Pandemic-Induced Global Economic Recession Pushes Nations To Revise Values - Medvedev

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2020) The global economic slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic is forcing various countries to rethink their values and prioritize human life and health, Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said in his article "75th Anniversary of the United Nations: Old Problems, New Challenges and Global Solutions."

"The current world economic recession caused by the global pandemic pushes states towards revisiting their values and prioritizing the protection of people's lives and health as well as human rights to guarantee decent and safe existence," the article published on the RT broadcaster's website read.

The former Russian president noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had revealed that political freedoms alone could not save human lives.

"There is a need for efficient and affordable medical and social care systems, nation-wide sanitary safety programs, utmost coordination of efforts at all levels of public authority. Strong states that proved capable of mobilizing their economies and political institutions to fight back the pandemic, succeeded in overcoming its consequences and preserved millions of lives," according to Medvedev.

The politician added that a human rights-based approach was justified given that the first post-war decades were lived under the motto "Never Again."

"Civilized nations, on whose behalf the UN was created alongside other international organizations that came into existence in the late 1940's through 1950's, were called to prevent the horrors of World War II, genocide, war crimes, abuse of fundamental human rights and freedoms, humiliation of human dignity from happening ever again. They saw the best solution in restricting, as much as possible, the government's involvement in social development, absolutizing private and individual freedoms," Medvedev wrote.

At the same time, according to the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, it is governments that have been given the responsibility to ensure and protect human rights as well as provide "good" governance.