Special Focus: Human Rights in times of a pandemic

The European Yearbook on Human Rights is shedding light on current human rights topics of concern and the most pressing issues that impair human rights protection, the rule of law and democracy in Europe and beyond. Large parts of 2020 have been marked by an unprecedented global health crisis with economic, social and humanitarian dimensions that resulted in a severe human rights impact. COVID-19 exposed the weaknesses of public health care systems and the access thereto, prevailing structural inequalities and the fragility of the rule of law in times of emergency. Hate speech, fake news, the targeting of vulnerable groups, nationalism and populism spread alongside the virus and pave the way for the adoption of repressive measures for purposes unrelated to the pandemic. Human Rights appeared as afterthoughts rather than as guiding principles in the political strategies responding to the global pandemic.

The 2021 edition is therefore dedicated to the impact the global pandemic had on human rights protection in Europe and related submissions are welcome. In particular, we encourage submissions on responses by the EU, the CoE and the OSCE to the pandemic from a human rights perspective.

Note: Articles concerning current and topical human rights developments in Europe not related to the Covid-Pandemic will be taken into consideration as well.

Authors will be invited to submit full contributions based on an abstract (max 500 words) that should be sent by 11 December 2020 along with a short bio to lisa.heschl@uni-graz.at.

For further information on the European Yearbook on Human Rights, see here.