A/HRC/46/34 46. The importance of multilateralism and of the role of WHO in responding to public health emergencies of international concern, such as that related to COVID-19, in ways which respect the right to science cannot be overstated. 117 While legitimate fact-based evaluation of successes and failures of such approaches and institutions is necessary, 118 undermining multilateralism and cutting funding to WHO at such a time only harms effective responses to the pandemic. Moreover, “we need a World Health Organisation whose approach and assessment is led by science, facts and human rights”.119 The issue of real and perceived politicization, including on the basis of funding, must be addressed, such as by considering a proposal to establish a “Committee C” within the World Health Assembly “composed of diverse nonstate actors to increase transparency, coordination, and engagement”.120 47. One concern around the world is the extent to which bureaucratic, political and economic concerns have been allowed to interfere with, impede or delay the process of applying science and public-health expertise to policymaking. Public health experts have faced pushback on taking needed steps, which has delayed life-saving measures. 121 Moreover, the importance of government involvement in speedy vaccine development should reaffirm the significance of the role of the public sector in guaranteeing the right to science. 122 48. Another challenge has been the misuse of religious or cultural arguments, or tradition and superstition, to convince people to disregard scientific arguments.123 For example, reports suggested that in Indonesia the Government had been influenced by ministers who claimed the disease could be prayed away;124 while in Ukraine a religious leader claimed the pandemic was “God’s punishment for the … sinfulness of humanity”, blaming same-sex marriage.125 The Special Rapporteur reminds States that culture and tradition are not excuses for failure to guarantee the right to benefit from science. Cultural rights are not cultural relativism. 49. Denial of science related to COVID-19 has also been a matter of great concern in some countries, including at the highest levels in some contexts. Some world leaders have either downplayed the risk of the coronavirus, advocated treatments without a scientific basis or openly flouted public health restrictions, in some cases while their countries were recording among the world’s largest death tolls. For example, President Lukashenko of Belarus reportedly said that the virus could be cured with vodka, a hot sauna or strenuous exercise.126 The non-socially distanced rallies of the former President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, where participants were often unmasked, have been documented to have led to at least 30,000 infections and 700 deaths.127 President Trump was identified as 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 14 See www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/interactivetimeline?gclid=Cj0KCQjwreT8BRDTARIsAJLI0KIsHf35Yd52AY0TI6I7tqaKfReuMHomBmUSCd RfyRBLtSyPUYdKeqAaAmmhEALw_wcB. See, e.g., www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-international-law/article/who-in-theage-of-the-coronavirus/93BD64CBE2E5E6557E95E8CAC635BEAD/core-reader. Elizabeth O’Casey, “The corona crisis: human rights, global solidarity, and critical thinking have never been needed more”, blog, 30 April 2020, available at https://humanists.international/blog/thecorona-crisis-human-rights/. See also A/75/163, para. 67. José E. Alvarez, “The WHO in the age of the coronavirus”, American Journal of International Law, p. 582, referencing Ilona Kickbusch, Wolfgang Hein and Gaudenz Silberschmidt, “Addressing global health governance challenges through a new mechanism: the proposal for a Committee C of the World Health Assembly”, Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (2010). See, e.g., www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/opinion/covid-social-distancing.html. See www.itv.com/news/2020-12-02/peston-why-covid-vaccine-breakthrough-is-bad-news-for-themarket-economy. See, e.g., www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-denialism-still-holding-africa-back/a-54770075. See www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/17/its-our-nations-right-to-rely-on-the-almighty-ministerjustifies-calling-for-prayers-in-coronavirus-battle.html. See www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/ukrainian-church-leader-who-blamed-covid-19-gaymarriage-tests-n1239528. See www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-belarus-alexander-lukashenko-vodkasauna-countryside-tractors-a9434426.html. See https://sebotero.github.io/papers/COVIDrallies_10_30_2000.pdf.