Human rights and the Pandemic

The COVID 19 pandemic has triggered not just a worldwide health crisis, but also a global human rights crisis. As diplomats from around the world meet for the World Health Assembly this week in Geneva to discuss how to shape global responses to any future pandemic, they should begin with a clear look at the human rights violations that have characterized this one. Human Rights Watch Our research teams have documented authoritarian power grabs under the guise of COVID emergency response. Staggering setbacks for women's participation in the workforce. And over 1,000,000,000 children shut out of school. Over 5 million people have died.
The pandemic isn't over and through it, all marginalized communities, indigenous peoples and those living in poverty have borne the heaviest burden like abusive policing. Rising unemployment, food insecurity. Barriers to health care. Many of the world's poorest communities are being left behind as COVID vaccines ease the pandemic elsewhere. We've seen efforts to secure a waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID 19 vaccines stalled by wealthy governments and their allies, thus contributing to inequity in access to lifesaving health products. Any discussion on future pandemics has to include how we do this better and don't repeat mistakes.
The bottom line is that diplomats should center human rights considerations and civil society in perspectives in their efforts going forward.