n) Emphasizes the need for full respect for human rights, and stresses that there is no place
for any form of discrimination, racism and xenophobia in the response to the pandemic;
Addressing wider impacts of public health emergencies
o) Expresses concern at the multi-faceted impacts of COVID-19 on persons of concern to
UNHCR, as well as their host communities, including increased poverty and profound disruption to
education, increased food insecurity, limited livelihood opportunities, and increased sexual and genderbased violence (SGBV);
p) Calls upon Member States, in cooperation with UNHCR, and with support of other
stakeholders to ensure that the humanitarian needs of persons of concern to UNHCR and their host
communities, including clean water, food and nutrition, shelter, education, livelihoods, energy, health,
including sexual and reproductive health and other protection needs are addressed as components of
humanitarian response in public health emergencies, including through providing timely and adequate
resources, while ensuring that their collaborative efforts fully adhere to humanitarian principles;
q) Welcomes and calls on States, UNHCR and other stakeholders to promote gender equality
and the empowerment of women in all stages of the response to public health emergencies, and in this
regard, urges Member States, in cooperation with UNHCR, and with support of other stakeholders, to
ensure reliable and safe access for persons of concern to UNHCR to sexual and reproductive health
care services, as well as basic health care services and psychosocial support from the onset of
emergencies while recognizing that relevant services are important in order to effectively meet the
needs of women and adolescent girls and infants and protect them from preventable mortality and
morbidity that occur in humanitarian emergencies;
r) Encourages all actors to redouble efforts to support States to minimize and address the
impact of public health emergencies on persons of concern to UNHCR, and among them children,
including reduced access to education, increased poverty, child, early and forced marriage and human
trafficking, other violence, exploitation and abuse, including child labour, recruitment of children,
family separation, and work to provide them with a basis for a better future;
Durable solutions
s) Expresses concern that COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the pursuit of
durable solutions; underlines their importance, the securing of which is one of the principal goals of
international protection; and calls for further engagement, including by States, UNHCR, and other
partners in the context of public health emergencies to:
i.
Promote the enabling conditions in countries of origin, including efforts to address root
causes, for implementation of voluntary repatriation of refugees in safety and dignity and
sustainable reintegration of returnees, including appropriate public health measures;
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