COVID-19 update ahead of RightsCon Costa Rica
We understand that many of you are concerned regarding recent developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its impact on your travel, other events in the human rights network, and participation at RightsCon Costa Rica.
The safety of the community we convene at RightsCon is our number one priority, and the Access Now team is taking seriously our responsibility to plan for the impact of COVID-19 on our Summit. We recognize the global landscape is rapidly evolving and want to communicate about our approach to help support those of you who are navigating the implications of the outbreak.
With RightsCon Costa Rica three months away, scheduled for June 9-12, 2020, it is difficult to anticipate how COVID-19 will affect our Summit.
At this time, we are proceeding with RightsCon Costa Rica planning, while closely monitoring the outbreak and international response to determine the best path forward by the end of March.
Outlined below are the steps we will be taking this month:
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- Undertaking a complete risk assessment and planning for all potential scenarios, including continuing as planned, modifying, delaying, or cancelling the event, in coordination with the government in Costa Rica and our partners to make an informed and timely decision;
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- Creating advice and plans based on public health guidelines for mass gatherings, in particular those of the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control;
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- Coordinating directly with other human rights conference organizers to share information and resources as the situation develops;
- Working with our event production team, venue, and service providers in Costa Rica to map and implement measures to mitigate risks of transmission during RightsCon.
We recommend participants continue to consult and follow the travel advisories set forth by health bodies and governments.
To support the community and reduce financial harm to those of you who will need flexibility in planning travel and confirming participation, we are reviewing and adjusting some of our timelines, including extending early bird pricing, session organizer deadlines, and travel support applications.
If you have any considerations or concerns about our efforts listed above and how this may impact your participation at RightsCon, please get in touch with us over email at [email protected].