HRC44 - NB8 statement - human rights impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Oral update by the High Commissioner on the

human rights impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

30 June 2020

Statement by Sweden on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries

Madame High Commissioner,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and my own country Sweden.

The Coronavirus knows no borders. A global pandemic needs a global response, that reaffirms our strong support for multilateralism and international institutions. National and global action must be joint and coordinated and address the needs of all individuals. But the crisis can never be taken as an excuse for undue restrictions of democracy or human rights.

The global trend of democratic backsliding and weakened respect for human rights in many parts of the world risks being further compounded by the pandemic.

Any emergency measures adopted by States must be strictly in line with international law: prescribed by law, necessary, non-discriminatory, time-bound and proportionate to the evaluated risk. We are particularly concerned about negative impacts on civil society, human rights defenders and gender equality and women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as possible disinformation campaigns and abuse of surveillance technology. Free, independent and pluralistic media, both online and offline, is necessary to keep the public informed.

We welcome the Presidential Statement adopted by this Council and thank the High Commissioner and her Office for showing leadership in putting human rights, democracy and the rule of law at the heart of the global response. These efforts make a crucial contribution to the monitoring and reporting of human rights violations and abuses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, for which there must be accountability.

I thank you.