Youth should be a time for discoveries, growth and dreams of future adventures. But it’s hard to dream about and strive for a bright future without the safety of a place to call home.

Scientific discoveries and advances must be shared, according to the Declaration in favour of “open science”, science that is unhindered by barriers and frontiers, which was made jointly on 27 October by UNESCO, WHO and OHCHR. The COVID-19 epidemic demonstrates the urgent need to strengthen scientific cooperation and to guarantee the fundamental right of universal access to scientific progress and its applications. The open science movement aims to make science more accessible, more transparent and ultimately more effective.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will meet virtually from 17 August to 4 September 2020. The Committee is a body of 18 independent experts which monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The agenda includes updates on reports received from the parties to the Convention. The Committee will discuss how to strengthen cooperation between United Nations bodies and other stakeholders, including organizations of persons with disabilities, in order to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

OHCHR reports on human rights-centred recommendations, by a coalition of 50 cities worldwide, to guide leaders as they use digital technology in response to crises such as COVID 19.

The UN Human Rights Office researches, examines and provides visibility to the violence and discrimination experienced every day by gays, lesbian, bisexual, trans and other gender diverse persons around the wor

The United Nations calls on countries to adopt a more cooperative, global and human rights-based approach to the pandemic, which Secretary-General António Guterres has called “a human crisis”. UN human rights officials stress the importance of protecting the rights of people. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for urgent and detailed action to prevent COVID-19 from creating “even wider inequalities” amid extensive suffering. OHCHR will works to integrate human rights into the UN’s economic and social programs.