SDGs and Human Rights: Leading the way to COVID-19 Response and Recovery

Right On

Diplo Foundation

The global COVID-19 crisis is exposing and exacerbating existing human rights violations and inequalities with a devastating effect on vulnerable groups and societies. The challenges brought about by the pandemic have in fact placed even greater strain on the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Decade of Action. Despite these negative developments, human rights standards and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together provide substantial guidance for immediate crisis response and for long-term recovery strategies towards fair, resilient and sustainable societies that leave no one behind.
International human rights mechanisms and national human rights institutions are well placed to guide these efforts and to enhance the trust and legitimacy that are needed to ‘build back better’.

This webinar will highlight practical experiences and efforts to place human rights standards and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the core of immediate responses to COVID-19 and of long-term recovery strategies. Specifically, it will bring together multi-stakeholder representatives from the development and human rights sector who can offer guidance to COVID-19.

Moderators

• Saionara König-Reis, Programme Manager of the Data and Accountability Programme in the Human Rights and Development Department, Danish Institute for Human Rights.
• Charlotte Marres, Policy Analyst, Universal Rights Group in Geneva

Panelists

• Christophe Golay, Senior Research Fellow and Strategic Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Geneva Academy
• Javier Surasky, Coordinator of Cepei Governance for Development Area and Chair of the International Cooperation Department of the International Relations Institute, La Plata National University, Argentina
• Nicoletta Zappile, Programme Manager of the Stakeholders Programme, UPR Info
• Irena Zubcevic, Chief of Intergovernmental Policy and Review Branch, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

‘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.

This specific event is organized in partnership with the Danish Institute for Human Rights.