Interfaith Forum calls for
protection of human rights amid Covid-19
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| The Geneva Interfaith Forum call for protection of human rights (AFP) |
The Geneva Interfaith Forum appeals for the protection of
human rights amid the twin crises of Covid-19 and climate change.
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ
The Geneva Interfaith Forum (GIF) has called on the United
Nations to ensure that States protect human rights, in the midst of the
Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and human-induced climate change are
rooted in an unjust and ecologically unsustainable economic system and have
profound implications for people and their enjoyment of human rights,” the
statement reads.
The made this call in a joint statement presented by the
World Council of Churches (WCC) on behalf of the GIF during the 44th session
of the UN Human Rights Council meeting, from 30 June to 17 July in Geneva.
The Geneva Interfaith Forum includes, among others, the
Dominicans for Justice and Peace, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World
Council of Churches.
Two sides of the same coin
In the statement, the GIF highlights the link between the
Covid-19 crisis and the climate crisis, pointing out that “both are adversely
affecting people’s enjoyment of the human right to health and SDG-3
(Sustainable Development Goals).”
The statement notes that while the Covid-19 pandemic has
infected millions of people around the world and resulted in hundreds of
thousands of deaths, climate change is projected to increase malnutrition,
respiratory illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and the risk of new epidemics
“through its destructive effects on biodiversity.”
Furthermore, reads the statement, economic shutdowns and
other unparalleled measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 have “led to
soaring joblessness and therefore rising poverty and hunger in both the
developed and developing world.”
“Climate change is already eroding bases of sustenance and
decimating livelihoods, especially of farmers, fisherfolk and Indigenous
Peoples,” the statement points out. This is “projected to undermine on a
massive scale the rights to food and water, among other economic, social and
cultural rights (ESCR)."
The vulnerable are most affected
The GIF statement highlights that vulnerable and
disadvantaged groups are often the most hard-hit by the effects of both the
climate and Covid-19 crisis. These include minorities, migrants, refugees,
Indigenous People, and the income-poor, among others.
The statement highlights the particular plight of women. It
notes that both crises place heavy burdens on women who are disproportionately
represented in the healthcare sector and the care economy, as well as
accounting for the majority of the poor.
“Women have less access to basic human rights like the
ability to move freely, acquire land and secure employment,” the statement
affirms. They also “face systematic discrimination and sexual and gender-based
violence that escalate during periods of instability, such as a pandemic or a
climate-related disaster.”
Political and civil rights
The interfaith group also brings to the fore instances in
some countries where lockdowns in response to the Covid-19 were forcefully
imposed by military and police with “adverse impacts on people’s political and
civil rights.”
At the same time, it notes that climate activists and
environmental defenders, especially in countries that have developed
militarized responses to Covid-19, face “intensified vilification, harassment
and even threats to life.”
Recommendations
In light of their concerns, the forum makes some
recommendations to the UN.
The GIF appeals for recognition and monitoring of the
intersection between the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights,
and recognition of the human right to a safe, clean and healthy environment for
all.
The statement also calls for ensuring the respect for human
rights when implementing measures against Covid-19, and the cancellation of the
debt of the poorest countries, as well as global tax reform to support states
in fulfilling their human rights obligations.
“The crises have clearly exposed our interconnectedness as
one humanity and how we are part of a larger community of life,” the statement
notes, adding that the crises reveal the indivisibility and interdependence of
all human rights.
“We see in this moment of intertwined emergencies a window
of hope and rare opportunity to open a deep discussion on values in our
societies.”
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