A state of emergency is when a government is able to put through policies that it would normally not be able to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare a state of emergency during a natural disaster, violent protests, medical pandemic or epidemic or other biosecurity risk.^[1]

States of emergency can also be used as a reason for ending certain rights and freedoms given under a country's constitution or basic law, sometimes through martial law.^[2]

• United Nations Human Rights Committee, General Comment 29, States of Emergency (article 4), U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.11 (2001)
• The protection of human rights in emergency situations, PACE report (2009)
• Opinion on the protection of human rights in emergency situations, Venice Commission (2006)

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