UNDRR Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Brief: The Human Rights Dimensions of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting unique challenges to the protection of human rights around the world, including the Asia-Pacific region. This brief covers key human rights issues that have been long-standing areas of concern in the region and that have been exacerbated by the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Other equally important human rights dimensions, notably in relation to economic and social rights that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have been covered in previous webinars and briefs in the series.
This brief was developed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Regional Office for South-East Asia. In addition to highlighting the challenges, this brief provides policy advice and recommendations to ensure a rights-based approach is adopted in response to all disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The brief reflects interventions and feedback from the UNDRR Asia-Pacific webinar on 14 May 2020, titled ‘The Human Rights Dimensions of the COVID-19 Pandemic,’ which was co-organized with OHCHR.