UN chief urges governments to respond with compassion, good governance and humanity

Our Reporter
Dimapur, April 23 (EMN): With the central message focused on ‘people –– and their rights,’ the secretary-general of the United Nations Antonio Guterres on Thursday released a statement titled ‘We are on this together: Human Rights and Covid-19 Response and Recovery’ highlighting how Human Rights can and must guide Covid-19 response and recovery.

‘Covid-19 is a public health emergency that is fast becoming a human rights crisis,’ Guterres stated.

The report was shared on his official twitter account. In the report, Guterres stated that Human Rights can help beat the pandemic by putting a focus on the imperative of healthcare for everyone. It stated that the human rights also serve as an essential warning system highlighting who is suffering the most, why, and what can be done about it.

“We have seen how the virus does not discriminate, but its impacts do–– exposing deep weaknesses in the delivery of public services and structural inequalities that impede access to them,” the stated reminded.

Highlighting the rise to hate speech, the targeting of venerable groups, and the risks of heavy-handed security responses undermining health response during the crisis, Guterres strongly argued that they (those violating human rights) must be properly addressed to the response.

Stating that the threat is the virus not people, Guterres called upon the world governments to ensure that any emergency measure including states of emergency are legal, proportionate, necessary and non-discriminatory. It should have a specific focus and duration and take the least intrusive approach possible to protect public health.

“The best response is one that responds proportionately to immediate threats while protecting the Human Rights and the Rule of Law,” said Guterres.

Likewise, Guterres said that governments must be transparent, responsive and accountable more than ever. At the same time, he said civic space and press freedom are ‘critical’ and society organisations and the private sector have essential roles to play.

Against the background of rising ethno-nationalism, populism, authoritarianism and a pushback against Human Rights in some countries, the secretary-general said the crisis ‘can provide a pretext to adopt repressive measures for purposes unrelated to the pandemic.’

Emphasising on ‘recovery’ and building back better, Guterres said that the Sustainable Development Goals, which are underpinned by Human Rights, provide the framework for a more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.

Guterres added that the recovery must also respect the rights of the future generations, enhancing climate action aiming at carbon neutrality by 2050, and protecting biodiversity.

“By respecting Human Rights in the time of crisis, we will build more effective and inclusive solutions for the emergency of today and the recovery for tomorrow,” said the secretary- general of the United Nations.