Heritage Stewardship

6th Meeting of the Technical & Advisory Committee of the Great Museum of Africa
November 19, 2020
The Technical and Advisory Committee of the Great Museum of Africa (GMA) held their 6th Meeting Virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2016, the Executive Council of the African Union approved the establishment of the Great Museum of Africa to be located in Algiers as a Flagship Project of Agenda 2063 in its 1st Ten Year Implementation Plan (EX./CL/921 (XXIX))…

The Meeting was presented with the data collected from the public consultation on the Great Museum of Africa which highlighted the following: Knowledge of the concept of the GMA and its main feature including its vision and mission; its governance structure; communication and marketing strategy. The Meeting called for a wide dissemination of the survey link including social media networks to allow for popularization and dissemination of the Great Museum of Africa concept. The public consultation will be opened until the end of December 2020.

…The African Charter for African Cultural Renaissance recognises the important role that culture pays in mobilising and unifying people around common ideals and promoting African culture to build the ideals of Pan-Africanism. The Great African Museum project aims to create awareness about Africa’s vast, dynamic and diverse cultural artefacts and the influence Africa has had and continues to have on the various cultures of the world in areas such as art, music, language, science, and so on. The Great African Museum will be a focal centre for preserving and promoting the African cultural heritage.

The Great African Museum will be responsible for the collection, preservation, study, interpretation, and exhibition of Africa’s diverse cultures, heritage, history, and outstanding natural beauty, for integration, intercultural engagements, and economic prosperity. Through its collections, activities and advocacy, the Great African Museum will inspire generations to harness the continent’s history and endowments for advancement and promote cultural and creative industries, integration, solidarity, respect of values and mutual understanding in order to foster peace and promote a positive image of Africa.

EMERGENCIES

Coronavirus [COVID-19]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
last update: 14 November 2020, 10:30 GMT-4
Confirmed cases :: 57 274 018 [week ago: 53 164 803] [two weeks ago: 49 106 931]
Confirmed deaths :: 1 368 000 [week ago: 1 300 576] [two weeks ago: 1 239 157]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 220

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WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 20 November 2020
20 November 2020

Weekly epidemiological update – 17 November 2020
Overview
Globally in the past week, rates of new COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to increase, with almost 4 million new cases and 60 000 new deaths recorded. Cumulatively as of 15 November 2020, 53.7 million confirmed cases and 1.3 million deaths have been reported to WHO.

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 18 November 2020
:: On 13 November, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Prequalification (PQ) program issued an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) recommendation for the type 2 novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2). This will allow rollout of the vaccine for limited initial use in countries affected by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks…Read more

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and environmental samples):
:: Afghanistan: one WPV1 case, one WPV1 positive environmental sample and one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Pakistan: one WPV1 case, three WPV1 positive environmental samples, three cVDPV2 cases and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Burkina Faso: five cVDPV2 cases
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo: three cVDPV2 cases
:: Ghana: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Nigeria: one cVDPV2 case
:: Sudan: five cVDPV2 cases and three positive environmental samples

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WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 21 Nov 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – 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 21 Nov 2020]
Iraq
:: Prioritizing a transition from psychiatric hospital-based to community-based mental health services in Iraq 16 November 2020

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – 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
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique – 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
HIV in Pakistan – 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 21 Nov 2020]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – Page not responding at inquiry
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
:: Recent Developments in Northwest Syria – Situation Report No. 22 – As of 18 November 2020
…Some 80 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in northwest Syria were identified in the past month. Seven new treatment centres have been added, for a total of 26 with a capacity of 1,110 beds, and precautionary measures are being reintroduced especially in the Idleb area.
…Ongoing hostilities encroach on population areas, leading to higher civilian casualties…

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.
East Africa Locust Infestation
:: Desert Locust situation update – 20 November 2020

COVID-19
:: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update (17 November 2020)

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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 14 November 2020 :: Number 341

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 14 Nov 2020

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

Global Governance

We Face Greatest Test of Global Solidarity in Generations, as COVID-19 Inflicts Unprecedented Harm, Secretary-General Tells Group of 77 Ministers
12 November 2020
SG/SM/20413
…We are at a historic moment as we face the greatest test of global solidarity in generations. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inflict unprecedented harm on people, societies and economies around the world. The pandemic has pushed us towards one of the worst recessions in modern times, which is having a devastating effect on the most vulnerable countries and peoples.

The progress we have made together over recent decades on your top priorities — eradicating poverty and hunger, increasing opportunities for all, and reducing inequalities within and between countries — that progress is being eroded in a matter of months.

At the beginning of this year, we launched the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. Our aim was to accelerate implementation in those areas where we are off track and to address major financial gaps.

But today, we face even more serious headwinds. But within this crisis lies an opportunity — a chance to embark on a path to revive economies, ensure gender equality, protect our planet and achieve the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] by 2030.

A path that ensures universal access to social protection, health care, quality education and digital connectivity. A path towards a rapid and just transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient economies that generate investment, growth and employment. A path that nurtures social cohesion, advances human rights and builds peace.

The United Nations is calling for a transformative response and recovery, based on unity and solidarity. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Paris Agreement [on climate change] and the Sendai Framework [for Disaster Risk Reduction] remain our guiding lights. They must be at the heart of all national and global response and recovery efforts…

Sovereign Governance

The Elders express deep concern at failure to respect US democratic transition of power
Statement
12 Nov 2020
The Elders today expressed deep concern about US President Donald Trump’s refusal to adhere to the protocols and processes governing the transition of power, as putting at risk the functioning of American democracy.

The continued assertions of electoral fraud by the President and some senior members of the Administration and of the Republican Party, offered as yet without any compelling evidence, convey a lack of respect for the integrity and independence of the democratic and legal institutions of the United States, The Elders warned.

Such an unprecedented situation could have far-reaching consequences beyond the United States’ borders. Those who stand to benefit from the current impasse are autocratic rulers and malign actors who wish to undermine democracy and the rule of law across the world.

The Elders noted that all living former US Presidents, including the last Republican incumbent George W. Bush, have congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and deemed the election outcome to be clear and fair.

Notwithstanding any continuing legal challenges, President Trump should follow the example set by his predecessors and declare himself willing to accept the verdict cast by the American people at the ballot box. The executive powers available to the President until his successor assumes office on 20 January 2021 should be used judiciously in the interests of the whole United States, rather than for partisan gain.

The Elders called on Republican leaders to act responsibly and in the interests of their country by supporting a smooth transition and pursuing their political agenda with integrity.

Continued baseless accusations of subversion risk further deepening the instability and polarisation in American society, and eroding public faith in institutions that is the bedrock of democratic life.

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former President of Ireland, said: “It is shocking to have to raise concerns about US democratic processes as The Elders have previously commented on volatile and undemocratic situations in states such as Kenya, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. President Trump’s refusal thus far to facilitate a smooth transition weakens democratic values. His fellow Republicans must now affirm their faith in the US Constitution, democratic institutions and the rule of law, so the country can begin a process of reconciliation.”

Development Finance

Historic statement by Public Development Banks signals greater commitment to tackle global hunger and poverty
Rome, 11 November 2020 – For the first time in history, today 13 Public Development Banks (PDBs) made a joint commitment to strengthen investments in food and agriculture in the context of a global pandemic and a changing climate, with more signatories expected in the coming days.

This unprecedented move comes as an urgent response to the world’s most pressing development and climate challenges in some of the most vulnerable countries.

“COVID-19 and climate change are putting enormous stress on our food systems,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which convened the PDB discussions and the subsequent joint statement that was released today.

“We need to act now and step up financing if we want to free the world from hunger and poverty by 2030, and offer a sustainable future to the two billion rural people who grow much of our world’s food. Public Development Banks can be leaders in in unlocking opportunities, building a more resilient world and ensuring more equitable societies.”

The statement contributes to the Finance in Common Summit (9-12 November) where 450 PDBs from all sectors will meet for the first time to commit to actions that shift investments to a greener and more sustainable path, while responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

The statement has been signed so far by 13 agriculture and rural banks from Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, and regional rural and agricultural credit associations. While these banks may be diverse in terms of capital base, mandate and instruments, the statement emphasizes the critical role they all play in financing future sustainable and inclusive food systems, and in addressing market failures – particularly in times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

To that end, the statement stresses the need to improve regulations, policies, governance and institutional capacity to allow PDBs to take on the necessary investment risks while remaining financially viable and institutionally sustainable in a rapidly changing financial market.

The signatories also acknowledge the importance of focusing on smallholder farmers and small and medium-sized agribusinesses, and developing financial products and services tailored to their needs. Their ability to access finance for investment is often constrained by their size, asset base, fragmentation and lack of information and coordination in both agricultural and financial markets.

“It is critical that Public Development Banks focus on small-scale producers and agripreneurs who are the backbone of food systems and economies of many low and middle income countries,” said Houngbo. “With access to finance, they can be far more productive and contribute to broader food security and prosperity.”

The statement further emphasizes the important role of PDBs as catalyzers of private sector investments which are often hindered by a variety of risks, costs, and poor economic returns. PDBs can develop innovative financial solutions to attract investors to the sector and help align commercial finance to global development, environmental and climate-related goals.

“Principled” Aid

Principled Aid Index 2020 – Harnessing values and interests in donor pandemic response
ODI Working and discussion papers 596 | November 2020 | Nilima Gulrajani and Emily Silcock
The Principled Aid Index ranks bilateral DAC donors by how they use official development assistance to pursue their long-term national interest.

Key Messages
:: Donors provide foreign aid to advance their values and protect their interests. The Principled Aid Index measures the strength of these dual motives as revealed by donor spending choices and trends.

:: Higher ranked donors focus on plugging development gaps, investing in global institutions and challenges, and committing to public spirited behaviours that do not instrumentalise aid for narrow, short-term gain. By pursuing the values of solidarity and collective action, donors gain future benefits indirectly for their citizens by fostering greater global stability, security and prosperity.

:: This year the Index identifies a decline in principled aid scores that started before the Covid-19 pandemic. The data shows worsening scores even among donors at the top of the rankings, driven by diminished public spiritedness as aid is allocated in ways that may secure direct shor tterm commercial and geo-strategic advantages.

:: The fragmented response by bilateral donors to the coronavirus crisis over the last eight months is in keeping with this downward trajectory of principled aid.

:: Now is the time for donors to broaden their response effort and attend in parallel to the wider socio-economic consequences of the crisis in affected countries. This involves acknowledging coronavirus as a protracted, multi-faceted global shock where interventions need to extend beyond the immediate health emergency and straddle the humanitarian–development nexus.

:: Focusing on building broad-based resilience can reduce donors’ exposure and vulnerability to future pandemics, as well as other emerging global challenges. A framework of ‘principled nationalism’ can guide donor efforts to address systemic global inequalities laid bare by the coronavirus crisis, and frame international actions to recover and rebuild.

Policy to Practice

Translating Policy Intent into Action: A Framework to Facilitate Implementation of Agricultural Policies in Africa
Research Report November 11, 2020
Urban Institute :: Matthew Eldridge, Justin Milner, James Ladi Williams
Abstract
Agriculture is crucial for Africa’s development and there is wide consensus that inclusive agricultural transformations are needed across the continent. However, progress has not kept pace with ambition. Even when governments design and approve policies based on the best available evidence, they often struggle to implement them. To help policymakers, donors, and other stakeholders identify, understand, and address these barriers to implementing agricultural policies, the Urban Institute developed a Policy Implementation Assessment Framework. This framework identifies five domains and, within them, 15 factors, that are critical to determining and improving a given policy’s “implement ability.”

Technology

Top 10 Emerging Technologies to Watch in 2020
World Economic Forum
10 Nov 2020
:: Electric planes, pain-free needles and virtual patients, are among the top 10 emerging technologies to watch in 2020
:: The list is compiled by a group of experts convened by the World Economic Forum and Scientific American.
:: To be selected, technologies must be new and poised to impact the world in the next three to five years.
: View the full list here.

New York, 10 November 2020 – From virtual patients to pain-free needles, synthesizing whole-genomes, and digital medicine, these top 10 emerging technologies are transforming our post-COVID-19 lives. An international steering group of experts singled out these and other emerging technologies as the ones most likely to impact the world in the next three to five years.

For example, a Swiss group was able to synthesize the entire COVID-19 genome by reproducing the genetic sequence uploaded by Chinese scientists. They were essentially teleporting the virus into their laboratory for study without waiting for physical samples. The ability to write our genome will inevitably help doctors to cure genetic diseases.

As we now move to clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine, virtual patients, instead of living humans, could help identify successful vaccine candidates, reduce costs, and speed up research. It would also prevent the testing of imperfect vaccine candidates on living volunteers.

While the outbreak unfolded, dozens of medical apps and bots were developed, expanding the digital medicine landscape. These apps could detect depression and provided counselling. Bots answered over 200 million inquiries about COVID symptoms and treatments. COVID-19 will continue to shape our lives, and these emerging technologies could fill the gaps created by the pandemic.

The list also includes new technologies that can help combat climate change by tackling major polluting industries. These new green technologies include innovative planes, new concrete formulations and using sunlight to power refineries.

Top 10 technologies to make the list are:
Virtual Patients
Virtual patients, instead of living humans, could make vaccine trials quicker and inexpensive. This technology would significantly reduce the number of human subjects needed for experimentation.

Microneedles for Painless Injections and Tests
These tiny needles promise pain-free injections and blood testing. Microneedles do not touch nerve endings. Since the process does not need costly equipment or a lot of training, they can be used in areas that do not normally receive cutting-edge medical technologies.

Whole-Genome Synthesis
Whole-genome synthesizing will transform cell engineering. The ability to write our genome will inevitably help doctors to cure genetic diseases.

Digital Medicine
Digital medicine is a collection of apps that detect and monitor the mental and physical health of patients. These apps and bots can enhance traditional medicine and provide support to patients with limited access to healthcare.

Electric Aviation
Electric propulsion motors would eliminate direct carbon emissions. This technology could also reduce fuel costs by up to 90%, maintenance by up to 50% and noise by nearly 70%. Currently, about 170 electric airplane projects are underway.

Lower-Carbon Cement
Concrete, the most widely used human-made material, shapes much of our built world. If cement production were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter after China and the US. Researchers are working on lower-carbon approaches by changing the recipe, using different materials, and using carbon capture and storage technologies.

Sun-Powered Chemistry
This approach uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide waste into needed chemicals manufactured from fossil fuel. This approach could reduce emissions in two ways – by using unwanted gas as raw material and using sunlight as the source of energy instead of fossil fuels.

Green Hydrogen
Current methods of producing hydrogen are not environmentally efficient. Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis, has no by-product, unlike current processes. Green hydrogen could transform industries that require high-energy fuel.

Spatial Computing
“Spatial computing” will bring together raise reality apps and sensors to facilitate human-machine and machine-machine interactions to a new level. It combines these capabilities and controls objects’ movements and interactions, allowing a person to navigate the digital and physical world.

Quantum Sensing
Quantum sensors enable autonomous vehicles that can “see” around corners, underwater navigation systems, early-warning systems for volcanic activity and earthquakes, and portable scanners that monitor a person’s brain activity during daily life.

The World Economic Forum’s inaugural Pioneers of Change Summit will take place online on 16-20 November. The summit brings together more than 750 leaders from government, business and civil society from more than 90 countries. The summit takes place at a time when there is a rare, but narrow, window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine and reset the world. Key topics discussed include: digital business, sustainable production, infrastructure, health, new work models, financial innovation and frontier technologies…

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Over US$ 2 billion raised to support equitable access to COVID vaccines with additional US$ 5 billion needed in 2021 – Gavi
13 November 2020
:: The European Commission, France, Spain, The Republic of Korea and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledge US$ 360 million to Gavi’s COVID-19 Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC)
:: Latest announcements mean over US$ 2 billion has been raised towards the effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for low- and middle-income economies, with at least US$ 5 billion more needed in 2021
:: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also pledged an additional US$ 20 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to support COVID-19 vaccine research and development

Geneva, 13 November 2020 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance welcomes latest pledges in support of the Gavi COVAX AMC, a financing mechanism that will support 92 low- and middle-income economies’ access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. The approximately US$360 million in commitments include US$350m announced at the Paris Peace Forum by the European Commission, France, Spain and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as an earlier pledge of US$10 million made by the Republic of Korea. This means that over US$ 2 billion has been raised for the Gavi COVAX AMC so far, thanks to contributions from other sovereign donors, the private sector, and philanthropic sources. This funding will allow COVAX AMC to reserve and access 1 billion doses for AMC-eligible economies, with at least US$ 5 billion needed in 2021 to procure doses as they come through the portfolio.

The announcements come as 94 higher-income economies have officially joined the COVAX Facility, a global effort to ensure rapid and equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the most vulnerable groups across the world. These 94 self-financing participants in the COVAX Facility will join the 92 low- and middle-income economies eligible to have their participation in the Facility supported by the Gavi COVAX AMC.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support received so far. This vital funding not only helps us ensure lower-income economies aren’t left at the back of the queue when safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines become available, it will also play a vital role in ending the acute phase of this pandemic worldwide,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “However, this is not the time to take our foot off the gas. We urgently need to raise at least an additional US$ 5 billion by the end of 2021 to ensure equitable distribution of these vaccines to those who need them.”

The details of the latest Gavi COVAX pledges received are as follows:
:: The President of the European Commission pledged EUR 100 million (approximately US$ 120 million) with the aim to support access to vaccines in lower income countries. This amount is in addition to the EUR 400 million (approximately US$ 480 million) in guarantees approved by the European Investment Bank (EIB) on Wednesday. These commitments contribute to Team Europe, a joint effort between the Commission, EIB, the EU’s 27 Member States, Norway and Iceland.

:: France confirmed that the EUR 100m (approximately US$ 120 million) pledged at the Global Vaccine Summit on June 4, as special funds for Gavi to combat COVID-19, will go towards the Gavi COVAX AMC.

:: Spain confirmed that EUR 50 million (approximately US$ 60 million) pledged at the Global Vaccine Summit on June 4, as special funds for Gavi to combat COVID-19, will go towards the Gavi COVAX AMC.

:: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged US$ 50 million to the Gavi COVAX AMC. This amount is in addition to US$ 106 million pledged by the Foundation for the COVAX AMC, bringing their total contribution to US$ 156 million.

:: The Republic of Korea has earlier pledged US$ 10 million of new funding to the Gavi COVAX AMC.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also pledged an additional US$ 20 million to CEPI, which is leading COVAX vaccine research and development work to develop safe and effective vaccines which can be made available to countries participating in the COVAX Facility. Nine candidate vaccines are currently being supported by CEPI; eight of which are currently in clinical trials. Governments, vaccine manufacturers (in addition to their own R&D), organisations and individuals have committed US$ 1.3 billion towards vaccine R&D so far, but an additional US$800m is urgently needed to continue to move the portfolio forward.

The COVAX Facility is part of COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, civil society organisations and others. COVAX is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to economies of all financial means.

EMERGENCIES

Coronavirus [COVID-19]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
last update: 14 November 2020, 10:30 GMT-4
Confirmed cases :: 53 164 803 [week ago: 49 106 931] [two weeks ago: 45 428 73]
Confirmed deaths :: 1 300 576 [week ago: 1 239 157] [two weeks ago: 1 185 721]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 220

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10 November 2020
Weekly epidemiological update – 10 November 2020
Overview
Globally in the past week, cases of COVID-19 have increased by 8%, compared to the previous week, resulting in over 3.6 million new cases, while new deaths have increased by 21% to over 54 000. This brings the cumulative numbers to over 49.7 million reported cases and over 1.2 million deaths globally since the start of the pandemic.

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 11 November 2020
:: In a year marked by the global COVID-19 pandemic, global health leaders convening virtually at this week’s World Health Assembly called for continued urgent action on polio eradication. The Assembly congratulated the African region on reaching the public health milestone of certification as wild polio free, but highlighted the importance of global solidarity to achieve the goal of global eradication and certification…Read more
:: Last week, WHO and UNICEF launched an emergency call to action for measles and polio outbreak response, to protect children by vaccination. It is a global call to action, both for countries to re-boost their immunization systems in the wake of COVID-19 and for the international community to work together to ensure that the financial resources needed on an emergency basis are rapidly made available.
:: 13 November is the deadline for prospective bidders to submit their applications for the Consultancy to provide technical support to the GACVS (Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety) Sub-Committee for nOPV2. More information on the Request for Proposals.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and environmental samples):
:: Afghanistan: 15 cVDPV2 cases and 13 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: five WPV1 positive environmental samples and five cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Chad: one cVDPV2 case
:: Somalia: three cVDPV2 cases

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WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 14 Nov 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – 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

::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 14 Nov 2020]
Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – 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
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique – 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
HIV in Pakistan – 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

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 14 Nov 2020]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – Page not responding at inquiry
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
:: Syrian Arab Republic: COVID-19 Response Update No. 12 – 9 November 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
. As of 9 November, the Syrian Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 6,215 laboratory-confirmed cases, 317 fatalities, and 2,357 recoveries in Government of Syria (GoS)-controlled areas
. To date, 194 cases amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) in GoS-controlled areas have been reported
. In northwest Syria (NWS), as of 3 November, 7,059 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported, including 42 deaths
. In northeast Syria (NES), 4,978 cases were confirmed as of 3 November, including 758 recoveries and 133 deaths
.Areas of concern: Densely populated areas, notably Damascus/Rural Damascus, Aleppo and Homs, and those living in camps and informal settlements in NES, collective shelters throughout the country, as well as other areas, including Deir-Ez-Zor, where hostilities may make ongoing sample collection more challenging

Yemen – 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.
East Africa Locust Infestation
:: Desert Locust situation update – 12 November 2020

COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
::::::

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 7 November 2020 :: Number 340

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 7 Nov 2020

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

Governance – Democracies and Authoritarianism

How to Keep the Lights On in Democracies: An Open Letter of Concern by Scholars of Authoritarianism
October 31, 2020
Editorial Board
The #NewFascismSyllabus is a crowd-sourced collection of writings on the history of fascist, authoritarian, and populist movements and governments during the 20th and 21st centuries.

Regardless of the outcome of the United States’ election, democracy as we know it is already imperiled. However, it is not too late to turn the tide.

Whether Donald J. Trump is a fascist, a post-fascist populist, an autocrat, or just a bumbling opportunist, the danger to democracy did not arrive with his presidency and goes well beyond November 3rd, 2020.

While democracy appeared to be flourishing everywhere in the years following the end of the Cold War, today it seems to be withering or in full-scale collapse globally. As scholars of twentieth century authoritarian populism, fascism, and political extremism, we believe that unless we take immediate action, democracy as we know it will continue in its frightening regression, irrespective of who wins the American presidency in early November.

In contrast to the hollow proclamations of economic and political liberalism’s “inevitable” triumph over authoritarianism in all its iterations, studying the past demonstrates that democracy is extremely fragile and potentially temporary, requiring vigilance and protection. Scholars of race, colonialism, and imperialism have further deepened our perspectives by reminding us of how the myths of national “greatness” were and continue to be written on the backs of largely silenced, marginalized and oftentimes enslaved or unfree, “others.”

We study the conditions that have historically accompanied the rise of authoritarian and fascistic regimes. In nearly every case, we have observed how profound social, political, and economic disruptions, including the ravages of military conflicts, depressions, and the enormous pressures caused by globalization, deeply shook people’s confidence in democracy’s ability to adequately respond to their plights, or even provide basic forms of long-term security.

We have seen all of these patterns in our study of the past, and we recognize the signs of a crisis of democracy in today’s world as well. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed profound inequalities of class and race across the globe. As the last four years have demonstrated, the temptation to take refuge in a figure of arrogant strength is now greater than ever.

To meet the challenge at hand, there are several things we must do.

We must boldly and unapologetically safeguard critical thinking based on evidence. This includes demonstrating the virtues of entertaining a wide array of positions and perspectives, and support, both in word and deed, for investigative journalism, science and the humanities, and freedom of the press.

We need swift and tangible commitments from corporate media organizations and governments to tackle the dangers of misinformation and media concentration. We must encourage coalitions organized across differences of race, class, gender, religion and caste, while respecting the perspectives and experiences of others.

We need to reveal and denounce any and all connections between those in power and those vigilante and militia forces using political violence to destabilize our democracies. Much like the active democratic movements across the globe from Nigeria to India, Belarus to Hong Kong, we must be prepared to defend pluralism and democracy against the growing dangers of communal violence and authoritarianism at the ballot box but, if necessary, also through non-violent protest in the streets.

We must defend the integrity of the electoral process and ensure the widest possible voter turnouts, not just in this election but in every election large and small in all of our hometowns.

And we must re-commit to a global conversation on support for democratic institutions, laws, and practices both within and between our respective countries. This includes directly confronting the unfettered greed that drives global inequality, which has unleashed geopolitical rivalries over access to resources, international migrations, and collapsed state sovereignties all over the world.

We need to turn away from the rule by entrenched elites and return to the rule of law. We must replace the politics of “internal enemies” with a politics of adversaries in a healthy, democratic marketplace of ideas. And above else, we need to work together to find ways to keep the light of democracy shining in our countries and all over the world. Because if we don’t, we will indeed face dark days ahead.

Signatories list at title link above.

Governance, Human Rights, Justice

General Assembly, Adopting Draft Upholding International Criminal Court’s Goal to End Impunity, Calls for Cooperation in Arresting Fugitives
General Assembly, Plenary Seventy-fifth Session, 18th & 19th Meetings (AM & PM)
GA/12280 2 November 2020

The General Assembly, acting without a vote, adopted a resolution today that acknowledges the role of the International Criminal Court in ending impunity and promoting human rights, and calls upon States to cooperate with the tribunal regarding the arrest of fugitive defendants.

By the terms of the resolution “Report of the International Criminal Court”, the Assembly welcomed the 123 States that have become parties to the Rome Statute, the 1998 treaty that created it, and called upon all States that have not done so to consider doing so without delay. The world body further called upon all States that have not yet done so to consider becoming parties to the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Court, while also emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the Court and States that are not parties to the Rome Statute.

It also looked forward to the nineteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute at Headquarters from 7 to 17 December, which will elect a new Prosecutor and six new judges to the Court, which is based in The Hague…

…Following adoption, several delegations disassociated themselves from consensus, included the United States. Some delegates, including those from Belgium and the State of Palestine, pointed at the United States decision to impose sanctions on the Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and another senior official, and urged all nations to respect the Court’s independence.

The President of the Court, Chile Eboe-Osuji, in a pre-recorded statement at the start of the meeting, highlighted achievements and challenges, including threats by powerful global actors that rail against its existence and threaten to destroy it. Such attacks show that the Court is making a difference and cannot be ignored by those with a geopolitical interest in leaving innocent victims at the mercy of heinous crimes, he said, as he introduced its annual report (documents A/75/324 and A/75/324/Corr.1). Acknowledging that the Court, like humanity, is not perfect, he urged those States not party to the Rome Statute to reconsider their objections. He added that the findings of an Independent Expert Review into strengthening the Court, will spur reforms while also consolidating its values…

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Growing Docket of International Court of Justice Signals Rising Confidence in Its Legitimacy, Say Delegates, as General Assembly Concludes Debate
3 November 2020 GA/12281
The General Assembly concluded its debate on the report of the International Court of Justice today, with speakers describing the growing docket of the principal United Nations judicial organ as a sign of rising confidence among Member States in the authority and legitimacy of its judgements and advisory opinions.

Health, Human Rights

Removing Human Rights Barriers to Health: Findings and Lessons
Global Fund 04 November 2020
Programs to remove human rights barriers to HIV, TB and malaria services are essential to increasing the effectiveness of Global Fund grants. Such programs help to ensure health services reach those most affected by the three diseases. The Global Fund Strategy 2017-2022 recognizes and reaffirms this through its human rights objective.
Breaking Down Barriers initiative

As part of attaining this objective, the Global Fund’s Breaking Down Barriers initiative aims to dramatically scale up programs to remove these obstacles. The Global Fund has now published a summary of key findings of the baseline assessments undertaken as part of the initiative:
Breaking Down Barriers Initiative: Summary of Key Findings of the Baseline Assessments in 20 Countries [download in English]

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Global Fund – Breaking Down Barriers Initiative :: Summary of Key Findings of the Baseline Assessments in 20 Countries
8 JUNE 2020 :: 14 pages GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Acknowledgement: With regard to the research and writing of this report, the Global Fund would like to acknowledge the work of Dr. Joanne Csete of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
4. Findings of the Baseline Assessments
Cross-cutting findings
4.1 Barriers to health services are many and severe.
4.2 There is high intersectionality of barriers to health services.
4.3 Programs to address human rights-related barriers exist but are small, inadequately supported, not coordinated and not evaluated.
4.4 Programs to remove human rights-related barriers to services are not sufficiently integrated into or linked to the prevention, treatment and key population programming they are meant to support.
4.5 Capacity of and support for key population-led organizations is insufficient.
4.6 There is need for adequate support to and roll out of increased monitoring and evaluation efforts.
4.7 Costs for comprehensive programs are not being met.
4.8 The range of donors available to support programs is limited.

5. Findings Related to Particular Program Areas
5.1 One-off activities are inadequate to lead to sustained change or to create local cadres of expertise.
5.2 There is lack of sufficient attention to barriers in prisons and other closed settings.
5.3 Members of key populations do not have sufficient access to justice.
5.4 Gender inequality and gender-based violence that lead to vulnerability to HIV, TB and malaria are not being sufficiently addressed.
5.5 There is insufficient attention to and understanding of human rights-related barriers to TB services.
5.6 The understanding of human rights-related barriers to malaria services is in its earliest phase.

7. Conclusion
The baseline assessments in the 20 countries of the Breaking Down Barriers initiative are an important source of new and practical programmatic information on human rights-related barriers to HIV, TB and malaria services; the populations affected by them; recent or current programs to address these barriers; and ways in which all 20 countries could realistically consider mounting a comprehensive response to reduce these barriers. In most countries, the baseline assessments informed the development of proposals for the catalytic human rights funding that is part of the initiative. In all countries, the baseline results have helped to shape subsequent discussions among all stakeholders of strategies and actions for developing a scaled-up, comprehensive response to human rights-related barriers to health services.

Migration – Africa

IOM Launches Continental Strategy for Africa 2020-2024
2020-11-03 20:55 International Organization for Migration
Geneva – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched its Continental Strategy for Africa 2020-2024 in a virtual event live-streamed and attended by representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), the regional economic communities (RECs), and other key partners.

Intra-African migration remains a dominant trend in contemporary African migration. The Strategy frames the Organization’s new orientation with Africa at policy and strategic levels. It is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) to which almost all African countries adhere, as well as the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, the IOM strategic vision, and IOM Migration Governance Framework (MIGoF)…

The Strategy lays the foundations for renewed and strengthened cooperation with the AUC, AU RECs, and African Union Member States as well as the UN system, among other key stakeholders, for better governance of African migration to foster inclusive and sustainable development in Africa.

It also underlines the needs and priorities of African countries, corresponding to the AU Agenda 2063 and other relevant international and regional instruments. Over the coming five years, key areas of trends and drivers will include climate change and environmental degradation, demographic and urbanization trends, the increasing feminization of migration, growing internal migration, and continued humanitarian and development challenges.

IOM’s partnerships with AUC, RECs and Member States will help strengthen the role of migration in the development of African countries, address its challenges, and promote the positive aspects of migration through effective governance frameworks. It will also strengthen migration governance and management through innovative and dynamic approaches connected to African realities and values systems.

Concerted and coordinated actions are needed in a spirit of shared responsibility among States and other national and international stakeholders to maximize the gains of migration and address its challenges, including the negative impact of COVID-19 on migration and border management systems, and on the protection of migrants.

International Human Rights Law Review
Volume 9 (2020): Issue 2 (Oct 2020)
https://brill.com/view/journals/hrlr/9/2/hrlr.9.issue-2.xml
Contents

Connecting the Right of Collective Legal Capacity by Indigenous Peoples with the Right of Individual Legal Capacity by Persons with Disabilities
By: Matthew S Smith and Michael Ashley Stein
Pages: 147–183
Publication Date: 24 Oct 2020
Abstract
This Article explores the juridical implications of indigenous peoples’ right to legal capacity in the Inter-American system for cases involving the same right of persons with disabilities within that system and beyond. It explicates the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) three-factor test in Saramaka People v Suriname and analogizes its reasoning with rationales underpinning the right to legal capacity under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (crpd). It then demonstrates how the IACtHR can apply a Saramaka-style test to future cases brought by persons with disabilities challenging legal capacity restrictions. The Article further argues that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) should also apply this rule to align its legal capacity jurisprudence with the crpd’s mandates. Finally, it suggests that the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (crpd Committee) ought to consider this rule when resolving individual communications and thereby guide courts.

Non-refoulement Principle and Its Application to Refugees and Asylum Seekers Who Have Committed Offences in Africa
By: Jamil Ddamulira Mujuzi
Pages: 213–251
Publication Date: 24 Oct 2020
Abstract
The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1969 African Union Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa have been ratified by many African States. These treaties deal with, inter alia, the principle of non-refoulement generally and the protection of asylum seekers or refugees convicted of offences. Some States in Eastern and Southern Africa have also enacted domestic legislation giving effect to these treaties and the principle of non-refoulement is provided for in most of these pieces of legislation, albeit sometimes in different ways. This article assesses legislation and case law from Eastern and Southern African States to demonstrate how courts have dealt with the principle of non-refoulement in the context of refugees and/or asylum seekers who have been convicted of offences. It also considers relevant legislation and case law prohibiting extradition if there are grounds to believe that the extradited person could be subjected to torture in a receiving State.

The Protection of Non-nationals’ Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in un Human Rights Treaties
By: Claire Lougarre
Pages: 252–290
Publication Date: 24 Oct 2020
Abstract
The decade of austerity policies resulting from the 2008 economic crisis significantly impeded the realisation of economic, social and cultural (esc) rights worldwide, especially for non-nationals who became targets of populist nationalist ideologies. The Coronavirus disease (covid-19) pandemic and its subsequent recession have heightened existing levels of inequalities, putting non-nationals’ access to health, housing, food, water and work under unprecedented strains. It is thus, crucial to analyse the extent to which un human rights treaties recognise non-nationals’ esc rights, in order to assess their ability to offer protection in this context. This article sheds light on the ambiguities of key un human rights treaties in this regard. It then analyses the attempts of relevant un treaty bodies to circumvent such issues; and finally suggests legal paths allowing un treaty bodies to further assert their protection of non-nationals’ esc rights during the covid-19 pandemic.

Featured Journal Content – Stewardship

Nature
Volume 587 Issue 7832, 5 November 2020
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html
News & Views | 14 October 2020
Satellites could soon map every tree on Earth
An analysis of satellite images has pinpointed individual tree canopies over a large area of West Africa. The data suggest that it will soon be possible, with certain limitations, to map the location and size of every tree worldwide.
Niall P. Hanan & Julius Y. Anchang
… A previous estimate2 of the total number of trees on a global scale was obtained using field data from approximately 430,000 forest plots around the world. The authors of that study used statistical regression models to estimate tree density between the field sites, on the basis of vegetation type and climate. Their analysis suggested that there are approximately three trillion trees globally. However, this approach to tree-density estimation has inherent errors and uncertainties, particularly for drylands, for which relatively few field measurements are available to calibrate the models….

Article | 14 October 2020
An unexpectedly large count of trees in the West African Sahara and Sahel
Deep learning was used to map the crown sizes of each tree in the West African Sahara, Sahel and sub-humid zone using submetre-resolution satellite imagery, revealing a relatively high density of trees in arid areas.
Martin Brandt, Compton J. Tucker[…] & Rasmus Fensholt
Abstract
A large proportion of dryland trees and shrubs (hereafter referred to collectively as trees) grow in isolation, without canopy closure. These non-forest trees have a crucial role in biodiversity, and provide ecosystem services such as carbon storage, food resources and shelter for humans and animals1,2. However, most public interest relating to trees is devoted to forests, and trees outside of forests are not well-documented3. Here we map the crown size of each tree more than 3 m2 in size over a land area that spans 1.3 million km2 in the West African Sahara, Sahel and sub-humid zone, using submetre-resolution satellite imagery and deep learning4. We detected over 1.8 billion individual trees (13.4 trees per hectare), with a median crown size of 12 m2, along a rainfall gradient from 0 to 1,000 mm per year. The canopy cover increases from 0.1% (0.7 trees per hectare) in hyper-arid areas, through 1.6% (9.9 trees per hectare) in arid and 5.6% (30.1 trees per hectare) in semi-arid zones, to 13.3% (47 trees per hectare) in sub-humid areas. Although the overall canopy cover is low, the relatively high density of isolated trees challenges prevailing narratives about dryland desertification5,6,7, and even the desert shows a surprisingly high tree density. Our assessment suggests a way to monitor trees outside of forests globally, and to explore their role in mitigating degradation, climate change and poverty.