ONLINE EVENT: Covid-19 and Human Rights in Latin America – A Conversation with Michelle Bachelet 

COVID-19 AND LATIN AMERICA EVENT SERIES

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has called the Covid-19 crisis a “colossal test of leadership.” Since the pandemic emerged, Bachelet has advocated forcefully for a human rights-based response, calling for universal access to health care, global solidarity, and efforts to mitigate the impact on women and vulnerable groups such as migrants, prisoners, and the poor. Bachelet has warned of the threat to civil liberties posed by governments that use the Covid-19 emergency as cover to concentrate power or introduce repressive policies. She has cautioned that gender gaps and inequalities worsen when the effects of such crises on women and vulnerable populations are not considered. As a two-time former president of Chile, former head of UN Women, former health minister and practicing physician, High Commissioner Bachelet is uniquely attuned to how Covid-19 is impacting human rights in Latin America.

• How should governments ensure the protection of human rights while implementing effective public health policies? And how well are Latin American governments striking the balance?
• To what extent are LAC governments considering the multiple factors that increase women and girls’ vulnerability in the COVID-19 context? Are LAC governments enacting targeted measures to protect vulnerable women and girls?
• What are the longer-term implications of the pandemic for democracy and human rights in Latin America?

On April 29, the Dialogue will host an in-depth conversation on these and other topics with UN Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, will moderate the conversation.

Follow this event on Twitter at #Covid19AndLatAm and @The_Dialogue. 

We invite participants to submit questions using the event hashtag on Twitter OR to email questions to meetings@thedialogue.org. Please RSVP to receive dial-in information. 

LISTEN TO THE EVENT LIVE HERE:

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Michelle Bachelet

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (@mbachelet)

Moderator:

Michael Shifter

President, Inter-American Dialogue (@Michael Shifter)