A/HRC/45/51 procedures,44 treaty bodies45 and others.46 This situation is ongoing so the following analysis is preliminary. 48. As at 29 June 2020, the World Health Organization had recorded 141 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cambodia but no deaths.47 The Pasteur Institute in Cambodia reported that in the period from 22 January to 3 June 2020, it had tested over 13,870 people and 16,506 samples for the coronavirus. Testing was primarily in Phnom Penh. It is unclear to the Special Rapporteur whether marginalized and vulnerable populations living outside Phnom Penh had equal access to testing and to the information related to the public health measures introduced by the Government. 49. On 13 February 2020, the Government permitted a cruise ship – MV Westerdam of Holland America Line – to dock in Sihanoukville in the south of the country after it had been denied entry to several Asian countries due to concerns over COVID-19. It had not been scheduled to visit Cambodia. The country’s decision was welcomed by the Director General of the World Health Organization as an example of international solidarity.48 50. The Special Rapporteur was encouraged by the measures put in place by the Cambodian authorities concerning case detection, contact tracing and quarantine measures for those who were in contact with persons who tested positive, although she has concerns on data processing and security. The authorities acted swiftly to protect the health of people in Cambodia and sought to follow international quarantine protocols. The Ministry of Health gave briefings and updates regularly. The Special Rapporteur reminds the Cambodian authorities to continue to give full consideration to disease prevention and medical treatment, which is enshrined as a constitutional right, and to fully comply with the international human rights obligations, including the right to the highest attainable standard of health, as protected under article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, without discrimination on any ground. 51. Several of the country’s development partners have provided support and expertise in this regard. Such support should help the Government to better prepare for a possible public health crisis and to put relevant disaster planning protocols in place. Protection of human rights for everyone must be central to, and underpin, government responses to any crisis. Although the protection of health is certainly a priority at present, all rights need to be considered holistically and steps taken to ensure that no one is left behind. A. Restrictions to human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic 52. In mid-March 2020, Cambodia introduced travel restrictions limiting entry to the country in an effort to prevent further transmission of COVID-19. At the end of March, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation extended that restriction to all foreigners. Simultaneously, nationals returning to Cambodia, including migrant workers, were advised on informal self-quarantine processes. 53. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport announced the closure of schools and all other public and private education institutions from 16 March 2020. Contemporaneous work has proceeded to initiate e-learning and to produce distance-learning education materials. As in many other countries, however, parents, guardians and students were not prepared for an overnight move to homeschooling and remote higher education study. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, approximately 63 per cent (2.07 million) of primary and secondary school students cannot access the new e-learning and distance-learning programmes, as they cannot afford to buy devices or to pay for Internet access. The Special Rapporteur is also concerned that owing to traditional gender norms, girls may benefit less from online learning, especially where they have limited access to 44 45 46 47 48 www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/COVID-19-and-Special-Procedures.aspx. www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/COVID-19-and-TreatyBodies.aspx. www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/COVID-19.aspx. https://covid19.who.int. www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-onebola-and-covid-19-outbreaks. 11