A/HRC/44/28 19. Economic inequality drives social crises. As the Secretary-General stated in his report on global solidarity and shared responsibility, the pandemic is creating a human crisis; there is a need to focus on people, especially the vulnerable and marginalized. Those living in poverty, women, young people, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, minorities, indigenous peoples, low-wage workers, the displaced, the homeless, migrants and refugees are among the most vulnerable. As all humanity faces a struggle for human rights, especially the rights to life and to health, the health of all the world’s people is only as strong as the weakest health system. This underscores the need for international cooperation to safeguard all human rights for all. The climate emergency continues to pose a profound challenge to human survival, threatening millions, the yet unborn and the very survival of small island developing States, calling for urgent global responses underscored by international solidarity. Under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, States should act collectively “on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”. Equity in climate action, including through international cooperation, requires that mitigation and adaptation efforts benefit people in small island developing States and other developing countries, indigenous peoples and others in vulnerable situations. Technical cooperation must be underpinned by the universality and indivisibility of human rights, non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity. It should engage the broadest possible participation of people, including at the local level and advance concerted action to address international solidarity in the context of COVID-19. The pandemic exacerbates existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, including structural ones. Strengthened global cooperation for debt relief will help mobilize the resources for indebted countries to fight the pandemic, especially least developed countries, as underlined by the Secretary-General in his report on global solidarity and shared responsibility and in “Debt and COVID-19: a global response in solidarity”. 13 International cooperation on sharing scientific and technological advancements with developing countries will help save lives. The United Nations report entitled “COVID-19 and human rights: we are all in this together” underscores the need to strengthen international cooperation and take steps towards the provision of universal health care, collaborate in developing a vaccine and treatment for the pandemic, expedite trade and transfer of essential medical supplies and equipment, including personal protective equipment for health-care and other front-line workers, and address intellectual property issues, to ensure that COVID-19 treatments are available and affordable to all.14 Human rights begin “in small places close to home”.15 Listening to and engaging with people from all walks of life worldwide, including young people, reaching out and enabling concerted citizen action can advance progress. In-country work gives meaning to the idea of international cooperation for human rights with positive impacts on lives, labour and livelihoods. In the context of recovery from COVID-19 and the need to build back better, OHCHR stands ready to provide human rights-based advice, such as on progressive taxation, including of wealth, human rights impact assessments of economic policies, including trade and austerity measures, illicit financial flows and human rights-based budget analysis, which will serve to address economic inequalities. The report entitled “A UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19” calls for urgent responses that aim to protect people and the planet; preserve gains across all the Sustainable Development Goals; ensure equality; promote transparency, accountability and collaboration; increase solidarity, including between generations; and place the voice, rights and agency of people at the centre.16 13 14 15 16 See www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/un_policy_brief_on_human_rights_and_covid_ 23_april_2020.pdf. See www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/un_policy_brief_on_human_rights_and_covid_ 23_april_2020.pdf. See www.amnesty.org.uk/universal-declaration-human-rights-UDHR. See www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/un_framework_report_on_covid-19.pdf. 15