GC Human Rights Preparedness

Human rights crises emerge at the local level. Local governments are now at the forefront of human rights implementation and protection. A human rights-based approach to responding to the inevitable next emergency will depend on the preparedness of local governments.

Emergencies pose challenges to the holding of elections. States’ obligation to protect the life, health and security of their population stands in tension to their obligation to respect the right to political participation and related political freedoms. How do we reconcile these dimensions from a human rights perspective?

This paper explores the importance of governments, key stakeholders and donors in the WASH sectors working collaboratively towards improving and increasing access to safe water in the informal settlements towards mitigating the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has exacerbated challenges faced by disabled people who live in institutions. Their rights have been disproportionately impacted and in some cases their very survival is at risk. This coronavirus affirms once more that the human rights-based approach to disability is, literally, lifesaving.

The word crisis derives from krinomai, an ancient Greek word with meanings such as separating and sorting, but also distinguishing and deciding. A crisis creates a moment of truth and a possible wormhole to the future, to another future. Today, however, we are only acquainted with the negative connotation of this word. And that is unfortunate since a crisis can be so much more than a disaster.

The COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken to combat it are having a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities. To protect their rights during this pandemic and post-crisis, their needs must be taken into account in global response and recovery efforts.

The inability of countries to ordinarily hold elections and undertake electioneering is one of the many disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.