UN using honor system to check vaccinations for big meeting
ABC News
The U.N. General Assembly is relying on an honor system to ensure that world leaders have been vaccinated before they speak at next week’s big meeting
UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly is relying on an honor system — and only an honor system — to ensure that world leaders have been vaccinated before they speak at next week's big meeting, the assembly president said.
Presidents, premiers, monarchs and other dignitaries won't have to show vaccination cards or other proof of inoculation — they'll simply attest to it by swiping their ID badges at the assembly hall, G.A. President Abdulla Shahid said in a letter Thursday. The assembly began testing the same policy in June for diplomats at its day-to-day meetings.
Still, it could quickly raise thorny questions at the biggest global diplomatic gathering of the year. Russia has criticized the requirement, and the first speaker, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, isn't vaccinated and reiterated Thursday that he doesn't plan to get the shot anytime soon.
The U.N. has been wrestling with how to implement — diplomatically — a New York City vaccination requirement for convention centers, which the city said last week would apply to the assembly hall. Shahid told members Tuesday he supported the policy but didn't give details on how it would work.
