The UN marks 75th anniversary facing world split by Covid-19

Member state flags fly outside the United Nations headquarters, Friday (Sept 18, 2020) in New York. Security measures have been downscaled outside the United Nations ahead of this year's General Assembly. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, the annual meeting of member states has been scaled back, with the majority of delegates addressing the assembly from remote locations. - AP

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 19 (AFP): The United Nations will mark its 75th anniversary Monday (Sept 21), celebrating the mantra that "multilateralism is not an option but a necessity," even as the coronavirus underscores the fragility of international cooperation.

The anniversary will kick off the global body's annual General Assembly, when normally the leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries gather en masse to sound off about the world's problems and offer myriad solutions.