In Asia and the Pacific, COVID-19 has reinforced the weaknesses that made us vulnerable to the pandemic – rising inequalities, unfulfilled economic, social and cultural rights, environmental degradation and climate change, longstanding concerns in relation to discrimination, gender-based violence, social cohesion, lack of participation and a shrinking civic space. At the same time, the pandemic has strengthened the region’s resolve to build back a world that is better, more resilient, just, and sustainable.

This year we marked Human Rights Day with an online dialogue featuring panel of distinguished speakers and inspiring stories about what it means to Build Back Better in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

The regional celebrations of Human Rights Day 2020 are led by the UN Asia-Pacific Issue-based coalition on Human Rights, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (IBC) composed of OHCHR, UNFPA, UN Women (co-chairs), and ESCAP, FAO, ILO, IOM, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNDRR, UNEP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC and WFP.