Mon Sep 09 13:40:51 UTC 2024: ## Human Rights Concerns Emerge as Countries Negotiate Pandemic Treaty

**Geneva, Switzerland** – As countries gather in Geneva to negotiate a new international pandemic treaty, human rights groups are raising concerns about the draft agreement’s failure to adequately address human rights issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) hopes to finalize the treaty by May 2025, but critics argue that without a stronger emphasis on human rights, the treaty could fall short of its intended goal of preventing future pandemics from becoming human rights catastrophes.

**The Draft Treaty Risks Repeating Past Mistakes**

The current draft treaty, while aiming to prevent future pandemics, has been criticized for not fully aligning with international human rights law standards. Human Rights Watch, in a statement released today, argues that the draft “ignores Covid’s lessons,” failing to explicitly require governments to align their pandemic responses with their human rights obligations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide implemented policies that often prioritized public health measures over human rights. This resulted in:

* **Violations of fundamental rights:** Governments used public health responses to target activists and opponents, restrict asylum seekers’ rights, and hoard healthcare resources.
* **Unequal access to healthcare:** Wealthy nations prioritized their own populations, leaving low- and middle-income countries struggling to access essential medical supplies and treatments.
* **Disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups:** School closures, lack of alternative education, and limited support for the elderly and disabled exacerbated existing inequalities.
* **Increased violence against women:** The pandemic led to a rise in domestic violence and limited access to support services.

**Human Rights Watch Calls for a Rights-Based Agreement**

To address these concerns, Human Rights Watch, along with other prominent organizations, has issued recommendations for the treaty, urging negotiators to:

* **Reinstate fundamental human rights principles:** The agreement should clearly state that governments must adhere to non-discrimination, gender equality, and protection for vulnerable groups when responding to pandemics.
* **Ensure equitable access to healthcare:** The agreement should include provisions for affordable access to testing, vaccines, and therapeutics for all people, and facilitate technology transfer to enable widespread production of medical supplies.
* **Reaffirm governments’ obligations to protect human rights:** The agreement should reinforce that any restrictions on human rights during a pandemic must be justified, proportionate, and non-discriminatory.
* **Improve implementation and monitoring:** The agreement should establish a robust system for monitoring and periodic review, drawing on best practices from other international instruments, to ensure its effective implementation.

**The Treaty’s Success Hinges on Human Rights**

Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the treaty’s success depends on a strong human rights foundation. Failure to address these concerns could result in an agreement that is insufficient to prevent future pandemics from escalating into human rights crises.

The negotiations in Geneva represent a crucial opportunity to ensure that governments are held accountable for respecting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights during future pandemics. The treaty has the potential to become a vital tool for preventing the disastrous human rights violations that characterized the COVID-19 pandemic, but only if negotiators prioritize human rights in its final form.

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