ISLAMABAD, Feb 03 :  The Ministry of Human Rights in collaboration
with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan launched a
detailed report on “Covid-19 and Disaster Vulnerability in Pakistan: A
Human Rights Based Analysis” in Islamabad Wednesday.

The report presents a comprehensive framework to analyze and strengthen
Pakistan’s official response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the report, Pakistan’s national Covid-19 response has been analysed
according to the eight key thematic priority areas identified by the UN
Secretary General in April 2020 Guidance Note, “COVID-19 and Human
Rights: We are all in this together”. These priority areas are health;
livelihoods and unemployment; education; food; security; gender-based
violence; child rights protection; refugees and migrants; and prisons
and detention centres.

The report outlines government initiatives in each thematic area; gaps
and opportunities; and rights-based recommendations to facilitate and
ensure a human rights-based approach to Covid-19 and disaster
vulnerability in Pakistan.

Each chapter identifies population groups that face a high degree of
risk and vulnerability. It also offers a set of short and medium-term
recommendations for relevant Pakistani authorities at both national and
provincial levels to prioritize and protect human rights.

The report also attempts to examine the methodologies and practices of
developed nations in order to perform a comparative analysis and provide
a robust roadmap and strategy to address potential gaps and
shortcomings.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Federal Minister for Human Rights,
Dr Shireen Mazari said, “The Government of Pakistan is cognizant of the
multifaceted impacts of Covid-19 on the lives and livelihoods of
millions of people in the country and across the globe. Our report
approaches the crisis through a human rights lens to encourage and
facilitate a people-centred approach to the pandemic.

The proposed recommendations are integral not only in terms of ensuring
that human rights are protected during the current pandemic, but have
the far-reaching potential to serve as a roadmap for protecting human
rights in a plethora of future emergency situations that Pakistan could
face.”

Federal Secretary for Human Rights, Mr. Inamullah Khan said, “Our
research report highlights integral achievements, unintended impacts,
and short-comings of Pakistan’s national response to the Covid-19
pandemic. It adopts a medium to long term perspective for guidance and
recommendations that seek to ensure that the rights of the vulnerable,
based on their sex, socioeconomic status, geographic location, age and
disability, are protected.”

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Ms. Aliona Niculita said at the
occasion that, “UNDP is pleased to have supported the Ministry of Human
Rights in undertaking this groundbreaking research on COVID-19 and
disaster vulnerability in Pakistan from a human rights perspective.

“We hope that the recommendations outlined in this report will guide the
Government of Pakistan, UN Agencies, and other development partners in
their response to COVID-19, including the roll out of the vaccination
campaign, and future emergencies, with the aim of ensuring that no one
is left behind in emergency response and recovery.”

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