Seminar: “Impact of COVID-19 on the rule of law and its challenges”

San José, Costa Rica, july 30, 2020 

In the Series of Inter-American Conferences organized by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Seminar Impact of COVID-19 on the Rule of Law and its challenges was held, moderated by Judge Ricardo Pérez Manrique with the participation of panelists from Africa, America and Europe.

With this Seminar, "the Court closes a series of seminars to hear voices from different sectors regarding the effectiveness and risks for the rule of law in a pandemic situation", said Judge Ricardo Pérez Manrique during the opening of the Conference.

"The risks of authoritarianism, misuse of power and the promotion of policies restricting freedoms and human rights, under the pretext of the pandemic, concern this Court, Judge Pérez Manrique mentioned. "I underline the concern for the post-pandemic world, we are facing an opportunity to improve the relationship between human beings within the framework of the Rule of Law and respect for Human Rights. The day after or the new normal, whose scope and content are currently being defined, will be a consequence of how we act daily during the emergency," Pérez Manrique stressed.

The Seminar included the participation of the following panelists who discussed different dimensions of the impact of the pandemic on the rule of law in Africa, Latin America, and Europe:

• • "Exercise of journalism in Latin America: Rule of Law and pandemic", Carmen Aristegui, CNN Journalist, Ibero-American Prize for Journalism.
  
  
• • "Impact of the pandemic on the Rule of Law in Africa: Challenges and consequences for the future", Judge Edward Amoako Asante, ECOWAS Community Court Judge.
  
  
• • "Freedom of Expression in times of pandemic challenges fake news, use of social networks and the necessary debate for a democratic society", Jennifer Robinson, human rights lawyer and Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers.
  
  
• • "Impact of the pandemic on the rule of law in Latin America: Challenges and consequences for the future", Roberto Saba, Professor of Human Rights and Constitutional Law at the Universities of Buenos Aires and Palermo.
  
  
• • "Impact of COVID-19 on the Rule of Law. A global perspective", Kate O'Regan, Director of the Bonavero Institute for Human Rights, University of Oxford.
  
  

This seminar concluded the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Series of Inter-American Conferences, which brought together more than 23,000 participants in six seminars.

The Seminar can be viewed here.

The six conferences of the Series can be seen in the Virtual Information Center "COVID-19 and Human Rights”:  http://www.corteidh.or.cr/tablas/centro-covid/index.html