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COVID-19

COVID-19 has spread across the globe impacting millions of people. The outbreak has been accompanied by waves of misinformation, fears of increased government surveillance and factory shutdowns. You can find the latest news on the implications of the outbreak for business and human rights here.

Since late 2019, an outbreak of the viral disease COVID-19 (commonly referred to as Coronavirus) - first identified in Wuhan, China - has spread across the globe, impacting hundreds of thousands of people. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak had reached the level of a global pandemic.

Besides the health implications of the disease, which has a mortality rate in excess of 3% according to the World Health Organization, the outbreak has also been accompanied by waves of misinformation, fears regarding increased government surveillance, factory shutdowns as disruption ripples back up supply chains and fears for the protection of gig economy workers. The International Labour Organization initially estimated that up to 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide due to the pandemic, pushing millions of people into unemployment, underemployment and working poverty. It has since revised its estimate to 195 million job losses globally.

This In Depth Area will be updated with the latest news on the implications of the outbreak for business and human rights. Based on emerging themes of the crisis, we will also update the below sub-sections of this In Depth Area as the situation continues to unfold.

This In Depth Area is also available in ArabicFrench, German, PortugueseSpanishSimplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Russian.

COVID-19 Apparel Action Tracker

Tracking the impacts of COVID-19 in global fashion supply chains, emerging demands from the labour movement, and recommendations on how to build back better

Featured contents

Recovering Rights

Business and human rights in a just recovery, by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and the Center for Economic and Social Rights

Shaping a new social contract through the pandemic

The actions of governments, business, investors and civil society in response to COVID-19 will shape our futures, write Mary Robinson and Phil Bloomer.

Guidance for Companies

COVID-19 human rights guidance & tools for companies, developed by international organisations, NGOs, think tanks, companies and others.

Latin America and COVID-19

Opportunities to recover through a human rights-based approach that includes marginalised groups

Protecting workers and business

Governments, brands and employers must act to protect supply chain and precarious workers, write Phil Bloomer and Sharan Burrow

COVID-19: News from the world's trade unions

Information from ITUC affiliates, Global Union Federations and LabourStart about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.