Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) observed International Human Rights Day 2020 on United Nations' theme "Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights" in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and focused on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights.
The participants from different fields of life including human rights defenders, political workers, social activists, lawyers, teachers, women activists, representatives of civil society orgzations and the minorities expressed their thoughts, shared and learned from each other's about their experiences during COVID-19, health issues, resources, human rights violations and how the problems they are facing, dealing to recover towards better and preparing for post-COVID-19.
Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit all parts of the societies, badly affected people including medically, socially, politically and economically.
He said, "People's poverty, inequalities and discrimination based on religion/belief/gender or any others, exclusion and environmental degradations are making societies more vulnerable due to the pandemic".
Naveed Walter further said, if we stand up together we can recover by adopting the visionary values of UDHR and for establishing the health and social protection systems through urging government/authorities.
Speakers Naseem Haroon, Anum Bibi, James Lal, Shadman John, Nida Naeem, Saleem John and others said that Pakistan having fewer resources is affected more by the second wave of the pandemic.
They also said that several other issues linked to the economy and human rights will take longer to get addressed.
The standard during recovery from COVID in all fields of life must be to care for their basic human rights and in achieving the sustainable development goals, so let us work together for a better time to come closer to be recovered, the speakers added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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