Introduction.

Human rights are rights possessed by every person on earth, by virtue of being human. These rights are not conferred by a particular legislation or state. The necessity of respecting human rights cannot be overstressed. A society with no respect for human rights principles equals a chaotic and violent society. With the coming of the global pandemic in 2019, the world experienced a drastic change in several facets, including human rights. It is therefore important to see the place of human rights in the world during Covid and what can be done to ensure the protection of human rights after the pandemic.

Human Rights in the world during Covid

Vulnerable populations were greatly affected by the outbreak. Reports of domestic violence against women increased, disabled persons and prisoners were more prone to potential abuse, and there was generally less access to justice. Minority groups were less likely to receive health care, and the inequity of a digital divide placed less privileged people at a huge disadvantage. As the pandemic emerged globally, several governments, in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease to their populations, closed international borders. Migrants and refugees were forced to return to their places of origin, which were often unsafe, and if they were allowed to live within host states, they faced deteriorating conditions from the lockdown. Policies were implemented that limited legal immigration, thus directly violating the rights of migrants and refugees. All these greatly questioned the respect for and place of human rights in the world during the pandemic.

What can be done to ensure the protection of human rights after the pandemic?

The pandemic has inevitably brought to light the necessity of a theoretical framework that grapples directly, the protection and promotion of human rights, especially in situations where preserving public health coincides with protecting human dignity and equality. This framework will be beneficial for effectively promoting human rights. Another means to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights after the Covid era, is the establishment of effective accountability mechanisms for human rights violations. Also, strict enforcement of existing agreements, will help to progress human rights on a global scale amidst and after the pandemic. The need for international cooperation cannot be undermined either, as it strengthens the resilience of stakeholders to protect their citizens despite the effects of the health crisis. 

Conclusion.

After the loss of close to 5 million lives and upending all patterns of normal life, the world is reviving from probably one of the biggest pandemics of the second decade of the 21st century. This has reaffirmed the need for a holistic way forward, in the field of human rights, in order to ensure that rights are protected both during and after the pandemic. In this way, the world will be able to collectively progress.