Development – Connectivity

Airbus and the World Bank launch a digital development project to connect Lima, the Andes and the central jungle of Peru #SmartBus
Lima, 28 January 2018 – Airbus and the World Bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop SmartBus, an innovative geospatial monitoring pilot project.

Connected buses will gather and transmit information in real time about the state of the national road network, as well as enabling communication with areas isolated due to natural disasters. It will also study the use of new technologies to provide internet access in rural areas. The initiative, supported by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Peru (MTC), will be developed on the Andean road route between the capital city Lima, on the Pacific Coast, and cities located at the edge of the jungle and low Amazonian jungle.

Scientific data will be gathered with unprecedented precision, making it possible to map one of the most rugged – and busiest – sections of the country’s transport network, crossing the highest paved road in the central Andes, Ticlio, at a height of 4,818 metres above sea level.

Alberto Rodríguez, Director of the World Bank for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, said: “It will only be possible to maintain growth in the coming decade if our countries invest in development of human resources and scientific capabilities. This pilot project aims to achieve this very goal, connecting people in an extremely difficult geographical region of Peru and helping them to identify problems and possible solutions relating to road safety, meteorology and transport logistics. By connecting people and their problems with research centres, universities and leading technological companies, the project is making a tangible contribution to development.”

Meanwhile, Christophe Roux, Head of Airbus Defence and Space in Latin America said: “The support shown by Peruvian institutions is also proof of Peru’s strong interest in technological innovation. Airbus is committed to supporting this development, especially taking into account that Digital Transformation is at the heart of our growth strategy.”

The first phase of the project will involve installation of satellite antennas and sensors on various commercial buses covering the 742 km coast-mountain-jungle route. The data gathered by these devices will be complemented by satellite images provided by the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA), one of the entities collaborating on the SmartBus project.

The second phase will involve the organisation of a hackathon in Lima from 15 to 17 February 2019, which will bring together engineers, developers and students from across Peru to work on the development of innovative digital services and solutions using the information gathered by these sensors.

The project will allow measurement of the impact of innovative technological solutions such as: access to new connectivity models; systematisation of data gathered via wireless applications for the monitoring of infrastructure and maintenance of road networks; and the updating of information relevant to business activities at a local level…

Governance: State-Level Corruption

Corruption Perceptions Index 2018 shows anti-corruption efforts stalled in most countries
Analysis reveals corruption contributing to a global crisis of democracy
29 Jan 2019 Issued by Transparency International Secretariat
The 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International reveals that the continued failure of most countries to significantly control corruption is contributing to a crisis of democracy around the world.

“With many democratic institutions under threat across the globe – often by leaders with authoritarian or populist tendencies – we need to do more to strengthen checks and balances and protect citizens’ rights,” said Patricia Moreira, Managing Director of Transparency International. “Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle, where corruption undermines democratic institutions and, in turn, weak institutions are less able to control corruption.”

The 2018 CPI draws on 13 surveys and expert assessments to measure public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories, giving each a score from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). To view the results, visit: http://www.transparency.org/cpi2018

CPI highlights
More than two-thirds of countries score below 50, with an average score of only 43. Since 2012, only 20 countries have significantly improved their scores, including Estonia and Côte D’Ivoire, and 16 have significantly declined, including, Australia, Chile and Malta. Denmark and New Zealand top the Index with 88 and 87 points, respectively. Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria are at the bottom of the index, with 10, 13 and 13 points, respectively. The highest scoring region is Western Europe and the European Union, with an average score of 66, while the lowest scoring regions are Sub-Saharan Africa (average score 32) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (average score 35).

Corruption and the crisis of democracy
Cross analysis with global democracy data reveals a link between corruption and the health of democracies. Full democracies score an average of 75 on the CPI; flawed democracies score an average of 49; hybrid regimes – which show elements of autocratic tendencies – score 35; autocratic regimes perform worst, with an average score of just 30 on the CPI.

Exemplifying this trend, the CPI scores for Hungary and Turkey decreased by eight and nine points respectively over the last five years. At the same time, Turkey was downgraded from ‘partly free’ to ‘not free’, while Hungary registered its lowest score for political rights since the fall of communism in 1989. These ratings reflect the deterioration of rule of law and democratic institutions, as well as a rapidly shrinking space for civil society and independent media, in those countries.
More generally, countries with high levels of corruption can be dangerous places for political opponents. Practically all of the countries where political killings are ordered or condoned by the government are rated as highly corrupt on the CPI…

Governance – States Create Corporate Entity to Enable Iran Trade

Joint statement on the creation of INSTEX, the special purpose vehicle aimed at facilitating legitimate trade with Iran in the framework of the efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) (31 January 2019)
Joint statement by the E3 Foreign Ministers – Jean-Yves Le Drian (France), Heiko Maas (Germany), Jeremy Hunt (United Kingdom)
France, Germany and the United Kingdom, in accordance with their resolute commitment and continued efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) endorsed by United Nations Security Council resolution 2231, announce the creation of INSTEX SAS (Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges), a Special Purpose Vehicle aimed at facilitating legitimate trade between European economic operators and Iran.

The E3 reaffirm that their efforts to preserve the economic provisions of the JCPOA are conditioned upon Iran’s full implementation of its nuclear-related commitments, including full and timely cooperation with the IAEA.

INSTEX will support legitimate European trade with Iran, focusing initially on the sectors most essential to the Iranian population – such as pharmaceutical, medical devices and agri-food goods. INSTEX aims in the long term to be open to economic operators from third countries who wish to trade with Iran and the E3 continue to explore how to achieve this objective.

The creation of INSTEX is a major first step taken by E3 countries today. The operationalisation of INSTEX will follow a step-by-step approach:
:: The E3 together with INSTEX will continue to work on concrete and operational details to define the way the company will operate.
:: The E3 will also work with Iran to create an effective and transparent corresponding entity that is required to be able to operationalise INSTEX.

INSTEX will function under the highest international standards with regards to anti-money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) and EU and UN sanctions compliance. In this respect, the E3 expect Iran to swiftly implement all elements of its FATF action plan.

The E3 underline their commitment to pursue the further development of INSTEX with interested European countries to make this instrument in support of trade exchanges with Iran operational by following the steps set out above.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 30 January 2019
:: 2018 in review and looking ahead to 2019: progress, challenges, milestones and takeaway lessons as we move forward. Read here.
:: The 144th Session of the Executive Board is meeting from 24 January to 1 February ahead of the World Health Assembly in May. Polio was one of the main talking points in the opening speech by the DG WHO and current Chair of the Polio Oversight Board, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Read his speech here. Concurrently, the DG also had a stakeholder consultation where he stressed on the need for strengthened and systematic collaboration between partners, health, and non-health actors, and committing to transparent long-term budgets for eradication efforts.

 Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Afghanistan – five WPV1 positive environmental samples;
:: Pakistan – ten wild polioviruses type 1 (WPV1) positive environmental samples;
:: Nigeria – two circulating vaccine derived poliovirus (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 2 Feb 2019]
Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Bi‐weekly Situation Report 2 – 31 January 2019

KEY HIGHLIGHTS
:: The number of varicella cases reported in week 4 has increased to 5 376, which is more than double from week 3. WHO and the health sector are working in collaboration with community health working group; education sector and risk communication group for multi-prong response
:: Partners were provided with important guidance on key issues such as temperature control storage, disposal of drugs and content of Emergency health kits were shared with partners through a health logistics meeting
:: WHO was involved in developing a microplan for water quality surveillance in refugee camps for 2019.
:: The health sector is actively coordinating a systematic rationalisation process to reduce duplication of health facilities in the refugee camps

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Disease outbreak news: Update
31 January 2019
The Ministry of Health (MoH), WHO and partners continue to respond to an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD), despite persistent challenges around security and community mistrust impacting response measures. Relatively high numbers of cases were reported in recent weeks (Figure 1), mostly driven by the outbreak in Katwa Health Zone; the current focus of large scale response activities. Smaller clusters continue to be reported beyond Katwa Health Zone, including from Beni and Oicha; however, teams have quickly and systematically responded to these clusters to prevent onward transmission and guard against further geographical expansion of the outbreak. Teams are also working actively to strengthen community trust and participation in all affected areas.
As we approach six months since declaration of the outbreak, there have been a total of 752 EVD cases1 (698 confirmed and 54 probable) reported, including 465 deaths (overall case fatality ratio: 62%) as of 29 January 2019. Thus far, 259 people have been discharged from Ebola Treatment Centres (ETCs) and enrolled in a dedicated program for monitoring and supporting survivors. Among cases with a reported age and sex, 59% (439/750) were female, and 30% (224/749) were aged less than 18 years; including 115 children under 5 years…

South Sudan
:: South Sudan vaccinates health workers against Ebola
Yambio, 28 January 2019 – The Ministry of Health of South Sudan, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners, today started vaccinating health workers and other front-line responders against Ebola as part of preparedness measures to fight the spread of the disease.
Vaccination began in Yambio, Gbudue State, but health workers in Tombura, Yei and Nimule as well as the capital city, Juba, will also be offered the vaccine. These are high-risk areas bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), now experiencing its tenth outbreak of Ebola. The outbreak began 1 August 2018. Neighbouring countries have not reported any cases of Ebola, but preparedness is crucial…

Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO concerned over critical health situation in Al-Hol camp, Al-Hasakeh
31 January 2019, Damascus, Syria – The World Health Organization is extremely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Al-Hol camp in Al-Hasakeh governorate, and calls on all parties to the conflict to provide unhindered humanitarian access to people in need of life-saving aid….

Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified  
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 2 Feb 2019]

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
occupied Palestinian territory  – 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 2 Feb 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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WHO AFRO Outbreaks – Week 04: 19 – 25 January 2019
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 57 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including:
:: Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Measles in Madagascar
:: Humanitarian crisis in Nigeria
:: Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan

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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
:: Hajjah Flash Update 1 | 27 January 2018

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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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
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

::::::

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

::::::

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
 
:::::

“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…