Corona and human rights
Iventured out earlier in the week during the two-hour walking period to go to a nearby pharmacy to get a few necessary things. On my way I saw some friends and neighbors who were out walking around, and this time I was pleased because most of them were keeping distance between each other, and no one attempted to get closer or shake hands. What a nice scene!
Once in the pharmacy I saw something encouraging an arrangement that ensures the customer remains at least 1.5 meters away from the counter where the pharmacist stands. It seems that we started to finally realize that what we’ve been asked to do all along is something good for our health and safety. I sincerely hope so.
That evening I went to the co-op as I obtained an appointment. I did not notice police patrols on the road it was a short drive - but once at the co-op, there were policemen, commerce ministry employees and co-op employees. When my permit was confirmed, I went in and not long after that a commerce ministry employee approached me and asked me to wear a mask, and though he was polite, he told me either the mask or leave! But thank God the supermarket manager came to the rescue and handed me one.
This shows that things are improving as far as the public is concerned, and their behavior is moving towards the healthy side of things, and I hope this continues at all times and not only during the current crisis.
On a topic related to the pandemic, on April 23, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke about human rights and COVID-19 response and recovery. He said: “COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency but it is far more - it is an economic crisis. A social crisis. And a human crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis”.
Guterres then launched a call to action to put human dignity and the promise of the Declaration of Human Rights at the core of everybody’s work. He said: “Human rights cannot be an afterthought in times of crises, and we now face the biggest international crisis in generations.”
He said the message is clear: People – and their rights – must be front and center. He continued to say “we see the disproportionate effects on certain communities, the rise of hate speech, the targeting of vulnerable groups and the risks of heavy-handed security response undermining the health response.”
Guterres ended his message by alluding to the environment by saying “the recovery must also respect the rights of future generations, enhancing climate action aiming at carbon neutrality by 2050 and protecting biodiversity.”
The question is: Are governments and people ready to develop new policies and behaviors to safeguard our health and daily lives? I certainly hope so.