UN chief urges Security Council to be united on coronavirus pandemic
April 10, 2020, 8:11 am

UN chief urges Security Council to be united on coronavirus pandemic

Guterres speaks to the press at United Nations headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York. (File photo Reuters)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Thursday for the Security Council to unite in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it “the fight of a generation – and the ‘raison d’être’ of the United Nations itself.”

“A signal of unity and resolve from the Council would count for a lot at this anxious time,” he told the group which was holding its first meeting on the new coronavirus by videoconference.

The contents of Guterres’ speech was relayed to AFP by diplomats attending the session, which was still ongoing.

Guterres, who spoke to Al Arabiya last week, said that the coronavirus is “the biggest threat that humankind is facing at the present moment.”

“It is also true that many movements and many governments that are parties to the conflict around the world have also said that they were ready to abide by the ceasefire. But the reality is that on the ground, it has been extremely difficult to implement it,” Guterres said last week.

“If humans go on trying to defeat other humans, the virus will defeat all the humans and the virus will win this battle in Syria or Yemen or Libya. We need to avoid it. And for that, we need the ceasefire here in these countries, as in all others, to make sure that we can join efforts to fight the biggest threat that humankind is facing at the present moment, the COVID-19,” the UN chief added.

source: AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”