The UN recommends not attending one of its biggest meetings for the coronavirus

The UN has decided to recommend that the thousands of participants who planned to travel to New York to participate as of March 9 in the Commission on the Status of Women, one of the largest events that the United Nations hosts each year, do not for the coronavirus.

The Women's Commission, according to the recommendation made by the General Secretariat, would not be canceled, but would be developed in a reduced way, only with the participation of the delegations that regularly work in New York and without holding numerous parallel events already planned.

The decision is based on the rapid evolution of the situation raised by COVID-19 and the need to find a balance between UN work and health concerns, spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told Efe.

According to Dujarric, the recommendation of the Secretary General, António Guterres, is based on the analysis of the team dealing with emergency policies and the consultations held between the medical services of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The final decision is in the hands of the Member States, which will meet next Monday to discuss the situation with the secretariat of the Women's Commission.

The General Secretariat, said the spokesman, will implement any decision taken by governments.

Diplomatic sources told Efe that it is taken for granted that countries will follow Guterres' suggestion, so the trip to New York of ministers and diplomats from around the world will be canceled, as well as representatives of numerous women's organizations that every year They go to this appointment.

More than 11,000 people had initially registered this year to participate in the meetings of the Commission, which are held from March 9 to 20.

According to sources from the organization, it is normal that not all those registered attend, so the participation is usually around 7,000 people, which makes this one of the great annual meetings at the UN headquarters in New York, together to the General Assembly meetings of each September.

Looking ahead to next intergovernmental meetings, Dujarric explained that the UN will analyze the situation "case by case, taking into account the particularities of each meeting and the evolution of the circumstances."