HRC 45 - EU Intervention: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on HC oral update on COVID-19

Madam President,

The EU thanks the High Commissioner for her update. We are indeed faced with a global crisis deepening pre-existing inequalities and threatening poverty eradication efforts, sustainable development, human rights, democracy and the rule of law across the globe.

What we need is solidarity, international cooperation, collective action and transparency. In this context, the EU and its Member States have decided to re-direct around 36 billion euro into “Team Europe”, a global response package meant to support partner countries around the world in their fight against the current pandemic and its consequences with a focus on those in the most vulnerable and marginalised situations.

Allow me to highlight that while rolling out “Team Europe”, the EU continues to uphold the principles of good governance, human rights, the rule of law, democracy, gender equality and non-discrimination, in line with your call for human rights based policies. Recovery efforts should also aim to build back in a more sustainable, greener manner.

Madam High Commissioner,

We share your view that special attention needs to be paid to the growing impact of the pandemic on human rights, including socio-economic rights. International human rights law allows states to limit certain human rights in emergency circumstances provided that the measures are necessary, proportionate, temporary in nature, and non-discriminatory. Even in genuine cases of emergency situations, the rule of law must prevail.

The EU opposes all attempts to use the pandemic as a pretext to limit democratic and civic space, or to curtail freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information. The measures should not be used to restrict the work of human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and civil society organisations. Digital technologies that have the potential to help contain the pandemic should be used in full respect of the right to privacy.

Madam High Commissioner,

How can states ensure that the measures they take in times of confinement do not disproportionately affect those who are most at risk of marginalisation?