Briefing by the Secretary-General on 'Call to Action for Human Rights' - Informal Plenary Meeting 75 Session

The informal meeting discusses progress made exactly one year after UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a Call to Action for Human Rights, a seven-point blueprint aimed at boosting equality and reducing suffering everywhere, and how Member States can contribute to it.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / General Assembly
• Video Length: 03:07:15
• Production Date: 24 February 2021
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: ANTONIO GUTERRES; VOLKAN BOZKIR
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: CORONAVIRUS DISEASE - COVID 19; DISCRIMINATION; HUMAN RIGHTS; YOUTH
• MAMS Id: 2604364
• Parent Id: 2604151

Description

Human rights have been battered in the COVID-19 pandemic but recovery represents a chance to improve on the status quo and finally ensure dignity for all, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly on Wednesday.

The UN chief addressed ambassadors exactly one year after he issued a Call to Action for Human Rights, a seven-point blueprint aimed at boosting equality and reducing suffering everywhere.

Amid budget cuts and financial crisis, he appealed for support for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and related bodies, noting that funding is critical to achieve transformational change.

“Much like COVID-19 vaccines, human rights will not lead to a healthier world if they are only available to the privileged few”, he cautioned.

The President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, underlined that a human rights-based approach is always the right choice, whether in times of crisis, conflict, peace or pandemic.

“All responses to the COVID-19 pandemic must be shaped by, and uphold respect for, human rights”, he said.

“Stakeholders need to participate in decision-making and provide feedback so that we can identify: who is suffering the most; why that has transpired; and how we can protect individuals and communities now and when we face the next global challenge.”

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SG Remarks