International Human Rights Law (2020)

Abstract

In 2020, UN human rights law practice was of course heavily shaped by the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, a global health crisis,1 that could easily be qualified as a ‘disaster’ situation due to its overwhelming and seriously disruptive nature, the extent of injuries and casualties inflicted,2 but also the demonstrated importance of adequate hazardous risk assessment, mitigation, preparation and response. The application of human rights to the covid-19 pandemic is well covered by the Yearbook’s thematic section this year.3 Therefore, this section only gives a short summary of developments on covid-19 in UN human rights law practice, after which it turns to other disaster events during 2020, including several (pending) oil spills (from ships) or collapses of dams. The UN treaty bodies did not take further steps in several climate cases pending since 20194 and, in fact, their practice was generally limited because the review of periodic State reports was partially suspended over 2020, and hampered by lack of submission of new reports due to the pandemic.5