Human rights

The Secretary-General and top UN officials held a virtual briefing for Member States to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic as his call for global ceasefires saw positive gains in Colombia, Syria and Yemen and UNICEF continued to procure and ship protective equipment and other vital supplies to affected countries.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said today that broad sectoral sanctions should urgently be re-evaluated in countries facing the COVID-19 pandemic.  Such measures could have a potentially debilitating impact on the health sector and human rights, she added. 

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, observed on 25 March:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, observed on 24 March:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the United Nations Human Rights Council:  “The Highest Aspiration:  A Call to Action for Human Rights”, in Geneva today:

The Secretary-General visited the World Health Organization (WHO) crisis centre, praising the agency’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, urging countries to do their utmost to be prepared, and calling on donors to support WHO.  “If there is truly something stupid to do, it is to not fully fund WHO appeals,” he said.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, observed today:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the Order of the International Court of Justice on the Request for the indication of provisional measures in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar):

Indigenous languages are in danger of extinction unless concrete measures are taken to protect them, speakers warned today, as the General Assembly convened a high‑level event marking the conclusion of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks on Human Rights Day:  “Youth Standing Up for Human Rights”, in New York today: