Event information

15 April 2020, 13:00-15:00

Right On: Inequality and discrimination during COVID-19

Right On

The Coronavirus crisis amplifies existing inequalities and discrimination and makes the battle of ‘leaving no one behind' all the more difficult.

While inequalities and discrimination know no borders and as such exist in different forms and across social contexts, the deepening inequality gaps brought about by COVID-19 have profound implications for fundamental human rights such as the right to health, right to education, right to work, and most importantly for some, the right to life. The consequences of many of these inequalities are already felt and will be felt in the foreseeable future. 

Fear and uncertainty about the pandemic have equally fuelled the so-called ‘Coronavirus stigma’ on the basis of racial, religious, and gender grounds, and laid bare, in particular, the vulnerability of those living in precarious situations and marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities, women and children, refugees and migrants.  

Our Wednesday ‘Right On’ web chat will reflect on the underlying implications of these challenges, key steps in combating inequalities in times of crisis, and ways to mitigate the effects of inequality and discrimination after the crisis.

Moderator

  • Marc Limon, Executive Director, URG

Speakers

  • Dr Hanna Kienzler, Assistant Professor in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine at King’s College London
  • Dr Frans Viljoen, Director of the Centre for Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
  • Amb. Rui Macieira, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations Office in Geneva
  • Leilani Farha, United Nations special rapporteur on adequate housing
  • Dr Joanna Bourke Martignoni, Senior Research Fellow at the Geneva Academy

Registration

To join the discussion, you need to register here.

‘Right On’: The Wednesday Web Chat

‘Right On’ is a new digital initiative – co-organized by the Geneva Academy, the Geneva Human Rights Platform, the Geneva Internet Platform, the DiploFoundation, the Universal Right Group, the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex, as well as the Permanent Missions of Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands to the United Nations in Geneva  –  that will keep the human rights dialogue going during these COVID-19 times.

Every Wednesday at 15:00, experts and practitioners will discuss key human rights issues related to the current health crisis.

Video

 

Right On: Inequality and discrimination during COVID-19

In this second event of the ‘Right On’ digital initiative, panelists discussed inequality and discrimination during COVID-19.

 

Clipboard02

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

A GHRP training course News

Training Opportunities 2025: Engage with UN Human Rights Mechanisms

28 January 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform is launching its 2025 training programme, designed to empower stakeholders engaging with UN human rights system.

Read more

neurotech image News

Human Rights Concerns in Neurotechnology Examined in New Research Brief

15 April 2025

Our research brief 'Neurotechnology - Integrating Human Rights in Regulation' examines the human rights challenges posed by the rapid development of neurotechnology.

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

Read more

Open dump Training

Protecting Human Rights and the Environment

15-19 September 2025

Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

View of a session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

Human Rights Conversations

Started in January 2020

A series of events aimed at discussing contemporary issues and challenges related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Geneva and beyond.

Read more

Project

Follow-up Review Pilot Series

Started in November 2021

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more