Governance – G7

G7 Leaders’ Declaration
26 August 2019 – Statement [full text!]
The G7 Leaders wish to underline their great unity and the positive spirit of the debates. The G7 Summit organized by France in Biarritz has successfully produced agreements by the Heads of State and Government themselves on several points summarized below:

Trade
:: The G7 is committed to open and fair world trade and to the stability of the global economy.
:: The G7 requests that the Finance Ministers closely monitor the state of the global economy.
Therefore, the G7 wishes to overhaul the WTO to improve effectiveness with regard to intellectual property protection, to settle disputes more swiftly and to eliminate unfair trade practices.
:: The G7 commits to reaching in 2020 an agreement to simplify regulatory barriers and modernize international taxation within the framework of the OECD.

Iran
:: We fully share two objectives: to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons and to foster peace and stability in the region.

Ukraine
:: France and Germany will organize a Normandy format summit in the coming weeks to achieve tangible results.

Libya
:: We support a truce in Libya that will lead to a long-term ceasefire.
:: We believe that only a political solution can ensure Libya’s stability.
:: We call for a well-prepared international conference to bring together all the stakeholders and regional actors relevant to this conflict.
:: We support in this regard the work of the United Nations and the African Union to set up an inter-Libyan conference.

Hong Kong
:: The G7 reaffirms the existence and importance of the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 on Hong Kong and calls for violence to be avoided.

Governance – Situation in Venezuela

August 28, 2019
OAS Permanent Council Approves Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in Venezuela
The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today approved the Resolution on the Human Rights Situation in Venezuela, which strongly condemns “the grave and systematic violations of human rights in Venezuela, including the use of torture, illegal and arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and the denial of the most basic rights and necessities, especially those related to health, food and education.”…

The document also resolves “to demand immediate and unhindered access for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Venezuela,” and “to foster the strengthening of cooperation between the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor the human rights situation in Venezuela.”

During the meeting, the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, affirmed that “the OAS General Secretariat does not find it possible to ignore the denunciations and testimonies presented by Venezuelans who suffer the persecution of the regime. We understand the legal and moral obligation to criminally investigate these cases.” He also recalled the importance of opening an international criminal investigation within the framework of the International Criminal Court to determine individual responsibility for the crimes that have been committed in the country.

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Venezuelan Migrants to Get Regional Vaccination Cards Under 10-Nation Pact
August 26, 2019 Reuters
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Venezuelan migrants will be provided with a regional vaccination card beginning in October, health officials from 10 countries agreed on Monday, in an effort to ensure they receive needed vaccines and are not given double doses. More than 4 million Venezuelans have fled an economic and political crisis in their home country that has caused widespread shortages of food and medicine.

Health officials from the United States, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Canada, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Peru and Paraguay unanimously approved the measure in a meeting in the Colombian border city of Cucuta.

The vaccination card will “accompany migrants from the middle of October and have the support of international agencies for its printing, distribution and training for its use,” Colombian Health Minister Juan Pablo Uribe told journalists.

“The unified card shows that our countries can work together,” Uribe added.

The health officials, including U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, also agreed to prioritize efforts to reduce infection rates and treat malaria and HIV/AIDS, care for migrants with chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer, and help migrants in need of mental health care…

Governance – Collaboration

Joint Statement by the President of France, ILO Director-General, World Bank Group President, IMF Acting Managing Director, WTO Director-General and OECD Secretary-General on the occasion of the G7 Summit under the French Presidency
August 28, 2019
1. High and rising inequalities of opportunities and outcomes pose risks to global growth, economic stability and social cohesion and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals more generally, as shown by the work of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We share the view that, in the face of global challenges, a renewed and effective multilateralism, including enhanced cooperation and coherent approaches, is more important than ever. The international organizations welcome the opportunity offered by the French presidency to engage with G7 members to promote sustainable growth and fight against inequalities.

2. Many initiatives have been undertaken by international organizations to promote economic growth that is sustainable, inclusive and leaves no one behind; to enhance opportunities; to ensure decent work for all and access to quality education, health and government services; and to make trade work for all and improve living conditions.

3. While noting the distinct nature of international organizations’ mandates, we are convinced that stronger cooperation, where appropriate, will increase their efficiency and impact in delivering the outcomes identified by their Members.

4. With full respect to each organization’s mandates, we will continue to strengthen our cooperation with a view to:
– Helping countries achieve improved outcomes on growth, shared prosperity and sustainable development.
– Fostering regular dialogue to exchange good practices in tackling inequalities and to strengthen synergies and complementarities in developing policy approaches to inclusive growth.
– Identifying areas for collaboration through joint analysis and technical assistance, to reduce inequalities and to ensure adequate access to social protection while recognising the unique circumstances and capabilities of our respective institutions and members.
– Supporting each other’s work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Governance – Digital Authoritarianism

Brookings :: Policy Brief
Exporting digital authoritarianism – The Russian and Chinese models
As Russia, China, and other states advance influence through forms of digital authoritarianism, stronger responses are needed from the U.S. and like-minded partners to limit the effects of their efforts.
Alina Polyakova and Chris Meserole
August 2019 :: 22 pages
Executive Summary
Digital authoritarianism — the use of digital information technology by authoritarian regimes to surveil, repress, and manipulate domestic and foreign populations — is reshaping the power balance between democracies and autocracies. At the forefront of this phenomenon, China and Russia have developed and exported distinct technology-driven playbooks for authoritarian rule. Beijing’s experience using digital tools for domestic censorship and surveillance has made it the supplier of choice for illiberal regimes looking to deploy their own surveillance systems, while Moscow’s lower-cost digital disinformation tools have proven effective in repressing potential opposition at home and undermining democracies abroad.

This policy brief examines the development and export of both the Chinese and Russian models. China pioneered digital age censorship with its “Great Firewall” of a state-controlled Internet and unprecedented high-tech repression deployed in Xinjiang in recent years, and has exported surveillance and monitoring systems to at least 18 countries. Russia relies less on filtering information and more on a repressive legal regime and intimidation of key companies and civil society, a lower-cost ad hoc model more easily transferable to most countries. The Russian government has made recent legal and technical moves which further tighten control, including legislation passed this year to establish a “sovereign Russian internet.”

The authors recommend that the United States and other democracies should tighten export controls on technologies that advance digital authoritarianism, sanction regimes engaging in digital authoritarianism and firms that supply them, develop a competitive democratic model of digital governance with a code of conduct, and increase public awareness around information manipulation, including funding educational programs to build digital critical thinking skills among youth.

Protection – Refugee and Migrant Children: Greece

More than 1,100 unaccompanied refugee and migrant children in Greece need urgent shelter and protection
European Member States urged to increase relocation pledges and fast-track family reunifications
GENEVA, 29 August 2019 – The number of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children, staying in dangerous and overcrowded Reception and Identification Centres on the Greek islands, and detention facilities across the country, now exceeds 1,100 – the largest number since the beginning of 2016 – UNICEF said today. The agency urged European Member States to do more to protect these particularly vulnerable children…

To further highlight the situation, UNICEF has released a short film documenting the dreams and despair of boys staying in “Section B,” an area meant to provide specialized protection for unaccompanied children in the Reception and Identification Centre in Moria, on the Greek island of Lesvos. The film depicts children as they recount the horrors that made them flee their homes, the dangerous journeys they undertook, the difficult conditions at the centre, and their fears and hopes surrounding their uncertain futures…

Actions European Governments and EU Institutions should take to protect the rights of refugee and migrant children include:
:: Increasing pledges to relocate unaccompanied and separated children – particularly those in Greece, Italy and Spain.
:: Fast-tracking family reunifications for children who already have relatives living in the rest of Europe.
:: Urgently increase funds to support and strengthen response efforts of European countries receiving the largest number of refugees and migrants.

Once children enter Europe, EU Governments should work together to ensure all refugee and migrant children – accompanied or not – have access to safe and adequate shelter, eliminating detention as an option. Children need immediate access to essential services and at all stages of their journey, while ensuring safe passages and legal pathways. Specialized accommodation, foster care, guardianship and other measures are needed to ensure every unaccompanied or separated child realizes his/her right to grow up in a caring environment.

Currently, there are more than 32,000 refugee and migrant children in Greece, including more than 4,000 who are unaccompanied and separated. Over the last three years, UNICEF has supported more than 60,000 refugee and migrant children and their families in Greece. This work includes ensuring children have access to vital child protection services, including psychosocial support, health care and education. UNICEF is also working with the Ministry of Health, providing 85,000 vaccines to protect refugee and migrant children from diseases.

Education

World Bank, Japan to Support Human Capital Development Through Education in Africa
Yokohama, August 29, 2019 – The World Bank and the Government of Japan today announced a new Africa-focused initiative aimed at advancing 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 Government of Japan views the initiative as a way to share Japanese experiences in human capital development through improvements in basic education and the building of science, technology and innovation capacity in universities. This investment also aims to strengthen bonds between African and Japanese universities and corporations in applied scientific research and innovation.

The multi-year initiative, which was announced during the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, will support two key initiatives of relevance to African countries:
:: The Global Education Policy Dashboard. Together with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID), the World Bank is developing a policy dashboard focused on giving governments in low- and middle- income countries a better understanding of what’s going on in their education systems at the school and system level in basic education, so they can make, and track the impact of, real-time policy decisions at the national level.

:: A Japan-Africa higher education partnership aimed at increasing collaboration between Japanese universities and industries and African universities to address urgent developmental challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. This collaboration will leverage two regional platforms supported by the World Bank: The Africa Centers of Excellence (ACE) and the Partnership for skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET).

“This unique initiative will help increase the capacity of Africa’s universities in science, technology and innovation, while supporting African governments—via the Dashboard—in their efforts to ensure that Africa’s youngest learners are better prepared to succeed,” said Hafez Ghanem, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region.

African countries will benefit from partnerships and technical assistance from Japanese universities and companies and hands-on learning opportunities to commercialize research with Japanese companies. African governments will also have an easy-access to international case studies including Japan, policy, and relevant data to develop foundational skills in basic education through the dashboard.

“We welcome the partnership of African countries, including Rwanda, with the World Bank and the Government of Japan to leverage innovative research, based on decades of experience from Japan to improve quality of basic education, and develop strategies to catalyze innovative research, extend the use of digital technologies in applied research, and build capacity in commercializing research,” said Eugène Mutimura, Minister of Education of Rwanda, and Vice-Chair of PASET Governing Board.

Investing in people through nutrition, health care, quality education, jobs and skills helps develop human capital that is key to ending extreme poverty and creating more inclusive societies. The initiative announced today will help African countries build a highly-skilled generation of young people capable of competing in the economy of the future.

Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
29 August 2019
The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continued this week with similar transmission intensity to the previous six weeks, with an average of 77 cases per week…

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Polio :: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo)
Six cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) have been reported in the past week: one each from Djalo-Ndjeka, Vanga-Kete, Katako-Kombe, and Bena-Dibele districts from Sankuru State; one from Kilwa district, Katanga State; and, one from Mukanga, Haut Lomami State. The onsets of paralysis were on 10 July, 18 July, 17 July, 9 July, 29 June, and 22 June 2019 respectively. There are 23 cases of cVDPV2 reported in 2019. There were 20 cVDPV2 cases reported in 2018.  DRC is currently affected by nine separate cVDPV2 outbreaks; one each originated in Haut Katanga, Mongala, Sankuru, Tanganika, Tshuapa, Kasai, Kasai Central, and two in Haut Lomami provinces.
Read our Democratic Republic of the Congo country page to see information on surveillance and vaccination campaigns.

Measles control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [in French] 28 August 2019

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As Ebola cases reach 3000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO calls on all partners to fulfill promises to communities
29 August 2019 News release Geneva
As the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reaches 3000 cases, WHO calls for the full force of all partners to respond and increase their presence in the field to stop Ebola and to address one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world.

“Our commitment to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is that we will work alongside them to stop the Ebola outbreak,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Our commitment also means strengthening health systems to give them all the other things they need. Building strong systems is what will protect people, communities and the world.“

With a population of 80 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 4 million displaced and is home to the world’s second largest food crisis with 13 million people food insecure. Since January 2019, there have been outbreaks of cholera (15,331 cases, 287 deaths), measles (161,397 cases, 3,117 deaths) and malaria, the leading cause of death in the DRC, which kills more than 48,000 people every year.

Dr Tedros will accompany UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on his mission to the country this weekend, along with senior officials, including Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

“We are working in an incredibly complex environment, but thanks to support from donors and actions taken by the Ministry of Health, WHO and partners, we have saved thousands of lives,” said Dr Moeti. “We strive towards a much more united approach and call on NGOs and UN partners to continue to accelerate all activities. Everyone has a role to play and we each must be accountable for what we signed up to do, only then will we end this outbreak.”…

More than 200,000 people have been vaccinated against Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with health and frontline workers in Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi. Two therapeutic treatments being used in the country as part of a clinical trial have shown to save 9 of 10 lives if used at the right time.

More than 89 million screenings within the country and at international borders have helped control the spread, by identifying and providing care to anyone with symptoms. On 29 August, Ugandan health officials announced confirmation of another case in the country: a child who had crossed over from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As this alert underlines, regional preparedness will remain key.

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UNICEF – Protecting children and engaging communities key to ending Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as deaths pass 2,000
Statement attributable to Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
KINSHASA, 30 August 2019 – “Almost 600 children have now lost their lives to the Ebola outbreak in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) out of almost 850 who have caught the deadly virus since the epidemic started in August 2018. The news that the total number of deaths has now passed 2,000, out of more than 3,000 cases, should act as a rallying cry for us all to step up our efforts to defeat this terrible disease and end this outbreak.
“As the numbers continue to grow, it is vital to remember that each one of these cases is somebody’s child, a son or daughter; a mother, father, brother or sister. And each of these deaths leaves a family not only in mourning but also scared and worried about their own exposure to the disease.

“That is why supporting, engaging and raising awareness among the affected communities are key in ending this outbreak. The recent breakthrough in finding a successful treatment for this disease, and the continued effectiveness of vaccination efforts to prevent transmission and infection, mean that, for the first time, we now have the means to both prevent and treat Ebola. However, these breakthroughs mean little if individuals are too scared to seek treatment, or too slow to spot symptoms. By ensuring that the local population are informed, engaged and invested in the response, we stand the best chance of defeating the disease.

Preventing infection among children must also be central to the continued response. We know that more children, proportionately, are being affected than in any previous Ebola outbreak, and Ebola ravages children in ways that are very different from adults. What we do to treat and care for them must respond to their unique needs – physical, psychological and social. As such, UNICEF is working with partners, to meet children’s immediate and longer-term needs, accompanying them and their families every step of the way.

“The reality is that we need far more international support now. Ebola outbreaks need an exceptional level of investment compared to other disease outbreaks because they require 100 per cent of cases to be treated, and 100 per cent of contacts to be traced and managed. UNICEF requires US$126 million to meet the needs of children and communities, immediately and over the medium-term.  As of yet, UNICEF has only funded 31 per cent of the appeal.”

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Notes for editors:
UNICEF works with partners on three broad areas of the response to support the overarching goal of ultimately defeating Ebola and getting to zero cases.

:: Risk communication and community engagement to inform, protect and engage communities. We work with a broad swathe of influential community and religious leaders, Ebola survivors, psychosocial workers, and mass media, to bring crucial knowledge on symptoms, prevention and treatment, to the households and communities most at-risk. We are learning from continuous research and analysis of community feedback to better understand local needs, fears and concerns, and to adapt the response, to one that is socially and culturally acceptable. We have made changes to the burials process; we are conducting decontamination at night; and we are responding with a lighter footprint. We will keep listening and learning.

:: Infection prevention and control to help prevent further spread of the disease. We have installed handwashing units in over 2,500 health facilities, 2,300 schools and over 7,000 critical transit sites. We distribute supplies, including thermometers and chlorine to treat water. And we’ve enabled over 2.1 million people to gain access to safe water.

:: Psychosocial support to assist families, particularly children affected by the disease. UNICEF and its partners have trained more than 918 psychosocial workers to assist children and families directly affected by the disease, and people who are contacts of those who have contracted the disease. We set up childcare centres next to the Ebola treatment centres in Beni and Butembo, where Ebola-survivors look after young children who have been separated from their parents due to Ebola treatment or orphaned.

:: UNICEF has deployed 8 nutritionists to provide specialized care for children (and adults) in the Ebola treatment centres. This is the first time an Ebola outbreak response has included this kind of care, and there is growing recognition among responders that it plays a vital role in the overall health status of patients.

:: We work in over 6,509 schools across the affected and at-risk areas to build a protective environment for children. This includes distributing health and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, including handwashing units and laser thermometers. Some 32,250 teachers and principals, and 928,500 students have received sensitization or training on Ebola.

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IFRC – Ebola: As death toll approaches 2,000, vaccines, treatment and behaviour change equally important
Nairobi/Geneva 27 August 2019—The availability of an effective vaccine against Ebola and the recent confirmation of two effective treatments do not negate the importance of building trust and understanding in communities affected by the outbreak, warns the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)…

Dr Emanuele Capobianco, IFRC’s Director of Health and Care said:
“The importance of these new treatments – and the continued roll out of vaccines – are not to be underestimated. But alone they are not enough. Now is the time to double down on efforts to engage at-risk communities. For the treatments to work, people need to trust them and the medical staff who administer them. This will take time, resources and a lot of hard work.”

Continued high levels of distrust mean that many Ebola patients are delaying or avoiding going to health facilities. This reluctance significantly decreases their chance of survival, even with access to the newest treatments. It also dramatically increases the risk that the virus will spread to family members and other care givers. More than 42 per cent of alerts that Red Cross receives to bury a loved one are coming from a death at home.

IFRC’s Capobianco said:
“We are asking people to leave the safety of their homes when they fall sick to go to an isolated cell in an Ebola treatment centres where their lives are in the hands of complete strangers. We are asking communities to change the way they care for the sick and the dead in ways that go against their traditions. And we are doing all this in communities that have learned to distrust outsiders following decades of violence and unrest.
“This is our biggest challenge. It is a behavioural challenge, not a medical one. And unfortunately, there is no magic pill to change behaviours.”…

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POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 28 August 2019
:: Technical Advisory Group on Polio Eradication in Afghanistan met on 25-26 August 2019 to discuss and propose recommendations on a range of thematic areas in combatting the ongoing wild poliovirus transmission in the region including: access issues, ban on house-to-house campaigns, optimizing community engagement, and geographic prioritization.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Pakistan —  five wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases;
:: Nigeria — one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2)-positive healthy contact sample;
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo— six cVDPV2 cases;
:: Ghana — one cVDPV2-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 31 Aug 2019]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Disease Outbreak News (DONs) Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
29 August 2019
:: As Ebola cases reach 3000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO calls on all partners to fulfill promises to communities 29 August 2019
:: Measles control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [in French] 28 August 2019
[See DRC Ebola+ above for detail]

Nigeria
:: WHO supports Cross River State in administering polio vaccines to Cameroonian refugees
22 August 2019

Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 31 Aug 2019]

Cameroon
:: WHO supports Cross River State in administering polio vaccines to Cameroonian refugees
22 August 2019

Libya
:: On the alert: WHO trains Libyans to prevent and control deadly diseases 22 August 2018

MERS-CoV
:: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
26 August 2019 From 1 through 31 July 2019, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported 9 additional laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) infection and 4 associated deaths.

Measles in Europe
:: European Region loses ground in effort to eliminate measles 29-08-2019
[See Milestones above for detail]

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi floods – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – 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 31 Aug 2019]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

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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. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Humanitarian Update Syrian Arab Republic – Issue 05 | 29 August 2019

Yemen – 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.
Editor’s Note:
Ebola in the DRC has bene added as a OCHA “Corporate Emergency” this week:
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth
:: 22 August 2019 Southern Africa Humanitarian Snapshot (August 2019)

EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

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