UN warns against new threats to human rights, says COVID-19 led to surge in inequalities

The COVID pandemic has "fed frightening rise in inequalities" and laid bare many failures to consolidate the advances made towards adherence to human rights declaration, United Nations Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a message marking Human Rights Day on December 10. Outlining the Agenda for Peace after 73 years of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Bachelet along with UN chief Antonio Guterres took the opportunity to recall the multidimensional vision of global security, the UN said in a statement. Calling for renewed solidarity across the world, the human rights agency chief also highlighted that despite the setback, there has been a "gradual yet uneven" progress.

The UN Human Rights chief noted that the existing inequalities were exacerbated by the two-year-long pandemic and subsequent crises that led to disproportionate transmission and death. She also stressed that the inequalities, both within and between countries, have further widened with most developed economies forecast to grow in 2022 and the lowest-income countries reported to endure continued recession, pushing their people even further behind.

"In turn, the pandemic has fed a frightening rise in inequalities, leading to disproportionate transmission and death rates in the most marginalized communities, as well as contributing to soaring poverty levels, increased hunger, and plummeting living standards. These in turn risk fuelling grievances, social unrest and even full-blown conflict," UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said.

The divergence, she said, has been aggravated by "shockingly unequal vaccine coverage". Explaining her stance, Bachelet mentioned that as of December 1, barely 8% of adults had received one dose of vaccine in low-income families, compared to 65% in high-income countries – and by shortfalls in social protections, which in the developed world kept many people afloat during the worst months of the crisis. "In Europe, for example, according to the IMF, at least 54 million jobs were supported between March and October 2020, keeping people and companies from going under. Such assistance was less available in other regions," she added.

'Gradual, uneven progress' under threat

However, Bachelet also acknowledged the "gradual and uneven progress" that has led the world to grow and gain a greater measure of autonomy since the UDHR was first signed. "More children went to school, and more women were able to gain a greater measure of autonomy. More people in more countries had more opportunities to break the shackles of poverty, class, caste and gender," she said. Nevertheless, the progress seemed to be short-lived with crises further excaberating under "catastrophic" climate change and war-led displacements.

World 'is a crossroad': UN Chief

Speaking on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, UN Chief Antonio Guterres warned that the "world is at a crossroad" as new threats have emerged to basic human rights with COVID pandemic, climate crisis and digital technology overreach. "Public space is shrinking. Poverty and hunger are rising for the first time in decades. Millions of children are missing out on their right to education. Inequality is deepening - but we can choose a different path”, he emphasised.

The concerns from the global agency chiefs come on the occasion of Human Rights Day celebrated annually on December 10. This year the theme related to "Equality" and "All human beings are born free in equal in dignity and rights." The day is observed to address human rights issues worldwide, raise awareness and find solutions to deep-rooted forms of discrimination affecting migrants, LGBTQ communities, women, children, and many more.

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