Human Dignity - COVID-19

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As we face an unprecedented crisis across the globe, we hope that you, your families, and the communities supported by our partner organisations, are keeping safe and healthy.

The impact of COVID-19 on the lives and economic, social and cultural rights is terrible. These challenging times have highlighted the urgent need to make ESCR a reality for all worldwide and the importance of States putting in place inclusive and social protection benefits to ensure a minimal and decent income for those unable to work while sick or when in quarantine.

This terrible pandemic has also reaffirmed our commitment to promote and defend the rights to health, water, social protection, education, work, and all other economic, social and cultural rights, that that many still do not consider as human rights.

To respond to this crisis, Human Dignity:

Launched an investigation into the consequences of COVID-19 on the rights of the Ivorian populations. Our report is available here in French.

Watch our member Amourlaye Touré to know more about our findings.

Offers you insights from African human rights defenders in order to better understand the impact of the crisis on the economic and social rights of populations. Read our interviews with human and women rights defenders in Togo, Kenya, Uganda and the DRC .

Is strengthening the platform on ESCR in Africa, which we created in 2017, to federate African NGOs, with in particular the adoption of a Charter and Rules as well as the launch of an annual campaign on the right to social protection;

Is strengthening its training offer by reaching out to new audiences such as the youth and by focussing on the rights to health and social protection during our next regional face-to-face trainings;

Is strengthening its advocacy by joining new coalitions: the Water Coalition and the "water is a right" campaign (in French) as well as the global coalition for social protection floors;

Calls governments worldwide to create a Global Fund for Social Protection to ensure – through national and global solidarity – that national social protection floors are made available to all people; and to secure universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

We will also ensure that our organisation and our upcoming activities reflect the populations’ needs revealed by the health crisis. We will shift the focus of our activities to include investigations on the impact of the worldwide pandemic, which has highlighted existing shortcomings on the rights we have promoted and defended since the creation of Human Dignity.

In September 2020, we held a General Assembly to discuss our strategic plan for 2021 - 2025. We will make sure we address the dire impact of the current pandemic in our future actions and strategies. We will raise our voices so that donors put more focus on economic, social and cultural rights.

As we enter a ‘new normal: Now is the moment to demand a durable change in public policies to reduce inequalities and to fight against poverty. Now is the moment for vulnerable groups to be heard and protected at all times.

We hope to contribute to a post COVID-19 world where water and sanitation, food, health, work, social protection, education, housing and culture will at last be recognized as rights to be enjoyed – in full - by all human beings, at all times. A world in which everyone lives in dignity.

Take great care of you and your loved ones. Stay safe!