Your Excellency Mr Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation,
Your Excellency Mr Konstantin Chuychenko, Honourable Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation,
Ms Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of the Republic of Singapore,
Mr Zhenghua Fu, Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China,
Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
Thank you for the opportunity of joining you today, and I’d like to express my gratitude to the Russian Federation for convening this very important event, under very difficult circumstances.
I also express my sympathy to all those in the Russian Federation who have lost someone they love to COVID-19, and my best wishes for all those who are now fighting for their lives.
We have just marked 100 days since we were first notified of the viral disease which has come to be known as COVID-19, and which has now spread across the world.
Not only are we facing severe health consequences, but also major socio-economic disruptions.
The pandemic has placed new pressures and responsibilities on states, on communities and on individuals.
The rule of law is what guarantees the functioning and stability of our countries, which together make up the international community.
We need the rule of law not only in times of peace, but most especially in times of great uncertainties.
At the global level, the International Health Regulations provide a vital legal framework for bringing all WHO Member States together to confront global health emergencies.
We must work hand-in-hand with a common purpose and shared responsibilities.
The key purpose of the International Health Regulations is to prevent and respond to the international spread of diseases, while minimizing interference with international traffic, which in this case means supplies of medical goods, food and other essential items and personnel.
A key principle of the IHR is that they must be implemented with full respect for dignity, human rights and the fundamental freedom of persons. This is essential.
Rule of law has a critical role to play in fighting this pandemic. As countries work to contain and mitigate the virus, many social challenges are arising, which require legal, regulatory and ethical responses.
Some countries have had to dust off their old quarantine acts, others have invoked for the first time provisions from new laws that had not yet been tested in real-life scenarios.
Governments have issued orders to requisition hospitals and medical supplies, to isolate thousands of cases, quarantine tens of thousands of contacts, and confine millions of people.
The IHR provides an international legal framework. In order to be effective and efficient, domestic laws and regulations must also frame the response. They should be clearly articulated, swiftly adopted and implemented, proportionate to the circumstances and limited in their duration.
Amid the rush of emergency measures, it is critical that we protect our most vulnerable populations.
Populations in humanitarian settings are particularly at risk. They have few resources, and little access to health care and basic infrastructure. Physical distancing and hand washing may not be possible, which puts whole communities at risk.
Countries who have the heavy responsibility of accommodating these vulnerable populations must be given the necessary tools and resources to protect them and provide them with the support they need.
Many countries have put in place very restrictive measures of physical distancing. These include closing borders, declaration of a national state of emergency, lockdowns of cities or entire countries, and closing schools and businesses.
In this time of crisis, these unprecedented measures are motivated by the desire to protect their populations by reducing the spread of the virus and thus “flatten the curve”.
However, in implementing these measures, there is a need to respect human rights and dignity, as provided by the International Health Regulations, by regional human rights instruments including the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Governments should be transparent with their populations, inform them regularly on how measures are being implemented, and on the intended duration of these measures.
It is critical that governments reassure the population that once the crisis is over, such measures will be discontinued and life can go back to normal.
In particular, countries have to make sure that during this time, they protect and support vulnerable groups such as the elderly, refugees, and other vulnerable groups. We’re especially concerned by reports from many countries of an increasing trend in domestic violence linked to the stay-at-home measures. This must be an area of focus for all countries.
The restrictive measures governments are implementing are already having a massive impact on livelihoods. We must plan for and take appropriate measures to alleviate the economic impact of the pandemic. Lives and livelihoods should be taken together.
WHO is working with experts and other international organizations to review the application of public health laws during this pandemic and provide guidance.
COVID-19 is disrupting our societies, but it cannot, and must not, shake our foundations. History will judge us not only on whether we get through this pandemic, but the manner in which we did so.
One day – hopefully before too long – this crisis will be behind us. But billions of people will continue to face their own personal health crises every day – the crisis of not having access to the essential health services they need; and the crisis of not being able to pay for those services.
For WHO, there is no higher priority than universal health coverage, so that all people have access to essential health services, without financial hardship.
Universal health coverage has obvious benefits for the health and productivity of individuals, families and communities. But it’s also the best defense against outbreaks like COVID-19.
Countries with strong health systems are the best placed to protect their people and their economies from the effects of health emergencies.
Here too, the rule of law has a central role to play.
Around the world, more and more countries – including the Russian Federation – have enshrined the right to health in their constitutions. And more countries are enacting laws to make that right a reality.
Last year, legislators from many countries at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Congress in Belgrade pledged to leverage the power of parliaments to make progress towards universal health coverage. The role of parliamentarians is very important, as you know.
Thank you all for your commitment and support for harnessing the law to mitigate the current crisis and to work towards a healthier, safer, fairer world.
WHO’s commitment is to serving all people in all countries to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
Thank you. Spasiba.