This report articulates Pakistan’s response to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ Guidance Paper “COVID-19 and Human Rights - We are all in this together,” – published in April 2020. It summarizes the risks and vulnerabilities due to COVID-19 in Pakistan from a human rights perspective and offers actionable recommendations for both federal, as well provincial and local governments, linked with the relevant articles of the Constitution of Islamic Republic Pakistan, and the corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The purpose of this analysis is to determine, through an intersectional perspective, the areas in which, due to the pandemic itself or due to preventive measures taken in response to the pandemic, certain human rights of the citizens of Pakistan may have been neglected or compromised. Additionally, to the extent possible, the report also draws lessons from the recent floods of 2020 and offers a holistic set of policy measures to “build forward better” the country’s disaster response capacity, with a more critical and evidence-based outlook towards human rights protection agenda. The experiences of success and failures are key elements to determine Pakistan’s long-term disaster risk reduction and rehabilitation and its journey towards achieving the SDGs.