A/HRC/46/44 United Nations human rights experts were also alarmed by the grave risk of infection with COVID-19 faced by imprisoned human rights defenders in Egypt, highlighting the situation of Ramy Kamel, a defender of the Coptic Christian minority.48 In addition, several communications were issued by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, jointly with other mandate holders, for the protection of human rights defenders working on minority issues. III. United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities The work of the United Nations system to contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles contained in the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, of 1992, is facilitated by the United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, coordinated by OHCHR. In 2020, the network pursued its efforts to boost dialogue and cooperation among the relevant United Nations departments, agencies, funds and programmes. The network convened throughout 2020 in a context of increasing urgency, given the heightened attention to racial discrimination and protection of minorities as a result of global developments. Manifest inequalities arising in the COVID-19 response significantly exacerbated minority exclusion or led to outbreaks of racism, xenophobia or other forms of scapegoating in a number of contexts. The occurrence of police violence against minorities also prompted global debate on systemic patterns of racial discrimination and structural violence by law enforcement agents against people of African descent and other minorities. The network issued a statement entitled “Leave no one behind: racial discrimination and the protection of minorities in the COVID-19 crisis”. It provides, inter alia, a summary of guidance on aspects of COVID-19 response to secure minority inclusion, and to work towards a greater promotion of diversity during the pandemic. In particular, the statement promotes equality impact assessments as a tool for the proper design and implementation of policies to respond to the pandemic.49 Also during 2020, the network produced a checklist and guidance for use by United Nations country teams in the design and implementation of COVID-19 response plans, as well as in country-level programming. The checklist and guidance are designed to assist those who are involved in developing United Nations programming to identify relevant minority groups for inclusion and participation, as well as to share normative and practical information for such processes.50 IV. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has had a broad a range of disproportionate and adverse impacts upon minorities. Official disaggregated data, in countries where it is available, shows that members of minorities are both more likely to die of COVID-19 and are hit the hardest by its socioeconomic consequences, revealing substantial structural inequalities in societies. To better understand the impact of COVID-19 on minorities, it is essential to gather research and publish data disaggregated by sex, age, racial or ethnic origin and other status, including on testing, cases and deaths related to COVID-19, while protecting privacy and confidentiality. In 2020, OHCHR observed incidents of intolerance, racism, police brutality and religious hatred directed at members of ethnic and religious minorities. On multiple occasions, the High Commissioner has expressed her concern about the increase in acts 48 49 50 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26182&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Minorities/UN_Network_Racial_Discrimination _Minorities_COVID.pdf. See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/Pages/UNNetworkRacialDiscrimination ProtectionMinorities.aspx. 15