UOC not to go to Human Rights Council because of UN decision on COVID-19

Human Rights Council. Photo: ohchr.org

The Mission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not be able to take part in the side events of the 43d Session of the UN Human Rights Council because of their cancellation. Participants were called to refrain from travelling to Geneva because of the coronavirus, said the head of the Mission of the UOC to European International Organizations Bishop Viktor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka on his Telegram channel.

On 2 March 2020, the Bureau of the Human Rights Council held an urgent meeting to discuss the situation with the COVID-19 and its impact on the 43rd Session of the Council.

The Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva sent a letter to the head of the Human Rights Council in which he informed that the situation with the virus had led to the cancellation of all side events, and therefore he called on participants to refrain from travelling to Geneva.

The UN Bureau followed the recommendations of the Director-General of the UN Office and introduced precautions from 3 March until the end of the session.

The Mission of the UOC to European International Organizations planned to participate in the side events on the observance of religious rights and freedoms in Ukraine and other European countries.

As reported, the Archbishop of the RCC stated that the text of the latest UN report on "Freedom of Religion or Belief and Gender Equality" does not reflect the social and cultural realities of many peoples and is partly unacceptable and offensive.

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