SG/Human Rights Report & other topics - Daily Briefing (23 April 2020)

Noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Highlights:
- Secretary-General - Human Rights Report
- World Immunization Week
- ECOSOC Forum
- UNCTAD
- Ramadan Video Message
- Security Council
- Yemen
- Syria
- Libya
- Uganda
- South Africa
- Central African Republic
- IOM
- UNHCR
- Myanmar
- ICAO
- ESCWA
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Girls in ICT Day

SECRETARY-GENERAL - HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
Today, as he launched a new report highlighting the centrality of human rights to the COVID-19 response and recovery, the Secretary-General said the pandemic is far more than a public health emergency. It is a human, economic and social crisis that is fast becoming a human rights crisis.
The virus has exposed deep weaknesses in the delivery of public services, the Secretary-General said, and we must make sure that they are properly addressed in the response.
The 22-page policy brief highlights areas of concerns and lays out a series of recommendations to, among other things, ensure the availability and quality of health care for everyone; and also to promote people-centred economic responses that adequately support those most affected by the loss of their livelihoods.
In his message, the Secretary-General added that, looking ahead, we need to build back better.
He also called on governments to be transparent, and responsive and accountable. Civic space and press freedom are critical, he added, and civil society organizations as well as the private sector have essential roles to play.
By respecting human rights in this time of crisis, we will build more effective and inclusive solutions for the emergency of today and the recovery of tomorrow, the Secretary-General concluded.

WORLD IMMUNIZATION WEEK
Ahead of World Immunization Week, which begins tomorrow, the World Health Organization (WHO) today warned that shutting down immunization services during the pandemic could lead to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio. WHO pointed to last year’s deadly measles outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, during which 6,000 people died as it was facing the largest Ebola outbreak at the same time.

ECOSOC FORUM
This morning, the Secretary-General took part in the virtual meeting of the 2020 ECOSOC FORUM on “Financing Sustainable Development in the Context of COVID-19.”
In his remarks, he said that the unprecedented scale of the current crisis demands an unprecedented response. He reiterated his three-point Call to Action, which entails taking decisive action through a global coordinated response, adopting measures to tackle the devastating socioeconomic consequences and ensuring that the global recovery leads to a more sustainable future.
He emphasized the need for a global stimulus package that is a double-digit percentage of global GDP. He added that developing countries need massive and urgent support and that now is the time to stand by our commitment and leave no one behind.
The Secretary-General also advocated for a debt moratorium and said the G20 initiative to suspend debt service payments for the poorest countries is a critical first step.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/conte....nt/noon-briefing-hig