The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
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Week ending 26 January 2019

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: the sentinel_ period ending 26 jan 2019

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

Education: Quality, Policy, Financing

Education ‘an Engine for Poverty Eradication, Force for Peace’, Says Secretary-General in Message Marking International Day
23 January 2019
SG/SM/19439-OBV/1855
Today we celebrate the first International Day of Education. Education transforms lives. As United Nations Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai once said: “one child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world”. Nelson Mandela rightly called education “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

Long before I served at the United Nations or held public office in my own country, I was a teacher. In the slums of Lisbon, I saw that education is an engine for poverty eradication and a force for peace.
Today, education is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals. We need education to reduce inequalities and improve health. We need education to achieve gender equality and eliminate child marriage. We need education to protect our planet’s resources. And we need education to fight hate speech, xenophobia and intolerance, and to nurture global citizenship.

Yet, at least 262 million children, adolescents and youth are out of school, most of them girls. Millions more who attend school are not mastering the basics.

This is a violation of their human right to education. The world cannot afford a generation of children and young people who lack the skills they need to compete in the twenty-first century economy, nor can we afford to leave behind half of humanity…

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World Bank, Gates Foundation, DFID Join Forces to Improve Education Quality Around the World
LONDON, January 21, 2019 – The World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the UK’s Department for International Development today announced a new partnership that will develop tools governments can use to better monitor the quality of their education systems, allowing policymakers to take real-time decisions to ensure that all children are learning. This collaboration will advance the goals of the Human Capital Project, a global effort to accelerate more and better investments in people for greater equity and economic growth.

The multi-year partnership, which was announced during the Education World Forum in London, will provide countries with an integrated system for tracking the how well education is delivered and how well countries are progressing toward their policy goals. The World Bank will take the lead on developing the new tools under a multidimensional Global Education Policy Dashboard, working together with education and governance experts from around the world. The Dashboard will soon be tested in 13 countries and it will be progressively expanded to more countries.

“All children should have the right to learn how to read and write so they have the voice and skills needed to advocate a better and prosperous future for themselves and their communities. UK aid is making sure millions of children around the world can access 12 years of quality education, to help them reach their potential and help lift their countries out of poverty,” said Penny Mordaunt, the UK’s International Development Secretary and Human Capital Champion. “Our innovative partnership with the World Bank and Gates Foundation will help governments analyze evidence to show why children aren’t developing these essential skills and recognize what interventions they can put in place to improve their education systems and invest in their most important assets – their own people,” she added…

For more information, please visit: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/global-education-policy-dashboard

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Education Finance: Using Money Effectively is Critical to Improving Education
Assisting countries to make better use of their investments in education is a key priority of our work on education finance.
Date: January 21, 2019 Type: Brief: Education Finance (pdf)
Developing countries are investing heavily in their education systems and providing their children and youth with unprecedented levels of access to education. But it’s still not enough. Achieving national education goals will require additional financial commitments over the coming years. No less important is ensuring that these resources are used effectively by reducing spending inefficiencies common in many education systems. Funds may not be reaching schools, spending decisions may not be aligned with learning objectives, and government agencies may lack the capacity to use funds efficiently. Countries need to solve these problems if they are to provide the educational opportunities their populations demand in a financially feasible and sustainable way.

Livelihood/Future of Work

Global Commission on the Future of Work
A human-centred agenda needed for a decent future of work
22 January 2019
A Universal Labour Guarantee, social protection from birth to old age and an entitlement to lifelong learning are among ten recommendations made in a landmark report by the ILO’s Global Commission on the Future of Work.

GENEVA (ILO News) – The ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work has called on governments to commit to a set of measures in order to address the challenges caused by unprecedented transformational change in the world of work.

Co-chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, the commission outlines a vision for a human-centred agenda that is based on investing in people’s capabilities, institutions of work and in decent and sustainable work.

Among the ten recommendations are:
:: A universal labour guarantee that protects fundamental workers’ rights, an adequate living wage, limits on hours of work and safe and healthy workplaces.
:: Guaranteed social protection from birth to old age that supports people’s needs over the life cycle.
:: A universal entitlement to lifelong learning that enables people to skill, reskill and upskill.
:: Managing technological change to boost decent work, including an international governance system for digital labour platforms.
:: Greater investments in the care, green and rural economies.
:: A transformative and measurable agenda for gender equality.
:: Reshaping business incentives to encourage long-term investments.

“Countless opportunities lie ahead to improve the quality of working lives, expand choice, close the gender gap, reverse the damages wreaked by global inequality. Yet none of this will happen by itself. Without decisive action we will be sleepwalking into a world that widens existing inequalities and uncertainties,” the report stresses…

Environment: e-waste

UN, World Economic Forum and partners come together to address e-waste challenges
DAVOS, 24 January 2019 – Seven UN entities have come together, supported by the World Economic Forum, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to call for an overhaul of the current electronics system, with the aim of supporting international efforts to address e-waste challenges.

A new joint report launched today in Davos calls for a systematic collaboration with major brands, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), academia, trade unions, civil society and associations in a deliberative process to reorient the system and reduce the waste of resources each year with a value greater than the GDP of most countries.

Each year, approximately 50 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) are discarded – the weight of more than all commercial airliners ever made. In terms of material value, this is worth 62.5 billion dollars – more than the GDP of most countries.

Less than 20% of this is recycled formally. Informally, millions of people worldwide (over 600,000 in China alone) work to dispose of e-waste, much of it done in working conditions harmful to both health and the environment.

The report, “A New Circular Vision for Electronics – Time for a Global Reboot”, says technologies such as cloud computing and the internet of things (IoT), support gradual “dematerialization” of the electronics industry.

Meanwhile, to capture the global value of materials in the e-waste and create global circular value chains, the report also points to the use of new technology to create service business models, better product tracking and manufacturer or retailer take-back programs.

The report notes that material efficiency, recycling infrastructure and scaling up the volume and quality of recycled materials to meet the needs of electronics supply chains will all be essential for future production.

And if the electronics sector is supported with the right policy mix and managed in the right way, it could lead to the creation of millions of decent jobs worldwide.

The joint report calls for collaboration with multinationals, SMEs, entrepreneurs, academia, trade unions, civil society and associations to create a circular economy for electronics where waste is designed out, the environmental impact is reduced and decent work is created for millions.

The new report supports the work of the E-waste Coalition, which includes: the International Labour Organization (ILO); the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment); the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR); the United Nations University (UNU); and the Secretariats of the Basel and Stockholm conventions…

Digital Identity

ID2020 Alliance accelerates towards “good” digital identity through launch of Certification Mark and new Alliance member
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The ID2020 Alliance today announced the launch of its new Certification Mark initiative, which is an opportunity to recognize technologies that meet ID2020’s technical requirements and could form the basis of a “good” digital identity. The Alliance also welcomed new member, CARE USA, at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos today.

ID2020’s Certification Mark reaffirms the Alliance’s mission to improve lives through digital identity by creating a trustmark for digital identity technologies that meet ID2020’s technical requirements. The Certification Mark gives companies developing digital identity technologies in line with ID2020’s core principles of portability, persistence, privacy, and user-control a way to demonstrate their commitment to “good” digital identity in the market, incentivizing a race to the top. It draws inspirations from efforts like the Trustable Tech Mark to develop a “badge of honor” for companies and organizations designing technology with user privacy and rights top-of-mind. And it builds upon ID2020’s technical requirements and the efforts of the ID2020 Technical Advisory Committee, a group that comprises many of the world’s leading experts on digital identity and its underlying technologies.

“The Certification Mark is a critical step in ensuring that digital identity technologies brought to market adhere to the highest standards of privacy protection, user-control and interoperability,” said ID2020 board member Kim Cameron, who serves as Architect of Identity and Distinguished Engineer at Microsoft. “Microsoft is excited to work with ID2020 as it organizes stakeholders world-wide to take an active role in shaping ethical and user-in-control privacy-protecting technical design.”

ID2020 board member and Gavi CEO Seth Berkley added, “At Gavi, we recognize how important it is that technology used in development settings protect individual privacy. Our partnership with ID2020 allows us to better understand the rapidly evolving digital identity landscape, and the launch of the Certification Mark provides valuable shorthand that Gavi, other development organizations, and governments can rely on to ensure that privacy and data protection are never compromised.”…

Data Science

Mastercard and The Rockefeller Foundation Announce ‘Data Science for Social Impact’ with Initial $50 Million Commitment
New collaborative to unlock the power of data for good
DAVOS, Switzerland, January 22, 2019 –The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation today announced Data Science for Social Impact. This transformational model for collaborative philanthropy will accelerate the use of data science by empowering non-profit, civic and government organizations with the tools, expertise and other capabilities they need to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges.

The collaborative was announced at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, with an initial commitment of $50 million from The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Impact Fund over five years and an invitation to other companies and philanthropies to join…

The collaborative’s first activity is $20 million in funding to DataKind, a global nonprofit that harnesses the power of data science and AI in the service of humanity that has completed over 250 projects by deploying expert data science volunteers from their network of over 30,000 across five worldwide chapters since its founding in 2011. This support from the collaborative will allow DataKind to transition from a project to a platform-based model, thereby, supporting more organizations on a set of common issues, including community health and inclusive growth.

Data Privacy/Integrity :: “Data Science for Good”

European Commission adopts adequacy decision on Japan, creating the world’s largest area of safe data flows
Press release European Commission Brussels, 23 January 2019
The Commission has adopted today its adequacy decision on Japan, allowing personal data to flow freely between the two economies on the basis of strong protection guarantees.

This is the last step in the procedure launched in September 2018, which included the opinion of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the agreement from a committee composed of representatives of the EU Member States. Together with its equivalent decision adopted today by Japan, it will start applying as of today.

Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality said: “This adequacy decision creates the world’s largest area of safe data flows. Europeans’ data will benefit from high privacy standards when their data is transferred to Japan. Our companies will also benefit from a privileged access to a 127 million consumers’ market. Investing in privacy pays off; this arrangement will serve as an example for future partnerships in this key area and help setting global standards.”

The key elements of the adequacy decision
Before the Commission adopted its adequacy decision, Japan put in place additional safeguards to guarantee that data transferred from the EU enjoy protection guarantees in line with European standards. This includes:
:: A set of rules (Supplementary Rules) that will bridge several differences between the two data protection systems. These additional safeguards will strengthen, for example, the protection of sensitive data, the exercise of individual rights and the conditions under which EU data can be further transferred from Japan to another third country. These Supplementary Rules will be binding on Japanese companies importing data from the EU and enforceable by the Japanese independent data protection authority (PPC) and courts.
:: The Japanese government also gave assurances to the Commission regarding safeguards concerning the access of Japanese public authorities for criminal law enforcement and national security purposes, ensuring that any such use of personal data would be limited to what is necessary and proportionate and subject to independent oversight and effective redress mechanisms.
:: A complaint-handling mechanism to investigate and resolve complaints from Europeans regarding access to their data by Japanese public authorities. This new mechanism will be administered and supervised by the Japanese independent data protection authority…

Next steps
The adequacy decision – as well as the equivalent decision on the Japanese side –will start applying as of today.

After two years, a first joint review will be carried out to assess the functioning of the framework. This will cover all aspects of the adequacy finding, including the application of the Supplementary Rules and the assurances for government access to data. The Representatives of European Data Protection Board will participate in the review regarding access to data for law enforcement and national security purposes. Subsequently a review will take place at least every four years…

Questions & Answers on the Japan adequacy decision
European Commission – Fact Sheet Brussels, 23 January 2019

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Governance: Informal Structures

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Juan Manuel Santos and Zeid Raad Al Hussein join The Elders
Friday, 18 January, 2019
The Elders announced today with great pleasure that three new members have joined the group: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate 2011; Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate 2016; and Zeid Raad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 2014-18.

The new Elders will join the group in its second decade of campaigning for peace, justice and human rights. The Elders was founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, who charged the group with a mandate to “support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where this is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair.”

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, said:
“I am delighted to welcome three such esteemed new members to our group. Ellen, Juan Manuel and Zeid each bring valuable and distinctive perspectives on issues that are central to our work, from human rights and peacebuilding to gender equality and justice for all. I look forward to them playing critical roles in our current and future initiatives across the globe.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said:
“It is an honour to follow in the footsteps of great Africans like Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu and Kofi Annan. The Elders’ work to promote justice, equality and human rights is needed more than ever. I look forward to working with them to inspire people everywhere, particularly women and girls, to reach for their true potential, break through barriers and pursue their dreams.”

Juan Manuel Santos said:
“The Elders’ work to promote peace and support efforts to end the world’s most intractable conflicts is a crucial force for good. I hugely appreciated their encouragement and counsel as my administration negotiated the Colombia peace process in 2016. Today, I am honoured and delighted to join them and support their efforts to promote peace, justice and reconciliation worldwide.”

Zeid Raad Al Hussein said:
“In an age when poor leadership, injustice and suffering is rife, The Elders’ vision of a world where people live in peace and are conscious of their common humanity is essential. Inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela, their mission helps ensure human rights are respected, and oppression overcome. I am honoured to join this illustrious group and work with them for a better world.”

Featured Journal Content

The Lancet
Jan 26, 2019 Volume 393Number 10169p295-376, e3-e4
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Editorial
At the turn of the tide: human rights and health in 2019
The Lancet
A pattern of political turmoil, violence, and intolerance in all corners of the world, from Europe to Asia and the USA, is following a rise of populist leaders and authoritarian governments. Human rights are under autocratic threat. Once-influential rights defenders, such as the USA, have faded away, risking a void in the global defence of human rights. This gloomy reality is underscored in Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2019, released Jan 17, which summarises key human rights issues in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s annual report sends a clear message: that human rights violations propagated by autocratic leaders throughout 2018 continue to imperil the health of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Inequality and discrimination fuelled much of the harm in 2018. Immigration became one of the most divisive issues among autocratic leaders in Europe. The failure to establish protective measures for people with migrant and refugee status restricted their access to health care. Some European governments, such as the Italian and Hungarian regimes, prevented migrants from entering their countries and fuelled rising anti-immigrant sentiment. In the USA, President Trump separated immigrant children from their parents. In southeast Asia, more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims remain locked in a cycle of poor child health, malnutrition, waterborne illness, and poor obstetric care after decades of discrimination—a situation that has worsened drastically because of a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar army.

Attacks in armed conflict zones against hospitals and threats to health-care staff continued to be problematic. In Yemen, in what UN officials describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, bombings and blockade by Saudi-led coalitions hampered the movement and safety of health-care staff, patients, and ambulances. Similar examples of attacks on health-care facilities were reported in the Gaza Strip and in areas of war-ravaged Syria.

Restricted supply of food and basic medical supplies in countries experiencing financial turmoil have threatened the health and safety of their populations. Under President Nicolás Maduro’s leadership, Venezuela’s infrastructure has crumbled and an economic collapse has triggered a historic exodus of civilians. The country’s health-care system is decaying, triggering a rise in the rates of maternal and infant mortality and a spike in cases of malaria and diphtheria.

But there are reasons for hope. Unlike previous annual reports, World Report 2019 paints a brighter picture of the future. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth explains that, amid political chaos and despite mounting pessimism around rights abuses and attacks on democracy by populists on both the far left and far right, 2018 was a remarkable year for human rights. This is not because of growing authoritarian tendencies, but because of resistance to them. “Important battles are being won, re-energising the global defence of human rights”, states Roth. The pushback to autocracy was striking because it took unexpected forms—from elections, street demonstrations by civilians, both regionally and nationally, to non-traditional coalitions between smaller countries and organisations, the UN, and the European Parliament. 2018 saw unprecedented international efforts to resist attacks on democracy in Europe and Africa, to halt the Saudi-led bombing and blockading of Yemeni civilians, to prevent further bloodshed in Syria, and to take measures that will one day bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Latin American governments united with Canada to urge the International Criminal Court to open an investigation of crimes in Venezuela. Democrat gains in the House of Representatives in the autumn midterm elections reflect, at least in part, a national dismay of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

This rise of resistance against the autocracy must not lose momentum in 2019. Every day, in so many parts of the world, the health of women and children is attacked and reproductive rights are violated. In countries facing the consequences of pollution and climate change, or fighting outbreaks of infectious disease, vulnerable, marginalised, and minority populations are being overlooked. An access abyss in palliative care persists, and mental health is still neglected. Much of the pushback in the past year played out at the UN and the European Parliament, underlining the importance of solidarity and the collective voice. This global unity is a force that needs to be harnessed to truly shift the power dynamics in 2019 and to make it a year of triumph for both human rights and health. It will be a tough journey.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 22 January 2019
:: In an extraordinary joint statement by the Chairs of the main independent, advisory and oversight committees of the GPEI, the Chairs urge everyone involved in polio eradication to ensure polio will finally be assigned to the history books by 2023.
The authors are the chairs of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE), the Independent Monitoring Board, the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Regarding International Spread of Poliovirus and the Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (GCC).
The Endgame Plan through 2018 has brought the world to the brink of being polio-free.  A new Strategic Plan 2019-2023 aims to build on the lessons learned since 2013.  The joint statement urges everyone involved in the effort to find ways to excel in their roles.  If this happens, the statement continues, success will follow.  But otherwise, come 2023, the world will find itself exactly where it is today:  tantalizingly close.  But in an eradication effort, tantalizingly close is not good enough.  The statement therefore issues an impassioned plea to everyone to dedicate themselves to one clear objective:  to reach that very last child with polio vaccine.  The full statement is attached herewith and also available here.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Pakistan – two cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and five WPV1 positive environmental samples;
:: Afghanistan – seven WPV1 positive environmental samples;
:: Nigeria – one case of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and eight VDPV2 positive environmental samples.

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Editor’s Note:

WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.
 
WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 26 Jan 2019]
 
Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Bi‐weekly Situation Report 1 – 17 January 2019
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
:: The number of varicella cases reported this week in 1 358. WHO and the health sector are working incollaboration with Education sector and Risk communication to contain the disease.
:: A total of 2.2 million doses were administered in 2018 through two Penta/Td, bOPV campaigns and two OCV campaigns
 
Varicella UPDATE
:: The number of varicella cases reported this week in 1 358. The number of varicella cases is higher than previous week but this might be due to improvement of varicella reporting in the camps.
:: Varicella has been added to Indicator‐Based Surveillance (IBS) and Event‐Based surveillance (EBS) in EWARS.
:: Ministry of Health (MoH) & IEDCR has requested to health partners to report all varicella cases on a daily basis.
 
 DIPHTHERIA UPDATE
:: Ten new diphtheria case‐patients (one probable and nine suspected) were reported this week. Total case patients reported in EWARS is now 8 372.
:: Of these, 293 case patients have tested positive on PCR, with the last confirmed case reported on 31 December 2018. Of the remaining cases 2 710 were classified as probable and 5 369 as suspected. The total number of deaths remains 44. Last death was reported on 28 June 2018.
:: No death has been reported from the host community.
 
HEALTH OPERATIONS
Routine Immunization
:: From the beginning of February 2018 to date, the following antigen doses were delivered to
children: 40,965 BCG doses; 56,512 pentavalent doses; 58,234 Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) doses; 55,086 PCV doses; 29,039 Measles/Rubella (MR) doses and 19,906 Td doses to pregnant women.
:: Before February, several campaigns were held in Rohingya camps among specific age groups, which covered the target cohort of routine immunization to an extent.
 
 Campaigns in Rohingya Camps
:: A total of 2.2 million doses were administered in 2018 through two Penta/Td, bOPV campaigns and two OCV campaigns…
 
Somalia
:: Somalia developing comprehensive plan to improve health of mothers, children and adolescents
Mogadishu, 24 January 2019 – With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other United Nations partners, Somalia is currently developing a strategy that will change the rhetoric in the country and ensure Somali mothers and children can access quality health services equitably all across urban, rural areas in the country…
 
 
Yemen
:: Providing urgent health care to millions: WHO and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation work together to reach the most vulnerable

24 January 2019, Sana’a, Yemen — With a generous donation of 2 million euros from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the World Health Organization (WHO) is scaling up efforts to meet health needs in Yemen through the health service delivery mechanism known as the Minimum Service Package. This is the first time since the start of the crisis in Yemen that WHO has partnered with the Agency…
 
 
Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified  [see above]
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identifie

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 26 Jan 2019]
occupied Palestinian territory
:: WHO concerned over health impact of evolving fuel crisis in Gaza
21 January 2019, Gaza –  The World Health Organization is concerned over the potential impact the evolving fuel crisis in Gaza might have on the lives and health of patients whose treatment requires uninterrupted power supply if no immediate solution to address the aggravating shortages is found.
The functionality of Gaza’s 14 public hospitals is increasingly jeopardized by electricity shortages and the rapidly declining UN coordinated fuel reserves required to run emergency generators during prolonged electricity cuts from the main grid…
 
Brazil (in Portugese) – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified
 
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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 26 Jan 2019]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic   – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.

Ethiopia 
:: Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 72 | 7 – 20 January 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
::Scaled-up response urgently required to more than 250,000 IDPs in Western Ethiopia
:: Durable Solutions as nexus opportunity in Somali region: Lessons from SDC
:: New law grants nearly a million refugees to exercise more rights in Ethiopia
:: Nearly 36 million children in Ethiopia are poor and lack access to basic social services: report

Somalia  – No new digest announcements identified
 
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“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake – No new digest announcements identified

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 19 January 2019

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: the sentinel_ period ending 19 jan 2019

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

Human Rights – Funding

Bachelet appeals for record funds to support UN human rights work in “an era of great turbulence.”
GENEVA (16 January 2019) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday urged States to step up their support in 2019 in order to fund what she described as “the most ambitious programme of work ever drawn by my Office.”

Presenting an appeal for US$ 321.5 million, the UN Human Rights Chief stressed that sustainable peace, security and development will only be achieved in an “era of great turbulence” if States invest in human rights, and described her Office as “a vital tool for greater prevention, and better protection, around the world.”

“Human rights are your tools,” Bachelet told a gathering of delegates in Geneva, “— the best and most effective investment in a sound and safe future for your people.”

“Human rights work is prevention work,” she pointed out. “It prevents grievances, conflicts, inequalities, and suffering and discrimination of all kinds. By assisting all States in upholding civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development, we bring solutions to the many challenges you face – from climate change to infectious disease; artificial intelligence and the future of industries; urbanism, and the rights of peasants and people in rural areas.”

The UN Human Rights Office’s 2019 programme of work would focus on pushing forward in key areas, and across all regions, she said, with the aim of strengthening rule of law and accountability; protecting and expanding civic space; countering discrimination of all kinds; integrating human rights more strongly in development policies and programmes; and supporting early warning and protecting rights in situations of conflict and insecurity.

“In addition,” Bachelet said, “we will upgrade our work on key emerging issues such as: inequality; climate change; human rights in the digital landscape; corruption; and migration. And I also want to emphasise the increasing coordination and focus of our work on women, young people, and people with disabilities, as part of our efforts to assist States to implement the 2030 Agenda and fulfil their commitment to leave no-one behind.”

The UN Human Rights Office currently has some 1,300 staff in 72 presences worldwide, including its Geneva headquarters. In 2018, the year of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, its revenue was US$ 185.6 million – an increase of 28 percent over the previous year, but well short of the appeal figure of US$ 278 million..

Development – Human Capital

New ISO International Standard for human capital reporting
By Clare Naden on 15 January 2019
ISO 30414: Human resource management – Guidelines for internal and external human capital reporting, is the first International Standard that allows an organization to get a clear view of the actual contribution of its human capital. Applicable to enterprises of all types and sizes, it provides guidelines on core HR areas such as organizational culture, recruitment and turnover, productivity, health and safety, and leadership.

Dr Ron McKinley, Chair of the ISO technical committee that developed the standard, said ISO 30414 will enable organizations to gain a better understanding of their impact on staff and help maximize employee contribution for long-term success.

“Workforce reporting is about rethinking how organizational value should be understood and evaluated, and allowing for more data-driven decision making across workforce management,” he explained.

“What’s more, by providing a number of relevant key metrics that are recognizable on an international scale, multinational companies can more easily transfer human capital information, better control their international HR activities and provide greater transparency for all their stakeholders,” he said.

“But the standard is not just for multinationals. Organizations of all sizes, including small and medium-sized companies, can benefit from being able to choose the metrics that are most relevant to them.”..

ISO 30414, Human resource management – Guidelines for internal and external human capital reporting
[Excerpt]
Introduction
Human capital includes the cumulative knowledge, skills and abilities of an organization’s people and the impact on an organization’s long-term performance, as well as competitive advantage through optimizing organizational outcomes.

The measurement of human capital facilitates the ability of an organization to manage one of its most critical resources and risks, people. Research shows that organizations that do not manage their human capital may damage the ability and opportunity for the business to create long-term and sustainable value achieved through their people[1].

This document is guided by the principles of human rights at work[2], and coupled with the human governance standard (ISO 30408[3]), it establishes guidelines on human capital data capture, measurement, analysis and reporting.

The benefits of a standardized approach to human capital reporting (HCR) include
— the use of standardized and agreed data, which describes organizational value in a broadly comparable sense;
— the improvement of HRM processes that support good practice in establishing and maintaining positive employment relations;
— greater understanding of the financial and non-financial returns that are generated as a result of investments in human capital;
— accessible and transparent reporting of human capital data and insights that enhances internal and external understanding and assessment of an organization’s human capital and its present and future performance…

Human Rights – Protection/Children

Poor legal frameworks and a lack of data worsens child abuse and sexual exploitation says new report
ECPAT – Posted on 18/01/2019
Economist Intelligence Unit’s new report Out of the shadows – Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation says that in much of the world, weak laws and a poor commitment to tackling the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation is making it difficult to fight this crime.

The report and its index, which was globally launched this week, is an important step in assessing and mapping governments’ responses to combatting child sexual abuse and exploitation and how it is prioritised at a national level. The 40-country benchmarking index explores legal frameworks, the safety and stability in the country, governments’ commitment and capacity and the engagement of the travel, tourism and tech industries as well as civil society and media.

Governance

Weakened International Cooperation Damaging Collective Will to Tackle Global Risks
16 Jan 2019
· Rising geopolitical and geo-economic tensions are the most urgent risk in 2019, with 90% of experts saying they expect further economic confrontation between major powers in 2019
· Environmental degradation is the long-term risk that defines our age, with four of the top five most impactful global risks in 2019 related to climate
· Rapidly evolving cyber and technological threats are the most significant potential blind spots; we still do not fully appreciate the vulnerability of networked societies

London, United Kingdom, 16 January 2019 – The world’s ability to foster collective action in the face of urgent major crises has reached crisis levels, with worsening international relations hindering action across a growing array of serious challenges. Meanwhile, a darkening economic outlook, in part caused by geopolitical tensions, looks set to further reduce the potential for international cooperation in 2019. These are the findings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2019, which is published today.

The Global Risks Report, which incorporates the results of the annual Global Risks Perception Survey of approximately 1,000 experts and decision-makers, points to a deterioration in economic and geopolitical conditions. Trade disputes worsened rapidly in 2018 and the report warns that growth in 2019 will be held back by continuing geo-economic tensions, with 88% of respondents expecting further erosion of multilateral trading rules and agreements.

If economic headwinds pose a threat to international cooperation, efforts will be further disrupted in 2019 by rising geopolitical tensions among major powers, according to the report. Eighty-five percent of respondents to this year’s survey said they expect 2019 to involve increased risks of “political confrontations between major powers”. The report discusses the risks associated with what we describe as a “multiconceptual” world order – one in which geopolitical instabilities reflect not only changing power balances but also the increasing salience of differences on fundamental values…

Sustainable Development: Systems-Based Approaches

Co-Impact Announces $80 Million in Grants Aimed at Improving The Lives of 9 Million People in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America
Co-Impact collaborative includes core partners Richard Chandler, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jeff Skoll, The Rockefeller Foundation, and – most recently – Rohini and Nandan Nilekani.
LONDON, January 15, 2019 – Co-Impact announced its first round of grants today to improve education, health, and economic opportunity for an estimated 9 million people over the next five years across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. The grants total more than US $80 million. This is the first set of grants delivered by Co-Impact, a collaborative partnership founded in late 2017 by Olivia Leland, founding director of The Giving Pledge, and partners including Richard Chandler, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jeff Skoll, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Rohini and Nandan Nilekani.

Co-Impact works in collaboration with a diverse group of change makers, creating large-scale social impact by employing a systems-based approach. Co-Impact makes long-term investments to help address obstacles and limitations in systems that hamper human progress in the areas of education, health, and economic opportunity.

The first-round grant recipients include:
Liberia’s National Community Health Assistant Program: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and Last Mile Health, alongside other partners, will support the Government of Liberia to scale and strengthen the National Community Health Assistant Program, which is advancing universal health coverage through the deployment of a community health workforce, providing access to primary health services for 1.2 million rural people.

The graduation approach to economic opportunity: A global multi-stakeholder effort, involving Jeevika, Fundación Capital, and the Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI) hosted by the World Bank, that will enable governments to adapt and scale programs proven to help households sustainably boost their incomes and assets, as a pathway to lift millions of people out of extreme poverty.

Project ECHO: A global movement in 34 countries and growing that leverages technology for remote mentoring and group problem-solving; expanding work underway in India to build the capacity of community healthcare providers to treat patients with chronic and complex diseases.

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa: A joint venture between Pratham and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) to support African governments and partners develop locally effective approaches to help all children read and do basic arithmetic, and to develop the essential foundation for lifelong learning.

citiesRISE: An initiative creating a global network of mental health friendly cities and communities (starting with Nairobi, Chennai, Bogota, Sacramento and Seattle) and scaling systemic solutions by leveraging the energy and creativity of youth, the speed and reach of technology, and through cross-sectoral collective action.

Co-Impact is also pleased to announce that Rohini and Nandan Nilekani, having served as technical partners since Co-Impact’s launch, recently joined the collaborative as Core Partners and are jointly invested in the strategic direction of the effort.

Olivia Leland, Founder and CEO: “At Co-Impact, our guiding mission is to make the biggest difference possible in the lives of millions, and I believe that our impressive first round of program partners are poised to do just that. I am also extremely pleased that Rohini and Nandan Nilekani have joined our group of Core Partners who see the great need – and opportunity – for pooling resources and knowledge to drive large-scale change. Deep collaboration is still a relatively nascent area for philanthropy. Co-Impact and our partners are committed to proving that it not only works but has the potential to drive much greater impact.”

Co-Impact is building a global group of funding partners committed to using results-oriented philanthropy to drive meaningful systems change. This growing group includes more than 25 philanthropists, foundations, and other funders representing more than a dozen countries. In addition to our Core Partners, a host of philanthropists and foundations have joined the Co-Impact Community to learn, collaborate, and collectively support initiatives – while a range of donor institutions are also joining as Co-Investors around specific initiatives.

Once an initiative is well-positioned to scale its work to address underlying systemic limitations, the Co-Impact model delivers financial and nonfinancial supports to further empower local or country- based initiatives that are proven to work. This model allows initiatives to plan for growth, activate a coalition of actors, and unlock large-scale change.

Co-Impact’s systems change grants typically range from US $10 to $50 million over five years to deliver results for millions of people in a specific country or region. In limited cases, Co-Impact also provides smaller venture grants to promising, earlier-stage opportunities to support program partners in testing and refining their change model…

Featured Journal Content

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 19 Jan 2019]
Research Article
Effects of armed conflict on child health and development: A systematic review
Ayesha Kadir, Sherry Shenoda, Jeffrey Goldhagen
Research Article | published 16 Jan 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210071
Abstract
Background
Armed conflicts affect more than one in 10 children globally. While there is a large literature on mental health, the effects of armed conflict on children’s physical health and development are not well understood. This systematic review summarizes the current and past knowledge on the effects of armed conflict on child health and development.
Methods
A systematic review was performed with searches in major and regional databases for papers published 1 January 1945 to 25 April 2017. Included studies provided data on physical and/or developmental outcomes associated with armed conflict in children under 18 years. Data were extracted on health outcomes, displacement, social isolation, experience of violence, orphan status, and access to basic needs. The review is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42017036425.
Findings
Among 17,679 publications screened, 155 were eligible for inclusion. Nearly half of the 131 quantitative studies were case reports, chart or registry reviews, and one-third were cross-sectional studies. Additionally, 18 qualitative and 6 mixed-methods studies were included. The papers describe mortality, injuries, illnesses, environmental exposures, limitations in access to health care and education, and the experience of violence, including torture and sexual violence. Studies also described conflict-related social changes affecting child health. The geographical coverage of the literature is limited. Data on the effects of conflict on child development are scarce.
Interpretation
The available data document the pervasive effect of conflict as a form of violence against children and a negative social determinant of child health. There is an urgent need for research on the mechanisms by which conflict affects child health and development and the relationship between physical health, mental health, and social conditions. Particular priority should be given to studies on child development, the long term effects of exposure to conflict, and protective and mitigating factors against the harmful effects of armed conflict on children.

Ebola – Democratic Republic of the Congo

24: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu 16 January 2019
[Excerpts]
1. Situation update
…As of 14 January 2019, a cumulative total of 402 deaths were reported, including 353 deaths among confirmed cases. The case fatality ratio among confirmed cases is 58% (353/609). Since 1 December 2018, 36% (72/202) of cases have occurred in children <15 years of age. Of these, 16 cases were <1 year of age. A total of 29 pregnant women have been reported so far. To date, 57 infected healthcare workers (including 20 deaths) have been reported, with an additional laboratory worker and a nurse identified retrospectively during the last reporting week. On 14 January 2019, one death among a healthcare worker occurred in Katwa Health Zone.

…Case management
On 24 November 2018, MoH announced the launch of a randomized control trial for Ebola therapeutics. This first-ever multi-drug randomized control trial within an outbreak setting is an important step towards finding an effective evidence-based treatment for Ebola. The trial is coordinated by WHO and led and sponsored by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) which is the principal investigator. The trial has begun in the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) ETC in Beni, where patients are enrolled in the study after obtaining voluntary informed consent. MSF treatment centres are also preparing to launch the trial at their sites in the near future.

Until other ETCs are ready to launch the trial, they will continue to provide therapeutics under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered Interventions (MEURI) (compassionate use) protocol, in collaboration with the MoH and the INRB, together with supportive care measures. WHO continues to provide technical clinical expertise on-site at all treatment centres. UNICEF is providing nutritional treatment and psychological support for all hospitalized patients…

…Implementation of ring vaccination protocol
As of 14 January 2019, a total of 60,460 individuals have been vaccinated since the start of the outbreak.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 16 January 2019
Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Nigeria – advance notification one case of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and two circulating VDPV2 positive environmental samples.
:: Pakistan – two cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and five WPV1 positive environmental sample

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Editor’s Note:

WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.
WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 19 Jan 2019]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: 24: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  16 January 2019
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo  17 January 2019

Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO statement on health situation in Rukban, Syria
17 January 2019, Damascus, Syria – The World Health Organization expresses severe concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Rukban settlement close to the border with Jordan, and calls for immediate access to the settlement to assess the health situation, provide essential medicines and medical supplies, and support the medical evacuation of critically ill patients.
Approximately 40 000 people, mostly women and children, remain stranded in the settlement and are unable to leave, and harsh winter conditions have reportedly led to several deaths. Health care facilities are barely functioning and have very few staff or medical supplies. There are no generators or fuel to provide even minimum warmth to alleviate the bitterly cold weather…

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 19 Jan 2019]
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Brazil (in Portugese) – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 19 Jan 2019]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen
:: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 13 December 2018 – 15 January 2019 | Issue 1  Published on 15 Jan
KEY ISSUES:

• Humanitarian partners assisted about 1 million people displaced by conflict in Al Hudaydah Governorate in the last six months. Partners are preparing to assist about 342,000 people who are projected to return to Al Hudaydah City if the situation improves.
• The assisted displaced people include 127,644 in Hajjah Governorate where about 140,000 displaced people have been registered since June 2018.
• The Central Emergency Response Fund made US$32 million available to support critical services for the scaleup of the life-saving humanitarian responses in Yemen.

Syrian Arab Republic   – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia  – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia  – No new digest announcements identified

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“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake – No new digest announcements identifie

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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 12 January 2019

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: the sentinel_ period ending 12 jan 2019

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]