OPINION OF EXPERTS

 The Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention, Recognising the challenges that Council of Europe member states are facing to protect their populations from the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic,  Noting that violence against women and girls, as well as domestic violence, tend to increase in ...

GENEVA (17 April 2020) – States need to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people do not face discrimination or fear retribution for seeking healthcare amid the COVID-19 crisis, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Friday, as the UN Human Rights Office pub ...

GENEVA (20 April 2020) ­– Women and girls will face greater discrimination and higher risk of death unless governments consider their specific needs in COVID-19 responses, a group of UN experts said in a statement today. "Women are particularly exposed, with many on the frontlines in the COVID-19 f ...

As countries face undeniable emergencies, concentration of powers, derogations from fundamental rights and freedoms, and as large amounts of money are infused into the economy to alleviate the crisis (now and in the near future), corruption risks should not be underestimated. It is therefore most im ...

GENEVA (15 April 2020) – COVID-19 must not be used as an excuse to weaken environmental protection, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David Boyd said. “In light of the global environmental crisis that predates COVID-19, these actions are irrational, irresponsible, and j ...

A statement published by the Council of Europe's Committee on Bioethics recalls the fundamental principles, based on the respect for human dignity and human rights, which must guide medical decisions and practices in the context of the current crisis. Health care systems are under extreme constrain ...

GENEVA (14 April 2020) - The Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to human rights around the world. “I salute the efforts of governments, international organizations and civil society working together to protect the public from this health hazard. Where human rights are the compass, ...

The purpose of this paper is to provide governments with a toolkit for dealing with the present unprecedented and massive scale sanitary crisis in a way that respects the fundamental values of democracy, rule of law and human rights. It is recognised at the outset that governments are facing formid ...

COVID is “a colossal test of leadership” requiring coordinated action, High Commissioner tells Human Rights Council  COVID-19 pandemic - Informal briefing to the Human Rights Council Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/ ...

 „While we all try to adjust to an unprecedented situation affecting countries worldwide, Ombudspersons and Commissioners for Children across Europe face a new challenge: how to continue upholding children's rights in the current context of restrictions to address the COVID-19 outbreak. The rapidly ...