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“The UN enjoys wide immunities under international law.”…“Federal prosecutors in New York City were forced to drop criminal and civil cases because the U.N. officials have immunity,” USA Today, 4/14/2009, “Report: U.N. spent U.S. funds on shoddy projects“…UN personnel are therefore not subject to civil or criminal charges in NY City, therefore NYC has no standing to decree that attendees at a UN debate hall be injected with any substance, experimental or otherwise.
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2021 UN General Assembly runs from Sept. 21-30 in New York City.…“The letter signed by New York City’s health commissioner and confirmed by his spokesman said the UN debate hall was classified as a “convention center,” meaning all attendees must be vaccinated.”
9/15/21, “New York [City Health Commissioner decrees] says UN General Assembly delegates must be vaccinated,” AFP, New York
“All diplomats attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York [City] next week [9/21] will have to provide proof of vaccination, the [Health Commissioner of New York] city government [decreed] confirmed Wednesday.
Delegates must be vaccinated to enter the debate hall, the mayor’s office told the assembly president in a letter dated September 9.
They must also be vaccinated if they want to eat or exercise indoors, the letter added.
New York [City] began enforcing a vaccine mandate on Monday, requiring proof of at least one shot for many indoor activities, including restaurants and entertainment venues.
The letter signed by New York City’s health commissioner and confirmed by his spokesman said the UN debate hall was classified as a “convention center,” meaning all attendees must be vaccinated.
“They must also show proof of vaccination prior to dining, drinking or exercising indoors on the UN campus, and in order to partake in all of New York City’s wonderful entertainment, dining and fitness activities,” he [NY City’s Health Commissioner] said.
The letter also reminded diplomats that New York state requires everyone to wear masks on public transport.
“New York City strongly encourages universal mask use indoors regardless of vaccination status,” the note added.
The 76th session of the General Assembly starts on Tuesday [9/21] and finishes the following Monday [9/27].
It will be a combined in-person and hybrid event after last year’s event took place virtually because of the pandemic.”
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Added: UN Sec. Gen. Guterres says UN will submit to all NY City Covid decrees:
8/16/21, “UN’s Ultimatum to Staff & Diplomats: Get Vaccinated or Go Hungry," Interpress News,” Thalif Deen, United Nations
“The UN will continue to follow all restrictions imposed by New York [City], the host city for the world body. Under new restrictions announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, proof of vaccination is mandatory to go to restaurants, bars, nightclubs, concerts, theatres and gyms—with more restrictions to follow. Those unvaccinated will be barred from these premises.
Conforming to city guidelines, the UN is expected to insist on proof of vaccination to use several of the dining facilities in the Secretariat building and also mandatory in-house mask-wearing.
“In order to align UNHQ’s approach to indoor dining with that of NYC’s guidance, we will soon require proof of vaccination for seated meals at cafeterias and other dining facilities on premises.,” says Guterres.
Further guidance on full return to work is being developed and will be issued in September.
To ensure adequate protection for all colleagues, effective August 13, all UN personnel must wear masks when indoors on premises. “We will reassess this requirement as conditions warrant.”…
Aitor Arauz, President of the UN Staff Union in New York and Vice-President, UN International Civil Servants’ Federation (UNISERV), told IPS: “We are dealing with simultaneous crises in Haiti and Afghanistan, where the UN has a lot of staff currently in danger.”
“What I can say on the issue of dining facilities at UNHQ is that, as a general principle, since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the Staff Union has supported close alignment with host city and NY State guidelines; an approach that provides staff a sense of coherence and consistency”.
However, he cautioned, enforcement of these particular measures may prove a challenge given the particularities of our working environment.
Ian Richards, former President of the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA) told IPS requiring proof of vaccination in duty stations where all have had a chance to get jabbed is a sensible way to get things up-and-running again while keeping staff and diplomats safe….
Meanwhile, the UN has placed several TV monitors outside committee rooms, primarily aimed at diplomats and visiting delegates, with warnings that read: “No face to-face meetings unless individually risk-assessed; 2 people per elevator; Lower your mask and present your valid UN ID when requested by Security: By swiping your valid UN ID you confirm that in the past 14 days you have no Covid-19 symptoms, no positive Covid-19 rest result; and no close contact with a confirmed or suspected Covid-19 case.”
In several US cities and businesses, the ultimatum is more severe than the UN: “Get Vaccinated or Get Fired.”
At the Winchester Medical Center, nurses were told: “Get the shot or face termination.” In Sacramento, California, the Mayor has insisted that all new hires and current city employees should get vaccinated, or face being terminated. Both proposals are getting major pushback from unions, who say workers have the right to choose.
In Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee announced that some 60,000 employees will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if they want to keep their jobs.
The governor’s proclamation has given state workers until Oct. 18 to become fully vaccinated, with few exceptions….
Since December last year, more than 353 million doses have been administered, fully vaccinating over 167 million people or 50.4% of the total U.S. population….
The UN does not have a head count as to how many of its more than 3,000 staffers in New York have been vaccinated.
Dr Palitha Kohona, a former Chief of the UN Treaty Section, told IPS that as a vital member of the New York community, the UN also has a responsibility to contribute to the city’s efforts to contain the spread of the [so-called] dreaded Covid19.
“The UN enjoys wide immunities under international law but the virus does not recognize rights and immunities invented by man,” he pointed out….
Meanwhile, the letter from Guterres also says all staff at UNHQ, in consideration of the need to protect one another, will be required to report their vaccination status including through EarthMed with immediate effect.
In addition, any personnel who has been on site and has a positive COVID-19 or Antigen test result must report the results immediately to...the confidential self-reporting portal (medical.un.org) in order to ensure effective risk mitigation at the workplace….
“As the presence of unvaccinated staff potentially increases the risk for other staff members, whether vaccinated or not, vaccinations will be mandated for staff performing certain tasks and/or certain occupational groups at UNHQ whose functions do not allow sufficient management of exposure,”….[said Guterres]
This mandate may be waived where a recognized medical condition prevents vaccination.
Those staff members who will be required to be vaccinated must receive the final dose of a vaccine no later than 19 September 2021.
Any COVID-19 vaccine that is recognized by the WHO, or under routine approved-use by a Member State’s national health authority, is accepted. Affected staff will be notified by their respective offices during the week of 16 August.”…
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