>> the frerench prime minisiste pledges equal access for everyone regarding an eventual covid-19 vaccine. the c.e.o. had suggested the u.s. would get priority. a whistleblower removed from his post for criticizing the u.s. government's level of pandemic preparedness warns of a dark winter ahead unless you are -- urgent action is taken. plus france's big museums might have been closed since march but some smaller museums are now reopening. welclcome back to the "france 2

newsroom in paris. us. you for joining we begin with the us. we begin with the latest on the efforts being made to develop -- 300,000 people across the globe. more than 90 vaccines are currentltly being workeked on b experts are w warning that the process can take yearsrs. here in franance, the prime minister says equal access to the vaccine would be given to all people around the world, a message that contradicted the c.e.o. of the pharmaceutical giant who suggested americans would be the first in line. that suggestion sparked anger in france not least at the presidential palace.e. wewe have momore. >> as researchers in companies across the world hunt t for a covid-d-19 vaccinatition, tensi between countries self-interest and the need for international cooperation grows. requests for a treatment have sparked a major row over r ich

coununtries will be first to access it. on thursday, the french pharmaceutical giant wasas forc to clarify its c.e.o.'s claims the united states would be first in line if the company finds a vaccine. its chairman insisting no one ountry will be given priority. >> [speaking french] >> but he is just one of scores of companies working on a vaccine. more than 100 expeperimental treatments for the virus are currentltly in development. because some of the therapeutics are already at an advanced stage, an agency says the vaccination could be approved in record time. >> the bottom line is that we would like this development to come up as rapidly as possible. we know that on average, as an example for a vaccine, it might ke 10 or 15 years from -- to

market. now the ambition is to try to add such vaccines available in a year from now. >> the race to find a treatment has grown increasingly competitive, with security related consequences. the u.s. has accused chinese operatives of attempting to hack coronavirus research warning such attacks could undermine treatment development. >> now a former u.s. government employee has told a congressional hearing that the u.s. could face what he called the darkest winter in recent times if it doesn't improve its response to the pandemic. whistleblower rick bright who says he was removed from his position for raising an alarm says the window of opportunity to bring the outbreak under control is closing and he says that an improved response based on science is what's needed. more than 82,000 americans have died so far. meanwhile in new york, schools are being used as food banks and

they're handing out free meals to those hardest hit by the crisis. let's take a closer look. >> they waitit to get a a free , like this arcrchitect who was forced to stop working because of t the coronavirus. >> my financial situation -- that kept me going a longer time because i don't know when the next income will come. >> while several european countries have resorted to placing much of their work force on partitial unemployment acros the pond manany american compans have t turned job cuts letting of their employees completely. in february the rate of unemployment in the u.s. was recorded at 3.5%, while in april the country saw a stark rise reaching 14.7%, the highest figure seen in the last 80 years. in a bid to help those hit hardest financially by the crisis, this school turned food

bank distributions up to 100 free meals a day. > a lot of people arare out jobs. they're counting on these meals to get them through the day. these three meals that we give them every day, their families are counting on it. >> at the epicenter of the crisis in the u.s., authorities in new york are pushing for the lockdown to stay in place until june. that president trump is strongly opposed to. with just six months until the presidential election, trump is eager to kick start the country's economy. >> australia has recorded close to 100 deaths. but here are some images from sydney, , which were filmed a little earlier today as bars and estaurants opened their doors. they appeared to be cautious. let's listen to what some restaurant owners have to say. >> the desire to sit in a place

that is not your house with your mates and have a drink is truly overwhwhelming and i am eeee no sure what cocould be more australian than that. >> it's really nice compared to what we -- it's something, it's greaeat to be out of the house. some of the work that we are known for doing at this venue, back up and running, just being ble to provide good food and beer. >> now brazil is the worst affected country in latin america and has the sixth highest death toll in the world from the covid-19 pandemic. on thursday alone, brazil reported 13,944 new cases. that is a record number for a single day. it brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to more than 200,000. just across the border in colombia, the president has instructed residents to stay indoors. the local hospitals are filling up fast and so too are the local

cemeteries. "france 24's" monty francis has more. >> in the capital of the amazona province in southern colombia, cases of covid-19 are on the rise. the city's poorest neighborhoods have the highest rate of the disease in all of the country, 30 cases per 10,000 people. the health care system has reached a breaking point. there are only two hospitals on the entire province, one of which hano intensive care unit nd only two ventilators. [speaking foreign language] >> h half of the c cases detect there have beenn traced to neighboring brazil. among the countries hardest hit

by the p pandemic. colombia has since put residents under lockdown andnd closed ss borders. but half of the the people who live in the city are in poverty and have to go out to earn n enough t to eatat, raisining fee virus will spread even faster. [ [speaking foreign langugua] >> with corononavirus deaths in colombia at 500, the country's health minister is warning this is just the beginning and he expects infections to peakk in mid june. >> turning to the global economy and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, germany has just reported a 2.2% drop in g.d.p. during the first three months of the year. let's get more now on the impacts of the pandemic.

we speak to a research fellow at the london school of economics. thank you for speaking to us. when you look at those numbers contraction 2.2% in q-1, doesn't sound that bad, does it? >> quarterer one has alreadydy happened.. countries went into lockdown at different times. as a consequence, the impact to the economy was felt differently. france had a much more severe downturn than gegermany, but th real damamage will b be done in current quarter. so although it looks as though germany esescaped relatively lightly upup to now, i it's goio get worse. >> the finance ministers are holding talks, talking about initiatives, credit lines and the like for vulnerable economies. do you get the impression the right medicine is being administered to europe's

economies? >> i think it's been dragged out of the european finance minister s and government reluctantntly. we still see the same old disputes going onn between the countries of northerern europe, especially the dutch and finns and germans against southern europe, italians and spaniards, france poised somewhere in between. hey try to agree 540 billion euro package and that shoulul kick in during june, but a much bigger recovery package is still under negotiatitions. the commission n is expecected come out with h proposals butt they're being contested.. there is a lack of willingness across european capitals to share ththe burden of this whic doesn't bode well for a response. >> do you get the impression some countries are therefore going to emerge stronger than others and i iso why would that be?

> well, foror many reasonsns. italy went into this crisis, it was worst hit initially and already had a verery big public debt. the italian public debt is expected to increase from currenently 130% of g.d.p. to 1% just for the measures the government has announced earlier this week. germany went into the crisis more 0% of g.d.p. so much maneuver, german public opinion is not prepapared to sharare th maneuver with other countries and that's the core of the dilemma facing the european response. >> lastly, do you think that thinking about the pent-up demand the last few months, people haven't been able to buy the things they want to buyuy, you think there w will be some major momentum in the economy after the pan -- pandemic has

passed? do you foresee that? >> i t think thahat's more difft to guess. a lot t of o optimism around th idea you are describing, the v-shaped recession, sharp fall followed by sharp increase. but there are many a activities whwhich haveeen n --herere ther isisn't the demand you are talkg about. yes, we will no doubt all want to getet haircrcuts when it endt the haircututs we haven't hadad during the locockdown are not going to be brought back i in a therefe wiwillot be ththe demand that's pent up.p. it will be normal demand. at thehe same titime, there aray bubusinesses which have lost capacity and are going to be wiped out. cafes, restaurantsts, which areo longnger able to survive. my fear is that rather than v-v-shaped recovery, it will be l-shaped. we start from a lower base. >> thank you very much for speaking to us, research fellow at the london school of economics. now france's museums are forced

to close their doors in n mid march at the start of the lockdown and the biggest museums like the louvre aren't expected to reoach until the summer. -- reopen until the summer. as of this week smaller museums are being allowed to reopen. we go there now. >> nestled in a discreet street, the institute is s savoring its fortune. it's one of the very few museums authorized to open its doors this week. [speaking french] >> the 350 square meter space sculptor work of the alberto gacometi. he developed his own style notably through threadlike creatures. the small museum didn't have to prepare for long as it adapted

to the new health constraints. its maximum capacity is just 10 visitors. > [speaking french] >> online reservations have increased in recent days and the museum is going to open this friday. little wonder after two months of lockdown. > [speaking french] >> only small museums will be allowed a quick reopening in paris. the most illustrious such as the louvre will have to wait longer for the return of the public this summer, subject to favorite sanitary conditions.

>> on that note we leave you. thanks for watching. stay with us on "france 24." >> two countries are now being challenged by the political and social fallout. watch me on live from paris. >> welcome to the "france 24" interview. our guest today is the united nations high commissioner for human rights. she joins us from geneva. thank you very much for being with us. > happy to be here with you. >> before that you were twice

president of chile, also former doctor, health minister, so you have a unique perspective on the covid-19 pandemic. ou recently said that if politics drive response to this pandemic that this could have dire consequences for health, but also for human rights. can you explain n to us? >> well, y you know what has happened, i believe that when we are facicing a pandemic like covid-19, when there are so many things we don't know about it, any decision to for e example - emergency memeasures should be given by -- driven n by science based facts, very carefully, very -- of the risk of losining all the gains that sacrifice so many people, speem staying at home, not workingng, health workers, with a lot of pressure on the health services, etc. if we ease down just because of

politicall reasons because ther is presh from some sectors or because of pressures f from bubusinesseses and when there i the health conditions to ease those measures, it couould mean that wouould come a new outbrea as we have seen in some parts of the world and in some parts we have seen smsmall oushes s that be closed d but if you haven't reachehed the peak of the cases on thehe mortalityty, this virut going to go away. it will be here for many yearar until l we get a vaccine. we need eed to really -- to take into consideration all factors. i understand, the economy needs to continunue working.. people need income.. productioion,- food etc. those seggetors are still working. -- sectors are still working.

i know it's a complex balance that a politician needs to do, prime e minister, but it has toe based on scientific facts and it has to take all the elements into consideraration and it t ho be done gradually, in a way that you can be adapting schools, businesses, and other places to a reality where we don't know if the virus -- like a flulu that comes in the w winter but in summer we don't have cases. we don't know if it w will evol. we don't know the way -- we know some wayays of transmissioion, we don't know.w. there is a l lot at stake. that's why we said let's makake decision in aa careful -- in a serious way and science based. you have to consider economic issues but it should be on science. >> human rights -- many

governments have declared states of emergency, have imposed curfews, lockdowns. are you concerned about the rule of law, that some governments, some leaders might use the pandemic to crack down on the opposition, there are a number of insnstances wherere there is strong suspicion that this is indedeed happening. >> yeses. i mean, the international human rights law permimits the restririction of cecertain frfr in ceses like t the pandedemic,. but we are talking mainly on freedom of mobility, freedom of ssembly, but in no way is it used as an excuse to restririct freedom of expression, freedom of the press or freedom of the polt of being critical -- polt ofof being critical if the government is not doingng what they're supposeded to do. we have seen in some places they have passed bills and laws to restrictct the freedom of citizs

, thehere is punishment or fini they have bebeen detaining journalists or huhuman rights offenders. in some places they have passed a decree to increase the powers that the president or the secucurity forces anand militar have. when we speak of human rights becacause of a nied like a natul call for a pandemic like this one, it has to be a clear need, it has to be proportionatete to he need and it cannot be forever. in some places we a are seeing governments using it to make more shrink theirr city space ad possibility of society to ebbs -- express and t they are threatening journalists and

dimiminishing freeeedom of pres thatat is unacceptable. >> right. i want to get to an issue that's related somewhat to the issue of sanctions. there have been countries slapped with sanctions, like iran or venezuela in this time of pandemic, do you think sanctions are the right ansnswe jujust from a human rights perspective? >> n no, we don't think that's e right answer. on march 24 we did a a public space regarding calling on members that have sanctions over any country that could lilimit e capacity to respond to thee pandemic, to ease or lift it or to suspend it. we also have been havining talk with the u.s. in thisis regard sayiying that -- >> they're not listenining. >> accccording to the ruleses, me a tions -- no, t they sent

statement t that says -- it's written there that it should not be applied for medical equipment, for humanitarian reasonons, for medical devices, vaccccines, and they say it is overcocompliance of companies, t thee truth i is t that overcompe exists so that will be the result. they won't have all thehe possibilitieies either because peel won't sell them this equipmenent or d don't have eno income to buy them. so i think that countries should lift it anand much more shouldl done for those countries will not hahave the consequenence we haven't seen, it's happening there. they have e humanitarianan situations that with the sanctions the situations are aggravated. >> right. the war that's

been continuing, in libya. the u.n. recently warned of potential war crimes there citing a dramatic increase of shelling in the capital, tripoli, aiming at the forces strongman. have you seen evidence that potential war crimes are being committed as we are all focusing on covid-19 in libya? >> well, unfortutunately, yes. unfortunately, have not heard the call of the secretary-general for cease-fire. in other parts of the world, they have heard it. they follow it or trying g to. but t in libya, we have had no results and it's clear that the war hahas continued, and unfortunately asas usual, the mt affected ones are civilians, women, c children. ththey have atattacked hospital so really, it't's a real factor because many people are dying,

but also they -- there is a l l of peoplple g going through lib trying to escape from different parts of the world where there are conflicts or c crowds or a t of famine, etc. and they are also detaining them and put into prisons that t aren the worst possible e conditioio. the peacekeeping operatition there, we have made a report saying the prisoners are there because of the crofere crorowde prisons, because of lack of sanitary conditions and violence, rape, etc.. so yes, libyaya is really concerning and the u.n. is trying do the best to make the dialogue and negotiate and stop this war. > right. i -- >> until now thehey haven't bee heard. >> yes. i want to get to an issue that's probably going to come soon on

the table. the issue of the west bank. there have been tensions between your office and israel after you issued a report about companies doing business in n the west ba. now the new israeli government is planning an annexation of the west bank. what is your response to this prospect? >> w well, i think the inteternational communityy hasa clear response. any annexation of f occupied terrrritory is illegegal a and l not be recognized by the u.n. as it has not recognized the one in israel and occupied gololan. if there is an annexation, it will constitute a serious viololation of international l it will also deal a devastatati solution. two state it will close a door to renewed negotiation and effffts to

adadvance regional peace. so it's clear that foror us it will be completely illegal and unacceptable. >> right. thank you very much, ambassador, for being with us from geneva and thank you for watching this edition of the interview here on "france 24." >> this is a brutal challenge to leave only the best people standing. among this group is a woman married at a young age who moved to south africa where she was physically abused by her mother-in-law. she eventually returned to zimbabwe with very few prospects.

>> they took my documents. now i am here to take care of my child. >> the 22-year-old is one of 160 women picked from an inligs 500 -- initial 500 to take part in a range of selections. ultimately only 80 will make it into the ranks of the wildlife rangers known as the brave ones. started in 2017, the program aims to turn disadvantaged abused and orphaned young women from local communities into wildlife advocates. despite breaking her finger, she kept going. >> that's why i am not crying. i am

steve cacabella: edith's s desi, the cocoupe dinnerware, it''s american classic, for sure, but it's s a landmark design. s so s part of the foundadation of momodern design. it is l literay timeleless. it's stro. . it's ststdy. she buililt all this i o it. it's meant to be useded. somebobody has to be the founundation for good desisign d dinnerware, and who better thann ededith heath h really? woman n as heath: i wanteded to make something that was for the american way of life, not the kind of dishes that were used in europe among g the aristocray bubut much morore peast-oriente, yet t it could be for sunday best, as well as everyday use.