Cepei participated in a discussion on SDGs, Human Rights and COVID-19
On September 30, the Right On Initiative and the Danish Institute for Human Rights hosted a webchat on SDGs and Human Rights to lead the way to COVID-19 response and recovery. Javier Surasky, the Governance area Coordinator of Cepei, participated as a speaker.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Context
Objective
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 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.
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, bringing together multi-stakeholder representatives from the development and human rights sector who can offer guidance to COVID-19.
CEPEI’S CONTRIBUTION
Our Governance area coordinator, Javier Surasky, mentioned that Human Rights provide a “guide for action” to find a concrete answer on how to distribute vaccines once they are available.
He highlighted that data is essential to design and implement post COVID-19 evidence-based policies, to promote real transformations in society. According to Surasky, “Human Rights can provide to SDGs oriented policies a strong national and international legally binding basis”.
For Surasky, Latin American Countries must include Human Rights experts in their post-COVID-19 policy design teams.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INTERVENTION
Data required to design and implement post-COVID-19 evidence-based policies can still be better interpreted and understood, and also better used to promote the desired changes in society.
The integration between Human Rights and SDGs is an invitation to “open the field” to a more comprehensive and integrative approach: The Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and the Sendai Framework also include references to Human Rights.
We are at a point where it is time to “Build Forward Better” learning from past mistakes but focusing on the possibilities of the future.
“Both Human Rights and the SDGs require holistic approaches to be met”.
Javier Surasky, Cepei
ORGANIZERS
