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Human Rights and COVID-19 – statements and resources from Canada and around the world

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As a component of the OHRC’s ongoing monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic, the OHRC will periodically update this chart with statements and resources from human rights commissions across Canada, as well as Indigenous and international governments and organizations. The OHRC does not necessarily support or endorse any position taken by cited organizations; however, the statements and resources in the chart are broadly consistent with a human rights-based approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic and the principles set out in the OHRC Policy statement on a human rights-based approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic and Actions consistent with a human rights-based approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Organization

Date

Link

Federal / provincial / territorial statutory human rights institutions

Alberta Human Rights Commission

03/16/20

https://albertahumanrights.ab.ca/employment/Pages/covid19.aspx

BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner

March

https://bchumanrights.ca/message-from-commissioner-govender-on-covid-19/

Canadian Human Rights Commission

Multiple dates

https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng/content/statement-covid-19

https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng/content/statement-inequality-amplified-covid-19-crisis

Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse

03/17/20

http://www.cdpdj.qc.ca/fr/medias/Pages/Communique.aspx?showItem=903

Manitoba Human Rights Commission

03/17/20

http://www.manitobahumanrights.ca/v1/education-resources/resources/pubs/guidelines/covid19guideline.pdf

Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission

No date

https://thinkhumanrights.ca/human-rights-and-covid-19-best-practices/

Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission

03/20/20

https://humanrights.novascotia.ca/nova-scotia-human-rights-commission-nshrc-policy-statement-covid-19-pandemic

Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission

No statement

http://nwthumanrights.ca/

Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal

No statement

http://www.nhrt.ca/english/home

Ontario Human Rights Legal Support Centre April

https://www.hrlsc.on.ca/en/faqs/human-rights-and-covid-19#

Prince Edward Island Human Rights Commission

No statement

http://www.gov.pe.ca/humanrights/

Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission

03/13/20

https://saskatchewanhumanrights.ca/news/message-about-commission-service-covid-19

Yukon Human Rights Commission

03/20/20

https://yukonhumanrights.ca/news.shtml

Indigenous governments / organizations

Assembly of First Nations

March

https://www.afn.ca/coronavirus/

Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI) 

03/20/20

http://www.aiai.on.ca/newsroom/covid-19-update-indigenous-community-support-fund-and-additional-supports/

Indigenous Services Canada

03/26/20

https://www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada/news/2020/03/addressing-urgent-needs-in-indigenous-communities-related-to-covid-19.html

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

April

https://www.itk.ca/a-message-from-president-natan-obed-on-covid19/

Métis Nation of Ontario

Multiple dates

http://www.metisnation.org/news-media/news/mno-supports-citizens-through-covid-19-crisis/

https://metisnation.ca/covid19/#1

Nishnawbe Aski Nation

March

nancovid19.ca

Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)

03/20/20

https://www.onwa.ca/covid-19-resources

Six Nations of the Grand River

03/20/20

http://www.sixnations.ca/SixNationsCovid19Updates.htm

Canadian NGOs and civil society

ARCH Disability Law Centre

03/24/20

https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/covid-19-and-disability-recommendations-to-the-canadian-government-from-disability-related-organizations-in-canada-march-24-2020

Canadian Civil Liberties Association

Multiple dates

https://ccla.org/coronavirus/

Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR)  No date http://claihr.ca/advocacy/covid-human-rights/

Maytree Foundation

Multiple dates

https://maytree.com/publications/covid-19-is-wake-up-call-for-governments-on-household-financial-security/

 

Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants

Multiple dates

https://ocasi.org/covid-19-updates-ocasi

 

International organizations

African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights

03/24/20

https://www.achpr.org/pressrelease/detail?id=483

Amnesty International

Multiple dates

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/coronavirus-how-human-rights-help-protect-us/

https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AMR0120122020ENGLISH.PDF

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/covid19-digital-surveillance-ngo/

https://amnesty.ca/news/canada-301-organizations-academics-and-others-urge-governments-adopt-human-rights-oversight

Asian Human Rights Commission

03/19/20

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-JST-001-2020/

Council of Europe

Multiple dates

https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/covid-19-crisis-secretary-general-concerned-about-increased-risk-of-domestic-violence

https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/commissioner-calls-for-release-of-immigration-detainees-during-covid-19-crisis

https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/covid-19-pandemic-urgent-steps-are-needed-to-protect-the-rights-of-prisoners-in-europe

Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)

03/19/20

https://rm.coe.int/16809cfa4b

Council of Europe – Commissioner for Human Rights

04/02/20

https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/persons-with-disabilities-must-not-be-left-behind-in-the-response-to-the-covid-19-pandemic

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

03/18/20

https://fra.europa.eu/en/news/2020/investigating-impact-covid-19-rights

Fionnuala Ni Aolain,  - UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism

03/17/20

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/covid-19-crackdowns-grow-europe-rights-groups-urge-caution-200317194438813.html

Human Rights Watch

Multiple dates

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/22/access-water-vital-covid-19-response-0

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/02/us-covid-19-policies-risk-asylum-seekers-lives

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/02/governments-should-respect-rights-covid-19-surveillance

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/14/covid-19-human-rights-checklist

International Justice Resource Centre 06/01/20 https://ijrcenter.org/covid-19-guidance-from-supranational-human-rights-bodies/

International Labour Organization

03/19/20

https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/coronavirus/impacts-and-responses/WCMS_739048/lang--en/index.htm

Liberty UK

03/19/20

https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/news/press-releases-and-statements/liberty-calls-continuous-scrutiny-coronavirus-bill

National Human Rights Commission - India 04/15/20

https://nhrc.nic.in/media/press-release/nhrc-asks-centre-issue-suitable-advisory-states-and-uts-implement-lock-down

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)

03/20/20

https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/societies-that-stand-together-are-more-resilient-in-times-of-crisis

United Nations - Department of Economic and Social AffairsDisability

03/21/20

https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/news/dspd/covid-19.html

United Nations - Habitat

03/18/20

https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2020/03/covid19_key_messages_eng_1.pdf

United Nations – Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner

Multiple dates

https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2020/3/5e69eea54/coronavirus-outbreak-test-systems-values-humanity.html

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25668

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/COVID19Guidance.aspx

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25745

UNICEF

Multiple dates

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/7-ways-employers-can-support-working-parents-during-coronavirus-disease-covid-19

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/covid-19-more-95-cent-children-are-out-school-latin-america-and-caribbean

https://www.unicef.org/media/65991/file/

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059732

United Nations Network on Migration

03/20/20

https://migrationnetwork.un.org/statements/covid-19-does-not-discriminate-nor-should-our-response

United Nations - UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia

03/26/20

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/3/news-women-and-covid-19-governments-actions-by-ded-bhatia

World Health Organization

03/19/20

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019