The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 20 February 2021 :: Number 355

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 20 Feb 2021

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

History is made: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala chosen as WTO Director-General
World Trade Organisation News and Events
15 February 2021
WTO members made history today (15 February) when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General.

When she takes office on 1 March, Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to be chosen as Director-General. Her term, renewable, will expire on 31 August 2025.

“This is a very significant moment for the WTO. On behalf of the General Council, I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her appointment as the WTO’s next Director-General and formally welcome her to this General Council meeting,” said General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand who, together with co-facilitators Amb. Dacio Castillo (Honduras) and Amb. Harald Aspelund (Iceland) led the nine-month DG selection process…

“I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO Director-General,” said Dr Okonjo-Iweala. “A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.”…

Acceptance Statement [excerpts]
…1.10.WTO Members have a further responsibility to reject vaccine nationalism and protectionism. They should rather intensify cooperation on promising new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. There should be a “third way” to broaden access through facilitating technology transfer within the framework of multilateral rules, so as to encourage research and innovation while at the same time allowing licensing agreements that help scale up manufacturing of medical products. Some pharmaceutical companies are already ahead of the game because they are doing this. Astrazeneca has licensed production in several countries, and has recently declared that it is willing to look at more such arrangements. Johnson & Johnson seems willing to follow suit looking beyond contract manufacturing to licensing agreements. The Serum Institute of India, which is set to manufacture up to 1 billion doses of vaccines, is a good example. Facilitating such arrangements will enable the WTO to support the WHO ACT-Accelerator, especially the COVAX facility to get affordable vaccines quickly to poor countries. Looking beyond this pandemic, the WTO must be proactive in strengthening cooperation with other multilateral and bilateral partners, the private sector, and civil society to set a framework for dealing with problems of the global commons such as this pandemic. The private sector, civil society, and parliamentarians are important partners of the WTO with whom collaboration will be further nurtured going forward…

1.18. Let me conclude by saying that the challenges facing the WTO are numerous and tricky, but they are not insurmountable. There is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel if we work together in a transparent manner that builds trust, builds bridges, defuses political tensions, and encourages convergence. 1.19.The pandemic and its economic fallout have highlighted the interdependence of countries, the importance of multilateralism, and the need to strengthen collaboration to achieve fair and balanced trade agreements that provide opportunities for all WTO Members, particularly least developed countries and small island states. By working together, we can build trust, and we can achieve a stronger, more relevant, and inclusive trading system. I am passionate about these goals. I am keen to support you to carry out the necessary reforms. I look forward to working closely with all of you in the coming months and years, to help build the WTO that we all want, a WTO that is about people, a WTO that is dynamic, robust, and that provides essential support to economic growth and sustainable development through trade. Once again ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for this opportunity

Children in a Post-COVID World

Five opportunities for children we must seize now
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director
Annual Letter, 2021
An open letter on why I believe we can reimagine a better post-COVID world for every child.
COVID-19 is the first truly global crisis we have seen in our lifetime. No matter where we live, the pandemic affects every person – children most of all. Millions are missing out on basic health services, education and protection simply because they were born into poverty or because of their ethnicity, religion or race. COVID-19 has widened this inequality gap and the social, economic and health impacts of the pandemic will reverberate for years to come, threatening child rights.

But this is not the time to be intimidated or paralyzed by these challenges. As we kick off UNICEF’s 75th anniversary, we are reminded that this organization was created in the midst of another historic crisis in the aftermath of World War II. Back then, it would have been easy to be overwhelmed by the scale of the problems facing children in a war-ravaged world. But we reimagined what was possible. We built new health and welfare systems around the world. We defeated smallpox. We built the United Nations.

History is calling upon us once again. In previous major global crises, from world wars to pandemics, leaders have come together to negotiate deals and pacts, agreeing to build new ways to restore peace, recover and rebuild, and to cooperate.

We need to rally the world behind a practical and concrete plan to protect our children – a promise from our generation to the next to invest in health and education, build more resilient systems and services that can reach all children, and ensure that budget cuts and economic downturns do not harm them.

While we must be clear-eyed about the scale of the challenges facing the world’s children, we can also advance in partnership and solidarity by building on our past, with ambition and confidence in our future.

This is not about a return to the way things were. For hundreds of millions of children around the world, ‘normal’ was never good enough to begin with.

Here are five opportunities for the world’s children revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and five lessons on how we can reimagine a better future for them, as reflected in the voices of young people:

1: For vaccines to work, we must build trust

2: Bridging the digital divide can help bring quality education for all

3: COVID-19 has unlocked attention on global youth mental health

4: COVID-19 does not discriminate, but our societies do

5: Climate change is the other planetary crisis that won’t wait

…A final word…
In a public letter I wrote in 2019, I laid out my worries and hopes for the future of children and young people. Little did I know that a year on, a global pandemic would demonstrate, in dramatic fashion, how well-founded these worries would be.

The bad news: As the crisis continues and the economic fallout deepens, we still have difficult days before us. The economic storm is decimating government budgets and reversing decades of development and progress. If we fail to act decisively and quickly, the effects could be felt for generations.

But here’s the good news: We can reverse this trend by harnessing this moment as an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild and reimagine the systems upon which children and young people rely.

So this is a call to action for children, young people and leaders in every sphere of our societies – politicians on the global stage, faith leaders, government policymakers, star athletes, media owners, advocates and each and every one of us.

The international community must support an inclusive recovery that prioritizes investments for children and child rights. On a wide range of issues, from internet safety and privacy, to digital learning, to providing clean water, the private sector must do more to reach and protect children with innovation. And citizens must continue to hold those in power to account and stand up to discrimination and inequality.

This year, as UNICEF celebrates 75 years of reimagining the future for every child, let’s gather behind children and young people with a new spirit of urgency, as we create opportunities, ignite their dreams, and support them across every part of their lives.

COVID-19 will not be the last crisis faced by humanity. So let’s work side by side as partners and friends to emerge from this pandemic stronger than before.

Video: https://youtu.be/nr0j3y9J-x0

COVID Vaccines – UN Security Council

Secretary-General, Addressing Security Council, Pledges Full Support for Creating Emergency Task Force to Prepare Global COVID-19 Vaccine Plan
17 February 2021
SG/SM/20583
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered, to the Security Council open meeting:  “Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in contexts affected by conflict and insecurity”, today:
I thank the United Kingdom for organizing this meeting and for reinforcing my call for a global ceasefire to ease suffering, create space for diplomacy and enable humanitarian access — including for the delivery of vaccines worldwide.

COVID-19 continues its merciless march across the world — upending lives, destroying economies and undermining the Sustainable Development Goals.  The pandemic is exacerbating all the factors that drive instability — hindering our efforts to implement Security Council resolution 2532 (2020) for the cessation of hostilities, conflict prevention and resolution.

Defeating COVID-19, now that we have begun to have the scientific capacity to do so, is more important than ever.  The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is generating hope.  At this critical moment, vaccine equity is the biggest moral test before the global community.  We must ensure that everybody, everywhere, can be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Yet, progress on vaccinations has been wildly uneven and unfair.  Just 10 countries have administered 75 per cent of all COVID-19 vaccines.  Meanwhile, more than 130 countries have not received a single dose.  Those affected by conflict and insecurity are at particular risk of being left behind.

When pandemic strikes, we are only safe if everyone is safe.  If the virus is allowed to spread like wildfire in the Global South, or parts of it, it will mutate again and again.  New variants could become more transmissible, more deadly and, potentially, threaten the effectiveness of current vaccines and diagnostics.  This can prolong the pandemic significantly, enabling the virus to come back to plague the Global North.  It will also delay the world economic recovery.

We have come together to create the COVAX facility — the one global tool to procure and deliver vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.  COVAX requires to be fully funded.  But we must do even more.  Our efforts need to be comprehensive and well-coordinated everywhere.  The world urgently needs a global vaccination plan to bring together all those with the required power, scientific expertise and production and financial capacities.

I believe the G20 is well placed to establish an emergency task force to prepare such a global vaccination plan and coordinate its implementation and financing.  This task force should include all countries in which there is a capacity to develop vaccines or to produce them if licenses are available, together with the WHO [World Health Organization], Gavi, and other relevant technical organizations and the international financial institutions.  The task force would have the capacity to mobilize the pharmaceutical companies and key industry and logistics actors.

I am ready to galvanize the full United Nations System in support of this effort.  The G7 meeting later this week can help create the momentum to mobilize the necessary financial resources.  Together, we can ensure sufficient supply, fair distribution and vaccine confidence.

We can defeat this disease.  We can get our economies running again.  I am convinced it is possible.  Let’s make it happen, together.

UN Security Council session on COVID-19: IFRC warns of combined dangers of mistrust and vaccine inequity
New York, 17 February 2021 – The chief executive of the world’s largest humanitarian network has warned world leaders of the consequences of high levels of mistrust and persistent inequity in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines…
Mr Chapagain went on to share the IFRC’s deep concerns about pervasive inequality and inequity in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. According to IFRC analysis, less than 1 per cent of COVID-19 vaccine doses globally have been administered in the 32 countries currently facing severe or very severe humanitarian crises.
Mr Chapagain said: “People trust us for our actions. They look at what we do, and they judge us for what we do not do. They see, clearly, the current high levels of vaccine inequity and inequality. “Equity is not something that happens on its own. History tells us this. Just as we need to ensure that all countries can access vaccines, we also need to make sure that those vaccines reach the arms of all the people who need them. Underserved, alienated, or isolated communities, including those living in areas not under the control of States, as well as detainees, IDPs and refugees, must be integrated in national vaccination efforts. Strong involvement of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and other local impartial organizations in vaccination activities can help ensure that these communities are not left behind.”…
17 February 2021

G7 Leaders’ statement, 19 February 2021
European Council Statements and remarks [Editor’s text bolding]
We, the leaders of the Group of Seven, met today and resolved to work together to beat COVID-19 and build back better. Drawing on our strengths and values as democratic, open economies and societies, we will work together and with others to make 2021 a turning point for multilateralism and to shape a recovery that promotes the health and prosperity of our people and planet.

We will intensify cooperation on the health response to COVID-19. The dedication of essential workers everywhere represents the best of humanity, while the rapid discovery of vaccines shows the power of human ingenuity. Working with, and together to strengthen, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and supporting its leading and coordinating role, we will: 
:: accelerate global vaccine development and deployment;
:: work with industry to increase  manufacturing capacity, including through voluntary licensing;
:: improve information sharing,  such as on sequencing new variants; and,
:: promote transparent and responsible practices, and vaccine confidence.

We reaffirm our support for all pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools  Accelerator (ACT-A), its COVAX facility, and affordable and equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, reflecting the role of extensive immunisation as a global public good. Today, with increased financial commitments of over four billion USD to ACT-A and COVAX, collective G7 support totals seven and a half billion USD. We invite all partners, including the G20 and International Financial Institutions, to join us in increasing support to ACT-A, including to increase developing countries’ access to WHO-approved vaccines through the COVAX facility.

COVID-19 shows that the world needs stronger defences against future risks to global health security. We will work with the WHO, G20 and others, especially through the Global Health  Summit in Rome, to bolster global health and health security architecture for pandemic preparedness, including through health financing and rapid response mechanisms, by strengthening the “One Health” approach and Universal Health Coverage, and exploring the  potential value of a global health treaty.

We have provided unprecedented support for our economies over the past year totalling over $6 trillion across the G7. We will continue to support our economies to protect jobs and  support a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive recovery. We reaffirm our support to  the most vulnerable countries, our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, and  our partnership with Africa, including to support a resilient recovery. We will work through  the G20 and with the International Financial Institutions to strengthen support for countries’ responses by exploring all available tools, including through full and transparent implementation of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative and the Common Framework.

Recovery from COVID-19 must build back better for all. Looking to UNFCCC COP26 and CBD COP15, we will put our global ambitions on climate change and the reversal of biodiversity  loss at the centre of our plans. We will make progress on mitigation, adaptation and finance  in accordance with the Paris Agreement and deliver a green transformation and clean energy  transitions that cut emissions and create good jobs on a path to net zero no later than 2050.  We are committed to levelling up our economies so that no geographic region or person, irrespective of gender or ethnicity, is left behind.

We will: champion open economies and societies; promote global economic resilience; harness the digital economy with data free  flow with trust; cooperate on a modernised, freer and fairer rules-based multilateral trading  system that reflects our values and delivers balanced growth with a reformed World Trade Organisation at its centre; and, strive to reach a consensus-based solution on international taxation by mid-2021 within the framework of the OECD. With the aim of supporting a fair  and mutually beneficial global economic system for all people, we will engage with others,  especially G20 countries including large economies such as China. As Leaders, we will consult  with each other on collective approaches to address non-market oriented policies and practices, and we will cooperate with others to address important global issues that impact all countries.

We resolve to agree concrete action on these priorities at the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom in June, and we support the commitment of Japan to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in a safe and secure manner this summer as a symbol of global unity in overcoming COVID-19.

Multilateralism – EU

Speech by President von der Leyen at the Special Edition 2021 of the Munich Security Conference
European Commission Speech 19 February 2021
[Excerpt]
…This is also true, when it comes to the digital world and the impact it has on our democracies. And this is my second example. The storming on the U.S. Capitol was a turning point for our discussion on the impact social media have on our democracies. This is what happens when words incite action. In a world where polarising opinions are the most likely to be heard, it is only a short step from crude conspiracy theories to the death of police officers.

In December, the Commission launched the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act – our new framework for the digital market. Of course, imposing democratic limits on the uncontrolled power of the big tech companies alone will not stop political violence. But it is an important step. At its most basic, we want to make sure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online. And we want clear requirements that internet firms take responsibility for the content they distribute, promote and remove. Because we just cannot leave decisions, which have a huge impact on our democracies, to computer programmes without any human supervision or to the board rooms in Silicon Valley. The latest decision of Facebook regarding Australia is just another proof for that.

Today, I want to invite our American friends to join our initiatives. Together, we could create a digital economy rulebook that is valid worldwide. A set of rules based on our values: human rights and pluralism, inclusion and the protection of privacy. We need to join forces and protect these values with all our energy…

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A renewed multilateralism fit for the 21st century: the EU’s agenda
European Commission 17 February 2021
The Commission and the High Representative put forward a new strategy to strengthen the EU’s contribution to rules-based multilateralism. The Joint Communication lays out the EU’s expectations of and ambitions for the multilateral system.
Today, the Commission and the High Representative put forward a new strategy to strengthen the EU’s contribution to rules-based multilateralism. The Joint Communication lays out the EU’s expectations of and ambitions for the multilateral system. Today’s proposal suggests to make use of all tools at the EU’s disposal, including its extensive political, diplomatic and financial support to promote global peace and security, defend human rights and international law, and to promote multilateral solutions to global challenges.

High Representative of the Union for Foreign and Security Policy/Vice-President for a Stronger Europe in the World, Josep Borrell, said: “Multilateralism matters because it works. But we cannot be ‘multilateralists’ alone. At a time of growing scepticism, we must demonstrate the benefit and relevance of the multilateral system. We will build stronger, more diverse and inclusive partnerships to lead its modernisation and shape global responses to the challenges of the 21st century, some of which threaten the very existence of humanity.”

Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: “The EU has been and will continue to be the best ally of multilateralism and its institutions. However, the more complex global environment calls us to be more united, coherent, focused, and better leverage our collective Team Europe strength. This new strategy spells out our ambition on inclusive multilateralism, our strong commitment to renew it and it will be underpinned by specific actions.”

Defining and defending EU priorities and values in the multilateral system
The challenges of the 21st century call for more, not less, multilateral governance and rules-based international cooperation. The EU has defined clear strategic priorities on issues that no country can face alone: peace and security, human rights and the rule of law, sustainable development, public health, or climate. Now, it needs to advance these priorities multilaterally in a strategic approach to ensure a safer world and a sustainable, inclusive global recovery.

The EU must step up its leadership and ‘deliver as one’ to ‘succeed as one’. To this end, the EU will advance more efficient coordination mechanisms around joint priorities and making better use of its collective strength, including building on the Team Europe approach. Its democratic and unique regulatory strengths are assets to help build a better world, while its security and defence structures support global efforts to keep, sustain and build international peace and security.

Modernising the multilateral system
To ensure the global multilateral system is ‘fit for purpose’ to address today’s challenges, the EU will continue to support the UN Secretary-General’s reform efforts. It will promote the modernisation of key institutions such as the World Health Organisation and the World Trade Organisation. It will also spearhead the development of new global norms and the establishment of cooperation platforms in areas such as taxation, the digital sphere or Artificial Intelligence.

A stronger Europe through partnership
To change the multilateral landscape, we need a new generation of partnerships. The EU will build new alliances with third countries, reinforce cooperation with multilateral and regional organisations, as well as other stakeholders, especially those with whom it shares democratic values and, with others, it will seek a common ground issue by issue. It will support partner countries in engaging more effectively in the multilateral system and ensure systematic follow-up of bilateral commitments with partners to advance multilateral objectives. EU aims to build a more inclusive multilateralism. It is important to engage also with civil society as well as the private sector, social and other stakeholders.

Next steps
The Commission and the High Representative invite the European Parliament and the Council to endorse the approach and to work together on these priorities.

Background
To respond successfully to global crises, threats and challenges, the international community needs an efficient multilateral system, founded on universal rules and values. The UN remains at the core of the multilateral system. The EU and its Member States are the largest financial donors to the UN system, to the Bretton Woods institutions, and many other international fora. They provide almost one quarter of all financial contributions to the UN’s funds and programmes, whilst the EU Member States also provide almost one fourth of the UN’s regular budget. At the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, EU Member States hold over a quarter of voting power close to a third of financial contributions come from the EU and its Member States.

The EU works very closely with and in other international organisations and entities, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Finally, the EU seeks closer cooperation with other regional and multinational groupings such as the African Union, the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Association of South-East Asian Nations or the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States to address common challenges and to work together at the international level.

Our World in Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations
Our World in Data and the SDG-Tracker are collaborative efforts between researchers at the University of Oxford, who are the scientific editors of the website content; and the non-profit organization Global Change Data Lab, who publishes and maintains the website and the data tools that make our work possible. At the University of Oxford we are based at the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Development.

Research and data: Hannah Ritchie, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, Diana Beltekian, Edouard Mathieu, Joe Hasell, Bobbie Macdonald, Charlie Giattino, and Max Roser
Web development: Breck Yunits, Ernst van Woerden, Daniel Gavrilov, Matthieu Bergel, Shahid Ahmad, Jason Crawford, and Marcel Gerber

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 17 February 2021
:: “The polio programme brought women out into the workforce in an unprecedented way, says Dr. Olayinka. “Women were powerful mobilizers, particularly older, respected women and could enter any home. The polio programme was one of the first programmes bringing the women out, training them how to speak to other women and community members, which gave them a standing in the community. They also received some stipends which empowered them a bit financially.” Read more in our latest “Women Leaders in Polio Eradication” series.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: 1 cVDPV2 case and five cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: four WPV1 positive environmental samples
:: Côte d’Ivoire: one cVDPV2 case
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo): two cVDPV2 cases
:: Egypt: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Ethiopia: three cVDPV2 cases
:: Kenya: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Mali: one cVDPV2 case
:: Sudan: one cVDPV2 case and three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Tajikistan: one cVDPV2 case

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Statement of the Twenty-Seventh Polio IHR Emergency Committee
19 February 2021 Statement
[Excerpts]
The twenty-seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the WHO Director-General on 1 February 2021 with committee members and advisers attending via video conference, supported by the WHO Secretariat.  The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV).  The following IHR States Parties provided an update at the video conference on the current situation in their respective countries: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Sierra Leone and Pakistan and Tajikistan…

…COVID-19
The committee was concerned that COVID-19 continues to have an impact on polio eradication at many levels.  Many of the polio affected countries are currently experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, notably Malaysia, Pakistan and Nigeria. Although resumption of SIAs is now a major focus of the polio program the effect of the pause in 2020 and the current second wave will hamper this resumption. There are ongoing signs of the impact of COVID-19 on surveillance, particularly with slow shipment and handling and reporting of samples for polio testing.   All these factors serve to heighten the risk of polio transmission.

The committee noted that since the beginning of the pandemic, the value of polio-funded staff and assets contributed to the COVID-19 response in more than 50 countries is estimated at USD $104 million. In view of the overwhelming public health imperative to end the COVID-19 pandemic, the POB has committed to the polio program’s continued support for the next phase of COVID-19 response, COVID-19 vaccine introduction and delivery, through existing assets, infrastructure and expertise in key geographies.

Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months.  The Committee recognizes the concerns regarding the lengthy duration of the polio PHEIC, but concludes that the current situation is extraordinary, with clear ongoing and increasing risk of international spread and ongoing need for coordinated international response. The Committee considered the following factors in reaching this conclusion:

…Additional considerations
The committee welcomed the Emergency Use Listing of novel OPV2 but cautioned there was much to be done before the new vacccine could be expected to have a significant impact globally on the spread of cVDPV2. The phased replacement during 2021 of Sabin OPV2 with novel OPV2 is expected to substantially reduce the source of cVDPV2 emergence, transmission and subsequent risk of international spread.  Full licensure and pre-qualification of nOPV2 is not expected before 2022; therefore all countries at risk of cVDPV2 outbreak should consider preparing for novel OPV2 use under Emergency Use Listing procedure.

The committee welcomed the progress being made in individual countries that were facing huge challenges with both polio and COVID-19.  COVID-19 is also likely to continue to have a significant adverse impact on stopping polio transmission throughout 2021, with diversion of resources, barriers to successful polio campaign implementation and the consequential growing immunity gap.  However, the committee urged countries to look for where synergies can be built between polio and COVID -19 control, such as countering vaccine hesitancy, expanding and sharing testing resources, and vaccine management.  Countries also needed to make sure that local lockdowns and border restrictions were implemented in such a way as to avoid hampering specimen shipment and testing, particularly in West Africa where there are already constraints in lab capacity.  As testing for COVID-19 is strengthened, this should be done so as to strengthen lab capacity for other infectious diseases such as polio.  The committee urges affected countries to strengthen cross border cooperation as this appeared to be inconsistently carried out.

The committee also noted the risk of vaccine hesitancy could be exacerbated during the pandemic, so that adverse events during the development or future deployment of any COVID-19 vaccine could compound the existing issues around polio vaccines, particularly but not only in Pakistan.  Conversely, vaccine issues arising out of novel OPV2 or trivalent OPV use could adversely affect any future COVID-19 vaccine deployment.  The committee urged countries with particular issues around vaccine hesitancy to make preparations now to avert situations of greater vaccine refusals through education campaigns, activities to counter misinformation and rumors and wherever possible provide incentives to target populations such as multi-antigen campaigns and offering other health and wellbeing services (vitamins, anti-worming medication, soap etc).

The committee was also very concerned about the polio program funding gap which is developing in 2021 and beyond, noting several countries in Africa had been adversely affected by funding constraints.  The committee called on donors to maintain funding of polio eradication activities, as the potential for reversal of progress appears high, with many years of work undone easily and swiftly if WPV1 spreads outside the endemic countries.

Noting the serious situation in Afghanistan, the committee welcomed the recent agreement regarding mosque to mosque vaccination campaign activities but urged using multiple vaccines to avoid outbreaks of other vaccine preventable diseases such as measles.

Based on the current situation regarding WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports provided by affected countries, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 19 February 2021 determined that the situation relating to poliovirus continues to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV… 

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WHO/OCHA Emergencies

Editor’s Note:
Continuing with this edition, we include information about the last apparent update evident on the WHO emergency country webpages, recognizing almost universal and significant interims since last update regardless of the level of the emergency listed.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 20 Feb 2021]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements [Last apparent update: 12 Jan 2021]
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 November 2020]
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 29 Jun 2020]
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 17 July 2020]
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 February 2020]
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 October 2020]
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2020]

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 20 Feb 2021]
Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 03 December 2020]
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update 04 février 2021]
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 04 July 2019]
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 June 2018]
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 March 2020]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 December 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 09 October 2019]
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16-12-2020]
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 8 July 2019]
Mozambique – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 03 November 2020]
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: :: 3 January 2021
Niger – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 11 février 2021]
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 September 2019]
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 27 August 2019]
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 June 2020]
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 1 May 2019]
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 10 May 2019]

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 20 Feb 2021]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2018]
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 25 novembre 2020]
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 11 December 2020]
Mali – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 May 2017]
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 20 July 2018]
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 October 2020]

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

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. 15 – 16 February 2021

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 16 February 2021

COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified

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

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 13 February 2021 :: Number 354

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 13 Feb 2021

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

UNHCR and IOM welcome Colombia’s decision to regularize Venezuelan refugees and migrants
UNHCR–IOM Joint Press Release
8 Feb 2021
BOGOTA/GENEVA – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and IOM, the International Organization for Migration, today praised Colombia’s initiative to provide ten-year temporary protection status to Venezuelans in the country.

Colombia is host to 1.7 million Venezuelans, which represent more than 37 per cent of the estimated 4.6 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than half of the Venezuelan population in Colombia lack regular status, affecting their ability to access essential services, protection and assistance.

“This bold humanitarian gesture serves as an example for the region and the rest of the world. It is a life-changing gesture for the 1.7 million displaced Venezuelans who will now benefit from added protection, security and stability while they are away from home,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi who is currently in Colombia, assessing humanitarian needs.

“We applaud Colombia for its extraordinary generosity and its commitment to ensure protection for displaced Venezuelans. This decision serves as a model of pragmatism and humanity.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic compounding needs throughout the region, many Venezuelan refugees and migrants, as well as local communities, struggle to survive as they face worsening poverty, job losses, evictions, hunger, and a lack of food and access to medical treatment.

The Temporary Protection Status will also provide access to basic services including the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination plans. Regularization is also key to long-term solutions, including access to the job market, which in turn serves to lessen the dependency of people on humanitarian assistance while also contributing to the country’s post COVID-19 socio-economic recovery.

“The regularization of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia through the provision of a generous temporary protection status is a key to facilitating their socio-economic integration and access to the national health system and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns,” said IOM Director General António Vitorino.

“The Government of Colombia has once again shown both great solidarity and leadership. Its decision serves as an example to the world.”

The implementation of such a large-scale initiative will require a significant investment in time, logistics and resources. IOM and UNHCR, as co-leaders of the Regional Inter-agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), and in coordination with their 159 partners, stand ready to contribute with their technical expertise, field presence, logistical capacity and resources to support the roll-out of this important initiative…

Myanmar

INGO joint Statement on the Unfolding Crisis in Myanmar
12. February 2021
As international NGOs working in Myanmar, we support the fulfilment of human rights and all people’s equal, democratic participation. We are deeply concerned about the military seizure of power in the country in light of the potential immediate and longer-term impacts on the safety, rights and wellbeing of people across Myanmar, particularly those already experiencing vulnerability and marginalization.

We remain committed to working with and supporting our civil society partners; from local community groups to national civil society networks. Most of our work in Myanmar is carried out with our partners, supporting communities with urgently needed assistance to meet their immediate basic needs, and with programmes that build greater resilience over the longer term.

However:
We are concerned that the current situation undermines recent progress to enable local communities to participate in and influence decisions that impact their lives and the full enjoyment of their rights. We call on all stakeholders to respect the fundamental human rights of all people in Myanmar, including freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of speech, and free flow of information, and to refrain from all forms of violence against peaceful protestors, journalists and media workers.

We have been working to support the safety, health and livelihoods of communities across Myanmar during the COVID-19 pandemic and we have seen the very real challenges so many are facing first hand as sources of income have vanished and health care capacity is stretched. We are concerned that the recent events in Myanmar will undo efforts to contain the disease and that existing vulnerabilities will increase in severity.

We believe NGOs play a critical role in providing assistance and services in these challenging times. We call upon all relevant authorities to ensure humanitarian access for national and international stakeholders.

We hope all relevant parties inside Myanmar, and concerned countries in the region and around the
world, contribute to a swift and peaceful resolution to the crisis and to the uncertainty that the Myanmar people face.

List of signatories
Action Against Hunger
ActionAid
AVI
BBC Media Action
The Border Consortium
CARE International in Myanmar
CDN-ZOA
Centre for Development and Environment Community Partners International
Cord
Danish Refugee Council
Democracy Reporting International
Energy and Poverty Research Group
Finnish Refugee Council
HelpAge
Helvetas
Humanity & Inclusion
Johanniter International Assistance
The Lutheran World Federation
MA-UK
Médecins du Monde France
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
Norwegian People’s Aid
Oxfam International
People in Need
Save the Children International
SWISSAID
Trócaire
World Vision International
Welthungerhilfe
Yangon Film School

Syria

Syria: UN experts urge 57 States to repatriate women and children from squalid camps
GENEVA (8 February 2021) – UN human rights experts expressed serious concerns at the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation at the Al Hol and Roj camps in northeast Syria – home to over 64,000 people, mostly women and children – and urged 57 States* whose nationals are held there to repatriate them without delay.

“The number of the countries concerned and the dire humanitarian conditions of the camps highlight the need for collective, sustained and immediate action to prevent irreparable harm to the persons in vulnerable situation held there” the experts said. “Thousands of people held in the camps are exposed to violence, exploitation, abuse and deprivation in conditions and treatment that may well amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under international law, with no effective remedy at their disposal. An unknown number have already died because of their conditions of detention.”

UN human rights experts have issued official letters to 57 governments who are believed to have nationals in the camps. At the Al-Hol camp – the largest camp for refugees and internally displaced people in Syria – more than 80 percent of those being held are women and children.

Reports of increased violence in the camps since the start of the year compound the experts’ calls for urgent action…

“States have a primary responsibility to act with due diligence and take positive steps and effective measures to protect individuals in vulnerable situations, notably women and children, located outside of their territory where they are at risk of serious human rights violations or abuses, where States’ actions or omissions can positively impact on these individuals’ human rights,” the experts said.

The experts reminded the States concerned that the repatriation process must be done in accordance with international human rights law. They also stressed that States must refrain from any actions that would expose the individuals to further human rights violations on their return to their country of nationality, and that they should actively support their re-integration with adequate social, psychological, and educational support, conscious of gender-specific traumas that could have been experienced by women and girls.

They also expressed concern at a ‘data collection’ process that took place in the camps last July. “Highly personal and unique data were gathered from women and children in conditions where consent could not be freely given, nor under circumstances in which it was clear whom would have access to those data, and how they might be used,” said the experts echoing the call of the High Commissioner for States to assume responsibility for all of their nationals

“We fear that this exercise was in fact aimed at identifying third country nationals who may pose a security risk, information that could be further communicated and used by States of origin, as a basis for deciding the further course of action for their nationals. This could include trial and repatriation, or children’s separation from their families, including that of male children for further detention.”

The experts said they were gravely concerned that the exercise, reportedly to evaluate security threats, lacked regard for basic principles of due process and solely targeted families with alleged links to foreign ISIL fighters, including women and children, who already suffer from heightened discrimination, marginalisation and abuse on the basis of their alleged affiliation with the group.

They added that the process had largely excluded humanitarian actors, including medical personnel.

Heritage Stewardship

UNESCO
Protecting, preserving and promoting access to the world’s documentary heritage
11/02/2021
Key challenges
Documentary heritage – from preserving documents in libraries, archives and museums to the software that is driving the digital transformation – is an essential part of humanity’s collective memory. It is a key resource that helps us learn from the past; whether it be contributing to building more equitable, inclusive and sustainable societies or helping us tackle current crises with information on past responses.
Many original and unaltered items and collections are today endangered because of looting and dispersal, illegal trading, deliberate destruction, inadequate storage and a lack of funding.
Moreover, these risks are heightened during times of crisis such as conflicts and natural disasters.
New strategies are thus needed to support and update documentary heritage preservation tools and techniques, and digital preservation should be included as a component in disaster risk reduction strategies. This should also include strengthening the capacities of memory and research institutions to improve their resilience in the face of emergency and crisis situations.

UNESCO aims to:

COVID-19: Perspective/Opinion

Why the world needs a Covid-19 exit strategy
The public needs to know when, how and how quickly restrictions will be lifted
Financial Times – The editorial board
February 12, 2021

February is one of the busiest months of the year for travel bookings in the northern hemisphere. Families plan how they will spend their summer holidays and try to grab a bargain spot in the sun. Not this year, however. The uncertainty over how long coronavirus restrictions will remain in place means that while some have taken a risk and booked a break, most are sitting on the sidelines, unsure of what to do. This confusion is emblematic of the wider uncertainties that exist over the reopening of economies. Tired of severe curbs of civil liberties — which have lasted far longer than most anticipated — many people are asking when governments will finally set out a path for life to return to something like normal, how it will happen, and how fast.

This anxiety has only been heightened in recent weeks by signs that in some cases restrictions, instead of easing as lockdowns take effect, are in fact being toughened to guard against more infectious and possibly more deadly new mutations of the virus. In the UK, tough border controls will take effect from Monday for people arriving in the country, including jail terms for those offending. Germany is poised to reinstate border controls with some areas of Austria and the Czech Republic, while in Australia the state of Victoria has announced a snap five-day lockdown after an outbreak.

A global, well-funded vaccination campaign is the only way to end the pandemic for good. But despite relatively high inoculation rates in some countries, it is now clear that vaccinating enough people to achieve herd immunity will take much longer than hoped. Covax, the global initiative to distribute vaccines equitably, aims to deliver at least 2bn doses by the end of this year but that will not cover much more than a third of its target population. The new variants mean that some of the measures we have become accustomed to during lockdown will have to stay in place for some time. While some curbs on freedom will be accepted, others — bans on foreign travel and on seeing family and friends — cannot be tolerated indefinitely. A point will come where the public will rebel against restrictions that make life unbearably bleak. In the UK, scientific advisers are calling for a debate on the terms of allowing a “big wave of infection”.

The solution is for politicians to provide as much certainty as is possible. They must make it clear what will trigger the lifting of restrictions and what will not be possible in the short-to-medium term. In the UK, the government has so far produced little evidence of the costs and benefits of current restrictions.

Priorities must be set, supported by appropriate economic and epidemiological modelling. Concern is rife over the impact of the lockdowns on young people and the loss of education. Reopening schools must therefore be a priority. Teachers will need to be vaccinated. Fast testing and accurate and quick contact tracing is critical. How to reboot travel must also be a consideration. For this to happen, vaccination passports would be essential, but with the aim of facilitating travel, not prohibiting travel. A recent policy document proposes that areas in Europe where the virus has been eliminated are declared green zones in which civil liberties are restored. These zones expand as more regions achieve elimination. Such an approach, while appealing, will require careful, global co-ordination.

The pandemic has severely damaged economies and societies. As far as is scientifically possible, the public deserves to know the route out of current restrictions. It is time for politicians to play their part and move from crisis response to forward planning.

Featured Journal Content – COVID Vaccines/Therapeutics

The Lancet
Feb 13, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10274 p555-640, e6
Comment
Urgent needs of low-income and middle-income countries for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics
Lancet Commission on COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Task Force Members
WHO and partners have learnt from the mis-steps in the response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic1 and established the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to promote equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.2 However, many high-income countries already have bilateral agreements with manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines.3 The COVAX Facility of the ACT Accelerator has agreements to access 2 billion doses of WHO pre-qualified vaccines during 2021, but this represents only 20% of the vaccine needs of participating countries.4 Most low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face difficulties in accessing and delivering vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19 to their populations.5 COVAX will require decisive action by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), supported by the countries they serve and with financing for vaccine purchasing, to ensure people worldwide have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.6, 7, 8

For 80% of the populations in LMICs that will not benefit from COVAX-provided COVID-19 vaccines, finances for purchase or donations are needed. Government measures in response to COVID-19 and the broader global financial situation have led to increasing fiscal imbalances of heavily indebted countries.9 Multinational agencies, financial institutions, and wealthier countries should consider measures that could provide relief to indebted LMICs. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and others need to lead an international initiative to mobilise support for LMICs in need.

Many LMICs do not have an established platform for vaccinating their adult populations.10 Although it is feasible to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to health-care and other front-line essential workers, in some LMICs it will be difficult to effectively reach and vaccinate with two doses all elderly populations and individuals with co-morbidities, given insufficient mechanisms to identify such groups. Governments and technical leaders will need to use transparent, accountable, and unbiased processes when they make and explain evidence-based vaccine prioritisation decisions, while also building confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and engaging with all the stakeholders.

The ultracold chain requirements of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be an insurmountable hurdle in LMICs, outside of major cities. COVID-19 vaccine delivery will require considerable investment of resources, health-care staff, and careful planning to avoid opportunity costs, including a disruption of routine health services and a decline in essential childhood vaccination coverage, which could result in outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. There were more deaths from measles than Ebola virus disease in 2019 in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to failure to maintain adequate childhood vaccinations.11 The infrastructure for vaccination in many LMICs is already inadequate, as shown by the 19·7 million under-vaccinated infants globally, most of whom are in these countries.12 Thus, preparation for all aspects of COVID-19 vaccine delivery in LMICs must begin now with the support of international partners.

Strengthening the capacity of LMICs to do clinical trials and promoting LMIC participation in research are also crucial.13 More LMICs need to participate in future vaccine trials and in testing the clinical effectiveness of different therapeutic agents to ensure that interventions and implementation are suitable for local contexts.

Tracking the safety and effectiveness of different COVID-19 vaccines over time in various populations and settings will necessitate improvements in pharmacovigilance.14 Regulatory authorities in many LMICs need to be strengthened and could benefit from a programme of national and international support, as well as regional cooperation and reliance mechanisms.15 As part of internationally coordinated actions, COVID-19 technologies should be transferred to LMIC-based manufacturers, accompanied by regulatory guidance. Efforts to boost local manufacturing capacity in LMICs will contribute to equity, global solidarity, and global health security. India and South Africa have called for the suspension of intellectual property rights related to COVID-19 vaccines to improve access for LMICs, a move now supported by many other countries, but opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, which cites the disincentive to innovation.16

There are further challenges. Governments in LMICs with strong private health sectors, as those in high-income countries, will need to manage the inherent potential for inequity, whereby the rich could access COVID-19 vaccines before individuals with less access to private care who may be at increased risk of severe disease and death, such as older people and those with comorbidities. LMICs affected by war, civil conflict, economic crises, or natural disasters, or with large refugee populations or populations with special needs or vulnerabilities need additional support for vaccines and vaccination under extremely difficult operational conditions.

Re-examining global governance structures, including the UN and its Security Council, is much needed so that the voices and interests of billions of people in LMICs are better represented and recognised. Global support to multilateral institutions is essential to sustain their support to LMICs to facilitate vaccinations globally. The COVID-19 pandemic shows that no nation can stand alone. We are all part of a common humanity that requires us to respect our diverse experiences, cultures, and countries and forge partnerships that better serve the interests of all.

[Author conflicts and disclosures at title link above]

In the COVID-19 vaccine race, we either win together or lose together
Joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
10 February 2021 Joint News Release
New York/Geneva
Of the 128 million vaccine doses administered so far, more than three quarters of those vaccinations are in just 10 countries that account for 60% of global GDP.

As of today, almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose.
This self-defeating strategy will cost lives and livelihoods, give the virus further opportunity to mutate and evade vaccines and will undermine a global economic recovery.

Today, UNICEF and WHO – partners for more than 70 years – call on leaders to look beyond their borders and employ a vaccine strategy that can actually end the pandemic and limit variants.

Health workers have been on the frontlines of the pandemic in lower- and middle-income settings and should be protected first so they can protect us.

COVAX participating countries are preparing to receive and use vaccines. Health workers have been trained, cold chain systems primed. What’s missing is the equitable supply of vaccines.

To ensure that vaccine rollouts begin in all countries in the first 100 days of 2021, it is imperative that:
:: Governments that have vaccinated their own health workers and populations at highest risk of severe disease share vaccines through COVAX so other countries can do the same.
:: The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, and its vaccines pillar COVAX, is fully funded so that financing and technical support is available to lower- and middle-income countries for deploying and administering vaccines. If fully funded, the ACT Accelerator could return up to US$ 166 for every dollar invested.
:: Vaccine manufacturers allocate the limited vaccine supply equitably; share safety, efficacy and manufacturing data as a priority with WHO for regulatory and policy review; step up and maximize production; and transfer technology to other manufacturers who can help scale the global supply.

We need global leadership to scale up vaccine production and achieve vaccine equity.

COVID-19 has shown that our fates are inextricably linked. Whether we win or lose, we will do so together.”

Our World in Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations
Our World in Data and the SDG-Tracker are collaborative efforts between researchers at the University of Oxford, who are the scientific editors of the website content; and the non-profit organization Global Change Data Lab, who publishes and maintains the website and the data tools that make our work possible. At the University of Oxford we are based at the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Development.
Research and data: Hannah Ritchie, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, Diana Beltekian, Edouard Mathieu, Joe Hasell, Bobbie Macdonald, Charlie Giattino, and Max Roser
Web development: Breck Yunits, Ernst van Woerden, Daniel Gavrilov, Matthieu Bergel, Shahid Ahmad, Jason Crawford, and Marcel Gerber

Selected Country Announcements: COVID-19 Vaccines – Announcements/Regulatory Actions/Deployment

President of Honduras and his Cabinet relinquished their right for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as a prioritized group
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Honduras President and members of his Cabinet announced that they have relinquished their right granted by Honduras laws which mandates that State´s officials, both elected and appointed, are a priority group in national vaccination programs. This decision responds to Hernandez´s administration policy of granting access to the most vulnerable groups to COVID-19, including the elderly with pre-existing diseases and to the front-liner workers…

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 10 February 2021
:: The Polio Oversight Board (POB) held its last meeting of 2020 taking stock of programme epidemiology, finances, and strategy and management revision, and make decisions on next steps to achieve the polio eradication goal. The minutes of the meeting are available here.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: 34 cVDPV2 cases
:: Pakistan: four WPV1 and three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Chad: one cVDPV2 case
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo): one cVDPV2 case
:: Kenya: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Tajikistan: one cVDPV2 case
:: South Sudan: two cVDPV2 cases
:: Yemen: one cVDPV1 case

Meeting of the Polio Oversight Board (POB) – Teleconference 18 December 2020
[Excerpt; text formatting from original text]
[p.13-14]
ANNEX: Donor Statement at the December 18, 2020 POB meeting
Presented by H.E. Leslie Norton, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in Geneva
…Specifically, we would like to register five points of concern with the POB:
First, we expect to see the Independent Monitoring Board’s (IMB) analysis and recommendations considered and fully implemented. We expect to see a clear and direct link between the analysis of the IMB and the future work of GPEI.

Second, we would like to again underscore how the Governance Review process is crucial to achieving progress on eradication, integration and transition. The formal role of Donors, governments and NGOs/civil society in the decision-making of GPEI urgently needs to be addressed in order to reverse the current trend and overcome chronic barriers to eradication. We recommend a rapid and full implementation of the recommendations over the next six months as well as improved leadership and accountability by the GPEI partners in this next year. This includes a clear and transparent communications on the process.

Third, we welcome the engagement of partners and donors in the strategy review process. Greater involvement and leadership from government and civil society partners, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the most at-risk countries, is critical for strong country commitment and ownership especially when it comes to implementing the revised strategy. Please note, Donors expect to review and provide input into a draft of the strategy before it is finalized.

Fourth, we believe that programmatic and financial decisions must be better aligned. GPEI has completed important work in reviewing the budget and funding gaps for 2021. As a next step, we ask the GPEI to develop a robust approach to managing risks that clearly outlines key budget assumptions. This also includes regular revision of the budget to allow for immediate reactions.

Fifth, as the Finance and Accountability Committee highlighted last week, intense and diverse resource mobilisation, including through innovative financing, is needed in order to have the resources available to reach eradication. Given the global economic downturn we do not see any more space for complacency. Making progress on integration, cost sharing, and maximizing synergies between related programs are likely to be essential for donor investments…

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

Editor’s Note:
Continuing with this edition, we include information about the last apparent update evident on the WHO emergency country webpages, recognizing almost universal and significant interims since last update regardless of the level of the emergency listed.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 13 Feb 2021]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements [Last apparent update: 12 Jan 2021]
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 November 2020]
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 29 Jun 2020]
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 17 July 2020]
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 February 2020]
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 October 2020]
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2020]

::::::

WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 13 Feb 2021]
Niger – Le ministre de la Santé du Niger sur le maintien des cas de COVID-19 à un faible niveau
11 février 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 03 December 2020]
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update 04 février 2021]
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 04 July 2019]
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 June 2018]
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 August 2019]
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 12 March 2020]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 December 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 09 October 2019]
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16-12-2020]
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 8 July 2019]
Mozambique – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 03 November 2020]
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: :: 3 January 2021
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 4 September 2019]
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 27 August 2019]
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 24 June 2020]
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 1 May 2019]
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 10 May 2019]

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 13 Feb 2021]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 30 June 2018]
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 25 novembre 2020]
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 11 December 2020]
Mali – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 3 May 2017]
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 20 July 2018]
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 October 2020]

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

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 – No new digest announcements identified
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 9 February 2021

COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified

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

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 6 February 2021 :: Number 353

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 6 Feb 2021

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