Data Privacy/Integrity :: “Data Science for Good”

European Commission adopts adequacy decision on Japan, creating the world’s largest area of safe data flows
Press release European Commission Brussels, 23 January 2019
The Commission has adopted today its adequacy decision on Japan, allowing personal data to flow freely between the two economies on the basis of strong protection guarantees.

This is the last step in the procedure launched in September 2018, which included the opinion of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the agreement from a committee composed of representatives of the EU Member States. Together with its equivalent decision adopted today by Japan, it will start applying as of today.

Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality said: “This adequacy decision creates the world’s largest area of safe data flows. Europeans’ data will benefit from high privacy standards when their data is transferred to Japan. Our companies will also benefit from a privileged access to a 127 million consumers’ market. Investing in privacy pays off; this arrangement will serve as an example for future partnerships in this key area and help setting global standards.”

The key elements of the adequacy decision
Before the Commission adopted its adequacy decision, Japan put in place additional safeguards to guarantee that data transferred from the EU enjoy protection guarantees in line with European standards. This includes:
:: A set of rules (Supplementary Rules) that will bridge several differences between the two data protection systems. These additional safeguards will strengthen, for example, the protection of sensitive data, the exercise of individual rights and the conditions under which EU data can be further transferred from Japan to another third country. These Supplementary Rules will be binding on Japanese companies importing data from the EU and enforceable by the Japanese independent data protection authority (PPC) and courts.
:: The Japanese government also gave assurances to the Commission regarding safeguards concerning the access of Japanese public authorities for criminal law enforcement and national security purposes, ensuring that any such use of personal data would be limited to what is necessary and proportionate and subject to independent oversight and effective redress mechanisms.
:: A complaint-handling mechanism to investigate and resolve complaints from Europeans regarding access to their data by Japanese public authorities. This new mechanism will be administered and supervised by the Japanese independent data protection authority…

Next steps
The adequacy decision – as well as the equivalent decision on the Japanese side –will start applying as of today.

After two years, a first joint review will be carried out to assess the functioning of the framework. This will cover all aspects of the adequacy finding, including the application of the Supplementary Rules and the assurances for government access to data. The Representatives of European Data Protection Board will participate in the review regarding access to data for law enforcement and national security purposes. Subsequently a review will take place at least every four years…

Questions & Answers on the Japan adequacy decision
European Commission – Fact Sheet Brussels, 23 January 2019

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Governance: Informal Structures

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Juan Manuel Santos and Zeid Raad Al Hussein join The Elders
Friday, 18 January, 2019
The Elders announced today with great pleasure that three new members have joined the group: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate 2011; Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate 2016; and Zeid Raad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 2014-18.

The new Elders will join the group in its second decade of campaigning for peace, justice and human rights. The Elders was founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, who charged the group with a mandate to “support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where this is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair.”

Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, said:
“I am delighted to welcome three such esteemed new members to our group. Ellen, Juan Manuel and Zeid each bring valuable and distinctive perspectives on issues that are central to our work, from human rights and peacebuilding to gender equality and justice for all. I look forward to them playing critical roles in our current and future initiatives across the globe.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said:
“It is an honour to follow in the footsteps of great Africans like Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu and Kofi Annan. The Elders’ work to promote justice, equality and human rights is needed more than ever. I look forward to working with them to inspire people everywhere, particularly women and girls, to reach for their true potential, break through barriers and pursue their dreams.”

Juan Manuel Santos said:
“The Elders’ work to promote peace and support efforts to end the world’s most intractable conflicts is a crucial force for good. I hugely appreciated their encouragement and counsel as my administration negotiated the Colombia peace process in 2016. Today, I am honoured and delighted to join them and support their efforts to promote peace, justice and reconciliation worldwide.”

Zeid Raad Al Hussein said:
“In an age when poor leadership, injustice and suffering is rife, The Elders’ vision of a world where people live in peace and are conscious of their common humanity is essential. Inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela, their mission helps ensure human rights are respected, and oppression overcome. I am honoured to join this illustrious group and work with them for a better world.”

Featured Journal Content

The Lancet
Jan 26, 2019 Volume 393Number 10169p295-376, e3-e4
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Editorial
At the turn of the tide: human rights and health in 2019
The Lancet
A pattern of political turmoil, violence, and intolerance in all corners of the world, from Europe to Asia and the USA, is following a rise of populist leaders and authoritarian governments. Human rights are under autocratic threat. Once-influential rights defenders, such as the USA, have faded away, risking a void in the global defence of human rights. This gloomy reality is underscored in Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2019, released Jan 17, which summarises key human rights issues in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s annual report sends a clear message: that human rights violations propagated by autocratic leaders throughout 2018 continue to imperil the health of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Inequality and discrimination fuelled much of the harm in 2018. Immigration became one of the most divisive issues among autocratic leaders in Europe. The failure to establish protective measures for people with migrant and refugee status restricted their access to health care. Some European governments, such as the Italian and Hungarian regimes, prevented migrants from entering their countries and fuelled rising anti-immigrant sentiment. In the USA, President Trump separated immigrant children from their parents. In southeast Asia, more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims remain locked in a cycle of poor child health, malnutrition, waterborne illness, and poor obstetric care after decades of discrimination—a situation that has worsened drastically because of a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar army.

Attacks in armed conflict zones against hospitals and threats to health-care staff continued to be problematic. In Yemen, in what UN officials describe as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, bombings and blockade by Saudi-led coalitions hampered the movement and safety of health-care staff, patients, and ambulances. Similar examples of attacks on health-care facilities were reported in the Gaza Strip and in areas of war-ravaged Syria.

Restricted supply of food and basic medical supplies in countries experiencing financial turmoil have threatened the health and safety of their populations. Under President Nicolás Maduro’s leadership, Venezuela’s infrastructure has crumbled and an economic collapse has triggered a historic exodus of civilians. The country’s health-care system is decaying, triggering a rise in the rates of maternal and infant mortality and a spike in cases of malaria and diphtheria.

But there are reasons for hope. Unlike previous annual reports, World Report 2019 paints a brighter picture of the future. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth explains that, amid political chaos and despite mounting pessimism around rights abuses and attacks on democracy by populists on both the far left and far right, 2018 was a remarkable year for human rights. This is not because of growing authoritarian tendencies, but because of resistance to them. “Important battles are being won, re-energising the global defence of human rights”, states Roth. The pushback to autocracy was striking because it took unexpected forms—from elections, street demonstrations by civilians, both regionally and nationally, to non-traditional coalitions between smaller countries and organisations, the UN, and the European Parliament. 2018 saw unprecedented international efforts to resist attacks on democracy in Europe and Africa, to halt the Saudi-led bombing and blockading of Yemeni civilians, to prevent further bloodshed in Syria, and to take measures that will one day bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Latin American governments united with Canada to urge the International Criminal Court to open an investigation of crimes in Venezuela. Democrat gains in the House of Representatives in the autumn midterm elections reflect, at least in part, a national dismay of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

This rise of resistance against the autocracy must not lose momentum in 2019. Every day, in so many parts of the world, the health of women and children is attacked and reproductive rights are violated. In countries facing the consequences of pollution and climate change, or fighting outbreaks of infectious disease, vulnerable, marginalised, and minority populations are being overlooked. An access abyss in palliative care persists, and mental health is still neglected. Much of the pushback in the past year played out at the UN and the European Parliament, underlining the importance of solidarity and the collective voice. This global unity is a force that needs to be harnessed to truly shift the power dynamics in 2019 and to make it a year of triumph for both human rights and health. It will be a tough journey.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 22 January 2019
:: In an extraordinary joint statement by the Chairs of the main independent, advisory and oversight committees of the GPEI, the Chairs urge everyone involved in polio eradication to ensure polio will finally be assigned to the history books by 2023.
The authors are the chairs of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE), the Independent Monitoring Board, the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Regarding International Spread of Poliovirus and the Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (GCC).
The Endgame Plan through 2018 has brought the world to the brink of being polio-free.  A new Strategic Plan 2019-2023 aims to build on the lessons learned since 2013.  The joint statement urges everyone involved in the effort to find ways to excel in their roles.  If this happens, the statement continues, success will follow.  But otherwise, come 2023, the world will find itself exactly where it is today:  tantalizingly close.  But in an eradication effort, tantalizingly close is not good enough.  The statement therefore issues an impassioned plea to everyone to dedicate themselves to one clear objective:  to reach that very last child with polio vaccine.  The full statement is attached herewith and also available here.

Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Pakistan – two cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and five WPV1 positive environmental samples;
:: Afghanistan – seven WPV1 positive environmental samples;
:: Nigeria – one case of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and eight VDPV2 positive environmental samples.

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Editor’s Note:

WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.
 
WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 26 Jan 2019]
 
Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Bi‐weekly Situation Report 1 – 17 January 2019
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
:: The number of varicella cases reported this week in 1 358. WHO and the health sector are working incollaboration with Education sector and Risk communication to contain the disease.
:: A total of 2.2 million doses were administered in 2018 through two Penta/Td, bOPV campaigns and two OCV campaigns
 
Varicella UPDATE
:: The number of varicella cases reported this week in 1 358. The number of varicella cases is higher than previous week but this might be due to improvement of varicella reporting in the camps.
:: Varicella has been added to Indicator‐Based Surveillance (IBS) and Event‐Based surveillance (EBS) in EWARS.
:: Ministry of Health (MoH) & IEDCR has requested to health partners to report all varicella cases on a daily basis.
 
 DIPHTHERIA UPDATE
:: Ten new diphtheria case‐patients (one probable and nine suspected) were reported this week. Total case patients reported in EWARS is now 8 372.
:: Of these, 293 case patients have tested positive on PCR, with the last confirmed case reported on 31 December 2018. Of the remaining cases 2 710 were classified as probable and 5 369 as suspected. The total number of deaths remains 44. Last death was reported on 28 June 2018.
:: No death has been reported from the host community.
 
HEALTH OPERATIONS
Routine Immunization
:: From the beginning of February 2018 to date, the following antigen doses were delivered to
children: 40,965 BCG doses; 56,512 pentavalent doses; 58,234 Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) doses; 55,086 PCV doses; 29,039 Measles/Rubella (MR) doses and 19,906 Td doses to pregnant women.
:: Before February, several campaigns were held in Rohingya camps among specific age groups, which covered the target cohort of routine immunization to an extent.
 
 Campaigns in Rohingya Camps
:: A total of 2.2 million doses were administered in 2018 through two Penta/Td, bOPV campaigns and two OCV campaigns…
 
Somalia
:: Somalia developing comprehensive plan to improve health of mothers, children and adolescents
Mogadishu, 24 January 2019 – With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other United Nations partners, Somalia is currently developing a strategy that will change the rhetoric in the country and ensure Somali mothers and children can access quality health services equitably all across urban, rural areas in the country…
 
 
Yemen
:: Providing urgent health care to millions: WHO and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation work together to reach the most vulnerable

24 January 2019, Sana’a, Yemen — With a generous donation of 2 million euros from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the World Health Organization (WHO) is scaling up efforts to meet health needs in Yemen through the health service delivery mechanism known as the Minimum Service Package. This is the first time since the start of the crisis in Yemen that WHO has partnered with the Agency…
 
 
Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified  [see above]
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identifie

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 26 Jan 2019]
occupied Palestinian territory
:: WHO concerned over health impact of evolving fuel crisis in Gaza
21 January 2019, Gaza –  The World Health Organization is concerned over the potential impact the evolving fuel crisis in Gaza might have on the lives and health of patients whose treatment requires uninterrupted power supply if no immediate solution to address the aggravating shortages is found.
The functionality of Gaza’s 14 public hospitals is increasingly jeopardized by electricity shortages and the rapidly declining UN coordinated fuel reserves required to run emergency generators during prolonged electricity cuts from the main grid…
 
Brazil (in Portugese) – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified
 
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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 26 Jan 2019]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic   – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.

Ethiopia 
:: Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 72 | 7 – 20 January 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
::Scaled-up response urgently required to more than 250,000 IDPs in Western Ethiopia
:: Durable Solutions as nexus opportunity in Somali region: Lessons from SDC
:: New law grants nearly a million refugees to exercise more rights in Ethiopia
:: Nearly 36 million children in Ethiopia are poor and lack access to basic social services: report

Somalia  – No new digest announcements identified
 
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“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake – No new digest announcements identified

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 19 January 2019

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: the sentinel_ period ending 19 jan 2019

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

Human Rights – Funding

Bachelet appeals for record funds to support UN human rights work in “an era of great turbulence.”
GENEVA (16 January 2019) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday urged States to step up their support in 2019 in order to fund what she described as “the most ambitious programme of work ever drawn by my Office.”

Presenting an appeal for US$ 321.5 million, the UN Human Rights Chief stressed that sustainable peace, security and development will only be achieved in an “era of great turbulence” if States invest in human rights, and described her Office as “a vital tool for greater prevention, and better protection, around the world.”

“Human rights are your tools,” Bachelet told a gathering of delegates in Geneva, “— the best and most effective investment in a sound and safe future for your people.”

“Human rights work is prevention work,” she pointed out. “It prevents grievances, conflicts, inequalities, and suffering and discrimination of all kinds. By assisting all States in upholding civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the right to development, we bring solutions to the many challenges you face – from climate change to infectious disease; artificial intelligence and the future of industries; urbanism, and the rights of peasants and people in rural areas.”

The UN Human Rights Office’s 2019 programme of work would focus on pushing forward in key areas, and across all regions, she said, with the aim of strengthening rule of law and accountability; protecting and expanding civic space; countering discrimination of all kinds; integrating human rights more strongly in development policies and programmes; and supporting early warning and protecting rights in situations of conflict and insecurity.

“In addition,” Bachelet said, “we will upgrade our work on key emerging issues such as: inequality; climate change; human rights in the digital landscape; corruption; and migration. And I also want to emphasise the increasing coordination and focus of our work on women, young people, and people with disabilities, as part of our efforts to assist States to implement the 2030 Agenda and fulfil their commitment to leave no-one behind.”

The UN Human Rights Office currently has some 1,300 staff in 72 presences worldwide, including its Geneva headquarters. In 2018, the year of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, its revenue was US$ 185.6 million – an increase of 28 percent over the previous year, but well short of the appeal figure of US$ 278 million..

Development – Human Capital

New ISO International Standard for human capital reporting
By Clare Naden on 15 January 2019
ISO 30414: Human resource management – Guidelines for internal and external human capital reporting, is the first International Standard that allows an organization to get a clear view of the actual contribution of its human capital. Applicable to enterprises of all types and sizes, it provides guidelines on core HR areas such as organizational culture, recruitment and turnover, productivity, health and safety, and leadership.

Dr Ron McKinley, Chair of the ISO technical committee that developed the standard, said ISO 30414 will enable organizations to gain a better understanding of their impact on staff and help maximize employee contribution for long-term success.

“Workforce reporting is about rethinking how organizational value should be understood and evaluated, and allowing for more data-driven decision making across workforce management,” he explained.

“What’s more, by providing a number of relevant key metrics that are recognizable on an international scale, multinational companies can more easily transfer human capital information, better control their international HR activities and provide greater transparency for all their stakeholders,” he said.

“But the standard is not just for multinationals. Organizations of all sizes, including small and medium-sized companies, can benefit from being able to choose the metrics that are most relevant to them.”..

ISO 30414, Human resource management – Guidelines for internal and external human capital reporting
[Excerpt]
Introduction
Human capital includes the cumulative knowledge, skills and abilities of an organization’s people and the impact on an organization’s long-term performance, as well as competitive advantage through optimizing organizational outcomes.

The measurement of human capital facilitates the ability of an organization to manage one of its most critical resources and risks, people. Research shows that organizations that do not manage their human capital may damage the ability and opportunity for the business to create long-term and sustainable value achieved through their people[1].

This document is guided by the principles of human rights at work[2], and coupled with the human governance standard (ISO 30408[3]), it establishes guidelines on human capital data capture, measurement, analysis and reporting.

The benefits of a standardized approach to human capital reporting (HCR) include
— the use of standardized and agreed data, which describes organizational value in a broadly comparable sense;
— the improvement of HRM processes that support good practice in establishing and maintaining positive employment relations;
— greater understanding of the financial and non-financial returns that are generated as a result of investments in human capital;
— accessible and transparent reporting of human capital data and insights that enhances internal and external understanding and assessment of an organization’s human capital and its present and future performance…

Human Rights – Protection/Children

Poor legal frameworks and a lack of data worsens child abuse and sexual exploitation says new report
ECPAT – Posted on 18/01/2019
Economist Intelligence Unit’s new report Out of the shadows – Shining light on the response to child sexual abuse and exploitation says that in much of the world, weak laws and a poor commitment to tackling the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation is making it difficult to fight this crime.

The report and its index, which was globally launched this week, is an important step in assessing and mapping governments’ responses to combatting child sexual abuse and exploitation and how it is prioritised at a national level. The 40-country benchmarking index explores legal frameworks, the safety and stability in the country, governments’ commitment and capacity and the engagement of the travel, tourism and tech industries as well as civil society and media.

Governance

Weakened International Cooperation Damaging Collective Will to Tackle Global Risks
16 Jan 2019
· Rising geopolitical and geo-economic tensions are the most urgent risk in 2019, with 90% of experts saying they expect further economic confrontation between major powers in 2019
· Environmental degradation is the long-term risk that defines our age, with four of the top five most impactful global risks in 2019 related to climate
· Rapidly evolving cyber and technological threats are the most significant potential blind spots; we still do not fully appreciate the vulnerability of networked societies

London, United Kingdom, 16 January 2019 – The world’s ability to foster collective action in the face of urgent major crises has reached crisis levels, with worsening international relations hindering action across a growing array of serious challenges. Meanwhile, a darkening economic outlook, in part caused by geopolitical tensions, looks set to further reduce the potential for international cooperation in 2019. These are the findings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2019, which is published today.

The Global Risks Report, which incorporates the results of the annual Global Risks Perception Survey of approximately 1,000 experts and decision-makers, points to a deterioration in economic and geopolitical conditions. Trade disputes worsened rapidly in 2018 and the report warns that growth in 2019 will be held back by continuing geo-economic tensions, with 88% of respondents expecting further erosion of multilateral trading rules and agreements.

If economic headwinds pose a threat to international cooperation, efforts will be further disrupted in 2019 by rising geopolitical tensions among major powers, according to the report. Eighty-five percent of respondents to this year’s survey said they expect 2019 to involve increased risks of “political confrontations between major powers”. The report discusses the risks associated with what we describe as a “multiconceptual” world order – one in which geopolitical instabilities reflect not only changing power balances but also the increasing salience of differences on fundamental values…

Sustainable Development: Systems-Based Approaches

Co-Impact Announces $80 Million in Grants Aimed at Improving The Lives of 9 Million People in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America
Co-Impact collaborative includes core partners Richard Chandler, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jeff Skoll, The Rockefeller Foundation, and – most recently – Rohini and Nandan Nilekani.
LONDON, January 15, 2019 – Co-Impact announced its first round of grants today to improve education, health, and economic opportunity for an estimated 9 million people over the next five years across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. The grants total more than US $80 million. This is the first set of grants delivered by Co-Impact, a collaborative partnership founded in late 2017 by Olivia Leland, founding director of The Giving Pledge, and partners including Richard Chandler, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jeff Skoll, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Rohini and Nandan Nilekani.

Co-Impact works in collaboration with a diverse group of change makers, creating large-scale social impact by employing a systems-based approach. Co-Impact makes long-term investments to help address obstacles and limitations in systems that hamper human progress in the areas of education, health, and economic opportunity.

The first-round grant recipients include:
Liberia’s National Community Health Assistant Program: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and Last Mile Health, alongside other partners, will support the Government of Liberia to scale and strengthen the National Community Health Assistant Program, which is advancing universal health coverage through the deployment of a community health workforce, providing access to primary health services for 1.2 million rural people.

The graduation approach to economic opportunity: A global multi-stakeholder effort, involving Jeevika, Fundación Capital, and the Partnership for Economic Inclusion (PEI) hosted by the World Bank, that will enable governments to adapt and scale programs proven to help households sustainably boost their incomes and assets, as a pathway to lift millions of people out of extreme poverty.

Project ECHO: A global movement in 34 countries and growing that leverages technology for remote mentoring and group problem-solving; expanding work underway in India to build the capacity of community healthcare providers to treat patients with chronic and complex diseases.

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa: A joint venture between Pratham and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) to support African governments and partners develop locally effective approaches to help all children read and do basic arithmetic, and to develop the essential foundation for lifelong learning.

citiesRISE: An initiative creating a global network of mental health friendly cities and communities (starting with Nairobi, Chennai, Bogota, Sacramento and Seattle) and scaling systemic solutions by leveraging the energy and creativity of youth, the speed and reach of technology, and through cross-sectoral collective action.

Co-Impact is also pleased to announce that Rohini and Nandan Nilekani, having served as technical partners since Co-Impact’s launch, recently joined the collaborative as Core Partners and are jointly invested in the strategic direction of the effort.

Olivia Leland, Founder and CEO: “At Co-Impact, our guiding mission is to make the biggest difference possible in the lives of millions, and I believe that our impressive first round of program partners are poised to do just that. I am also extremely pleased that Rohini and Nandan Nilekani have joined our group of Core Partners who see the great need – and opportunity – for pooling resources and knowledge to drive large-scale change. Deep collaboration is still a relatively nascent area for philanthropy. Co-Impact and our partners are committed to proving that it not only works but has the potential to drive much greater impact.”

Co-Impact is building a global group of funding partners committed to using results-oriented philanthropy to drive meaningful systems change. This growing group includes more than 25 philanthropists, foundations, and other funders representing more than a dozen countries. In addition to our Core Partners, a host of philanthropists and foundations have joined the Co-Impact Community to learn, collaborate, and collectively support initiatives – while a range of donor institutions are also joining as Co-Investors around specific initiatives.

Once an initiative is well-positioned to scale its work to address underlying systemic limitations, the Co-Impact model delivers financial and nonfinancial supports to further empower local or country- based initiatives that are proven to work. This model allows initiatives to plan for growth, activate a coalition of actors, and unlock large-scale change.

Co-Impact’s systems change grants typically range from US $10 to $50 million over five years to deliver results for millions of people in a specific country or region. In limited cases, Co-Impact also provides smaller venture grants to promising, earlier-stage opportunities to support program partners in testing and refining their change model…

Featured Journal Content

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 19 Jan 2019]
Research Article
Effects of armed conflict on child health and development: A systematic review
Ayesha Kadir, Sherry Shenoda, Jeffrey Goldhagen
Research Article | published 16 Jan 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210071
Abstract
Background
Armed conflicts affect more than one in 10 children globally. While there is a large literature on mental health, the effects of armed conflict on children’s physical health and development are not well understood. This systematic review summarizes the current and past knowledge on the effects of armed conflict on child health and development.
Methods
A systematic review was performed with searches in major and regional databases for papers published 1 January 1945 to 25 April 2017. Included studies provided data on physical and/or developmental outcomes associated with armed conflict in children under 18 years. Data were extracted on health outcomes, displacement, social isolation, experience of violence, orphan status, and access to basic needs. The review is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42017036425.
Findings
Among 17,679 publications screened, 155 were eligible for inclusion. Nearly half of the 131 quantitative studies were case reports, chart or registry reviews, and one-third were cross-sectional studies. Additionally, 18 qualitative and 6 mixed-methods studies were included. The papers describe mortality, injuries, illnesses, environmental exposures, limitations in access to health care and education, and the experience of violence, including torture and sexual violence. Studies also described conflict-related social changes affecting child health. The geographical coverage of the literature is limited. Data on the effects of conflict on child development are scarce.
Interpretation
The available data document the pervasive effect of conflict as a form of violence against children and a negative social determinant of child health. There is an urgent need for research on the mechanisms by which conflict affects child health and development and the relationship between physical health, mental health, and social conditions. Particular priority should be given to studies on child development, the long term effects of exposure to conflict, and protective and mitigating factors against the harmful effects of armed conflict on children.

Ebola – Democratic Republic of the Congo

24: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu 16 January 2019
[Excerpts]
1. Situation update
…As of 14 January 2019, a cumulative total of 402 deaths were reported, including 353 deaths among confirmed cases. The case fatality ratio among confirmed cases is 58% (353/609). Since 1 December 2018, 36% (72/202) of cases have occurred in children <15 years of age. Of these, 16 cases were <1 year of age. A total of 29 pregnant women have been reported so far. To date, 57 infected healthcare workers (including 20 deaths) have been reported, with an additional laboratory worker and a nurse identified retrospectively during the last reporting week. On 14 January 2019, one death among a healthcare worker occurred in Katwa Health Zone.

…Case management
On 24 November 2018, MoH announced the launch of a randomized control trial for Ebola therapeutics. This first-ever multi-drug randomized control trial within an outbreak setting is an important step towards finding an effective evidence-based treatment for Ebola. The trial is coordinated by WHO and led and sponsored by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) which is the principal investigator. The trial has begun in the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) ETC in Beni, where patients are enrolled in the study after obtaining voluntary informed consent. MSF treatment centres are also preparing to launch the trial at their sites in the near future.

Until other ETCs are ready to launch the trial, they will continue to provide therapeutics under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered Interventions (MEURI) (compassionate use) protocol, in collaboration with the MoH and the INRB, together with supportive care measures. WHO continues to provide technical clinical expertise on-site at all treatment centres. UNICEF is providing nutritional treatment and psychological support for all hospitalized patients…

…Implementation of ring vaccination protocol
As of 14 January 2019, a total of 60,460 individuals have been vaccinated since the start of the outbreak.

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 16 January 2019
Summary of new viruses this week:
:: Nigeria – advance notification one case of circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and two circulating VDPV2 positive environmental samples.
:: Pakistan – two cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and five WPV1 positive environmental sample

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Editor’s Note:

WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.
WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 19 Jan 2019]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: 24: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  16 January 2019
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo  17 January 2019

Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO statement on health situation in Rukban, Syria
17 January 2019, Damascus, Syria – The World Health Organization expresses severe concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Rukban settlement close to the border with Jordan, and calls for immediate access to the settlement to assess the health situation, provide essential medicines and medical supplies, and support the medical evacuation of critically ill patients.
Approximately 40 000 people, mostly women and children, remain stranded in the settlement and are unable to leave, and harsh winter conditions have reportedly led to several deaths. Health care facilities are barely functioning and have very few staff or medical supplies. There are no generators or fuel to provide even minimum warmth to alleviate the bitterly cold weather…

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 19 Jan 2019]
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Brazil (in Portugese) – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 19 Jan 2019]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen
:: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 13 December 2018 – 15 January 2019 | Issue 1  Published on 15 Jan
KEY ISSUES:

• Humanitarian partners assisted about 1 million people displaced by conflict in Al Hudaydah Governorate in the last six months. Partners are preparing to assist about 342,000 people who are projected to return to Al Hudaydah City if the situation improves.
• The assisted displaced people include 127,644 in Hajjah Governorate where about 140,000 displaced people have been registered since June 2018.
• The Central Emergency Response Fund made US$32 million available to support critical services for the scaleup of the life-saving humanitarian responses in Yemen.

Syrian Arab Republic   – No new digest announcements identified

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

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“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake – No new digest announcements identifie

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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 12 January 2019

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: the sentinel_ period ending 12 jan 2019

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

Human Rights – Trafficking

Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2018
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
2018 :: 90 pages
PDF: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2018/GLOTiP_2018_BOOK_web_small.pdf
INTRODUCTION [Excerpt]
Data and research to help tackle trafficking in persons
The 2018 edition of the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons is based on information collected from 142 countries, encompassing more than 94 per cent of the world’s population. This represents an improvement compared to the data coverage of the first UNODC Global Report of 2012 (132 countries) and subsequent editions.

Although there have been tangible improvements in the availability of data and information on trafficking in persons, relevant gaps in knowledge affect large parts of the world. The different editions of the Global Report, including this one, are weaker in their coverage of certain parts of Africa, the Middle East, and some parts of Asia. Twenty-two countries in Africa and the Middle East are among
the 51 United Nations Member States for which data is still missing from the current edition of the Global Report. The others are countries in Asia and island States in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

In addition, for some reporting countries in the regions mentioned above, data on the victims recorded are not systematically collected and only available for some years or for some parts of the country. In some cases, details regarding the profiles of victims or offenders are missing.

This edition of the Global Report reveals that large parts of Africa and Asia are weak in detecting victims and convicting traffickers. It is not a coincidence that these are also the parts of the world where less is known about trafficking patterns and flows. Knowledge is fundamental to tailor decisive responses, and stronger national responses help to generate more knowledge about the crime…

Governance

OAS Permanent Council Agrees “to not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s new term”
January 10, 2019 [Editor’s text bolding]
The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today agreed “to not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s new term as of the 10th of January of 2019.” The resolution was approved with 19 votes in favor, 6 against, 8 abstentions and one absent. Following is the complete text of the resolution:

RESOLUTION ON THE SITUATION IN VENEZUELA
(Adopted by the Permanent Council at its special meeting held on January 10, 2019)
THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

REAFFIRMING the right of the peoples of the Americas to democracy and the obligation of their governments to promote and defend it as reflected in Article 1 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter,

RECALLING that, through resolution AG/RES. 2929 (XLVIII-O/18) of June 5, 2018, the General Assembly declared that the May 20, 2018 electoral process in Venezuela lacked legitimacy for not having met the participation of all Venezuelan political actors, its failure to comply with international standards, and for being carried out without the necessary guarantees for a free, fair, transparent, and democratic process,

CONSIDERING that the 2019-2025 presidential period beginning in Venezuela on the 10th of January of 2019 is the result of an illegitimate electoral process,

UNDERSCORING the constitutional authority of the democratically elected National Assembly.

REITEREITING ITS DEEP CONCERN about the worsening political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela resulting from the breakdown of democratic order and serious human rights violations in that state, and the government of Venezuela’s negligence to meet the fundamental Inter-American standards of human rights and democracy;

RECOGNIZING that, as a consequence, a significant number of Venezuelans are being forced to flee the country because their basic needs have not been met.

REITEREITING its serious concern about the collapse of Venezuela’s health-care system, which has led to a reemergence of previously eradicated infectious diseases across Venezuela and into neighboring countries and the wider region.

NOTING that the exodus of Venezuelans is having an impact on the capacity of countries in the region to meet their humanitarian needs and poses challenges to public health and security.

TAKING NOTE, in this regard, of the Quito Declaration on the human mobility of Venezuelan citizens in the region, of September 4th 2018, and its Plan of Action adopted on November 23rd 2018.

CONDEMNING in the strongest terms the arbitrary detentions, lack of due process and the violation of other human rights of political prisoners by the Government of Venezuela.

UNDERSCORING that the Permanent Council and the Meeting of Consultation of Foreign Ministers remain ready to engage in diplomatic initiatives, including good offices, aimed at promoting dialogue in Venezuela, with a view to arriving at a political solution to the crisis in that country.

RESOLVES:
To not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s new term as of the 10th of January of 2019.

To reaffirm that only through a national dialogue with the participation of all Venezuelan political actors and stakeholders can national reconciliation be achieved and the necessary conditions agreed upon for holding a new electoral process that truly reflects the will of the Venezuelan citizens and peacefully resolves the current crisis in that country.

To urge all Members States and invite Permanent Observers of the OAS to adopt, in accordance with international law and their national legislation, diplomatic, political, economic and financial measures that they consider appropriate, to contribute to the prompt restoration of the democratic order of Venezuela.

To call for new Presidential elections with all necessary guarantees of a free, fair, transparent, and legitimate process to be held at an early date attended by international observers.

To invite Member States and Permanent Observers to implement measures to address the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and impacted countries, through the support to appropriate international and regional organizations.

To urge the Venezuelan regime to allow the immediate entry of humanitarian aid to the people in Venezuela, including epidemiological surveillance, to prevent the aggravation of the humanitarian and public health crisis, particularly against the reappearance and propagation of diseases.

To demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.

To express the Organization’s ongoing solidarity with the Venezuelan people and its commitment to remain seized of the situation in Venezuela and to support diplomatic measures that facilitate the restoration of democratic institutions and the full respect for human rights.

To instruct the Secretary General to transmit the text of this resolution to the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Global Governance – Collaborative Structures

Global Fund Announces US$14 Billion Target to Step Up the Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria Ahead of Lyon Conference in October 2019
11 January 2019
PARIS – The Global Fund today announced its fundraising target for the next three-year cycle, outlining how a minimum of US$14 billion will help save 16 million lives, cut the mortality rate from HIV, TB and malaria in half, and build stronger health systems by 2023. The summary of the Sixth Replenishment Investment Case describes what can be achieved by a fully funded Global Fund, the new threats facing global health progress today, and the risks if we don’t step up the fight now.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his strong support for the Global Fund’s replenishment target today. Joined in Paris by Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands, World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and French Minister of Solidarity and Health Agnes Buzyn, President Macron stressed the need for global collaboration to end the epidemics. France is a founding member of the Global Fund and will host the Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference in Lyon on 10 October 2019.

“We must relaunch efforts to fight health inequalities at the international level,” said President Macron. “We are hosting the Sixth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Lyon in 2019. We will step up our action to tackle the major pandemics. I call on everyone here to mobilize.”…

The full Global Fund Sixth Replenishment Investment Case will be presented and discussed by global health leaders at the Preparatory Meeting of the Global Fund Sixth Replenishment, hosted by the government of India in New Delhi on 8 February 2019.

Sixth Replenishment Investment Case [Summary – PDF]

Development – Multidimensional Poverty

Who Are the World’s Poor? A New Profile of Global Multidimensional Poverty – Working Paper 499
Center for Global Development
Gisela Robles Aguilar and Andy Sumner
January 7, 2019 :: 39 pages
PDF: https://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/who-are-worlds-poor-new-profile-global-multidimensional-poverty.pdf
Executive Summary
Who are the world’s poor? This paper presents a new global profile of multidimensional poverty using three specifications of multidimensional poverty. The paper draws comparisons with the global monetary poverty profile and with the new World Bank measure of combined monetary and non-monetary poverty; discusses how global poverty differs by specification, the extent of multidimensionality, and presents a set of estimates of the disaggregated characteristics of global multidimensional poverty in 2015. We find the following:

i. At an aggregate level, the overall characteristics of global multidimensional poverty are similar to those of global monetary poverty at $1.90 per day, in that poor households tend to be larger-than-average rural households formed predominantly by young people (half of the world’s multidimensional poor are under 18 years of age, and three-quarters are under 40); two-thirds of poor households have a member employed in agriculture; perhaps surprisingly, given that one would expect higher incomes outside agriculture, one-third of poor households have no member employed in agriculture. The most frequent deprivations are a lack of access to sanitation, lack of improved cooking fuel, and undernutrition.

ii. At a disaggregated level, we find that poverty in rural areas tends to be characterized by overlapping deprivations in education and access to decent infrastructure (water, sanitation, electricity, and housing). In contrast, and counterintuitively, given the proximity, in principle, to better health care and economic opportunities, it is child mortality and malnutrition that is more frequently observed within urban poverty.

iii. The extent of the multidimensionality of poverty differs substantially by region; moreover, some deprivations frequently overlap while others do not. The infrastructure-related dimensions of poverty (water, sanitation, electricity, and housing), not surprisingly, often overlap with each other. More surprising is that deprivations in health indicators overlap least frequently with other dimensions of
poverty.

Governance Multilateral Development –

Financial Times
Opinion The editorial board
A new president and new role for the World Bank
The bank’s head should be appointed on merit, not nationality
10 January 2019
https://www.ft.com/content/daf07ec8-1335-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e

Jim Yong Kim’s appointment as World Bank president in 2012 came as a surprise. Although an expert on epidemiology who had headed the HIV-Aids programme at the World Health Organisation, Mr Kim, then president of Dartmouth College, lacked broader development experience.

Given the high calibre of other candidates, it was unfortunately his citizenship rather than his résumé that ensured his appointment. Absurdly, given the shifts of power in the global economy, the rich world maintains a reciprocal stitch-up: the World Bank presidency goes to an American, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the Bank’s sister institution, is always a European.

Following Mr Kim’s resignation on Monday, it would be extraordinary if Donald Trump, in thrall to his America First ideology, permitted a non-US replacement. With the US and Europe still dominating the bank’s board, and the latter unlikely to want to pick a fight with the White House, the fix will probably continue.

It should not. Mr Kim’s sudden departure will have done nothing to defuse criticism among emerging markets about the rich shareholders’ erratic governance of the bank. Another president lacking broad-based political legitimacy would continue to weaken the credibility of an institution whose development function is being eroded year by year.

Mr Kim has struggled to find a new role for the bank now that country-by-country external financing in the developing world is increasingly supplied by private investors, regional institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and direct bilateral finance from China. To his credit, he realised the need for the bank to move away from its country and regional focus, and effected some limited organisational reform towards a thematic approach.

But to turn that idea into a new model for the bank will require a president with the clout to persuade member governments to shift substantial amounts of financing towards the provision of global public goods such as managing water, combating pandemics, maintaining biodiversity and addressing the development impacts of migration and refugee crises.

There will still be a role for country programmes, not least to implement the bank’s knowledge base. But there will need to be a new emphasis on broader-based loans and grants. The bank should also be able to manoeuvre in a new world where the regional institutions such as the AIIB and the African Development Bank have increasing influence. The World Bank must regard such bodies, particularly if they adhere to minimum safeguards on environmental and human rights, as partners rather than rivals.

A new president therefore must be capable of dealing with organisations which have a much stronger influence from China and other emerging markets. The World Bank’s credibility was damaged during the cold war by its politicisation, frequently rewarding US allies with soft loans. In a possibly protracted economic or strategic hostility with China, it must not be seen to be taking the American side.

A new World Bank chief faces a stiff task. Neither the manner of Mr Kim’s appointment nor his departure helped the bank’s credibility. His successor needs to operate even-handedly in a tense geopolitical environment while effecting major structural change in an organisation which is itself scarcely less fractious. Perhaps more than ever, this is the moment for the World Bank president to be appointed on merit, not purely on nationality.

Ebola – Democratic Republic of the Congo

23: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu
8 January 2019 [Excerpts]
…Case management
On 24 November 2018, MoH announced the launch of a randomized control trial for Ebola therapeutics. This first-ever multi-drug randomized control trial within an outbreak setting, is an important step towards finding an effective evidence-based treatment for Ebola. The trial is coordinated by WHO and led and sponsored by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) which is the principal investigator. The trial has begun in the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) ETC in Beni, where patients are enrolled in the study after obtaining voluntary informed consent. MSF treatment centres are also preparing to launch the trial at their sites in the near future.

Until other ETCs are ready to launch the trial, they will continue to provide therapeutics under the Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered Interventions (MEURI) (compassionate use) protocol, in collaboration with the MoH and the INRB, together with supportive care measures. WHO continues to provide technical clinical expertise on-site at all treatment centres. UNICEF is providing nutritional treatment and psychological support for all hospitalized patients.

As of 6 January 2019, a total of 151 patients are hospitalized in ETCs, of which 29 are confirmed cases, receiving compassionate therapy.

As of 4 January 2019, Katwa ETC has been opened and admitted three suspected cases.

…Implementation of ring vaccination protocol
As of 6 January 2019, a total of 56,509 individuals have been vaccinated since the start of the outbreak.