On May 23, the International Video Seminar on “No One is an Island: The Rights Protection of Vulnerable Groups in the Pandemic” was held, under the guidance of China Rights Research Institute, jointly organized by the Institute of Human Rights of Wuhan University and Department of Social Anthropology of Oslo Metropolitan University, the Institute of Ars Vivendi, Ritsumeikan University, and the East Lake Public Welfare Service Center in Wuhan, etc. More than 20 experts and representatives from China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and other countries and regions participated in the seminar. Prof, Zhang Wanhong of our school presided over the meeting.
At the seminar, experts and scholars shared their views and exchanged views on topics such as “No One Left Behind: Ensuring Access to Public Services for Vulnerable Groups in the Epidemic”, “Fair ness and Justice for Everyone: Preventing and Remedying Discrimination against Vulnerable Groups”, “Business and Human Rights in The Epidemic, Responsible Business Conduct” and other topics.
Remme Jon Henrik Ziegler, Associate professor of Department of Social Anthropology, Oslo Metropolitan University, pointed out that the impact of the outbreak on members of all sectors of society is not equal, but is influenced by vulnerabilities such as social class, gender, disability, and more care and social intervention should be provided for Vulnerable groups. Gerard Quinn, professor at the University of Leeds School of Law, held the COVID-19 has increased the emphasis on the intersection of disability and the elderly. Osamu Nagase, Professor of Ritsumeikan University, explained the dangers of ageing discrimination and highlighted the need to overcome capacity-and-age discrimination through international solidarity. Fu Huaxuan, a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong, said that attention should be paid to the role of social participation in protecting the fundamental rights of specific groups. Liu Wenhua, executive director of the Center for Human Rights Studies at the China Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that in order to win the fight against the epidemic, we need to balance decision-making between law, medicine and science.
Hu Zhongming, a researcher of the China Disabled People’s Federation, shared the work the Chinese government has done since the outbreak to ensure the safety and health of people with disabilities. Professor Zhang Wanhong, Executive Dean of the Institute of Human Rights, Wuhan University, points out that the Institute he served for had done a lot of volunteering activities.
Huang Zhong, a researcher at the Corporate Social Responsibility Resource Center, suggested that the world’s leading companies should exercise due diligence on human rights and respect workers’ rights. Zhou Haihai, Secretary-General of the International Labour Organization’s Global Business and Disability Network China Center, shared his impressions in the cooperation with local associations, enterprises and social organizations. Peng Wei, an associate researcher at Wuhan University’s Institute of International Law, held that the treatment of non-national citizens is a matter of general concern and an important part of the establishment of a community of human destiny.
The seminar was the third of a series of international video seminars on “Global Outbreak Prevention and Control and Human Rights Protection” under the guidance of China Rights Research Institute. Xinhua News Agency, China News Agency, CCTV, People’s Daily, Guangming Daily, Global Times, Hubei TV, Hubei Radio and other news media interviewed the meeting and made multi-lingual broadcasts.
Edited by Yuan Yuhang & Wu Liuqing
