Myanmar

Myanmar junta crackdown likely crimes against humanity requiring coordinated international response – UN expert  [Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar]
GENEVA (11 March 2021) – The Myanmar junta’s brutal response to peaceful protests likely meets the legal threshold for crimes against humanity, a UN expert told the Human Rights Council today, calling for a united global response in the country’s hour of need.

“The people of Myanmar need not only words of support but supportive action,” said Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. “They need the help of the international community, now.”

Andrews stressed that a growing body of reporting indicates that the junta’s security forces are committing acts of murder, imprisonment, persecution and other crimes as part of a coordinated campaign, directed against a civilian population, in a widespread and systematic manner, with the knowledge of the junta’s leadership – thereby likely meeting the legal threshold for crimes against humanity.

With the UN Security Council seemingly unwilling to invoke its Chapter VII authority, Andrews said Member States must rally together to take action.

“Today I am therefore urging that as many Member States as possible commit to taking strong, decisive and coordinated action as a coalition of nations – an Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar,” he said.

In a statement to the Council, Andrews outlined five options that such a coalition could take immediately: 

[1] stop the flow of funds to the junta, including by imposing targeted sanctions on the junta’s business enterprises and on Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, the single largest source of revenue to the State of Myanmar;

[2] impose an international arms embargo;

[3] ensure accountability for the crimes, through national courts using universal jurisdiction if the Security Council is unwilling to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court;

[4] work directly with local civil society and aid organizations to provide humanitarian assistance whenever possible; and

[5] deny recognition of the military junta as the legitimate government representing the people of Myanmar.

“I sincerely hope that the international community will rise to the occasion of this moment of history by following the lead and the inspiration of the people of Myanmar by coming to their aid as a coordinated whole, in this their moment of need.”

In a report to the Human Rights Council, Andrews details how the Myanmar military illegally overthrew the civilian government last month and proceeded to attack the people of Myanmar by committing the crimes of murder, assault and arbitrary detention. He also details human rights violations preceding the coup in an annex to the report.

Stewardship – Environmental Economic Accounting

UN adopts landmark framework to integrate natural capital in economic reporting
10 Mar 2021 | DESA

The new framework — the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) — was adopted by the UN Statistical Commission and marks a major step forward that goes beyond the commonly used statistic of gross domestic product (GDP) that has dominated economic reporting since the end of World War II. This measure would ensure that natural capital—forests, wetlands and other ecosystems—are recognized in economic reporting…

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption of the new economic and environmental framework. “This is a historic step forward towards transforming how we view and value nature.  We will no longer be heedlessly allowing environmental destruction and degradation to be considered economic progress.”

The new framework can also underpin decision-making at two crucial conferences later this year—COP15 on Biodiversity in Kunming and the Glasgow Climate Conference, COP 26.

According to a new UNEP report, “Making Peace with Nature,” the global economy has grown nearly fivefold over the last 50 years, largely due to a tripling in extraction of natural resources and energy that has fuelled growth in production and consumption. Over the same time, the world population has increased by a factor of two, to 7.8 billion people, and though on average prosperity has also doubled, about 1.3 billion people still live in poverty and some 700 million are hungry…

“As governments to the Convention on Biological Diversity get ready to agree and implement a framework that will recraft our relationship with nature, this new framework will provide an impetus for an accurate accounting of the value of biodiversity” says Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  “In so doing, it is a step towards sustainable development.”

The new framework recognizes that ecosystems deliver important services that generate benefits for people. In essence, they are assets to be maintained, similar to economic assets. For example, forests play a role in providing communities with clean water, serving as natural water filters with trees, plants and other characteristics, such as soil depth, that help absorb nutrient pollution like nitrogen and phosphorous before it can flow into streams, rivers and lakes…

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System of Environmental Economic Accounting
Information on the new framework can be found at https://seea.un.org/ecosystem-accounting

The SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) constitutes an integrated and comprehensive statistical framework for organizing data about habitats and landscapes, measuring the ecosystem services, tracking changes in ecosystem assets, and linking this information to economic and other human activity.

The United Nations Statistical Commission adopted the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting at its 52nd session in March 2021. The report of the Commission (subject to editing) can be found here.

This adoption follows a comprehensive and inclusive process of detailed testing, consultation and revision. Today, ecosystem accounts have already been used to inform policy development in more than 34 countries.

Ecosystem accounting – how it works
The SEEA EA is built on five core accounts. These accounts are compiled using spatially explicit data and information about the functions of ecosystem assets and the ecosystem services they produce.

The five ecosystem accounts are:

• ECOSYSTEM EXTENT accounts record the total area of each ecosystem, classified by type within a specified area (ecosystem accounting area). Ecosystem extent accounts are measured over time in ecosystem accounting areas (e.g., nation, province, river basin, protected area, etc.) by ecosystem type, thus illustrating the changes in extent from one ecosystem type to another over the accounting period.
• ECOSYSTEM CONDITION accounts record the condition of ecosystem assets in terms of selected characteristics at specific points in time. Over time, they record the changes to their condition and provide valuable information on the health of ecosystems.
• & 4. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES flow accounts (physical and monetary) record the supply of ecosystem services by ecosystem assets and the use of those services by economic units, including households.
• MONETARY ECOSYSTEM ASSET accounts record information on stocks and changes in stocks (additions and reductions) of ecosystem assets. This includes accounting for ecosystem degradation and enhancement.

The SEEA EA also supports ‘thematic accounting’, which organizes data around specific policy-relevant environmental themes, such as biodiversity, climate change, oceans and urban areas. Other important thematic accounts would include accounting for protected areas, wetlands and forests.

A key aspect of ecosystem accounting is that it allows the contributions of ecosystems to society to be expressed in monetary terms so those contributions to society’s well-being can be more easily compared to other goods and services we are more familiar with. Monetary estimates can provide information for decision-makers, for example for economic policy planning, cost-benefit analysis, and for raising awareness of the relative importance of nature to society. Ecosystem service values are derived by using a range of economic valuation techniques…

COVID Vaccines – Global Public Good

COVID-19 Vaccines Must Be Global Public Good, Secretary-General Says, Announcing ‘Only Together’ Campaign to Encourage Sharing of Technology, Doses
11 March 2021   SG/SM/20620

One full year into the COVID-19 pandemic, our world has faced a tsunami of suffering. So many lives have been lost. Economies have been upended and societies left reeling. The most vulnerable have suffered the most. Those left behind are being left even further behind.

It has been a year of empty office buildings, quiet streets and closed schools in much of the world. I commend women, men and young people everywhere for adapting to work, learn and live in new ways. I honour health workers for their dedication and sacrifice and all other essential workers who have kept societies running. I salute all those who have stood up to the deniers and disinformation, and have followed science and safety protocols. You have helped save lives.

The United Nations will continue mobilizing the international community to make vaccines affordable and available for all, to recover better, and to put a special focus on the needs of those who have borne the burden of this crisis on so many levels — women, minorities, older persons, persons with disabilities, refugees, migrants and indigenous peoples.

With the vaccine roll-out, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. COVAX —the global vaccine equity mechanism —  has started delivery around the world, including to some of the lowest-income countries.

Yet I am deeply concerned that many low-income countries have not yet received a single dose, while wealthier countries are on track to vaccinating their entire population. We see many examples of vaccine nationalism and vaccine hoarding in wealthier countries — as well as continued side deals with manufacturers that undermine access for all.

The global vaccination campaign represents the greatest moral test of our times.

It is also essential to restart the global economy — and help the world move from locking down societies to locking down the virus.

COVID-19 vaccines must be seen as a global public good. The world needs to unite to produce and distribute sufficient vaccines for all, which means at least doubling manufacturing capacity around the world.

That effort must start now. Only together can we end this pandemic and recover. Only together can we revive our economies. And then, together, we can all get back to the things we love.

COVID Vaccines Access – Migrants

Migrants: Guidance on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine

GENEVA (8 March 2021) – All migrants should be included in COVID-19 vaccination programmes regardless of their nationality and migration status, experts from the UN, African, European and Inter-American human rights systems urge in a Guidance Note published today. The experts stress that vaccine registration should not be used to collect information about an individual’s migration status and shared with immigration enforcement authorities.

The Guidance Note, jointly issued by the UN Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW), the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and regional human rights experts, offers six key proposals regarding vaccine distribution. It calls on States to take into account the vulnerabilities, risks and needs of those migrants who are most exposed and vulnerable to coronavirus when drawing up their prioritization lists for vaccination.

“In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rights to health and non-discrimination are fundamental and indispensable. To overcome the pandemic and leave no one behind, these rights must be guaranteed to all migrants regardless of nationality and migration status. All migrants must have access to the vaccine on an equal basis with nationals,” the experts said.

“A number of reports indicate that migrants may be more vulnerable to poor health because of their often low socio-economic status, the process of migration and their vulnerability as non-nationals,” they added.

Regarding the organisation of vaccination campaigns, the experts called for there to be clear firewalls between immigration enforcement and the provision of COVID-19 vaccines. They cautioned that public information campaigns should make it clear that migrants in irregular situations will not be penalized or targeted for immigration enforcement when seeking access to COVID-19 vaccination. “Nobody should be afraid to seek the care they need,” the experts underscored.

They urged States to develop coordinated strategies and mechanisms of cooperation and assistance to guarantee universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, and to take into special consideration countries that face economic obstacles in securing vaccines for their populations, including migrants and their families.

END

The experts: The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) is the body of 14 independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families by its State parties. It held its first session in March 2004;

Mr. Felipe González Morales (Chile) was appointed Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants in June 2017 by the UN Human Rights Council, for an initial period of three years. As a Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in his individual capacity. He is Professor of International Law at the Diego Portales University, in Santiago, Chile, where he is also the Director of a Master’s programme in International Human Rights Law;

Ms. Sahli Fadel Maya, Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Mr. Drahoslav Stefanek, Ambassador, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees of the Council of Europe;

Ms. Julissa Mantilla Falcón, Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

 

Joint Guidance Note on Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for All Migrants
March 2021 :: 3 pages
[Excerpt]
…In light of all of the above, the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrant in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees of the Council of Europe and the Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights urge States to:

[1]  Provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination for all migrants and their families on a non-discriminatory basis, regardless of their nationality and migration status.

[2]  Ensure that vaccine prioritization within countries takes into account the vulnerabilities, risks and needs of those migrants who are most exposed and vulnerable to the SARS-COV-2.

[3]  Adopt measures to overcome barriers, establish protocols that facilitate equitable access to vaccination for migrants, including those in irregular situations, and provide targeted outreach and provision of information among migrants in a language they understand and in formats they can access.

[4]  Enact firewalls between immigration enforcement and the provision of COVID-19 vaccination, in order to prevent fear or risk of reporting, detention, deportation and other penalties as result of migration status. Vaccine registration should not be used to collect nor share information about migration status. Communication messages and public information campaigns should make clear that migrants in irregular situations will not be penalized or targeted for immigration enforcement when seeking access to COVID-19 vaccination.

[5]  Avoid rhetoric and terminology that stigmatize and reinforce harmful narratives against migrants that may result in the exclusion of migrants and those in irregular situations from the public health response. Ensure public information and rhetoric regarding public health is inclusive of migrants.

[6] Develop coordinated strategies and mechanisms of cooperation and assistance to guarantee universal and equitable access to vaccines for COVID-19 globally, and to take into special consideration those countries which due to economic or financial factors are facing obstacles to get vaccines for their populations, including migrants and their families.

Integrity :: Equity

Rwanda vaccinates refugees and asylum-seekers against COVID-19
12 Mar 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the lives and rights of refugees, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the Rwandan government’s vaccination this week of 416 refugees – one of the first countries in Africa to do so.

Nearly one year since the country’s first registered COVID-19 case and as part of Rwanda’s national vaccination drive, the Rwandan Ministry of Health inoculated 224 refugees residing in the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) centre in Gashora and 192 refugees in six refugee settlements working on the front lines of the pandemic as community health workers and cleaners or security guards at health clinics in the refugee settlements.

Some 230,000 people in Rwanda have been vaccinated against COVID-19, one week after a countrywide campaign began.

“We commend Rwanda’s inclusion of refugees in its response to the pandemic,” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UNHCR’s Regional Bureau Director Bureau for the East, Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes. “We appeal to all countries to include refugees in their vaccination programs on par with nationals to ensure that everyone is safe.”…

COVID IMPACTS: Access to Contraception

New UNFPA data reveals that nearly 12 million women lost access to contraception due to disruptions caused by the pandemic, leading to 1.4 million unintended pregnancies

New York, 11 March 2021 – UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, released new data today indicating that nearly 12 million women in 115 countries lost access to family planning services, leading to 1.4 million unintended pregnancies resulting from the disruptions caused by COVID-19 over the past year.

“Pregnancies don’t stop for pandemics, or any crisis. We must ensure that women and girls have uninterrupted access to life-saving contraceptives and maternal health medicines,” says UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem. “The devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on the lives of millions of women and girls in the past year underscores just how vital it is to ensure the continuity of reproductive health services.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the fastest-moving global public health crisis in a century, causing a strain never before seen on global health systems, many of which were forced to divert resources away from their reproductive health services. Women also lost access to health services due to mobility restrictions or fear of traveling to health facilities. The data, by UNFPA and Avenir health, estimates the net impact of these service delivery disruptions.

In the 115 low-and-middle-income countries studied, women faced an average disruption in their family planning services of 3.6 months over the past year, suggesting that many health systems were resilient enough to eventually adapt and continue to provide services. The worst disruptions were largely concentrated in April and May…

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement: “The Spirit of the Quad” March 12, 2021 Statements and Releases [Editor’s text bolding] 1. We have convened to reaffirm our commitment to quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. We bring diverse perspectives and are united in a shared vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion. We recall that our joint efforts toward this positive vision arose out of an international tragedy, the tsunami of 2004. Today, the global devastation wrought by COVID-19, the threat of climate change, and security challenges facing the region summon us with renewed purpose. On this historic occasion of March 12, 2021, the first-ever leader-level summit of the Quad, we pledge to strengthen our cooperation on the defining challenges of our time. 2. Together, we commit to promoting a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law to advance security and prosperity and counter threats to both in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We support the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity. We commit to work together and with a range of partners. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Full of potential, the Quad looks forward to the future; it seeks to uphold peace and prosperity and strengthen democratic resilience, based on universal values. 3. Our common goals require us to reckon with the most urgent of global challenges. Today, we pledge to respond to the economic and health impacts of COVID-19, combat climate change, and address shared challenges, including in cyber space, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, and humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief as well as maritime domains. 4. Building on the progress our countries have achieved on health security, we will join forces to expand safe, affordable, and effective vaccine production and equitable access, to speed economic recovery and benefit global health. With steadfast commitment to the health and safety of our own people, we also recognize that none of us can be safe as long as the pandemic continues to spread. We will, therefore, collaborate to strengthen equitable vaccine access for the Indo-Pacific, with close coordination with multilateral organizations including the World Health Organization and COVAX. We call for transparent and results-oriented reform at the World Health Organization. We are united in recognizing that climate change is a global priority and will work to strengthen the climate actions of all nations, including to keep a Paris-aligned temperature limit within reach. We look forward to a successful COP 26 in Glasgow. We will begin cooperation on the critical technologies of the future to ensure that innovation is consistent with a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific. We will continue to prioritize the role of international law in the maritime domain, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges to the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and also confirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees. As long-standing supporters of Myanmar and its people, we emphasize the urgent need to restore democracy and the priority of strengthening democratic resilience. 5. To advance these goals and others, we will redouble our commitment to Quad engagement. We will combine our nations’ medical, scientific, financing, manufacturing and delivery, and development capabilities and establish a vaccine expert working group to implement our path-breaking commitment to safe and effective vaccine distribution; we will launch a critical- and emerging-technology working group to facilitate cooperation on international standards and innovative technologies of the future; and we will establish a climate working group to strengthen climate actions globally on mitigation, adaptation, resilience, technology, capacity-building, and climate finance. Our experts and senior officials will continue to meet regularly; our Foreign Ministers will converse often and meet at least once a year. At the leader level, we will hold an in-person summit by the end of 2021. The ambition of these engagements is fit to the moment; we are committed to leveraging our partnership to help the world’s most dynamic region respond to historic crisis, so that it may be the free, open, accessible, diverse, and thriving Indo-Pacific we all seek.  

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Coronavirus [COVID-19] – WHO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
Last update: 23 January 2021
Confirmed cases :: 118 754 336 [week ago: 115 653 459] [two weeks ago: 113 076 707]
Confirmed deaths :: 2 634 370 [week ago: 2 571 823] [two weeks ago: 2 512 272]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 223

9 March 2021
Weekly epidemiological update – 9 March 2021

8 March 2021
Weekly operational update on COVID-19 – 8 March 2021

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 10 March 2021
:: In this special op-ed, Spanish Foreign Minister and Gender Champion for Polio Eradication Ms Arancha González Laya, reflects on the role of women in polio eradication following her recent visit to Chad.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: 14 cVDPV2 cases and 10 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: six WPV1 positive environmental samples
:: Côte d’Ivoire: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Dr Congo: three cVDPV2 cases
:: Mali: five cVDPV2 cases
:: Niger: four cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Sierra Leone: Five cVDPV2 cases
:: Sudan: one cVDPV2 case
:: Tajikistan: two cVDPV2 cases

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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 13 Mar 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 13 Mar 2021]
Burkina Faso
:: Revue sectorielle de l’année 2020 du secteur de planification santé 10 mars 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 02 March 2021]Burundi –
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: 2 March 2020]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 February 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update 05 March 2021]
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: 11 février 2021]
Niger– No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update:06 mars 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 13 Mar 2021]

Kenya
:: Kenya receives COVID-19 vaccines and launches landmark national campaign 06 March 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]
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]

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen
:: 12 March 2021 Yemen: Ma’rib Situation Update No. 2, 12 March 2021

Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
East Africa Locust Infestation – No new digest announcements identified
COVID-19 – No new digest announcements identified

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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 6 March 2021 :: Number 357

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 Mar 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

Democracy

FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2021 – Democracy under Siege
Freedom House
Written by Sarah Repucci, Amy Slipowitz
March 2021 :: 35 pages
PDF: https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/FIW2021_World_02252021_FINAL-web-upload.pdf
As a lethal pandemic, economic and physical insecurity, and violent conflict ravaged the world, democracy’s defenders sustained heavy new losses in their struggle against authoritarian foes, shifting the international balance in favor of tyranny.

.

New Report: The global decline in democracy has accelerated
Press release March 3, 2021
Freedom in the World 2021 finds that the annual gap between losses and gains widened in 2020, and fewer than a fifth of the world’s people now live in fully Free countries.

Washington – March 3, 2021 — Authoritarian actors grew bolder during 2020 as major democracies turned inward, contributing to the 15th consecutive year of decline in global freedom, according to Freedom in the World 2021, the annual country-by-country assessment of political rights and civil liberties released today by Freedom House.

The report found that the share of countries designated Not Free has reached its highest level since the deterioration of democracy began in 2006, and that countries with declines in political rights and civil liberties outnumbered those with gains by the largest margin recorded during the 15-year period. The report downgraded the freedom scores of 73 countries, representing 75 percent of the global population. Those affected include not just authoritarian states like China, Belarus, and Venezuela, but also troubled democracies like the United States and India.

In one of the year’s most significant developments, India’s status changed from Free to Partly Free, meaning less than 20 percent of the world’s people now live in a Free country—the smallest proportion since 1995…

…“Our report concludes that democracy today is beleaguered but not defeated,” said Abramowitz. “Its adversaries have grown more powerful, making the world a more hostile environment for self-government, but its enduring appeal among ordinary people—which we’ve already seen this year in places like Russia and Myanmar—bode well for the future of freedom.”

KEY FINDINGS
:: The 2021 edition of Freedom in the World, covering the events of 2020, marked the 15th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. Of the 195 independent countries assessed by the report, 73 experienced aggregate score declines and just 28 made gains, the widest margin of its kind during the 15-year period. There are now 54 Not Free countries, accounting for 38 percent of the world’s population, the highest share since the decline began.

:: With India’s downgrade from Free to Partly Free, less than 20 percent of the global population now lives in a Free country, the lowest level since 1995.

:: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the democratic decline. Some 42 score declines across 36 countries and territories were linked to the health crisis.

:: Beacons of democratic hope are being extinguished. Freedom House noted 39 countries and territories that experienced major prodemocracy protests in 2019. Of these, 23 (nearly 60 percent) suffered a net score decline in 2020.

:: The United States, which remained Free, fell by three points in 2020, for a total decline of 11 points on the report’s 100-point scale over the last decade.

Development – Livelihoods, Child Care

Report – Better Jobs and Brighter Futures : Investing in Childcare to Build Human Capital
World Bank – Amanda E. Devercelli and Frances Beaton-Day
December 2020 :: 100 pages
PDF: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/35062/Better-Jobs-and-Brighter-Futures-Investing-in-Childcare-to-Build-Human-Capital.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y
Abstract
In this paper, the authors present the evidence on why childcare matters for building human capital, look at the current status of childcare provision worldwide, including an estimate of the global gaps in access, and present specific actions countries can take to expand access to quality, affordable childcare for all families that need it, especially the most vulnerable. This paper was originally drafted prior to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and has been updated to include new content, taking into account the unique challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic poses for families, children, governments, and the childcare industry, as well as the importance of investing in childcare to drive countries’ economic recovery. In section one the authors make the case for why childcare matters for building human capital and how it relates to a web of diverse issues that include women’s employment, family welfare, child development, business productivity, and the overall economy. In section two, the authors present the scope of the challenge worldwide, with projections of the unmet need for quality childcare and, ultimately, the size of the market opportunity. In section three the authors suggest five policy goals that all governments should work toward to ensure affordable, quality childcare for those families that need it. In section four, the authors lay out an agenda to better leverage existing resources and cross-sectoral opportunities, support country-level processes, and expand the research agenda. Detailed annexes are included at the end of the paper, which include additional research, guidance for countries, and specific policy and country examples that may be helpful in policy dialogue. These annexes can be used as standalone resources to go into more depth on specific topics.

Press Release
Nearly 350 Million Children Lack Quality Childcare in the World
WASHINGTON, March 4, 2021— More than 40 percent of all children below primary-school age – or nearly 350 million – need childcare but do not have access, according to a new World Bank report launched today. As a result, too many children are spending time in unsafe and unstimulating environments. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the inadequacies in childcare provision and the vulnerability of the sector across the world.

The new report, Better Jobs and Brighter Futures: Investing in Childcare to Build Human Capital, highlights how investments in childcare can increase women’s employment and productivity, create new jobs, improve child outcomes, drive economic growth, and support a more resilient and inclusive recovery from the pandemic. It notes that the struggles so many parents have experienced during the pandemic to balance childcare and work responsibilities may also generate policy momentum to address the issue.

Investing in quality, affordable childcare is key to unlocking pathways out of poverty, helping everyone achieve their potential, and increasing equity – all of which are cornerstones of a country’s economic growth and productivity.

“The first five years of a child’s life are a period of rapid brain development. Providing children with a safe and stimulating environment during this time has huge returns and makes subsequent education investments much more effective,” said Jaime Saavedra, World Bank’s Global Director for Education. “But 40 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries need childcare and do not have access. We need to urgently expand investments in childcare.”

In order to maximize both female labor force participation and child development, governments play a crucial role. They can help ensure that quality childcare is available, affordable, and meets the needs of all families, particularly the most vulnerable. Expanding the childcare economy and building the childcare workforce also can create up to 43 million new jobs while facilitating more people—particularly women—to be able to seek or return to employment…

AI and “National Security”

The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence :: Final Report
March 2021 :: 756 pages
PDF: https://www.nscai.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Full-Report-Digital-1.pdf
Abstract
The Final Report presents the NSCAI’s strategy for winning the artificial intelligence era. The 16 chapters explain the steps the United States must take to responsibly use AI for national security and defense, defend against AI threats, and promote AI innovation. The accompanying Blueprints for Action provide detailed plans for the U.S. Government to implement the recommendations.

Preface [excerpt]
The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s (NSCAI) task is to make recommendations to the President and Congress to “advance the development of artificial intelligence [AI], machine learning, and associated technologies to comprehensively address the national security and defense needs of the United States.” In establishing the Commission, Section 1051 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 instructs NSCAI to examine AI through the lenses of national competitiveness, the means to sustain technological advantage, trends in international cooperation and competitiveness, ways to foster investment in basic and advanced research, workforce and training, potential risks of military use, ethical concerns, establishment of data standards and incentivization of data sharing, and the future evolution of AI.1The 15 commissioners were nominated by Congress and the Executive Branch. They represent a diverse group of technologists, business executives, academic leaders, and national security professionals. They have approached all inquiries in bipartisan fashion and reached consensus on the Final Report. The Commission’s operations have been guided by two principles: the need for action and the importance of transparency.

Conclusion
This new era of competition promises to change the world we live in and how we live within it. We can either shape the change to come or be swept along by it. We now know that the uses of AI in all aspects of life will grow and the pace of innovation will continue to accelerate. We know adversaries are determined to turn AI capabilities against us. We know China is determined to surpass us in AI leadership. We know advances in AI build on themselves and confer significant first-mover advantages. Now we must act. The principles we establish, the federal investments we make, the national security applications we field, the organizations we redesign, the partnerships we forge, the coalitions we build, and the talent we cultivate will set America’s strategic course. The United States should invest what it takes to maintain its innovation leadership, to responsibly use AI to defend free people and free societies, and to advance the frontiers of science for the benefit of all humanity. AI is going to reorganize the world. America must lead the charge.

Table of Contents
THE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMISSION ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE18p
Introduction
Artificial Intelligence in Context
PART I: DEFENDING AMERICA IN THE AI ERA
Chapter 1: Emerging Threats in the AI Era
Chapter 2: Foundations of Future Defense
Chapter 3: AI and Warfare Chapter 4: Autonomous Weapon Systems and Risks Associated with AI-Enabled Warfare
Chapter 5: AI and the Future of National Intelligence
Chapter 6: Technical Talent in Government
Chapter 7: Establishing Justified Confidence in AI Systems
Chapter 8: Upholding Democratic Values: Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights in Uses of AI for National Security
PART II: WINNING THE TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION
Chapter 9: A Strategy for Competition and Cooperation
Chapter 10: The Talent Competition
Chapter 11: Accelerating AI Innovation
Chapter 12: Intellectual Property
Chapter 13: Microelectronics
Chapter 14: Technology Protection
Chapter 15: A Favorable International Technology Order
Chapter 16: Associated Technologies
Blueprints for Action

Philanthropy – COVID Focus

New Report Finds That More Than $20 Billion Went to COVID-19 Philanthropy in 2020
Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy provide new data and analysis that shows an increase in giving to communities of color, highlights that there’s still more work to do

New York, NY, and Washington, DC—March 3, 2021. Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP)released a new report, Philanthropy and COVID-19: Measuring one year of giving, that examines COVID-19-related philanthropic funding in 2020. It is the second of two reports assessing COVID-19 philanthropic data. The first report, released in August 2020, examined COVID-19 philanthropy in the first half of 2020. Today’s report provides updates and looks at the global philanthropic response to COVID-19 for all of 2020.

An unprecedented response to a devastating disaster
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The global philanthropic community was already funding COVID-19 response efforts. After the WHO’s designation, corporations, foundations, public charities, and high-net-worth individuals increased giving that continued throughout the rest of the year.

Candid identified $20.2 billion in global COVID-19 giving by grantmakers and wealthy donors for 2020. Closer examination of the data reveals:
:: Corporate foundations and corporate giving programs accounted for $9.4 billion (44 percent) of total COVID-19 funding in 2020.
:: Community foundations awarded more grants than any other grantmaker type, making up 54 percent of total awards.
:: Funding by independent foundations more than doubled, increasing from $1.7 billion in the first half of the year to $4.7 billion for the entire year.
:: High-net-worth donors accounted for $5.8 billion, more than one-quarter of total philanthropic funding. MacKenzie Scott’s grants accounted for nearly three-quarters of funding from high-net-worth individuals.
:: Human services organizations received the most support, followed by health organizations. In the first half of 2020, health organizations received the most support, followed by public safety organizations.
:: The majority of funding dollars ($13.5 billion, around 63 percent) went to “unknown” recipients or to “multiple” recipients.

Promising updates
Funding designated for specific populations provided some encouraging updates, particularly regarding Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. In the first half of 2020, only 5 percent of COVID-19-related funding that specified recipients was designated for BIPOC communities, despite these populations being disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Since then, available data shows a dramatic increase:
:: 23 percent of specified global funding was explicitly designated for communities of color.
:: 35 percent of specified U.S. funding was designated for BIPOC communities.
:: High-net-worth donors designated the highest proportion of funding for BIPOC communities (44 percent), whereas corporations accounted for only 11 percent of funding designated for BIPOC communities.

Additionally, 8 percent of funding was directed explicitly for people with disabilities, an increase from 1 percent reported in the first report.

In contrast, funding specified for women and girls increased nominally, from 3 percent in the first half of 2020 to 4 percent for the entire year. Funding directed to immigrants and refugees remained at 2 percent, and funding specified for older adults also remained at 2 percent.

Grace Sato, director of research at Candid, says, “After the first report, there were questions about whether philanthropic funding would taper down. What we see is exactly the opposite—not only did funding stay strong throughout the rest of the year, but we also see promising trends in several categories. It shows that philanthropy can, and is, playing an especially important role in times of crisis.”…

Rotavirus vaccines made available for use in humanitarian crises
Health partners welcome landmark pricing agreement through Humanitarian Mechanism, urging more manufacturers to follow suit
4 March 2021 News release Geneva/London/New York
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) welcome the opportunity to make rotavirus vaccine available to more children living in humanitarian crises thanks to a landmark pricing agreement with the manufacturer, GSK.

Children living in refugee camps, displaced communities or in other emergency situations now have a better chance of being protected against severe diarrhoeal disease with these lower price rotavirus vaccines. Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of death among children under five.

The agreement makes use of the multi-partner Humanitarian Mechanism, launched in 2017. Rotavirus vaccine is the second vaccine to be accessed through the scheme, which depends on manufacturers making their vaccines available at their lowest price for use in emergencies – across countries of all income levels. The first to be made available was the pneumococcal vaccine.

COVID Impacts – “Cultural Catastrophe”

States must prevent COVID-19 cultural catastrophe: UN expert
Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
GENEVA (3 March 2021) – A UN expert today warned that COVID-19 may lead to a global “cultural catastrophe” with severe, long-lasting consequences for human rights if urgent measures, such as establishing a global cultural fund, are not implemented.

Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, said in a report to the Human Rights Council that culture sectors have been among those hit hardest by the pandemic crisis. “The cultural rights commitments of states under international law require them to take action so as to avoid catastrophe but also to lead to cultural renewal as an essential component of any efforts to build back better,” Bennoune said.

Arts workers and cultural practitioners are among those most affected by pandemic-related unemployment crises worldwide. An entire generation of young artists may be forced to turn elsewhere for jobs, diminishing cultural life for years to come, the expert said.

“This is not the time for cuts in culture funding but for increases,” the Special Rapporteur said. “Culture and arts funding should be integrated into all COVID-19 relief and stimulus packages, with the specific nature of cultural and artistic work accounted for. Additionally, adequate, direct support for cultural workers is critical now, including full consideration of vulnerable sectors such as young artists. The creation of a global culture fund to save the cultural life of humanity should be considered.”

Bennoune said the pandemic has had a grave impact on women’s participation in cultural life and urged that responses to the current crisis must fully consider the cultural rights of women.

The expert also expressed concern that some governments had exploited emergency powers to censor and criminalise artists with dissenting views. “I call for all those imprisoned for their artistic or cultural work to be immediately released, such as Ahmed Kabir Kishore, a Bangladeshi cartoonist, and Nigerian singer Yahaya Sharif Aminu.”

The Special Rapporteur cautioned that as important as digital cultural life may have become during the pandemic, it is a complement, not an alternative, to a shared public cultural life in physical public spaces. States must commit to the full renaissance of such a public cultural life. when that becomes safe again.

“Future generations must not lose the opportunity to go to the cinema, to the theatre or to browse in a bookshop. If they do, the pandemic will have not only killed and impoverished millions but have also destroyed some of the best tools we have for imagining a better future,” Bennoune said.
ENDS

The expert: Ms. Karima Bennoune was appointed as Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights by the United Nations Human Rights Council in October 2015. Ms Bennoune, grew up in Algeria and the United States. She is Professor of Law and Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall Research Scholar at the University of California-Davis School of Law where she teaches courses on human rights and international law. Her research and writing, including on cultural rights issues, has been widely published in leading journals and periodicals. Her mandate covers all countries and has been renewed by Human Rights Council resolution 37/12.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Statement 03/02/2021
Remarks by Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director at COVAX media briefing on first deliveries and first round of allocations
As prepared for delivery
NEW YORK, 2 March 2021 – “The last year has been a dark one for families all over the world, but the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines provided a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel. At long last, the COVAX Facility begins to make good on its promise to make sure that light shines for all.

“And we are off and running. Vaccine doses have arrived in West Africa and Asia, with many more countries to follow in the coming days and weeks. We’ve now seen Africa’s first vaccinations with COVAX doses in Ghana and Ivory Coast, in truly moving ceremonies in both countries yesterday.

“But what took place Monday is more than a feel-good story that speaks to our collective best natures, it is a necessary first step that speaks to our collective best interests. The only way out of this pandemic is to ensure vaccination is available around the globe, and that people from less wealthy countries are not left behind in the race to be protected.

“At UNICEF, we are committed to making this happen. Last week’s momentous arrivals are just the first batches of vaccines that UNICEF will ship through the COVAX Facility as part of this historic effort to deliver close to 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to around 190 countries and territories. To date, more than 1.1 million doses have been delivered, with more than twenty more countries expected to receive hundreds of thousands of doses this week.  

“I would like to thank SII for being the first to help deliver vaccines to AMC countries and for working around the clock to package and make vaccines available in record time, as well as to the Government of India for their immense support. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

“In terms of delivery, UNICEF is also working closely with airlines and other partners to find innovative solutions to help us deliver COVAX vaccines as quickly as possible. We’ve already seen tremendous partnership. I would like to thank freight forwarders and Emirates Airlines for helping UNICEF with shipments to Ghana and Ivory Coast in record turnaround time. Only today we have 5 shipments including to DRC, Angola and Nigeria where we are delivering COVID19 vaccines consolidated with syringes and routine vaccines insuring children are also protected, among many other 20 countries receiving vaccines this week.

“We have also supported governments in developing national vaccination plans and preparing for the arrival of vaccines. Along with our partners, we have mapped out existing cold chain equipment and storage capacity. And we have delivered and installed thousands of new fridges to keep vaccines at the right temperature in health facilities this past year. In Ghana, for example, we have delivered 2,500 fridges since May of last year. But much work still remains.

“With each of these steps, we move closer to the moment when we can start to return to normal for the billions of children and families affected around the world. And this is, obviously, our focus at UNICEF. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be talking a lot about how this pandemic has impacted the lives of children, starting later today when we will be issuing estimates of the number of children who have been unable to attend class in person for almost the entire past year…

“These are remarkable efforts, and the work we all – the private sector, UN and development agencies, governments, donors, and other partners – will doubtlessly continue to do more moving together, and will stand for generations to come as proof of what the world can do, when we do it together. It is history in the making. Thank you.”

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 03 March 2021

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: one cVDPV2 case and nine cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: three WPV1 environmental samples, three cVDPV2 cases and 10 cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Egypt: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Ethiopia: one cVDPV2 case and one positive environmental sample
:: Liberia: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: South Sudan: seven cVDPV2 cases
:: Tajikistan: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample

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

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 6 Mar 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 6 Mar 2021]
Angola
:: Angola becomes the first country in Eastern and Southern Africa region to receive COVAX Vaccines… 02 March 2021
Angola today received 624,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine from the Sérum Institute of India as part of the COVAX initiative, which aims to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 worldwide.

Burkina Faso
:: Au Burkina Faso, la « menace non perçue par les populations » de la résistance aux a… 05 mars 2021

Malawi Floods
:: Malawi receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX 05 March 2021

Niger
:: La Première Dame du Niger Dr Lalla Malika Issoufou s’exprime sur l’impact de la COVI… 04 mars 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
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: 2 March 2020]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 21 February 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 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: 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]

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 6 Mar 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 Humanitarian Update No. 24 As of 3 March 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 3 March 2021

COVID-19
::  Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update (2 March 2021)
[See Week in Review above for detail]

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

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 27 February 2021 :: Number 356

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 27 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

Hundreds of academics, civil society groups and business leaders join call for UN General Assembly to end anonymous shell companies
700 signatories from 120 countries ask UNGASS 2021 to set a new global standard on beneficial ownership transparency
24 February 2021
Transparency International today submitted an appeal to the UN General Assembly from more than 700 signatories calling for a new global standard for transparency in company ownership. The appeal comes ahead of the UN General Assembly Special Session Against Corruption, UNGASS 2021, scheduled for June. It asks that UNGASS 2021 commits all countries to set up national, public registers of companies, disclosing the real individuals who own, control or benefit from them.

The signatories include renowned academics and research centres, companies and business executives, civil society groups and activists as well as several government agencies and public officials.

“All parts of our societies around the world have spoken. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, from indigenous peoples’ groups to tax justice advocates, from distinguished diplomats to multi-national companies, we all agree: anonymous companies are vehicles for corruption and other illicit practices that jeopardise the common good. We are asking country representatives preparing for the UNGASS 2021 to heed this call for urgent action,” said Gillian Dell, Head of Conventions Unit at Transparency International.

Numerous investigative reports and scandals have shown that anonymous companies enable and fuel corruption and other financial crimes. The recent OpenLux investigations highlighted the power of public registers of beneficial ownership for identifying suspicions of money laundering, corruption, tax evasion and other criminal activity…

Petition
The UN General Assembly’s decision to hold a Special Session against Corruption in 2021 created a historic opportunity for the international community to address the global crisis of corruption.

The undersigned groups and individuals are united in the conviction that it is of the utmost urgency for the UNGASS 2021 to put an end to the abuse of anonymous companies and other legal vehicles that facilitate cross-border corruption and other crimes. We are calling on the UNGASS 2021 to commit to making centralised, public beneficial ownership registers a global standard.

Companies that exist only on paper, exploiting our legal systems and concealing their ultimate ownership, are tools for the diversion of critical resources needed to advance sustainable development and collective security.

For decades, as scandal after scandal has demonstrated, anonymous shell companies have been used to divert public funds, channel bribes and conceal ill-gotten gains, as part of corruption and money laundering schemes stretching across borders.

Beneficial ownership information – information on the natural persons who ultimately own, control or benefit from a legal vehicle – enables cross-border enforcement and the tracing of ill-gotten assets for confiscation and return. In public contracting processes, it helps in the detection of conflicts of interest and corruption. It also makes it easier for businesses to carry out due diligence, helps them know who their partners and customers are and meet reporting obligations.

A central, public register of companies and their ultimate beneficial owners – in addition to information on legal ownership and directors – is the most effective and practical way to record such information and facilitate timely access for all stakeholders.

We have come together to address government leaders currently preparing for UNGASS 2021 with one voice and one clear message: The “concise and action-oriented political declaration” to be adopted by the General Assembly should commit all countries to establish central, public registers of beneficial ownership as the new global standard. This should be supplemented with efforts to verify the collected information in order to ensure the accuracy and reliability of beneficial ownership data.

Transparency in company ownership is more than a technical solution to a problem. It is a matter of social justice.

Corruption devastates the lives of billions of people around the world, while its deadliness has become all the more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis. With only ten years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda targets, we need decisive reforms to ensure that the resources needed to pay for critical public services such as schools and hospitals are not simply misappropriated and hidden away in tax havens or property markets abroad. Centralised, public registers of beneficial ownership as a global standard is precisely that kind of change.

The time for action is now.

The appeal is also available in French, Russian and Spanish.
Signatories listed here