVID-19 situation is both a health and an economic disaster.

Pandemics, of which there have been several in the past two decades (SARS, H1N1, Ebola), do not respect borders and spread rapidly. These past crises led to warnings years ago, including by philanthropist Bill Gates, that the world’s next emergency would not be inter-state wars but a global pandemic. Governments are now seeing the merits of their warnings and, without exception, are scrambling to make up for a lost time and to adapt.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), despite President Trump’s criticisms, has responded responsibly by coordinating data collection from member-states, by disseminating such information, by offering expert advice and by providing technology and human resources to combat the spread of the virus.  The pandemic makes it crystal clear that the WHO is, and will remain vital to crisis response.

The world community must establish stronger global prevention and rapid response mechanisms. Responses based solely on national interests are evidently inappropriate. This imperative is made obvious by a painful awareness of the dramatic halt in globalization and consequent national economic consequences. The IMF currently predicts am unprecedented melt-down. Recovery will prove difficult if not coordinated properly through stronger international collaboration, including on providing the WHO with accurate reporting.

Q: the great majority of sanctions are imposed by large countries and they often use flawed arguments to justify imposing sanctions. Can these policies be justified?

A: In situations of humanitarian crises, such as this pandemic, sanctions that affect the basic health needs of people ought to be suspended or removed completely. This has been the traditional response of the international community. The Past experience with sanctions on Iraq, for example, has revealed the deep suffering of the people and not the targeted regime itself. This is why many former public servants have called for targeted reductions in sanctions that prevent trading in medical and humanitarian supplies. They include former European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Minister, Federica Mogherini, former Director-General of the WHO, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and senior diplomats from the Bush, Clinton and Obama Administrations. They warned of the potential for hundreds of thousands of deaths in Iran.

Q: China urges other countries to lift sanctions but other countries did not reconsider their policies.

A: Sanctions by the International community, in particular the United Nations Security Council, were aimed at the preventing the development of nuclear weapons by Iran.  Most UNSC sanctions were lifted by 2016, after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed. However, sanctions that were re-imposed unilaterally by President Trump in May 2018, have sought to maximize pressure on Iran after Trump unwisely and irrationally abandoned the JCPOA. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s top judicial body, ruled in a decision in 2018, that the US must lift some of the economic sanctions against Iran for humanitarian reasons. The WHO is currently assisting all nations.

Q: The victims of the sanctions Washington imposed are not the country's official, but the ordinary people.

A:  The ICJ’s decision, referred to above, is the first time the Court has ruled on “economic warfare” which clearly impacts the health of people on the ground. The ICJ found it credible and urgent that restrictions on importing foodstuffs, and medicines, including life-saving machines and medical equipment would have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran. The very reputable Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in February 2020, that “The consequences of redoubled US sanctions, whether intentional or not, pose a serious threat to Iranians’ right to health and access to essential medicines—and has almost certainly contributed to documented shortages—ranging from a lack of critical drugs for epilepsy patients to limited chemotherapy medications for Iranians with cancer.” Continued sanctions, says HRW, would worsen the situation and threaten millions of Iranians.”

Q: Isn't the pervasiveness of a crisis a good time to take serious steps?

A: The Iranian people rightly ask for a lifting of sanctions as they will be the ones most affected by the virus. Sanctions that were adopted to address a different issue now compound the difficulties in addressing the COVID-19 crisis.

Q: Despite all these pressures, President Trump increases pressure on Iran and his administration never offer sanctions relief to Iran.

A: The Trump administration has taken a very hard line against Iran, believing that they could secure a better deal than the JCPOA, which took two years to negotiate and involved the permanent 5 of the UNSC plus Germany and together with the EU.  Key advisers and the Republicans in the Congress strongly support this position. This will not change unless the Senators in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee decide to oppose the position of the administration. The general context in Washington is one in which the US Congress is having a serious and increasing difficulty in exercising its constitutional duty to balance the power of the Executive branch. The extreme polarization of politics in the US renders compromise very difficult, if not impossible. The ability to effectively lobby Senators is constrained in this context.

Q: The global public health experts say it is not possible to determine exactly how much U.S. sanctions have affected Iran's health. What policies do you think other countries, especially the European Union, can use to help Tehran?

A: Iran has requested $5 billion in financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the Trump Administration is expected to block this request given its predominant position in voting rights in the body. This is contrary to the traditional American humanitarian spirit. Failing this loan, Iran will need to explore the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), which was set up by European countries in January 2019 to try to overcome new US sanctions. INSTEX functions on the basis of barter transactions: Iran buys and sells through this mechanism in which no dollar transactions are involved. Iran’s trade partners simply pay into it, and it receives payments out of INSTEX. This avoids engaging in direct transactions with Iran.  Beyond this, the current multi-polar order affords Iran to explore alternative sources of vital medical supplies. While it must be mindful of China’s global strategic ambitions, it can explore avenues in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, for investments in medical infrastructure for example, and from India.

Q: What do you think is the best way to solve this crisis?

A: The right to health is guaranteed under international human rights law. It is the duty of each Government to ensure that its citizens have access to quality health care. The members of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which embodies this right to health. Consistent with international law under the UN Charter they all agreed to cooperate with each other to achieve these goals.

Iran may wish to use all international human rights and related mechanisms to expose the impact of sanctions on health in Iran and to generate international pressure on the Trump Administration. These include the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council (HC), UN Treaty-body mechanisms, Special Procedures (Rapporteurs) of the HRC, the Assembly of the WHO and relevant tribunals, such as the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism. In doing so, Iran must not only “name and shame”, it must also offer constructive ideas to improve international collaboration on crisis response.

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