An Interactive Tracker for Ceasefires in the Time of COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 poses a distinct health challenge in conflict-affected states. Conflict has been recognised as a direct threat to health and a factor that complicates responses to health crises. Reflecting these challenges, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire to stop violent conflict and assist addressing the pandemic on March 23, 2020. In response, a number of organisations, including peacebuilders, researchers, and mediators (notably, the Mediation Support Unit of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs), came together to develop a ceasefire tracker that would also reflect health data and inform attempts to support ceasefires and pandemic responses in a coordinated way.