Heritage Stewardship/Protection

Comments on OTP ICC Cultural Heritage Policy Submitted
27 Apr 2021 Blue Shield International
On 16 April 2021, a diverse group of experts, including practicing attorneys, law professors and scholars, archaeologists, and other professionals with extensive expertise and experience in cultural heritage law, ICL and IHL submitted comments to the International Criminal Court’s ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s Draft Policy on Cultural Heritage.

In summary, the Comments emphasized the importance of the OTP’s [Office of the Prosecutor] Draft Policy on Cultural Heritage given the lack of global consensus around priorities, practices, and policies for investigating and prosecuting cultural heritage crimes. The Comment addressed the scope of the Draft Policy and called on the OTP to provide concrete examples within its Policy that demonstrate the broad nature of cultural heritage and crimes that may target it, and better illustrate the full scope of the global problem. They supported the OTP taking a comprehensive and expansive view of the terms ‘cultural heritage’ and ‘cultural property’, including natural and intangible heritage, but noted that the Draft Policy’s current definition may unintentionally exclude certain types of cultural heritage.

Regarding the Court’s Regulatory Framework, the Comments urged the OTP to make full use of applicable treaties, the principles and rules of international law, and jurisprudence concerning cultural heritage and property. The Comments provided notes on the OTP’s approach to natural heritage, and sought further guidance on military necessity and proportionality and their relation to cultural value for both selection and prosecution of crimes. The Comments also encourage consideration of wider international law sources on the crime of pillage and its serious consequences, and urged that the OTP look to ways to prosecute pillage through other provisions of the Rome Statute, especially when it may rise to an attack or act of hostility.

The Comments noted that the Draft Policy lacked discussion on the OTP’s position on reparations for crimes against and affecting cultural heritage and property, and asked for clarification on a number of issues that are particularly critical to successful case selection, investigations, and prosecutions, including the mens rea requirement; the OTP’s assessment of the factors determining gravity; and how the court aims to collect, preserve, and maintain the chain of custody for evidence used in trials, as well as ensure the integrity, quality, comprehensiveness, and relevance of the evidence itself.

The Comments were prepared and submitted by the following individuals:
Helena Arose, Project Director, The Antiquities Coalition
Alessandro Chechi, Senior Researcher, University of Geneva
Emma Cunliffe, Secretariat, Blue Shield International
Brian Daniels, Vice President for Cultural Heritage, Archaeological Institute of America
Tess Davis, Executive Director, The Antiquities Coalition
Haydee Dijkstal, Barrister, 33 Bedford Row
Kristin Hausler, Dorset Senior Fellow, Centre Director, British Institute of International and Comparative Law
Yasaman Nabati Mazloumi, Secretariat, Blue Shield International
James Reap, Professor, University of Georgia
Marc-André Renold, Professor and Director of the Art-Law Centre (CDA), University of Geneva

Children in All Policies 2030
Catalysing health and well-being for future generations
The future for 2.4 billion children is under unprecedented threat, yet bad outcomes are not inevitable. We can, across the world, make better choices. CAP-2030 works to centre children’s health and well-being in all policies, to ensure an equitable, sustainable future. We implement the recommendations of the WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission by promoting children’s rights and protecting their health through science, advocacy and coalition-building.

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The Lancet
May 01, 2021 Volume 397 Number 10285 p1597-1682, e11
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Comment
Children in All Policies 2030: a new initiative to implement the recommendations of the WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission
Sarah L Dalglish, Anthony Costello, Helen Clark, Awa Coll-Seck
… Our Commission’s report sounded the alarm about stalled progress on the health of children and adolescents. The evidence is incontrovertible: successful societies invest in their children and young people, producing lifelong, intergenerational benefits for health, wellbeing, and the economy.1

We called on governments to work across sectors to deliver children’s entitlements, as specified by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, by leveraging high-level political leadership and engaging communities, families, and children themselves. We drew attention to emerging threats to children, notably, the climate crisis and the insidious commercial exploitation of children through inappropriate marketing of products and services, such as alcohol, tobacco, sugar-sweetened beverages, breastmilk substitutes, and gambling apps, often by exploiting children’s developmental vulnerabilities and social media data…

On April 21, 2021, we launched Children in All Policies 2030 (CAP-2030), with the support of our founding partners WHO, UNICEF, and The Lancet. Our ambition is to join our voices to those of children and young people, activists, civil society institutions, religious groups, UN organisations, politicians, governments, private sector leaders, academics, and others working to centre children’s health and wellbeing in the urgent work of sustainable development. We encourage people to join the movement to preserve children’s future and contribute to CAP-2030 by getting in touch via our website…

Lancet Commission
Panel 1: Recommendations for placing children at the centre of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
:: Heads of state should create a high-level mechanism or assign one overarching department to coordinate work with and for children across sectors, create an enabling environment to enact child-friendly policies, and assess the effect of all policies on children

:: Heads of state and governments should create or designate a monitoring system to track budget allocations to child wellbeing, using this process to mobilise domestic resources, by means of fiscal instruments that benefit the poorest in society, for additional investment

:: Government officials at the relevant ministry, national academics, and research institutions should develop strategies to improve data reporting for SDG indicators measuring child wellbeing, equity, and carbon emissions, using country information systems and citizen-led data and accountability

:: Local government leaders should establish a cross-cutting team to mobilise action for child health and wellbeing, involving civil society, children themselves, and other stakeholders as appropriate

:: UNICEF child-health ambassadors and other global children’s advocates should mobilise governments and communities to adopt child-friendly wellbeing and sustainability policies, and advocate for rapid reductions in carbon emissions to preserve the planet for the next generation

:: Leaders in children’s health, rights, and sustainability should reframe their understanding of the SDGs as being for and about children, and the threat to their future from greenhouse gas emissions, mainly by high-income countries

:: Children should be given high-level platforms to share their concerns and ideas and to claim their rights to a healthy future and planet

:: Country leaders on child health and child rights should push for the adoption of new protocols to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to protect children from harmful commercial practices

:: Country representatives to the UN should work together to create a simplified, effectively multisectoral UN architecture to reduce fragmentation and siloes, and to put action for children at the centre of the SDGs

:: WHO and UNICEF leadership should meet with heads of other UN agencies to plan coordinated action to support countries to enact focused, effective policies to achieve the SDGs, and work with regional bodies to help countries to share progress and best practice

Health – Immunization

Immunization services begin slow recovery from COVID-19 disruptions, though millions of children remain at risk from deadly diseases – WHO, UNICEF, Gavi

Ambitious new global strategy aims to save over 50 million lives through vaccination

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 26 April 2021 — While immunization services have started to recover from disruptions caused by COVID-19, millions of children remain vulnerable to deadly diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance warned today during World Immunization Week, highlighting the urgent need for a renewed global commitment to improve vaccination access and uptake.

“Vaccines will help us end the COVID-19 pandemic but only if we ensure fair access for all countries, and build strong systems to deliver them,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General. “And if we’re to avoid multiple outbreaks of life-threatening diseases like measles, yellow fever and diphtheria, we must ensure routine vaccination services are protected in every country in the world.”

A WHO survey has found that, despite progress when compared to the situation in 2020, more than one third of respondent countries (37%) still report experiencing disruptions to their routine immunization services.

Mass immunization campaigns are also disrupted. According to new data, 60 of these lifesaving campaigns are currently postponed in 50 countries, putting around 228 million people – mostly children – at risk for diseases such as measles, yellow fever and polio. Over half of the 50 affected countries are in Africa, highlighting protracted inequities in people’s access to critical immunization services…

New global immunization strategy aims to save over 50 million lives

To help tackle these challenges and support the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO UNICEF, Gavi and other partners today launched the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), an ambitious new global strategy to maximize the lifesaving impact of vaccines through stronger immunization systems.

The Agenda focuses on vaccination throughout life, from infancy through to adolescence and older age. If fully implemented, it will avert an estimated 50 million deaths, according to WHO – 75% of them in low- and lower-middle income countries.

Targets to be achieved by 2030 include:

:: Achieve 90% coverage for essential vaccines given in childhood and adolescence[i]

:: Halve the number of children completely missing out on vaccines

:: Complete 500 national or subnational introductions of new or under-utilized vaccines  – such as those for COVID-19, rotavirus, or human papillomavirus (HPV)

Urgent action needed from all immunization stakeholders

To achieve IA2030’s ambitious goals, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and partners are calling for bold action:

:: World leaders and the global health and development community should make explicit commitments to IA2030 and invest in stronger immunization systems, with tailored approaches for fragile and conflict-affected countries. Immunization is a vital element of an effective health care system, central to pandemic preparedness and response, and key to preventing the burden of multiple epidemics as societies reopen

:: All countries should develop and implement ambitious national immunization plans that align with the IA2030 framework, and increase investments to make immunization services accessible to all

:: Donors and governments should increase investments in vaccine research and innovation, development, and delivery, focused on the needs of underserved populations

:: The pharmaceutical industry and scientists, working with governments and funders, should continue to accelerate vaccine R&D, ensure a continuous supply of affordable vaccines to meet global needs, and apply lessons from COVID-19 to other diseases

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: 1 May 2021
Confirmed cases :: 150 989 419 [week ago: 145 216 414]
Confirmed deaths :: 3 173 576 [week ago: 3 079 390]
Vaccine doses administered: 1 011 457 859

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Weekly operational update on COVID-19 – 26 April 2021
Overview
In this edition of the Weekly Operational Update on COVID-19, highlights of country-level actions and WHO support to Member States include:
:: The delivery of COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Syrian Arab Republic via the COVAX Facility
:: Delivery of life-saving oxygen concentrators to the Philippines
:: A joint technical support mission to Albania
:: One year of the pandemic learning response: benefits and performance of the OpenWHO platform during the pandemic
:: Empowering populations to address the COVID-19 infodemic globally and the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance launch of Viral Facts Africa
:: The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) 2021 resource requirements and progress made to continue investing in the COVID-19 response and for building the architecture to prepare for, prevent and mitigate future health emergencies
:: Updates on WHO/PAHO procured items, Partners Platform, implementation of the Unity Studies, and select indicators from the COVID-19 Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 27 April 2021
Overview
Globally, new COVID-19 cases increased for the ninth consecutive week, with nearly 5.7 million new cases reported in the last week – surpassing previous peaks. The number of new deaths increased for the sixth consecutive week, with over 87 000 new deaths reported.
In this edition, a special focus update is provided on SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 28 April 2021
:: The GPEI has released a position statement on the use of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 in light of shelf-life of 12 months or less. The purpose of the statement is to assist governments of countries affected by or at risk of cVDPV2 outbreaks optimize the use of deployed nOPV2 stocks.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: one cVDPV2 case
:: Pakistan: one WPV1 and three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: DR Congo: one cVDPV2 case
:: Liberia: one cVDPV2 case and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Madagascar: three cVDPV1 cases and three cVDPV1 positive environmental samples
:: :: Mali: one cVDPV2 case
:: Nigeria: two cVDPV2 cases and one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Sierra Leone: three cVDPV2 cases
:: South Sudan: one cVDPV2 case
:: Tajikistan: one cVDPV2 case

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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 1 May 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 1 May 2021]
Iraq
:: World Immunization Week – vaccines bring us closer 28 April 2021

Measles in Europe
:: Getting closer together – one vaccination at a time 26-04-2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 March 2021]
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 01 avril 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: 2 March 2020]
Libya – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 7 October 2019]
Malawi – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 22 April 2021
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: ²9 March 2021]
Niger – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 avril 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 1 May 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: 23 April 2021
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 2019]

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UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
System-wide Scale-up Responses
IASC Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activations and Deactivations
Published Date: 30 April 2021
Currently active Scale-Ups
northern Ethiopia
IASC System-Wide Scale-Up Activated on 28 April 2021.

Current Corporate Emergencies
Northern Ethiopia
:: Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue #5 29 March – 23 Apri …
HIGHLIGHTS
:: As of 25 April, Ethiopia counts 252,279 COVID-19 cases, including 59,979 active cases and 3,551 deaths (1.4 per cent case fatality rate).
:: The test positivity rate stands at 25 per cent, while in cities like Dire Dawa and Hawassa, positivity rate is close to 50 per cent. Despite this alarming development, the population is not showing significant behavior change in implementing COVID-19 prevention measures.
:: The complex and unpredictable security situation in several areas of Tigray Region continues to affect the delivery of full-scale humanitarian assistance to affected communities, particularly to those who live in rural areas.

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The Sentinel

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

__________________________________________________

Week ending 24 April 2021 :: Number 364

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

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

Myanmar

The UN and its regional partners have a ‘fleeting window’ to cooperate on Myanmar

Speech  19 Apr 2021

Highlighting the situation in Myanmar, Ban Ki-moon calls on the UN Security Council to work with regional partners to maintain peace and security.

[Excerpts]

…Mr. President,

Today, the international community collectively faces a plethora of monumental challenges. These include, but are not limited to, an ongoing and deadly global pandemic, both longstanding and emerging conflict and security crises, and a deepening climate emergency.

At the same time, the United Nations, and multilateralism more largely, has faced immense difficulties over the past few years in holistically addressing such crises as some countries have unfortunately prioritized nationalism and isolationism over cooperation and partnership.

Under this troubling backdrop, the role of cooperative regional partnerships between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, as envisioned under Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, is all the more critical to help ensure the maintenance of international peace and security.

Particularly, regional and sub-regional organizations have unique and prominent roles to play in enhancing dialogue and confidence building in conflict prevention and its resolution.

In this context, I commend Secretary-General Guterres’ prioritization of prevention, and urge all members of this Council to scale-up their support for his efforts in addressing the root causes of conflict and enhancing the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

During my decade-long tenure as Secretary-General, I worked tirelessly to enhance cooperation between the UN and regional organizations with a view towards scaling-up conflict prevention and resolution. I worked side-by-side with the ASEAN, AU, LAS, OAS, EU, OSCE, and other key regional organizations, including attending the majority of ASEAN and AU summit meetings during my time.

As a result of their geographical proximity and intimate knowledge of local dynamics, regional and sub-regional organizations are also essential UN partners in providing early warning assessment of atrocity crimes.

Mr. President,

I believe that today’s Security Council debate is well-timed, as both the United Nations and its regional partners now have a fleeting window to cooperate through strong action to halt the ongoing atrocities in Myanmar and prevent a further escalation of violence.

According to rights-monitoring groups, over 700 people including 50 children, have been killed by security forces since the February 1 military takeover of Myanmar.

I condemn the brutal use of lethal force against civilians, and the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, as well as thousands of protestors.

The worsening situation in Myanmar represents a pivotal moment to showcase the utility of cooperation between the UN and its regional partners in maintaining peace and security and saving human lives…

Mr. President,

To deal with the Myanmar situation, an effective and regional-led approach requires both unity and action. But, ASEAN has so far been divided in its responses to the situation in Myanmar. The principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States should not be used as a pretext for inaction in the face of serious human rights abuses.

 

ASEAN must make it clear to the Myanmar military that the current situation is so grave that it cannot be regarded only as an internal matter. The military’s use of lethal force and the gross violations of human rights being perpetrated against the civilians are not compatible with the ASEAN Charter. These actions are clear violations of international law, and constitute a threat to the peace, security and stability of the region.

According to the news report, General Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar will attend ASEAN special Summit on Myanmar to be held in Indonesia on April 24. I urge ASEAN leaders to take immediate and concerted actions at the Summit. As a minimum, they should agree that a high-level ASEAN delegation will visit Myanmar to engage with all relevant parties.

It is equally vital that this Council moves beyond statements to collective action, as has been stated by countries around the world. After ASEAN special Summit, the Council should monitor the situation closely to take follow-up actions. The UN Security Council cannot neglect its basic obligation to prevent a situation from deteriorating, in which so many innocent people are being killed. As former UN Secretary-General, I urge this Council to take immediate actions to halt the violence and bloodshed, and initiate a process to restore peace and democracy in Myanmar.

In particular, the Permanent Members should focus their attention on actions that can be taken to respond to the situation in Myanmar. The Security Council has the responsibility to protect Myanmar’s civilian population in the context where the atrocities being committed may constitute crimes against humanity.  The Principle of R2P – responsibility to protect – should be seriously considered in ways that are appropriate to the Myanmar context, using a range of tools at the Council’s disposal.

Given the gravity and urgency of the situation, I believe the Secretary-General himself should use his good offices to engage directly with the Myanmar military, to prevent an escalation of violence.

The task ahead is daunting.  It will require the collective and coordinated efforts of the UN, ASEAN and the wider region to avert catastrophe and instead help return Myanmar to the path of a peaceful, democratic transition.

Mr. President,

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is now more important than ever to pursue multilateral and multi-layered solutions to the security problems that we face, borne out of robust partnerships with the UN, its Member States, and particularly, regional groups all working together.

As regional conflicts continue to both emerge and deepen, the UN can no longer deal with all of these crises on its own. This is why I believe that a partnership approach can best bear fruit for both conflict prevention and resolution.

Now is the time for this Council and its regional partners to not only act together, but act decisively to prevent the worst in Myanmar and beyond.

I once again thank the Viet Nam Presidency for convening this High-level Open Debate and inviting me to brief the Security Council today.  Again, I count on your strong leadership.

I thank you for your attention and leadership.

Venezuela

Statement from the OAS General Secretariat on Indiscriminate Operations by the Venezuelan Army and Criminal/Terrorist Organizations on the Border with Colombia
April 21, 2021
The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) rejects the terms of the notes that the Venezuelan dictatorship has sent to the United Nations Security Council on the tensions and hostilities on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, in the departments of Arauca and Apure.

It is a strategy of deceptive arguments, disinformation and propaganda that seeks to divert the attention of the international community and avoid its own responsibility, something common in the Chavista/Madurista regime. At the same time, the dictatorship intends to blame, without proof or justification, the Government of Colombia for the events that occurred in Venezuelan territory and to tarnish the progress that the country has made toward peace, requesting that the issue be addressed on the occasion of a meeting to discuss issues related to the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.

On the contrary, the events denounced, which include aerial and artillery bombardments and attacks against the civilian population with explosive weapons and looting, are a direct consequence of the indiscriminate operations of the regime’s military apparatus; actions that, in turn, are explained by the complicity of said regime with criminal and terrorist actors who are present in Venezuelan territory enjoying total impunity.

The actions of the dictatorship are part of the systematic forced exodus of Venezuelans and the detachment of the Venezuelan regime from international law and human rights, which has already caused, among other consequences, the departure of more than 5.6 million Venezuelans from their homeland.

The General Secretariat urges the international community to redouble its efforts to address the current displacement of the civilian population in the area of the Departments of Arauca and Apure, in Colombia and Venezuela respectively, which is part of the tragic humanitarian situation that the Venezuelan people are experiencing, and that has produced the most serious refugee crisis ever to have occurred in the Americas.

International Court of Justice

The Court commemorates the 75th anniversary of its inaugural sitting

THE HAGUE, 19 April 2021. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, today commemorated the 75th anniversary of its inaugural sitting, which took place on 18 April 1946 in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague.

The Court was set up in the aftermath of the Second World War as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The Statute of the Court forms an integral part of the Charter of the United Nations, which was signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and came into force on 24 October 1945. The first Members of the Court were elected on 6 February 1946 at the First Session of the General Assembly and the Court held its inaugural sitting at the Peace Palace, The Hague, on 18 April 1946.

… During the first 75 years of the Court’s existence, States have submitted over 140 disputes to it. Over 25 requests for advisory opinions have been referred to the Court by United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

… The Court has demonstrated that it is equipped to tackle cases relating to new areas of international law that have emerged and developed since its first sitting. In recent years, for example, the Court has gotten high marks for the way it has handled scientific and technical aspects of environmental disputes. The docket has also included cases arising under a number of important human rights treaties.

At present, outer space law is one field that is burgeoning. There are lively discussions about the legal framework applicable to many aspects of the cyber world. The drafters of the Court’s Statute could not have envisioned these areas of law, just as I cannot predict the fields of international law that will be blossoming 75 years from now. However, I feel confident that the institution and procedures established in the Statute of the Court and in its Rules will continue to provide fertile ground for the peaceful settlement of inter-State disputes…

Climate/Emissions – Finance

Mark Carney, UN Race to Zero campaign and COP26 Presidency launch Net Zero Financial Alliance with world’s biggest banks, Asset Owners,
21 Apr 2021 Press release
Industry-led and UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance also announced today, co-launched by the UNEP Finance Initiative and the Financial Services Taskforce of the Sustainable Markets Initiative

:: The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), chaired by Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, unites over 160 firms (together responsible for assets in excess of US$70 trillion[1]) from the leading net zero initiatives across the financial system to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.

:: All GFANZ member alliances must be accredited by the UN Race to Zero campaign. They must use science-based guidelines to reach net zero emissions, cover all emission scopes, include 2030 interim target setting, and commit to transparent reporting and accounting in line with the UN Race to Zero criteria.

:: 43 banks from 23 countries (with assets of US$28.5 trillion) form the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) today – which joins GFANZ – with its members committing to align operational and attributable emissions from their portfolios with pathways to net-zero by 2050 or sooner.
:: The Net-Zero Banking Alliance is convened by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and co-launched by the Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative Financial Services Taskforce (FSTF).

…U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said: “The largest financial players in the world recognize energy transition represents a vast commercial opportunity as well as a planetary imperative. As countries around the world move to decarbonize, the large sums these institutions are dedicating to climate solutions reflect a growing understanding that the transition to a low-carbon global economy will be critical for their business models. To be credible and effective as market signals, these financial commitments should adhere to clear definitions, metrics, and reporting. Ultimately, the transition to this new economy will create a massive number of new jobs and increase our collective ability to tackle climate change.”…

AI – Governance/Regulation

Europe fit for the Digital Age: Commission proposes new rules and actions for excellence and trust in Artificial Intelligence
Press release 21 April 2021
[Text-bolding from original]
The Commission proposes today new rules and actions aiming to turn Europe into the global hub for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI). The combination of the first-ever legal framework on AI and a new Coordinated Plan with Member States will guarantee the safety and fundamental rights of people and businesses, while strengthening AI uptake, investment and innovation across the EU. New rules on Machinery will complement this approach by adapting safety rules to increase users’ trust in the new, versatile generation of products.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, said: “On Artificial Intelligence, trust is a must, not a nice to have. With these landmark rules, the EU is spearheading the development of new global norms to make sure AI can be trusted. By setting the standards, we can pave the way to ethical technology worldwide and ensure that the EU remains competitive along the way. Future-proof and innovation-friendly, our rules will intervene where strictly needed: when the safety and fundamental rights of EU citizens are at stake.”…

.

The European approach to trustworthy AI
The new rules will be applied directly in the same way across all Member States based on a future-proof definition of AI. They follow a risk-based approach:

Unacceptable risk: AI systems considered a clear threat to the safety, livelihoods and rights of people will be banned. This includes AI systems or applications that manipulate human behaviour to circumvent users’ free will (e.g. toys using voice assistance encouraging dangerous behaviour of minors) and systems that allow ‘social scoring’ by governments.

High-risk: AI systems identified as high-risk include AI technology used in:
:: Critical infrastructures (e.g. transport), that could put the life and health of citizens at risk;
:: Educational or vocational training, that may determine the access to education and professional course of someone’s life (e.g. scoring of exams);
:: Safety components of products (e.g. AI application in robot-assisted surgery);
:: Employment, workers management and access to self-employment (e.g. CV-sorting software for recruitment procedures);
:: Essential private and public services (e.g. credit scoring denying citizens opportunity to obtain a loan);
:: Law enforcement that may interfere with people’s fundamental rights (e.g. evaluation of the reliability of evidence);
:: Migration, asylum and border control management (e.g. verification of authenticity of travel documents);
:: Administration of justice and democratic processes (e.g. applying the law to a concrete set of facts).

High-risk AI systems will be subject to strict obligations before they can be put on the market:
:: Adequate risk assessment and mitigation systems;
:: High quality of the datasets feeding the system to minimise risks and discriminatory outcomes;
:: Logging of activity to ensure traceability of results;
:: Detailed documentation providing all information necessary on the system and its purpose for authorities to assess its compliance;
:: Clear and adequate information to the user;
:: Appropriate human oversight measures to minimise risk;
:: High level of robustness, security and accuracy.

In particular, all remote biometric identification systems are considered high risk and subject to strict requirements. Their live use in publicly accessible spaces for law enforcement purposes is prohibited in principle. Narrow exceptions are strictly defined and regulated (such as where strictly necessary to search for a missing child, to prevent a specific and imminent terrorist threat or to detect, locate, identify or prosecute a perpetrator or suspect of a serious criminal offence). Such use is subject to authorisation by a judicial or other independent body and to appropriate limits in time, geographic reach and the data bases searched.

Limited risk, i.e. AI systems with specific transparency obligations: When using AI systems such as chatbots, users should be aware that they are interacting with a machine so they can take an informed decision to continue or step back.

Minimal risk: The legal proposal allows the free use of applications such as AI-enabled video games or spam filters. The vast majority of AI systems fall into this category. The draft Regulation does not intervene here, as these AI systems represent only minimal or no risk for citizens’ rights or safety.

In terms of governance, the Commission proposes that national competent market surveillance authorities supervise the new rules, while the creation of a European Artificial Intelligence Board will facilitate their implementation, as well as drive the development of standards for AI. Additionally, voluntary codes of conduct are proposed for non-high-risk AI, as well as regulatory sandboxes to facilitate responsible innovation…

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: 24 April 2021
Confirmed cases :: 145 216 414 [week ago: 134 139 501]
Confirmed deaths :: 3 079 390 [week ago: 2 992 193]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 223

::::::

Statement on the seventh meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic
19 April 2021 Statement
The seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) took place on Thursday, 15 April 2021 from 12:00 to 16:30 Geneva time (CEST)…

The Committee recognized WHO’s and States Parties’ progress in implementing the previous advice and Temporary Recommendations from the 6th meeting of the Emergency Committee. The Committee congratulated the mission team and the report from the WHO-convened Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2 and encouraged implementation of the recommendations published in the Mission report.

The Committee remains concerned that the world will not exit the pandemic unless, and until, all countries have access to appropriate supplies of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines, irrespective of their ability to pay and the capacity and financial resources to rapidly and effectively vaccinate their populations. Inequities within and among all countries is slowing the return to normal social and economic life. The Committee provided the following advice to the Director-General accordingly.

The Director-General determined that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to constitute a PHEIC. He accepted the advice of the Committee to WHO and issued the Committee’s advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR. 

The Emergency Committee will be reconvened within three months or earlier, at the discretion of the Director-General. The Director-General thanked the Committee for its work.

::::::

Weekly operational update on COVID-19 – 19 April 2021
Overview
In this edition of the Weekly Operational Update on COVID-19, highlights of country-level actions and WHO support to Member States include:
:: Training critical care nurses for COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem
:: Health for all in India during the COVID-19 pandemic
:: Supporting monitoring health inequities and minimizing health service disruptions in Nigeria
:: COVAX Facility delivers COVID-19 vaccine doses to Brunei Darussalam
:: Workshop and technical dialogue on COVID-19 surveillance, testing and contact tracing in the Czech Republic
:: Addressing mental health needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal
:: Updates from the UN Crisis Management Team meeting and the Global Health Cluster
:: Advancing health emergency preparedness in cities and urban settings in COVID-19 and beyond
:: The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) 2021 resource requirements and progress made to continue investing in the COVID-19 response and for building the architecture to prepare for, prevent and mitigate future health emergencies
:: Updates on WHO/PAHO procured items, Partners Platform, implementation of the Unity Studies, and select indicators from the COVID-19 Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 – 20 April 2021
Overview
Globally, new COVID-19 cases rose for the eighth consecutive week, with over 5.2 million new cases reported in the last week. The number of new deaths increased for the fifth consecutive week, increasing by 8% compared to last week, with over 83 000 new deaths reported. While all regions except the European Region reported an increase in incident cases in the last week, the largest increase continues to be reported by the South-East Asia Region, largely driven by India, followed by the Western Pacific Region.
In this edition, special focus updates are provided on:
:: WHO COVID-19 global rapid risk assessment
:: Pandemic influenza surveillance—drawing a parallel with the COVID-19 pandemic
:: SARS-CoV-2 variants

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 21 April 2021
:: The GPEI has made available reports from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meetings for Pakistan and Afghanistan which were held virtually in February and March this year.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: three WPV1 and one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Benin: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Iran: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample
:: Sierra Leone: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Tajikistan: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples

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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 24 Apr 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 24 Apr 2021]
Malawi
:: Boosting equity to malaria prevention in Malawi through vaccination 22 April 2021

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 5 July 2020]
Angola – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 March 2021]
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 01 avril 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: 2 March 2020]
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 11 April 2021]
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: ²9 March 2021]
Niger – No new digest announcements identified [Last apparent update: 16 avril 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 24 Apr 2021]

Kenya
:: Kenya Third Wave Response: A time to synergize and re-energize 23 April 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]

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

UN OCHA – Current Emergencies
COVID-19 – No new unique digest announcements identified

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

The Sentinel

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

__________________________________________________

Week ending 17 April 2021 :: Number 363

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

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

Fighting trafficking in human beings: New strategy to prevent trafficking, break criminal business models, protect and empower victims

European Commission

Press release  14 April 2021  Brussels

The Commission is presenting today a new Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (2021-2025), focusing on preventing the crime, bringing traffickers to justice and protecting and empowering victims. Between 2017 and 2018, there were more than 14,000 registered victims within the European Union. Globally, traffickers make estimated profits of €29.4 billion in a single year. With demand for exploitation expected to continue, traffickers moving their acts online and the pandemic likely to create the conditions for increased exploitation, today’s strategy sets out the measures that will allow the EU and its Member States to continue strengthening their response…

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said: “Trafficking in human beings is a crime that should have no place in our societies. Yet, criminals continue to traffic victims, mainly women and children, and mostly for sexual exploitation. We owe the victims protection, and we need to bring to justice the perpetrators who treat human beings as a commodity. We will look at the rules in place to check if they are still fit for purpose and we will assess the possibility of criminalising the use of exploited services from trafficking victims”.

The strategy builds on the EU’s comprehensive legal and policy framework in place to address trafficking in human beings, rooted in the Anti-trafficking Directive. The Commission will continue to support Member States in the implementation of the Directive and, if necessary, will propose revisions to make sure it is fit for purpose. The EU anti-trafficking coordinator will continue to play a key role in the implementation of this strategy.

In addition, the Strategy focuses on:

:: Reducing demand that fosters trafficking: The Commission will assess the possibility of establishing minimum EU rules criminalising the use of exploited services of trafficking victims and will organise – together with national authorities and civil society organisations – a prevention campaign targeting high-risk sectors. The Commission will also consider strengthening Employers’ Sanctions Directive and will propose legislation on corporate governance to clarify the responsibilities of companies and will provide guidance on due diligence to help prevent forced labour.

:: Breaking the business model of traffickers, online and offline: The Commission will conduct a dialogue with internet and technology companies to reduce the use of online platforms for the recruitment and exploitation of victims. The Commission will encourage systematic training of law enforcement and judicial practitioners on detecting and addressing trafficking in human beings.

:: Protecting, supporting and empowering the victims with a specific focus on women and children: The Strategy seeks to improve the early identification of victims and their referral for further assistance and protection, strengthen victim empowerment programmes and facilitate re-integration. The Commission will also fund gender-specific and child-sensitive training to help police, social workers, border guards or healthcare staff detect victims.

:: Promoting international cooperation: With half of the victims identified in the EU being non-EU citizens, cooperation with international partners is key to address trafficking. The EU will use a range of foreign policy instruments and operational cooperation to help combat trafficking in countries of origin and transit including through dedicated human rights and security dialogues, enhanced cooperation with the Council of Europe and regular and targeted communication, action and exchange of information with EU delegations in partner countries. The upcoming Action Plan against Migrant Smuggling will also help disrupt traffickers’ business in moving victims for exploitation to Europe…

EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime & EU Strategy on combatting Trafficking in Human Beings: Questions and Answers

Questions and answers  14 April 2021

Development – SDG Investment

UNDP and GISD Alliance Launch ‘SDG Investor Platform’ to unlock trillions on SDG-Aligned Investment Globally

Posted on April 14, 2021

New York – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Secretary-General’s Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance today launched the ‘SDG Investor Platform,’ an innovative tool to facilitate private sector investments that contribute to furthering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

According to the OECD’s latest data, developing countries are facing a shortfall of USD 4.2 trillion in the financing they would need this year to keep them on track for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Reallocating just 1.1% of the total assets held by banks, institutional investors, or asset managers would be sufficient to fill the gap in SDG financing.

Building on the SDG Investor Maps – created by UNDP’s SDG Finance initiative SDG Impact – and leveraging on UNDP’s presence in more than 170 countries and territories, the SDG Investor Platform – established in partnership with the GISD Alliance – provides private sector investors with access to country level market intelligence, including on-the-ground insights on the local investment landscape and investor connections.

SDG Investor Maps is a unique tool that allows investors to identify the impact/sustainability areas that, combined with high return, can be game-changers in their portfolio. To date, it has identified over 200 investment opportunities in 14 countries[1] covering a wide range of sectors, from food and beverage to healthcare and infrastructure, where financial promise and impact potential to advance the SDGs coalesce. The production of SDG Investor Maps is expected to grow further in 2021 and 2022 across all continents.[2]…

COVID – Global Recovery

Secretary-General, at Economic and Social Council Forum, Spells Out Priority Areas for Urgent Action in Response to, Recovery from COVID-19

SG/SM/20681  12 April 2021

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the opening of the 2021 Economic and Social Council Forum on Financing for Development, in New York today:

Financing for Development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic means an unprecedented effort to mobilize resources and political will.  Since the pandemic began one year ago, no element of our multilateral response has gone as it should.

More than 3 million people have lost their lives.  Some 120 million people have fallen back into extreme poverty, while the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs have been lost.  We have seen the worst recession in 90 years.  And the crisis is far from over.  Indeed, the speed of infections is now even increasing.

We need to heed the lessons now if we are to reverse these dangerous trends, prevent successive waves of infection, avoid a lengthy global recession and get back on track to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.  Unity and solidarity will save lives and prevent communities and economies from falling into catastrophic debt and dysfunction.

Advancing an equitable global response and recovery from the pandemic is putting multilateralism to the test.  So far, it is a test we have failed.  The vaccination effort is one example.  Just 10 countries across the world account for around 75 per cent of global vaccinations.  Many countries have yet to start vaccinating their health-care workers and most vulnerable citizens.  A global vaccine gap threatens everyone’s health and well-being.  The virus is dangerous everywhere if it spreads unchecked anywhere.  And global value chains do not function if one link is broken.

Some estimates put the global cost of unequal access and vaccine hoarding at more than $9 trillion.  The same lack of solidarity means that some countries have mobilized relief packages worth trillions of dollars, while many developing countries face insurmountable debt burdens that will put the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) completely out of reach if not corrected.

Even in 2019, before the pandemic, 25 countries spent more on debt service than on education, health, and social protection combined.  Now, many Governments face an impossible choice between servicing debt or saving lives.  But in reality, there is just one choice:  to take action to avert a global debt crisis.

Inequalities are also growing within countries, as women and girls and the most vulnerable groups have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.  Nearly 170 million children around the world have been out of school for a year.  We face a global education crisis with a devastating long-term impact on individuals and their communities, which could contribute to inequality across the generations.

We are here today to set the course for an equitable, sustainable and resilient response and recovery from COVID-19.  I call for urgent action in six areas.

First, vaccines must be available to all countries in need.  We must close the funding gap of the COVAX facility.  To end the pandemic for good, we need equitable access to vaccines for everyone, everywhere…

COVID 19 Vaccines – Access

Global leaders rally to accelerate access to COVID-19 vaccines for lower-income countries

:: The “One World Protected” Event, hosted today by the United States and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, launched a campaign to raise US$ 2 billion for the global fight against COVID-19.

:: The additional funding from donors and countries with MDB support will enable the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) to secure 1.8 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for 92 lower-income countries by the end of the year.

:: At the event, governments and private sector partners made early pledges worth nearly US$ 400 million and committed to donate millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses to COVAX to benefit the most vulnerable in lower-income economies.

:: The new campaign will culminate in June 2021, at the Gavi COVAX AMC Summit, which will be hosted by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan.

COVID 19 Impacts

New Global Fund Report Shows Massive Disruption to Health Care Caused by COVID-19 in Africa and Asia

13 April 2021

GENEVA – A new report by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria shows COVID-19 has massively disrupted health systems and health service delivery for HIV, TB and malaria in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia in 2020. The report highlights the urgent need to scale up the adaptive measures that health facilities adopted to continue the fight against HIV, TB, malaria, to ramp up delivery of critical supplies for the COVID-19 response, and prevent health care systems and community responses from collapse.

Through programmatic spot-checks recording information from 502 health facilities in 32 countries in Africa and Asia between April and September 2020, the Global Fund has assembled a snapshot of the extent of the disruption to health services for HIV, TB and malaria, and of how health facilities have responded.

“This snapshot underscores the scale of the challenge,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “HIV prevention has been knocked backwards. With the dramatic drop in case management for malaria, we face a real risk for a spike in mortality. Much of the progress we’ve made to close the gap on finding “missing” people with TB has been reversed. The stark truth is that we will see more incremental deaths from HIV, TB and malaria in 2021 as a consequence of the disruption caused by COVID-19 in 2020.”

The data collected shows that for April to September 2020, compared to the same six-month period in 2019:

:: HIV testing fell 41%.

:: TB referrals – where patients suspected of having TB are referred to the next step of diagnosis and treatment – declined by 59%.

:: Malaria diagnoses fell by 31%.

:: Antenatal care visits fell by 43%.

The spot-checks also highlighted a critical lack of tests, treatments and PPE needed to fight COVID-19, particularly in Africa:

:: Only 45% of health facilities had enough essential PPE items for its health workers, including masks, disinfectant, gloves and hand sanitizer.

:: Across the 24 countries in Africa that were surveyed, only 11% of health facilities could conduct COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests, and only 8% could conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

However, the snapshot also shows that countries that implemented adaptive measures to counter the impact of COVID-19 on health service continuity fared better than those that did not adapt. More than two-thirds (68%) of facilities surveyed adopted at least one adaptive measure, such as dispensing long-term supplies of medicines for HIV and TB to patients, or switching to a door-to-door delivery system for mosquito nets and preventative malaria medicines. These successful adaptations to service disruption by COVID-19 need to be further investigated, scaled up and tailored to local contexts.

The Global Fund has already deployed nearly US$1 billion to fight COVID-19 and mitigate the impact on HIV, TB and malaria in more than 100 countries. Through the ACT-Accelerator, the global collaboration to ensure the accelerated launch and equitable deployment of tools to fight COVID-19, the Global Fund is now the primary channel for providing grant support to low- and middle-income countries on tests, treatments (including medical oxygen), PPE and health system strengthening. For the Global Fund to fulfil its responsibility to the ACT-Accelerator and regain lost progress against HIV, TB and malaria, an additional US$10 billion is needed. To date in 2021, the Global Fund has raised US$3.7 billion.

“In most low- and middle-income countries, the crisis is far from over, with infections and deaths from COVID-19 continuing to increase, and the knock-on impact on HIV, TB and malaria continuing to escalate ” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “To regain the ground lost on the three epidemics in 2020 and to step up the fight against COVID-19, we have to massively scale up adaptation programs, increase access to COVID-19 tools, and shore up systems for health so they don’t collapse.” Report: The impact of COVID-19 on HIV, TB and malaria services and systems for health: a snapshot from 502 health facilities across Africa and Asia

COVID 19 Impacts

New Global Fund Report Shows Massive Disruption to Health Care Caused by COVID-19 in Africa and Asia
13 April 2021
GENEVA – A new report by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria shows COVID-19 has massively disrupted health systems and health service delivery for HIV, TB and malaria in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia in 2020. The report highlights the urgent need to scale up the adaptive measures that health facilities adopted to continue the fight against HIV, TB, malaria, to ramp up delivery of critical supplies for the COVID-19 response, and prevent health care systems and community responses from collapse.

Through programmatic spot-checks recording information from 502 health facilities in 32 countries in Africa and Asia between April and September 2020, the Global Fund has assembled a snapshot of the extent of the disruption to health services for HIV, TB and malaria, and of how health facilities have responded.

“This snapshot underscores the scale of the challenge,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “HIV prevention has been knocked backwards. With the dramatic drop in case management for malaria, we face a real risk for a spike in mortality. Much of the progress we’ve made to close the gap on finding “missing” people with TB has been reversed. The stark truth is that we will see more incremental deaths from HIV, TB and malaria in 2021 as a consequence of the disruption caused by COVID-19 in 2020.”

The data collected shows that for April to September 2020, compared to the same six-month period in 2019:
:: HIV testing fell 41%.
:: TB referrals – where patients suspected of having TB are referred to the next step of diagnosis and treatment – declined by 59%.
:: Malaria diagnoses fell by 31%.
:: Antenatal care visits fell by 43%.

The spot-checks also highlighted a critical lack of tests, treatments and PPE needed to fight COVID-19, particularly in Africa:
:: Only 45% of health facilities had enough essential PPE items for its health workers, including masks, disinfectant, gloves and hand sanitizer.
:: Across the 24 countries in Africa that were surveyed, only 11% of health facilities could conduct COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests, and only 8% could conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

However, the snapshot also shows that countries that implemented adaptive measures to counter the impact of COVID-19 on health service continuity fared better than those that did not adapt. More than two-thirds (68%) of facilities surveyed adopted at least one adaptive measure, such as dispensing long-term supplies of medicines for HIV and TB to patients, or switching to a door-to-door delivery system for mosquito nets and preventative malaria medicines. These successful adaptations to service disruption by COVID-19 need to be further investigated, scaled up and tailored to local contexts.

The Global Fund has already deployed nearly US$1 billion to fight COVID-19 and mitigate the impact on HIV, TB and malaria in more than 100 countries. Through the ACT-Accelerator, the global collaboration to ensure the accelerated launch and equitable deployment of tools to fight COVID-19, the Global Fund is now the primary channel for providing grant support to low- and middle-income countries on tests, treatments (including medical oxygen), PPE and health system strengthening. For the Global Fund to fulfil its responsibility to the ACT-Accelerator and regain lost progress against HIV, TB and malaria, an additional US$10 billion is needed. To date in 2021, the Global Fund has raised US$3.7 billion.

“In most low- and middle-income countries, the crisis is far from over, with infections and deaths from COVID-19 continuing to increase, and the knock-on impact on HIV, TB and malaria continuing to escalate ” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “To regain the ground lost on the three epidemics in 2020 and to step up the fight against COVID-19, we have to massively scale up adaptation programs, increase access to COVID-19 tools, and shore up systems for health so they don’t collapse.”
Report: The impact of COVID-19 on HIV, TB and malaria services and systems for health: a snapshot from 502 health facilities across Africa and Asia