A/HRC/RES/44/2
international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the
same footing and with the same emphasis, and that, while the significance of national and
regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be
borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural
systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Reaffirming the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard
of physical and mental health, which requires States to take the necessary steps to prevent,
treat and control epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases, and to create the
conditions that would assure medical service and medical attention to all in the event of
sickness,
Recalling that States emphasized in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
and the 2005 World Summit Outcome that they bear the responsibility, in conformity with
the Charter, to develop and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
for all without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, disability, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Reaffirming that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is guided by the
purposes and principles of the Charter, including full respect for international law, and is
grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties,
the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome, and is
informed by other instruments, such as the Declaration on the Right to Development,
Deeply concerned at the morbidity and mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,
the negative impact on the enjoyment of all human rights, including physical and mental
health and social well-being, the negative impact on the economy and society and the
consequent exacerbation of inequalities within and between countries,
Recognizing that the poor and the most vulnerable people are the most affected, and
that the impact of the pandemic will have repercussions on development gains, hampering
progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,
Recalling the Declaration on the Right to Development, which recognizes that States
have the right and the duty to formulate appropriate national development policies that are
aimed at the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population and of all
individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development and
in the fair distribution of the benefits resulting therefrom,
Reaffirming the fundamental role of the United Nations system in coordinating the
global response to control and contain the spread of COVID-19 and in supporting Member
States, and in this regard acknowledging the crucial leading role played by the World Health
Organization,
Emphasizing the importance of human rights in shaping the response to the pandemic,
both for the public health emergency and the broader impact on people’s lives and
livelihoods,
Expressing deep concern at the stigmatization, xenophobia, racism and
discrimination, including racial discrimination, surfacing in the COVID-19 pandemic in
many parts of the world, and stressing the need to combat it,
Recognizing the importance of international cooperation and effective multilateralism
in helping to ensure that all States, in particular developing States, have in place effective
national protective measures, and access to and flow of vital medical supplies, medicines and
vaccines, in order to minimize negative effects in all affected States and to avoid relapses of
the pandemic,
Welcoming the activities carried out by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights on the promotion of economic, social and cultural rights,
mainly through technical cooperation, the work of its field offices, its relevant reports to
United Nations bodies, the development of in-house expertise, including on human rights
indicators, and its publications, studies, training and information activities on related issues,
including through new information and communications technology,
Recognizing that the 2030 Agenda has been accepted by all States and is applicable to
all, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and
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