The coronavirus is a significant threat to public health; swift and effective government action is necessary. ICNL explores this tension and how governments can move quickly while upholding human rights in their response to a public health crisis. Governments can use a crisis as a pretext to infringe rights. In recent weeks, governments around the world have taken action with significant implications for fundamental freedoms and civic space. The article discusses how international law provides a framework to uphold human rights during crisis response, concluding that we must remember that responses to public health threats are stronger and more effective when they respect human rights. To combat Covid 19, ENCL and ICNL launched a Civic Freedom Tracker to monitor government responses to the pandemic that affect civic freedoms and human rights. Read more here.
Source: ICNL