Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations Associated with the United Nations (CUNANGOS) has called on governments to be more transparent, responsive, and accountable as they tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

CUNANGOS said it had observed that some emergency measures taken by governments across the globe to deal with the pandemic could undermine the tenets of democracy.

CUNANGOS Head of Public Affairs, Theophiline Bannerman, emphasised the need for governments to ensure that Covid-19 response programmes were legal, proportionate, non-discriminatory, and protected human rights and the rule of law.

Bannerman, according to a statement, noted that although misinformation was flooding the media, especially social media, that should not lead to censorship.

She called on governments to respect and protect human rights, freedom of expression and of the press, freedom of information, and freedom of association.

Additionally, the coalition noted that some countries in Africa and across the world would be holding elections amid the pandemic, and called on the electoral bodies to put in place measures to ensure full participation of all eligible voters.

Source: Modern Ghana

Photo source: CUNANGOS