The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
The President of the UN Human Rights Council, Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, today (2 Mar) announced that the Council will follow measures recommended by the Secretary-General concerning the Covid-19 outbreak and its implications for the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
Tichy-Fisslberger said, “I received an urgent letter from UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya concerning the Coronavirus situation and implication for the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. In her letter, the Director-General made reference to the measures recommended by the Secretary-General in New York with regard to the Commission on the Status of Women and suggested that the Bureau and the Human Rights Council adopt a similar approach. The Director-General specified that that would entail cancelling all side events and encouraging representatives to refrain from travelling to Geneva for the rest of the session. She also suggested that those Special Procedure mandate holders who are not already in Geneva could be encouraged to participate in the session via video conferencing. Due to this current situation, I called the Bureau for an urgent meeting which has just ended a few minutes ago. The Bureau discussed the letter by the Director- General and in the light of the urgency of the current situation, decided to follow her recommendations.”
The Swiss government on Saturday had announced the ban of all public events of more than 1,000 people.
Tichy-Fisslberger said, “these are circumstances that are beyond our control but they force us to react and take measures of precaution and you may recall that the Swiss Government, the Swiss authorities, have encouraged all organisers of events which go beyond 1,000 people to cancel them and the calculation was that quite a high number of side events would attract quite a high number of people to this part of the Palais and this is how the Bureau thought and argued when recommending that we would follow the recommendations as expressed by the Director-General.”
The Human Rights Council session is due to last until 20 March.
1. Wide short, exterior Palais des Nations
2 MARCH 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, Human Rights Council chambers
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, President of the UN Human Rights Council:
“I received an urgent letter from UNOG Director-General Tatiana Valovaya concerning the Coronavirus situation and implication for the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council. In her letter, the Director-General made reference to the measures recommended by the Secretary-General in New York with regard to the Commission on the Status of Women and suggested that the Bureau and the Human Rights Council adopt a similar approach. The Director-General specified that that would entail cancelling all side events and encouraging representatives to refrain from travelling to Geneva for the rest of the session. She also suggested that those Special Procedure mandate holders who are not already in Geneva could be encouraged to participate in the session via video conferencing. Due to this current situation, I called the Bureau for an urgent meeting which has just ended a few minutes ago. The Bureau discussed the letter by the Director- General and in the light of the urgency of the current situation, decided to follow her recommendations.”
4. Wide shot, podium
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, President of the UN Human Rights Council:
“I would like to thank everybody for their understanding and their flexibility. These are circumstances that are beyond our control but they force us to react and take measures of precaution and you may recall that the Swiss Government, the Swiss authorities, have encouraged all organisers of events which go beyond 1000 people to cancel them and the calculation was that quite a high number of side events would attract quite a high number of people to this part of the Palais and this is how the Bureau thought and argued when recommending that we would follow the recommendations as expressed by the Director-General.”
6. Wide shot, podium
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, President of the UN Human Rights Council:
“The Human Rights Council as such, I think it was very briefly discussed, will be maintained with informals as well as regional meetings, as necessary.”
8. Med shot, delegations
9. Wide shot, Human Rights Council chambers
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in the Geneva on Friday the UN Human Rights Office raised grave concerns about the recent constitutional amendments adopted in Pakistan.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights Spokesperson made the following comment on the most recent killings in the occupied West Bank yesterday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in the Geneva on Friday the UN Human Rights Office raised concerns about the military-controlled election in Myanmar, which starts next month and will be conducted in an atmosphere rife with threats and violence putting the lives of civilians at risk.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNAIDS
World AIDS Day 2025: Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
Gaza women are ‘last line of protection’ for their families amid attacks, hunger and harsh winter – UN Women
Women in Gaza are ensuring their families’ survival “with nothing but courage and exhausted hands” while violence continues and essentials remain in short supply, the UN’s gender equality agency warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Since the ceasefire began on 27 November 2024, Israeli military strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 127 civilians. Nearly a year later, these attacks continue to increase, causing civilian deaths and damage to civilian structures.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNCTAD
A new report by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) finds that the prolonged military operation and long-standing restrictions have driven the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory into its most severe contraction on record, wiping out decades of development gains and deepening fiscal and social fragility.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , WFP
Ongoing attacks and airstrikes attributed to Israeli forces in Gaza continue to kill and maim people of all ages in the shattered enclave despite an agreed ceasefire, UN agencies said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , OCHA
Gaza: After Security Council vote humanitarians urge aid scale-up as winter rains hit families hard
Following the UN Security Council’s Monday endorsement of a US peace plan for Gaza, UN humanitarians urged prioritizing aid access under the scheme as severe rains and flooding deepened Palestinian suffering.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNMAS , WHO
Just how many people are still trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher?
That’s the burning question for relatives of the many thousands of people believed to still be there, since paramilitary fighters overran the regional capital of North Darfur last month, after a 500-day siege.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following remarks on the ongoing violence in the occupied WestBank.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, the UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk made the following remarks on the situation in El-Fasher, Sudan.