Heritage Stewardship
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Declaration of Ethical Principles in Relation to Climate Change
UNESCO
Adopted 13 November 2017 :: 15 pages
PDF: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0026/002601/260129e.pdf
[Excerpts]
Article 7: Scientific Knowledge and Integrity in Decision-Making
1. Decision-making based on science is critically important for meeting the mitigation and adaptation challenges of a rapidly changing climate. Decisions should be based on, and guided by, the best available knowledge from the natural and social sciences, including interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary science, and by taking into account, as appropriate, local, traditional and
indigenous knowledge.

2. In order to optimally aid in decision-making, science needs to meet the highest standards of research integrity by being impartial, rigorous, honest, and transparent, and should give adequate estimates of uncertainty in order to provide decision-makers with insight into, and understanding of, the underlying risks as well as opportunities, and guidance to their formulating long-term
strategies.

3. Scientific cooperation and capacity-building should be strengthened in developing countries in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of climate change impacts as well as potential mitigation and adaptation actions.

4. States, according to Article 6 of the UNFCCC and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement adopted under the Convention, and other relevant actors should:
(a) take measures which help protect and maintain the independence of science and the integrity of the scientific process. This includes assisting in maintaining strong scientific standards as well as transparency at all levels with respect to scientific funding, methodologies and research conclusions;
(b) raise awareness and promote literacy in science in all sectors and amongst their populations in order to underpin strong and collective action and understanding of how to respond to climate change;
(c) promote accurate communication on climate change based on peerreviewed scientific research, including the broadest promulgation of science in the media and other forms of communication;
(d) build effective mechanisms to strengthen the interface between science and policy to ensure a strong knowledge-base in decision-making….

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Press Release
UNESCO Member States adopt Declaration of Ethical Principles in relation to Climate Change
13 November 2017
UNESCO is asserting that at its core, climate change is an ethical issue. In a broad consensus, the organization’s 195 Member States adopted a global Declaration of ethical principles in relation to climate change during the 39th Session of its General Conference (Paris, 30 October to 14 November).

UNESCO’s Declaration aims to help governments, businesses, and civil society mobilize people around shared values on climate change. lt sounds the alarm that, unless ethical principles become the basis of climate action, both climate change and responses to it could create unacceptable damage and injustice.

Among other ethical principles, a science-based approach to decision-making about climate is crucial. “Decision-making based on science is critically important for meeting the mitigation and adaptation challenges of a rapidly changing climate. Decisions should be based on the best available knowledge from the natural and social sciences,” the text says…

The process was initiated in 2008, when the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (“COMEST”), a global advisory body of experts, started framing the issues and urging policy responses…

The Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa (link is external), has been crystal clear: “Implementing the Paris Agreement requires action on the ground and for that we need to mobilize everybody! We need to mobilize governments – not only national governments – governments at all levels. We need to mobilize civil society, scientists, private sector – everybody needs to be mobilized.”

In a show of support for this UNESCO Declaration, government representatives have asked UNESCO to disseminate and promote the Declaration. UNESCO will continue to be fully engaged in this endeavour.
:: Read the background report

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 11 November 2017

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 version:The Sentinel_ period ending 11 November 2017

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities
:: 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

Heritage Stewardship – ICC

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor and UNESCO sign Letter of Intent to strengthen Cooperation on the Protection of Cultural Heritage
5 November 2017
Paris, France – Recognising the importance of protecting cultural heritage from attack in time of conflict, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, and Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”), today signed a Letter of Intent by which UNESCO and the ICC Office of the Prosecutor will formalise and further enhance their collaboration, in line with their respective mandates…

“The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage not only affects peoples’ historical identity but fuels sectarian violence and hampers post-conflict recovery and peace building. UNESCO and the ICC must strengthen their cooperation for the protection of cultural property in armed conflicts, as this is a humanitarian and security imperative”, stated Mrs Bokova.

Praising UNESCO for its crucial work, Prosecutor Bensouda emphasised that more can be done going forward, adding that “an effective strategy to address the destruction of cultural heritage requires a multi-faceted and collaborative approach. UNESCO is a natural partner for my Office and, the ICC more broadly, in confronting the scourge of attacks against cultural heritage, within the Rome Statute framework. This Letter of Intent is a recognition of that important relationship and paves the way for continued cooperation.” She added: “cultural heritage is the embodiment of the continuity of the human story, a celebration of our commonality and the richness of our diversity. We all have a duty to protect cultural heritage. With close collaboration with UNESCO, we hope to make a difference.”

The recent historic ruling of the ICC in the case of the destruction of shrines and mausoleums in Timbuktu (Mali), the first of its kind before the Court, sent a clear signal that intentional targeting of cultural heritage is a serious crime that causes significant suffering to those immediately affected and beyond, and should not go unpunished. In its subsequent Reparation Order, moreover, the Court established that the victims of such crimes were entitled to compensation and issued a Reparation Order.
The importance of prosecuting those responsible for war crimes against cultural heritage was echoed in the ground-breaking UN Security Council Resolution 2347, adopted in March 2017, the first ever to condemn the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage. These unprecedented developments have led over the past years to frequent exchanges and collaboration between UNESCO and the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, based on the convergence of similar aims within their respective independent mandates.

As attacks against culture have regrettably become more frequent, the need for a stronger and more articulated framework of cooperation has become apparent. In addition to expertise UNESCO has provided in the context of the Al Mahdi case, cooperation has also been at the non-operational level, for example through participation in the ICC Office of the Prosecutor’s new policy initiative on cultural heritage, which is scheduled for finalisation and adoption in 2018. The Letter of Intent signed today builds on these efforts, further solidifying the existing relationship, with a view to establishing a comprehensive cooperation agreement in the near future.

Governance – Humanitarian Response

Italy’s Francesco Rocca elected President of world’s largest humanitarian network
6 November 2017
Italian lawyer and humanitarian, Francesco Rocca, was today elected the new President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

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Shaping the future of the world’s largest humanitarian movement
Antalya, Turkey, 11 November 2017 – A major conference has adopted a series of measures that will shape the efforts of the world’s largest humanitarian movement to respond to the needs of people affected by crises. The global meetings of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement looked at pressing emergencies and challenges, while also exploring emerging trends that will have a profound impact on the future of humanitarian action.

The global meetings were held in Turkey – a country surrounded by some of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises, including the conflict in Syria and the ongoing emergency facing people trying to cross the Mediterranean.

The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement called on States to guarantee the safety and dignity of all migrants, along with their unrestrained access to humanitarian assistance.

“We are calling on States to ensure that all people – regardless of their nationality or legal status – are treated with dignity and respect,” said Francesco Rocca, who was elected President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) during the meetings. “As a Red Cross and Red Crescent, we must be ready to stand up and advocate for all vulnerable migrants, for all vulnerable people. We must be prepared – we are prepared – to work with the international community for the respect and dignity of all people.”

While emphasizing the need for new approaches to respond to dramatically shifting needs, the Movement also reaffirmed the non-negotiable importance of principled humanitarian action.

“In a world where faith in institutions is rapidly evaporating, great trust is placed in the symbols of the red cross and red crescent and in the neutral, impartial, independent humanitarian action that brings them to life,” said Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “But in many places across the world, the space for such impartial action is under threat. Human dignity is disregarded, the applicability of the law is questioned, and humanitarian aid is politicized.”

One of the most pronounced examples of disregard for humanitarian law and norms is the increasing number of attacks on humanitarian aid workers and volunteers. Since the beginning of 2017 alone, more than 45 Red Cross and Red Crescent personnel have been killed in the line of duty.

Further resolutions were adopted on education, with the Movement committing to expanding its work in this area in situations of conflict and disasters. On nuclear weapons, a resolution was adopted calling on States to sign and implement the recently-adopted Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The Movement also pledged to scale up its response to the mental health consequences of humanitarian crises, and to strengthen and codify its work during pandemics and epidemics. Commitment was also made to reinforce gender equality and equal opportunities in the leadership and work of the Movement…

Evidence – Humanitarian Response

8 things we learned from our work on evidence this year
ALNAP
07 November 2017
In 2016, ALNAP launched a new webinar, ‘Bridging the Evidence Gap.’ Organised around key humanitarian challenges, it looks at how leading thinkers are ‘bridging the gap’ between evidence and practice in order to improve humanitarian action. We wanted to take stock of the rise in high-quality research and better data collection in the humanitarian sector, and explore how these activities are connecting to users and decision-makers.

We’ve discovered a lot from the five webinars produced over the last year and, in honour of Humanitarian Evidence Week, here’s what we’ve learned about the state of evidence and its use in humanitarian action today:

[1] Evidence is “in”
From the Sphere handbook to national NGOs in Somalia, humanitarian actors are taking huge strides to improve the quality of data that they use, and to strengthen the link between evidence and decision-making. It is great to witness this, and to make sure this trend continues we need to find better ways to link evidence producers with users. We looked at this issue in our first webinar with the Humanitarian Evidence Programme, the IRC and 3ie, who are bringing together large bodies of evidence to make them easier to access and use by practitioners through gap mapping and evidence synthesis approaches

[2] Not everyone knows what we mean by evidence
While many across the humanitarian sector recognise its importance, there’s not always agreement on how to define high-quality evidence. To ALNAP, evidence is information that supports or contradicts a given proposition. Others understand evidence differently, using definitions imported from the health sector where there is an emphasis on control studies and demonstrating the efficacy of interventions. While we can have different interests in an evidence agenda , it is important to move towards more consistent language to avoid confusion and lower the barriers to evidence use by practitioners.

[3] We must not forget about the basics of good data collection
Throughout the year we heard from people who are trialling new, more rigorous research approaches in order to answer difficult questions, such as what types of programming work most effectively in different sectors or what is an accurate picture of humanitarian presence on the ground in conflict settings. Yet, the answers to these questions can only be as good as the data that informs them. From poor, inconsistent monitoring data collected by operational organisations to the lack of transparent and strong methods used in humanitarian research and evaluations, the quality of our data is often far from satisfactory.

[4] Greater use of secondary data enables better decision-making
It is no secret that humanitarian organisations prefer primary data – they are able to control how this data is collected and they know where it has come from. Yet, one of the key messages from the Bridging the Gap webinar series is the importance of secondary data, closer collaboration on data collection and better data sharing between humanitarian actors at different levels, from donors to field staff. There is a risk of information overload when each humanitarian actor rushes to collect their own primary data, as the focus is often taken away from those crucial analysis tasks that make data useable for decision-making. In our second webinar, Development Initiatives, ECHO and DFID discussed how the use of shared data or more similar data gathering activities would help donors make better, more complementary decisions.

[5] The gap still needs closing and there are at least two issues preventing that from happening
As we touched on earlier, there is a definite gap between those creating evidence and those who want to use it. Users don’t know where to get evidence and producers don’t know what expectations users have. This gap is fuelled by at least two issues:

:: Accessibility of evidence
New evidence is often only available in a fragmented way: on individual organisations’ websites, portals, or at times only internally. This isn’t helpful, as we’ve learned from discussions with Sphere Handbook revision leads and humanitarian donors.

:: Unclear expectations
The expectations of end-users’ may not always be clear to those conducting research, not only in terms of the messaging but also in terms of the level of analysis that is needed for the uptake.

[6] There’s a need to communicate evidence on humanitarian action beyond the sector
Humanitarians still have a long way to go in making evidence more accessible and digestible. This is true not only within the sector, but also to the general public whose opinions have the power to sway donor governments’ agendas from one year to the next. Our default deliverable for evaluation processes is still thick, hard to read reports lacking even basic design. In this time of greater public scrutiny of humanitarian aid, we need to be prepared to respond with evidence that is solid yet easy to consume and understand by the average tax payer. With the growing number of tools and formats for the presentation of information (e.g. mobile video, podcasts, infographics, interactive websites), the presentation and delivery of compelling evidence should no longer be an afterthought.

[7] Humanitarian evaluations do not always help to paint a bigger picture
ALNAP is currently conducting an evaluation synthesis for the State of the Humanitarian System 2018 report. During this review of over 100 evaluations, it has become clear that their quality varies dramatically. Many reports have shortcomings either in methodology or execution, or both. But perhaps a more profound question to be raised is the value of evaluations for the improvement of the humanitarian system as a whole. Understandably, most reports focus exclusively on the project or programme at hand, but this poses an important challenge when attempting to synthesise findings and draw conclusions on the performance of the sector.

[8] We can’t forget the political side of evidence
We can often fall into thinking about evidence as a technical issue: put more evidence in, get better decisions out. But getting higher quality evidence shared and used is just as much about politics: who is asking the questions for which evidence is being collected, and what are the incentives for collecting accurate, relevant data. This highlights the importance of ‘Clarity of Context and Method’, a criterion of evidential quality discussed in ALNAP’s 2014 paper on Evidence. Stronger and more clearly communicated methodologies may help in the aggregation of evidence. Also, being more transparent about how research is selected, designed, and funded, can help us understand who is directing the evidence agenda in the sector and think about voices or perspectives that are being excluded from this process.

Health – Governance

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G7 Milan Health Ministers’ Communiqué – 5-6 November, 2017
“United towards Global Health: common strategies for common challenges”
[9 pages; Editor’s excerpts]
PREAMBLE
…
4. We recognize the importance of improving emergency preparedness, as well as crisis management and response, in cases of weather-related, and other disasters, epidemics and other health emergencies. In this respect, we welcome the consultation, led by the Italian Presidency and with international experts, providing science-based considerations to support informed decisions. We are determined to coordinate efforts, foster innovation, and share knowledge, information, and monitoring and foresight tools, to support the resilience of health systems and to protect the health of our populations. We underline the need to safeguard the protection of health workers and facilities during emergencies and in conflict-affected areas as provided by international humanitarian law.

5. In line with previous G7 and G20 commitments and the objectives set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we reiterate the importance of strengthening health systems through each country’s path towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), leaving no one behind, and of preventing health systems from collapsing during humanitarian and public health emergencies and effectively mitigating health crises. We will work together to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. We seek to reduce global inequalities; to protect and improve the health of all individuals throughout their life course through inclusive health services; to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs); to sustain our commitments to eradicate polio through support to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis by 2030 through the support to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and UNITAID; to support key global initiatives such as Gavi the Vaccine Alliance; and to invest in research and innovation important to global health.

6. As the world gets closer to achieving global polio eradication, we also recognize the importance of continuing our efforts to succeed and keep the world sustainably polio‐free, and, of the opportunity to leverage and transition polio assets and resources that have generated major and broader health benefits, including strengthened health systems.

7. We acknowledge the central leadership and coordinating role of WHO in country capacity building in preparing for and responding to public health emergencies, building resilient health systems, and the new strategic priority of WHO leadership to address the health impacts of climate and environmental factors. We acknowledge that WHO’s financial and human resource capacities have to be strengthened, including through adequate and sustainable funding of the WHO Emergency Programme and the Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE). We will explore supporting the World Bank’s Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) and the WHO programme on environmental degradation and other determinants of health.
…
IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON HEALTH
25. We welcome and support the provision of health services, particularly including immunization programs for migrants and refugees, including in situations of forced displacement and protracted crises, as well as the improvement of health services in transit and destination countries. This includes making immunization programs and clinical services available and accessible to everyone, while increasing the surveillance of infectious diseases and the monitoring of NCDs and their risk factors.

26. We will seek to improve access to physical and mental health services and assistance to migrants, refugees and crisis affected populations as appropriate. We will promote the identification, sharing, and adoption of good practices to address psychosocial needs of refugees and migrants. Following the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016, and the Resolution WHA 70.15 in May 2017, the support for migrants and refugees should consider their specific needs, leaving no one behind, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN HEALTH POLICIES AND RIGHTS FOR WOMEN, CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
31. We invite the OECD to benchmark mental health performance focusing specifically on adolescents. We condemn sexual and gender-based violence that impacts women and girls across the globe. We need to demonstrate our commitment and our leadership in addressing sexual and gender‐based violence, including harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation, in line with SDG 5.2 and 5.3, and human trafficking, including for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

32. We will support and empower women’s, children’s and adolescents’ voices, and meaningful participation through our policy, advocacy and programmatic engagement on health and nutrition and actively involve also men and boys as agents of change.

33. We will seek to invest in their education, improving their health literacy, skills, and capacities, including children and adolescents’ gender and diversity-sensitive sexuality education, programmes, and tools.
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ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
39. We will promote R&D for new antimicrobials, alternative therapies, vaccines and rapid-point-of care diagnostics, in particular for WHO-defined priority pathogens and tuberculosis. We endeavor to preserve the existing therapeutic options. We see at this as a first step towards the acceleration of political commitments and urgent coordination, we look forward to the report to the United Nations General Assembly on AMR and the High Level Meeting on Tuberculosis in 2018.
…
CONCLUSIONS
43. We recognize the urgent need to build political momentum on the importance of addressing the impacts of environmental degradation and other factors on health and coordinated action for strengthening health systems, in line with aid effectiveness principles. This includes addressing health workforce shortages and poor health financing by countries to achieve their goals of increasing access to health care. We welcome WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, and relevant partners, including OECD, joint action for supporting countries to achieve SDG 3.8, and look forward to the progress reported at the UHC Forum 2017 next month in Tokyo.

44. We acknowledge the particular challenges of delivering health services in fragile states and conflict‐affected areas, where health systems are often compromised and ill-equipped to respond. Moreover, medical personnel and facilities in areas of conflict are increasingly under attack. Highlighting UN Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016) and UN General Assembly Resolution A RES/69/132 and UNGA 71/129, we strongly condemn violence, attacks, and threats directed against medical personnel and facilities, which have long term consequences for the civilian population and the healthcare systems of the countries concerned, as well as for the neighbouring regions. We therefore commit to improving their safety and security by upholding International Humanitarian Law.

45. We reiterate our commitment to build our International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities and to assist 76 partner countries and regions to do the same. We also recognize the importance of developing national plans to address critical health security gaps as notably identified using the WHO’s Joint External Evaluation tool. We call on all countries to make specific commitments to support full implementation of the IHR and recognize their compliance with IHR as essential for efficient global health crisis prevention and management. We encourage other countries and development partners to join these collective efforts.
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Yemen

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Statement By The Humanitarian Community In Yemen On The Complete Closure Of Yemen’s Borders
Yemen, November 8, 2017
The humanitarian community in Yemen is greatly alarmed at the decision by the Saudi-led Coalition (SLC) to closure all of Yemeni airports, seaports and land crossings which is preventing critical humanitarian aid deliveries and commercial supplies from reaching the country and the movement of aid workers in and out of Yemen.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is extremely fragile and any disruption in the pipeline of critical supplies such as food, fuel and medicines has the potential to bring millions of people closer to starvation and death.

There are over 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance; seven million of them, are facing famine-like conditions and rely completely on food aid to survive. In six weeks, the food supplies to feed them will be exhausted. Over 2.2 million children are malnourished, of those, 385,000 children suffer from severe malnutrition and require therapeutic treatment to stay alive.

Due to limited funding, humanitarian agencies are only able to target one third of the population (7 million) and some two thirds of the population rely on the commercial supplies which are imported, therefore, the continued availability of commodities in the markets is essential to prevent a deterioration of food insecurity. Any food shortage will result in a further increase of food prices beyond the purchasing power of the average Yemeni. The closure has started to impact the daily life of Yemenis with the price of fuel spiking 60 per cent overnight and the price of cooking gas doubling.

The current stock of vaccines in country will only last one month. If it is not replenished, outbreaks of communicable diseases such as polio and measles are to be expected with fatal consequences, particularly for children under five years of age and those already suffering from malnutrition.

The people of Yemen are already living with the catastrophic consequences of an armed conflict – lasting for over two and a half years – that has destroyed much of its vital infrastructure and brought the provision of basic services to the brink of collapse. Any further shocks to imports of food and fuel may reverse recent success in mitigating the threat of famine and the spread of cholera.

The continued closure of Yemen’s borders will only bring additional hardship and deprivation with deadly consequences to an entire population suffering from a conflict that it is not of their own making.

The humanitarian community in Yemen calls for the immediate opening of all air and seaports to ensure food, fuel and medicines can enter the country. We ask the Saudi-led Coalition to facilitate unhindered access of aid workers to people in need, in compliance with international law, by ensuring the resumption of all humanitarian flights.

We reiterate that humanitarian aid is not the solution to Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe. Only a peace process will halt the horrendous suffering of millions of innocent civilians.

Agency sign on by:
1. ACF
2. ACTED
3. ADRA
4. CARE
5. DRC
6. Handicap International
7. International Rescue Committee
8. MdM
9. NRC
10. Oxfam
11. PU-AMI
12. Relief International
13. Saferworld
14. Save The Children
15. ZOA
16. Mercy Corps
17. Islamic Relief
18. INTERSOS
19. International Training and Development Center
20. Search for Common Ground
21. Islamic Help
22. Human Appeal
23. United Nations

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Geneva Palais Briefing Note: The impact of the closure of all air, land and sea ports of Yemen on children
This is a summary of what was said by Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
GENEVA, 10 November 2017 – Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis and the worst food crisis in the world. Nearly 7 million people do not know where their next meal will come from and the survival of millions of people depends on humanitarian assistance operations. You have all seen the statements from the humanitarian community in Yemen and from the Emergency Relief Coordinator based on his last visit on the ground. Fuel, medicines and food are essential in this context. And in order to get them in, we need access.

ACCESS
The recent closure of the Yemen’s airspace, sea and land ports has worsened the already shrinking space for the lifesaving humanitarian work. It is blocking the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance to children in desperate need in Yemen. And it is making a catastrophic situation for children far worse. The port of Hodeida is where most of the humanitarian supplies enter and it is essential that the port resumes its activity.

Also, because missions on the ground are not possible, blocking the movement of humanitarian workers and supplies, this means that millions of children will be deprived of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

IMPACT
Let me give you some examples of the impact of the closure of the entry points to the country:
The current stocks of fuel will only last until the end of November. We need fuel to maintain health centers open and water systems functioning (both for distributing water and for treating used water). The price of existing fuel has increased by 60%.

If fuel stocks are not replenished:
:: UNICEF’s ongoing WASH response to respond to the cholera outbreak is likely to be affected. This could impact nearly 6 million people living in cholera high-risk districts.
:: The operating water supply systems and waste water treatment plants will stop functioning, causing unimaginable risks.
:: The functionality and mobility of the Rapid Response Teams, serving nearly half a million every week, will be hindered.
:: Due to shortage of fuel supply, 22 Governorates/District cold rooms/district vaccine stores are at a major risk of being shut down. Vaccines for thousands of children could be damaged.

If vaccines are blocked from reaching Yemen, at least 1 million children under the age of one will be at risk of diseases including polio and measles:

…The current stock of vaccines in the country will last 1 month
…Shortage of medical supplies will only worsen the Diphtheria outbreak recently reported in five districts of Ibb. About 87 suspected cases were reported with nine associated deaths.

With more than 60 per cent of population food insecure, the closure of the Yemen’s airspace, sea and land ports will lead to more deterioration in food security level which will worsen malnutrition rates.

Children are suffering from severe malnutrition and diseases that could be easily prevented. Children need urgent care and any disruption in bringing in therapeutic nutrition supplies will only mean that more children in Yemen will die.

UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to allow and facilitate safe, sustainable, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to all children and families in need, through land, air and sea.

Myanmar

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Letter from 58 NGOs Calling for Targeted Economic Sanctions in Burma
Joint Letter – November 6, 2017
[Excerpts; List of NGOs signatories available at title link above]
The Honorable Rex Tillerson
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Steven Mnuchin
Secretary of the Treasury
U.S. Department of the Treasury

The US government urgently needs to act to help address the grave human rights and humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the Burmese military’s brutal response to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)’s August 25 attack on government posts in Burma’s Rakhine State.
As you know, since late August, Burmese security forces have waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing and committed numerous crimes against humanity against the Rohingya population, a long-persecuted ethnic and religious minority group predominantly in Rakhine State. In response to these abuses, more than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh over the past two months…

Despite international condemnation, Burmese authorities continue to restrict access to the region for most international humanitarian organizations, a UN fact-finding mission, and independent media. The commander-in-chief of the Burmese military, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and other Burmese officials, refuse to acknowledge the atrocities their forces have committed.

We commend the U.S. government for the nearly $104 million in humanitarian assistance it has provided in fiscal year 2017, nearly $40 million of which was provided in direct response to the Rakhine State crisis, to displaced populations in Burma and refugees in neighboring countries. We also strongly support the State Department’s statement that “individuals or entities responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held accountable.”

It is critical that the U.S. government respond to the severity and scope of the Burmese military’s ethnic cleansing campaign with effective action. To this end, we urge the administration to immediately and robustly impose targeted economic sanctions authorized under the 2008 JADE Act and the 2016 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act…

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Bangladesh steps up vaccination for new Rohingya arrivals as measles cases rise
Joint press release
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh, 10 November 2017 – An increase in the number of suspected measles cases among the newly arrived Rohingya and their host communities in southern Bangladesh has prompted the Government and UN partners to step up immunization efforts in overcrowded camps and makeshift shelters close to the border with Myanmar.

Nearly 360 000 people in the age group of six months to 15 years among the new Rohingya arrivals in Cox’s Bazar and their host communities, irrespective of their immunization status, would be administered measles and rubella vaccine through fixed health facilities, outreach vaccination teams, and at entry points into Bangladesh.

Measles, a childhood killer disease which can be particularly dangerous among unimmunized and malnourished children, is one of the major health risks among the over 611,000 people who have crossed over to Bangladesh from Myanmar since late August and are now living in cramped and insanitary conditions in Cox’s Bazar district.

As of 4 November, one death and 412 suspected cases of measles have been reported among the vulnerable populations living in camps, settlements, and among the host communities in Cox’s Bazar. Of them, 352 cases are from Ukhia and 46 from Teknaf sub-districts, and 11 have been reported from the district hospital. Majority of cases – 398 – are among the new arrivals and 14 among the host communities. As many as 82% cases are among children under five years of age.

“Children are especially at risk from outbreaks of measles and other communicable diseases that result from the crowded living conditions, malnutrition and severe lack of water and sanitation in the camps and other sites,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative. “To halt any wider outbreak, it’s essential that coordinated efforts begin immediately to protect as many children as possible.”

With the risk of measles being high during such health emergencies, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), with support of WHO, UNICEF and other local partners, was quick to roll out a measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, between 16 September and 4 October, within weeks of the start of the recent influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar. Nearly 136,000 children between six months and 15 years were administered MR vaccine. Additionally, around 72,000 children up to five years of age were given bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) and a dose of Vitamin A to help prevent measles related complication. The number of new arrivals has increased since the MR campaign, which also had challenges reaching out to all children in view of movement of people within the camps and settlements.

“As part of stepped up vaccination efforts, 43 fixed health facility sites, 56 outreach vaccination teams and vaccination teams at main border entry points will administer MR vaccine to population aged six months to 15 years, along with oral polio vaccine to children under five years and TT vaccine to pregnant women. These efforts are aimed at protecting and preventing the spread of measles among the vulnerable population,” WHO Representative to Bangladesh, Dr N Paranietharan, said.

More than 70 vaccinators from government and partners have been trained to deliver routine vaccination though fixed sites and outreach teams beginning tomorrow, while vaccination at entry points at Subrang, Teknaf, is ongoing since 1 November.

The fixed sites and outreach teams will also cover under two year olds with vaccines available in Bangladesh EPI schedule, such as BCG, pentavalent vaccine, oral polio vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine and two doses of MR vaccine.

As an additional measure, resources to treat measles cases are being reinforced with the distribution of vitamin A supplements, antibiotics for pneumonia and Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) for diarrhoea related to measles. To improve hygiene conditions among the refugee population, 3.2 million water purification tablets and a total of 18,418 hygiene kits have been distributed benefitting 92,090 people.

The current initiative is yet another massive vaccination drive being rolled out for the new arrivals from Myanmar and their host communities in Cox’s Bazar since 25 August this year. After covering 136 000 people in the September- October MR campaign, MoHFW and partners administered 900 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to these vulnerable populations in two phases. The first phase that started 10 October covered over 700 000 people aged one year and above – both the new arrivals and their host communities, while the second phase from 4 – 9 November provided an addition dose of OCV to 199,472 children between one and five years, for added protection and bOPV to 236,696 children under 5 years of age

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 4 November 2017

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 version: The Sentinel_ period ending 4 November 2017

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities
:: 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

Human Rights – Stateless Minorities

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This is our home”: Stateless minorities and their search for citizenship
UNHCR – Division of International Protection
November 2017 :: 52 pages
PDF: http://www.unhcr.org/59f747404.pdf
Key Findings
Statelessness can exacerbate the exclusion that minorities already face, further limiting their access to education, health care, legal employment, freedom of movement, development opportunities and the right to vote. It creates a chasm between affected groups and the wider community, deepening their sense of being outsiders: of never belonging.
In May and June 2017, UNHCR spoke with more than 120 individuals who be
long to stateless or formerly stateless minority groups in three countries: the Karana of Madagascar, Roma and other ethnic minorities in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Pemba and Makonde of Kenya. These are the key findings of UNHCR’s consultations:

Discrimination
Discrimination and exclusion of ethnic, religious or linguistic minority groups often lies at the heart of their statelessness. At the same time, their statelessness can lead to further discrimination, both in in practice and in law: at least 20 countries maintain nationality laws in which nationality can be denied or deprived in a discriminatory manner.

Lack of documentation
Discrimination against the stateless minorities consulted manifests itself most clearly in their attempts to access documentation needed to prove their nationality or their entitlement to nationality, such as a national ID card or a birth certificate. Lack of such documentary proof can result in a vicious circle, where authorities refuse to recognize an otherwise valid claim to nationality.

Poverty
Because of their statelessness and lack of documentation, the groups consulted are typically excluded from accessing legal or sustainable employment, or obtaining the kinds of loans or licenses that would allow them to make a decent living. This marginalization can make it difficult for stateless minorities to escape an ongoing cycle of poverty.

Fear
All the groups consulted spoke of their fear for their physical safety and security on account of being stateless. Being criminalized for a situation that they are unable to remedy has left psychological scars and a sense of vulnerability among many.

SOLUTIONS
Ensuring equal access to nationality rights for minority groups is one of the key goals of UNHCR’s #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness by 2024.

To achieve this, UNHCR urges all States to take the following steps, in line with Actions 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 of UNHCR’s Global Action Plan to End Statelessness:
:: Facilitate the naturalization or confirmation of nationality for stateless minority groups resident on the territory provided that they were born or have resided there before a particular date, or have parents or grandparents who meet these criteria.
:: Allow children to gain the nationality of the country in which they were born if they would otherwise be stateless.
:: Eliminate laws and practices that deny or deprive persons of nationality on the basis of discriminatory grounds such as race, ethnicity, religion, or linguistic minority status.
:: Ensure universal birth registration to prevent statelessness.
:: Eliminate procedural and practical obstacles to the issuance of nationality documentation to those entitled to it under law.

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Media release
UNHCR report exposes the discrimination pervading the life of stateless minorities worldwide
3 Nov 2017
A new UNHCR report warns that discrimination, exclusion and persecution are stark realities for many of the world’s stateless minorities, and calls for immediate action to secure equal nationality rights for all.

More than 75% of the world’s known stateless populations belong to minority groups, the report notes. Left unaddressed, their protracted marginalization can build resentment, increase fear and, in the most extreme cases, lead to instability, insecurity and displacement…

“Stateless people are just seeking the same basic rights that all citizens enjoy. But stateless minorities, like the Rohingya, often suffer from entrenched discrimination and a systematic denial of their rights,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

“In recent years, important steps have been taken to address statelessness worldwide. However new challenges, like growing forced displacement and arbitrary deprivation of nationality, threaten this progress. States must act now and they must act decisively to end statelessness,” added Grandi.

Health

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Partnering to Fight Pneumonia, the “Forgotten Killer” of Children
Huffington Post – 31 October 2017
We have “eradication” targets for polio, “elimination” targets for malaria, and “generation-free” targets for HIV/AIDS, but for a disease that kills more children under five than all three combined, we have…well…very little.

Pneumonia, which has been attracting less than 2 percent of international development assistance for health, and low national health funding, kills nearly 1 million children every year.

But change is brewing, driven by new leaders, new alignments between governments, businesses, United Nations’ agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and technological innovations with the potential to dramatically improve the cost-effectiveness of care in low and middle income countries.

Thirty organizations are joining forces in a public-private partnership with an ambitious, measurable goal: to end preventable child pneumonia deaths by 2030.

The Every Breath Counts Coalition will be announced at UNICEF headquarters in New York on November 3rd, at a special event co-hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and “la caixa” Foundation in honor of World Pneumonia Day.

We are all deeply concerned about pneumonia’s high death toll – each year 178,000 newborns and 773,000 children under five die according to UNICEF – and the slow rate of decline. Between 2000 and 2015, child pneumonia deaths fell by 47 percent, compared to 85 percent for measles, 61 percent for AIDS, 58 percent for malaria and 57 percent for diarrhea. We need faster progress.

The situation is particularly dire in sub-Saharan Africa. Due to a combination of low vaccine coverage, breastfeeding rates and female literacy, and high malnutrition and solid cooking fuel use, this region is home to the largest populations of children at greatest risk of death from pneumonia.

Most of the child pneumonia deaths happen in just 15 countries. Countries like Chad, Nigeria, Angola, Niger, Somalia, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Ethiopia are especially vulnerable. Focused national and international efforts to identify and close gaps in pneumonia prevention, diagnosis and treatment in these countries could prevent more than 250,000 child deaths from pneumonia each year.

Expanding pneumococcal vaccine coverage across countries is an important priority. In addition, improving access to health services and health workers and ensuring that they have the proper diagnostic and treatment tools like pulse oximetry, child-friendly antibiotics and oxygen are key. Working more directly with mothers and families to improve breastfeeding rates, child nutrition and female literacy will also boost progress across all countries. Children who are malnourished are nine times more likely to die from pneumonia.

To stop children dying from pneumonia, the governments most affected will need to lead ambitious national efforts to mobilize attention and resources toward pneumonia prevention, diagnosis and treatment, especially at primary health care level. In addition to enhanced domestic resources, countries will also need to target a greater share of their foreign health aid to fighting pneumonia, especially if they are eligible for Global Financing Facility funding from the World Bank and/or receive support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Efforts to better integrate the management of the “febrile” child will not only impro treatment outcomes, but also the rational use of drugs and combat antimicrobial resistance.

In addition to investing more to help governments with the largest populations of at-risk children fight pneumonia, the Every Breath Counts Coalition will enlist the support of existing child pneumonia initiatives, including the United4Oxygen Alliance, HO2PE, the Pneumonia Innovations Network, Stop Pneumonia/World Pneumonia Day, the ARIDA Project, the Save the Children and GSK partnership, as well as work underway by Results for Development and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Every Breath Counts will also build bridges between the focus countries and the various innovation pipelines, including Saving Lives at Birth and Grand Challenges Canada and relevant research underway, including the multi-country enhanced community management and clean cooking trials.

Focused efforts in a sub-set of countries where children are most vulnerable are critical, as these countries will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals relating to child survival nor fulfill their obligations to the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health without a special push to reduce child pneumonia deaths.

It’s time to bring together our collective efforts and support country government efforts to ensure that no child dies of a disease we know how to prevent, diagnose and treat.

We hope you’ll join us,
Carolyn Miles, CEO, Save the Children (US)
Lisa Bonadonna, Global Head, Access to Medicines, GSK
David Fleming, Vice President, PATH
Joe Kiani, CEO, Masimo
Stefan Peterson, Chief of Health, UNICEF
Kate Schroder, Vice President, Clinton Health Access Initiative
Kevin Watkins, CEO, Save the Children (UK)

For more information on Every Breath Counts, please visit http://www.stoppneumonia.org

SDGs – Nutrition

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Global Nutrition Report 2017 – Nourishing the SDGs
Development Initiatives Poverty Research Ltd.
2017 :: 115 pages
PDF: https://www.globalnutritionreport.org/files/2017/11/Report_2017.pdf
Executive Summary [excerpt]
The world faces a grave nutrition situation – but the Sustainable Development Goals present an unprecedented opportunity to change that.

A better nourished world is a better world. Yet despite the significant steps the world has taken towards improving nutrition and associated health burdens over recent decades, this year’s Global Nutrition Report shows what a large-scale and universal problem nutrition is. The global community is grappling with multiple burdens of malnutrition. Our analysis shows that 88% of
countries for which we have data face a serious burden of either two or three forms of malnutrition (childhood stunting, anaemia in women of reproductive age and/or overweight in adult women).

The number of children aged under five who are chronically or acutely undernourished (stunted and wasted) may have fallen in many countries, but our data tracking shows that global progress to reduce these forms of malnutrition is not rapid enough to meet internationally agreed nutrition targets, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 2.2 to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. Hunger statistics are going in the wrong direction: now 815 million people are going to bed hungry, up from 777 million in 2015. The reality of famines in the world today means
achieving these targets, especially for wasting, will become even more challenging. Indeed, an estimated 38 million people are facing severe food insecurity in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen while Ethiopia and Kenya are experiencing significant droughts.

No country is on track to meet targets to reduce anaemia among women of reproductive age, and the number of women with anaemia has actually increased since 2012. Exclusive breastfeeding of infants aged 0–5 months has marginally increased, but progress is too slow (up 2% from baseline). And the inexorable rise in the numbers of children and adults who are overweight and obese continues. The probability of meeting the internationally agreed targets to halt the rise in obesity and diabetes by 2025 is less than 1%.

Too many people are being left behind from the benefits of improved nutrition. Yet when we look at the wider context, the opportunity for change has never been greater. The SDGs, adopted by 193 countries in 2015, offer a tremendous window of opportunity to reverse or stop these trends. They are an agenda that aims to ‘transform our world’. Many such aspirational statements have been made in the past, so what makes the SDGs different? The promise can be summed up
in two words: universal – for all, in every country – and integrated – by everyone, connecting to achieve the goals. This has enormous practical implications for what we do and how we do it.

First, it means focusing on inequities in low, middle and high-income countries and between them, to ensure that everyone is included in progress, and everyone is counted. Second, it means that the time of tackling problems in isolation is well and truly over. If we want to transform our world, for everyone, we must all stop acting in silos, remembering that people do not live in silos.

We have known for some time that actions delivered through the ‘nutrition sector’ alone can only go so far. For example, delivering the 10 interventions that address stunting directly would only reduce stunting globally by 20%. The SDGs are telling us loud and clear: we must deliver multiple goals through shared action. Nutrition is part of that shared action. Action on nutrition is needed to achieve goals across the SDGs, and, in turn, action throughout the SDGs is needed to address the causes of malnutrition. If we can work together to build connections through the SDG system, we will ensure that the 2016–2025 Decade of Action on Nutrition declared by the UN will be a ‘Decade of Transformative Impact’.

Scientific Freedom

Statement on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility
American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS}
Adopted by the AAAS Board of Directors on October 12, 2017.

“Scientific freedom and scientific responsibility are essential to the advancement of human knowledge for the benefit of all. Scientific freedom is the freedom to engage in scientific inquiry, pursue and apply knowledge, and communicate openly. This freedom is inextricably linked to and must be exercised in accordance with scientific responsibility. Scientific responsibility is the duty to conduct and apply science with integrity, in the interest of humanity, in a spirit of stewardship for the environment, and with respect for human rights.”

Note: The AAAS recognizes that everyday science takes place in situations that pose challenges to scientific freedom and scientific responsibility. Scientists often face competitive pressures, conflicting interests, complex problems, and ambiguity in their work. Furthermore, the exercise of scientific freedom and scientific responsibility is subject to political, economic, and institutional pressures, and is affected by cultural variation. This website presents a range of different and sometimes opposing perspectives, as well as resource materials, to promote discussion in the context of everyday work. It is not intended to be comprehensive or exhaustive, but rather timely, informative and useful as a guide for policy and behavior and as a resource for inquiry and instruction in the area of scientific freedom and responsibility.

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Media Release
AAAS Adopts Statement Binding Scientific Freedom with Responsibility
18 October 2017
The AAAS Board of Directors adopted the “Statement on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility” on Oct. 12 to govern the organization, its members and guide scientists across the globe – the first known such position adopted by a scientific organization, according to members of the AAAS committee that developed the statement…

The four-line statement is meant to be a lasting and widely applicable affirmation, recognizing that freedom necessary to extend the global scientific enterprise requires the scientific community to adhere to and apply high ethical standards, interlocking two longstanding pillars of science…

Coinciding with adoption of the statement, AAAS also unveiled on Oct. 18 a corresponding online resource portal where anyone interested can find topical information for seminars, group discussions or references for policymaking efforts. The site provides an extensive list of related websites and foundational articles that trace the origin and development of the statement…

Drafting and adoption of the statement was nearly three years in the making. It replaces a 1975 report authored by the late John T. Edsall, a professor of biochemistry at Harvard University and the chair of the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, which has continued its work since its founding in 1970.

The 40-page Edsall Report, as it is commonly referenced, did not define scientific freedom nor scientific responsibility and only implicitly stated that the two issues are “basically” connected – a posture largely accepted at the time…

The statement grew out of global consultations and information-seeking sessions with the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council and AAAS affiliate organizations. Multiple panel meetings were held around and during the 2015, 2016 and 2017 AAAS Annual Meetings…

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Springer Nature blocks access to certain articles in China
November 1, 2017 BEIJING (Reuters) – Springer Nature, which publishes science magazines Nature and Scientific American, said on Wednesday it had pulled access to a small number of articles in China to comply with regulations, adding that it viewed the move as regrettable but necessary.

The decision comes after Britain’s Cambridge University Press (CUP) said in August it had removed from its website in China about 300 papers and book reviews published in the China Quarterly journal, after a request from the Chinese government.

CUP, the publishing arm of elite Cambridge University, later reversed its decision and reposted the articles, following an outcry from academics, who attacked the decision as an affront to academic freedom.

In a statement, Germany-based Springer Nature said that less than one percent of its content had been “limited” in mainland China.
“This action is deeply regrettable, but has been taken to prevent a much greater impact on our customers and authors,” it said.
“This is not editorial censorship and does not affect the content we publish or make accessible elsewhere in the world. It is a local content access decision in China done to comply with specific local regulations,” it added.

The Financial Times said at least 1,000 Springer Nature articles had been blocked in China, containing sensitive key words like Taiwan, Tibet and Cultural Revolution…
“In not taking action we ran the very real risk of all of our content being blocked,” Springer Nature said.

“We do not believe that it is in the interests of our authors, customers, or the wider scientific and academic community, or to the advancement of research, for us to be banned from distributing our content in China.”…

Development/Humanitarian Response – USAID Mission

USAID Administrator Mark Green’s Opening Statement Before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
USAID Press Office
[Editor’s text bolding]
Great, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Lowey, and Members of the Subcommittee, many of whom I served with – it’s good to see all of you again.

As former foreign policy and defense leaders have often said, and as was cited in the opening remarks, in a world as complex as ours, with our national security under greater threat than perhaps ever before, we need to be able to deploy the entirety of our statecraft toolbox. This must include our most sophisticated development and humanitarian tools. At USAID we embrace this mission.

One sign of this is our close working relationship with DOD. We currently have 26 staff serving with America’s military men and women in our combatant commands and the Pentagon. DOD in turn, has assigned 16 officers and representatives, to work alongside our staff in supporting development priorities.

In response to the recent disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean, DOD supported our disaster assistance response teams. In Syria, our stabilization and humanitarian experts are working hand in glove with DOD and State to help stabilize Raqqa and to allow for the safe return of displaced families.

But beyond this formal collaboration, our skills and expertise in humanitarian operations and international development help our nation respond to, counter, and prevent a long list of ever-growing threats. Our development initiatives address conditions, which left unchecked, can lead to the kind of frustration and despair that transnational criminal organizations and terrorist groups, often try to exploit.

Furthermore, USAID’s work responds to the challenges often arising from displacement of families and communities. We counter the conditions that often drive mass migration, including into the U.S.

Third, we help strategic allies respond to the burdens of hosting displaced families. We also work to repair the fabric of countries and communities torn apart by conflict and war, in ways that will hopefully solidify military success. In particular, we know helping the most vulnerable, and the most targeted has to be a big part of this strategy.

When religious and ethnic minorities are attacked, such as Christians and other minorities in Iraq, we rally local and international civil society, and the private sector, to join us. We don’t have all the answers to such complex problems, that’s why, in the case of Iraq, as many of you know, I am able to announce that we have issued a Broad Agency Announcement. This is a process to gather innovative ideas from the public, including the affected communities themselves, on ways to support the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons in Ninewa.

There are also concrete ways beyond our development role which contribute to national security. For example, USAID plays a key role in the interagency international strategy to prevent and mitigate the threat of infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics, and anti-microbial resistance under the global health security agenda. As another example, we help counter illicit activities from trafficking in persons to trafficking in wildlife, which criminal and terrorist organizations often leverage to fund their operations.

Mr. Chairman and Members, at USAID, we do take our role as stewards of tax payer resources very seriously. To that end, we are taking a number of employee led reforms that will boost both our effectiveness and our efficiency. Because responding to the growing number of humanitarian crises is a core part, I believe, of American global leadership, we are working to elevate and refine our humanitarian assistance efforts. Because we don’t believe that traditional development assistance is always the most effective approach to our work, we are reinvigorating our engagement with the private sector.

We aim to move beyond mere contracting and grant-making towards true collaboration with the private sector. And that means soliciting outside ideas and opportunities in program design, technology adaptation, and even co-financing where we can. As part of this, we’re also undertaking steps that we hope will bring new partners to our work, by reaching out beyond our relatively small group of traditional partners. Because we don’t believe that assistance should ever be seen by our partners as inevitable, or a substitute for what they should take on themselves, we’ve made clear that the purpose of our assistance should be to end the need for its existence.

I’m asking our team to measure our work by how far each investment moves us closer to the day when we can explore transitioning away from a traditional development relationship. We would not walk away from our work, or our prior investments, but seek to forge a new bilateral partnership that serves the strategic interests of both countries.

To help our partners in their development journey, we will aim to prioritize programs that incentivize reform, strengthen in-country capacity, and mobilize domestic resources.

In conclusion Mr. Chairman, while our nation is facing many challenges, as you have laid out, you can be confident that the men and women of USAID are providing many of the programs and tools that will indeed make our country stronger, safer, and more prosperous in the years ahead. And we are doing so while embracing our role as good stewards of tax payer resources. The resources generously provided through this Subcommittee from the generosity of the American people.
Mr. Chairman, thank you and I welcome your questions.

Emergencies
 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 1November 2017 [GPEI]
:: This month Harvard University and National Public Radio (NPR) hosted an online forum to discuss how social data shines a global spotlight on polio’s last challenges.

:: Summary of newly-reported viruses this week:
…Afghanistan: One new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case, reported in Shahwalikot district in Kandahar province. Three new wild poliovirus 1 (WPV1) positive environmental samples reported, one from Kandahar and two from Hilmand provinces.
…Pakistan: Two new wild poliovirus 1 (WPV1) positive environmental samples reported, one from Sindh and one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): One new circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) case reported, in Tanganika province.
…Syria:  One new circulating vaccine derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) case reported, in Deir Ez-Zor governorate.

:: Additionally, an advance notification was received this week of a new WPV1 case in Afghanistan from Batikot district in Nangarhar province, onset 11 October.  The case will be officially reflected in next week’s global data reporting.

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Syria cVDPV2 outbreak situation report 20: 31 October 2017
:: One (1) new case of cVDPV2 was reported this week from Mayadeen, Deir Ez-Zor governorate. The date of onset of the case was 18 August 2017. The most recent case (by date of onset) remains 25 August.
:: The total number of cVDPV2 cases is 53.
:: Third party independent monitoring results for the second outbreak response round for Raqqa governorate have been received. Reported coverage of targeted children is 69% (measured by parental recall through a house to house survey). Market surveys reported much higher coverage of 84%.
:: Sixteen (16) new refrigerator trucks have been provided by UNICEF to transport vaccine and maintain cold chain for ongoing response activities and outreach.
:: WHO is supporting the upgrade of laboratory facilities to enable more sophisticated techniques to be conducted in country for the detection of poliovirus. WHO is also supporting the establishment of environmental surveillance in country by end of 2017.

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WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 4 November 2017]
The Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syria cVDPV2 outbreak situation report 20, 31 October 2017
 [See Polio above]

Yemen
:: Daily epidemiology bulletin, 30 October 2017
Cholera:
887, 440 – Suspected cases
2,184 – Associated deaths
0.25%  – Case Fatality Rate
96%  – Governorates affected   ( 22 / 23 governorates )
92%  – Districts affected   ( 305 / 333 districts )

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 4 November 2017]
Myanmar
::  Second phase of cholera, polio vaccination begins in Cox’s Bazar for vulnerable population
SEAR/PR/1670
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, 4 November 2017 – The second phase of the oral cholera vaccination drive began today to provide an additional dose of the vaccine to children of newly arrived Rohingya population against the deadly diarrheal disease. The children are also being administered oral polio vaccine.

Nearly 180,000 children aged between one and five years are expected to receive the second dose of oral cholera vaccine (OCV), while around 210,000 children up to the age of five years will be vaccinated against polio in a six-day immunization campaign in Ukhia and Teknaf sub-districts of Cox’s Bazar and Naikhanchari in Bandarban district.

The campaign is being conducted by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) with support from WHO, UNICEF, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, IOM, UNHCR and local and international NGO’s.

“These large scale immunization drives against cholera and polio reflect the commitment of the health sector to take all possible measures to protect the health of these vulnerable population,” Dr. N. Paranietharan, WHO Representative to Bangladesh, said. “Children being among the most vulnerable, the vaccination campaign is an important and commendable effort of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and health partners”, he added.

The previous oral cholera vaccine campaign, launched on 10 October, covered 700 487 people aged one year and above, 176 482 of them children aged one to five years. 900 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine were mobilized following a risk assessment conducted by MoHFW, with the support from WHO, UNICEF, IOM and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in late September. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on vaccine provision released OCV within a day of the Bangladesh government’s request, while GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, provided financial support.

Earlier, in a rapidly organized vaccination campaign for measles, rubella and polio, 72 334 children up to five years of age were administered oral polio vaccine between 16 September to 4 October…

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Outbreaks and Emergencies Bulletin, Week 43: 21 – 27 October 2017
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 44 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:
:: Marburg virus disease in Uganda
:: Plague in Madagascar
:: Malaria in Cabo Verde
:: Dengue fever in Côte d’Ivoire
:: Cholera in Zambia
:: Cholera in north-east Nigeria.
Week 43: 21 – 27 October 2017

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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. 
Iraq
:: Iraq: Humanitarian Bulletin, October 2017 | Issued on 2 November
HIGHLIGHTS
…Military operations to retake the last major territory held by ISIL begin in western Anbar.
184,000 people are currently displaced by recent unrest in northern governorates.
…Almost 62,000 people return to Hawiga a month after it is retaken, to a lack of services and explosive hazard contamination.
…Heaters, fuel and sanitation upgrades are urgently needed in camps across Iraq as winter approaches.
…IHF launches $14 million reserve allocation for Hawiga.

Syrian Arab Republic
:: 1 Nov 2017  Turkey | Syria: Border Crossings Status 1 November 2017 [EN/AR/TR]
:: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock: Statement to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria, 30 October 2017 [EN/AR]

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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
:: 30 Oct 2017   Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 39 | 16 – 29 October 2017
…Ethiopia begins civil registration of refugees for the first time in history as the number of refugees in country nears the one million mark….

ROHINGYA CRISIS
:: ISCG Situation Update: Rohingya Refugee Crisis, Cox’s Bazar – 2 November 2017
607,000 new arrivals are reported as of 31 October, according to IOM Needs and Population Monitoring, UNHCR and other field reports. The dataset and full report is available online.
Partners reported today that an estimated 3,000 arrivals have crossed Naf river and are currently staying in no man’s land near Anjumapara border (Palongkhali union). They are expected to continue into Bangladesh. NPM is keeping track of them and verifying the information.
…607,000 Cumulative arrivals since 25 Aug
…329,000 Arrivals in Kutupalong Expansion Site
…46,000 Arrivals in host communities

Somalia 
:: Horn of Africa: Humanitarian Impacts of Drought – Issue 11 (3 November 2017)
…DISEASE OUTBREAKS
Measles cases rise in Somalia and Ethiopia, while number of AWD and/or Cholera cases declines. In Somalia, more than 18,000 cases of measles were recorded between January and September 2017; four times the number of cases reported during the same period in 2015 and 2016. Most recently, 12 suspected cases were reported at an IDP settlement in Waajid district, Bakool region. A nationwide campaign to vaccinate 4.2 million children is planned for November-December. Meanwhile, there has been a significant reduction in new AWD/cholera cases in Somalia over the past three months, with no deaths reported during this period. To date, 77,783 cholera cases and 1,159 deaths have been reported in 2017. In Ethiopia, 3,151 measles cases have been reported and four districts in the Oromia (Babile and Jima Spe town, East Hararge zone) and Somali (Afder and Warder) regions reached the measles outbreak threshold in September…
:: Humanitarian Bulletin Somalia, 01 – 30 October 2017
…Measles cases remain at epidemic levels as new AWD/cholera cases reduce…
 

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 28 October 2017

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 version: The Sentinel_ period ending 28 October 2017

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities
:: 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

Refugees – Rohingya Crisis

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Donors Pledge Over USD 344 Million in Reponse to Rohingya Refugee Crisis
2017-10-23 20:00
Geneva – The international donor community today announced pledges for more than US$344 million to urgently ramp up the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.

Funding was also pledged for the humanitarian response inside Myanmar where violence, insecurity and growing humanitarian needs have sent nearly 600,000 Rohingya from the northern Rakhine state into Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh since 25 August. This ongoing exodus is the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world…

35 pledges were made at the conference in Geneva which was co-organised by the UN Migration Agency (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and with Kuwait and the European Union as co-hosts.

“More than 800,000 stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh aspire to a life that meets their immediate needs for food, medicine, water, and shelter. But beyond that, a life that has hope for the future where their identity is recognised, they are free from discrimination, and are able to return safely to their homes in Myanmar. As we come together in solidarity, I want to thank Bangladesh and its refugee hosting communities and the donors for supporting them,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi….

“Today’s pledges from the international community will help rebuild Rohingya refugees’ lives. Without these vital funds, humanitarians would not be able to continue providing protection and life-saving aid to one of the most vulnerable groups in the world. While we are thankful, I hope that the end of this conference does not mean the end of new funding commitments. We have not reached our target and each percentage point we are under means thousands without food, healthcare and shelter,” said William Lacy Swing, UN Migration Director General.

Conference participants stressed that the international community must help bring a peaceful solution to the plight of the Rohingya and ensure conditions that will allow for their eventual voluntary return in safety and dignity. The origins and the solutions to the crisis lie in Myanmar…

A preliminary list of pledges announced today is available here. Pledges above USD$10 million:
United Kingdom 63,087,248
European Commission 42,452,830
United States of America 38,000,000
Sweden 23,804,576
Australia 23,492,561
Saudi Arabia 20,000,000
CERF 19,000,000
Denmark 18,454,027
Canada 1 15,745,790
Kuwait 15,000,000
Qatar 2 15,000,000

1 Includes an additional $9.6 million announced on 23 October following the close of the conference. /
2 Announced on 24 October.
The UN acknowledges the generous contributions of donors who provide unearmarked or core funding to humanitarian partners, CERF and country-based pooled funds.

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Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Bulletin (MMWB) – Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Volume No 2: 22 October 2017
[Excerpt]
5.1 Cholera vaccination campaign in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban
Since August 2017, an influx of approximately 600,000 from Myanmar arrived in Bangladesh. Overcrowding, bad sanitation and malnutrition were prevalent and outbreaks of cholera resulting in thousands of cases anticipated. Considering lack of safe drinking water, proper sanitation facilities and poor personal hygiene practices, the UMN camps of two sub-districts, Teknaf and Ukhia, were at high risk of spreading cholera as experience from similar situations in other countries has shown. Moreover, it has been reported that a huge number of people are suffering from acute watery diarrhoea.

Based on field assessments conducted by WHO in the newly established settlements and makeshift camps, the water and sanitation conductions are dire. Sanitation facilities range between 1 latrine per 1,000 to 5,000 people, open defecation is a widespread practice. Coupled with rainfall these pose serious public health threats…

On 10 October 2017, the Government of Bangladesh launched an oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign with the support of WHO for 10 days, targeting over 650,000 people in 11 camps/settlements in Cox’s Bazar district, Chittagong division. It was the first OCV campaign to be conducted in the country, and comes at a critical time after UMNs influx to the country since August 2017.

Because of the large numbers of UMNs living in the camps and within the host community and the limited supply of OCV, the vaccination campaign in Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh was limited to UMN camps at full capacity or overcrowded and to all host community areas. The large influx of UMNs increased uncertainty about the size of the target population, data from the most recent measles vaccination campaign (2017) were used to estimate the population aged >1-year-old.

The vaccination campaign was preceded by extensive social mobilization efforts to inform the community of the benefits, availability and necessity of the vaccine. The main message included that vaccination is a preventive measure against cholera that supplements, but does not replace, other traditional cholera control measures such as improving access to safe water and sanitation and hygiene measures/interventions.

The vaccination strategy included a combination of fixed sites and mobile teams for door-to-door vaccine delivery. The vaccine cold chain was maintained, and vaccines were transported using a sufficient number of vaccine carriers and ice packs for a door-to-door strategy. Experience from WHO’s technical staff supported the implementation of this campaign during the public health emergency.

As of October 18, 2017, a total of 700,487 persons were reported to have been vaccinated of them; 691,574 representing 105% % (691,574/658,372) of the target population (Table 2). An additional 8,913 (not included in the original micro-plan) were vaccination in 2 sites; Anjumanpara, and Sabrang Entry Point…

Migration and Its Impact on Cities
World Economic Forum
October 2017 :: 172 pages
Report PDF: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Migration_Impact_Cities_report_2017_HR.pdf
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Report structure
Chapter 1 Migration & Its Impact
Defining migration, its types, causes, impact and key trends
This chapter focuses primarily on the different types of migration, their causes, the current migration flows and the top migration corridors of the world. It also includes a detailed assessment of the economic, social and political impact of migration (both positive and negative) at the destination across sectors of urban infrastructure and services.

Chapter 2 City Perspectives
Perspectives of city leaders on migration
This chapter profiles 22 cities across the globe that have been significantly affected by migration, starting with a brief history of migration in the city, elaborating on the current migration trends, issues and impacts, and the solutions implemented to address the impact on urban infrastructure and services for the migrant population. It also includes key lessons and takeaways from each city on managing migration.

Chapter 3 Analysing Challenges & Opportunities
Analysing the challenges and opportunities, with solutions to counter migration issues
This chapter provides collective analyses of perspectives of the city leaders featured and of other cities researched on the challenges and opportunities of migration globally. It also provides real-world solutions to the issues presented by migration, backed up by case-study examples from around the world.

Chapter 4 City Preparedness
City preparedness for future migration
This chapter elaborates on a framework for cities expected to be impacted the most by the current or future trends in migration, and expands on the role of businesses, government, civil society and the migrant community, among others, that would prepare them to manage migration more effectively.

Chapter 5 The Way Forward
The way forward — Call for action
The final chapter draws inferences from the case studies’ main takeaways and from the solutions illustrated in the previous chapters. Finally, a roadmap for the long-term integration of migrants is shared to guide city leaders looking to address migration issues today and in the future.

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Press Release
Migration in Cities: New Report Examines the Challenges and How to Address Them
25 Oct 2017
:: The World Economic Forum has released its new report on Migration and Cities covering the different types and causes of migration, with a particular focus on its impact on cities around the world and how they can be better prepared.
:: The report includes 22 case studies from the most affected cities in each region of the world. These look at the solutions implemented or initiated to meet the needs of the migrant population, particularly in the delivery of vital urban infrastructure and services – housing, education, health, employment, integration and social cohesion, and safety and security.
:: It explores the role of the migrant community, government, the private sector, international organizations and wider civil society in addressing the issue of migration in cities, and includes a call for action for city leaders to better prepare themselves for migration.

Gender – Development – Security – Peace

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Women, Peace and Security Index 2017/18: Tracking Sustainable Peace through Inclusion, Justice, and Security for Women.
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
Peace Research Institute of Oslo
2017 :: 84 pages
Report PDF: https://giwps.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/WPS-Index-Report-2017-18.pdf
Executive Summary
The new global Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index introduced in this report bridges insights from gender and development indices with those from peace and security indices. The index incorporates three basic dimensions of well- being—inclusion (economic, social, political); justice (formal laws and informal discrimination); and security (at the family, community, and societal levels)—and captures and quantifies them through 11 indicators. It ranks 153 countries—covering more than 98 percent of the world’s population—along these three dimensions in a way that focuses attention on key achievements and major shortcomings. It reflects a shared vision that countries are more peaceful and prosperous when women are accorded full and equal rights and opportunity. A primary goal of the index is to accelerate progress on both the international Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, bringing partners together around an agenda for women’s inclusion, justice, and security. It offers opportunities for stakeholders to review and discuss challenges and to identify opportunities for trans- formative change. It highlights key priorities, points toward a roadmap of needed reforms, and can inform more effective partnerships and collaboration.

Preface
Global indices are a way to assess and compare national progress against international goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, by distilling complex information into a single
number. Such composite indices can capture and synthesize an array of data in a way that can be readily understood and that is especially informative for multidimensional concepts.

The new global Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index introduced in this report bridges insights from gender and development indices with those from peace and security indices. The index incorporates three basic dimensions of wellbeing—inclusion (economic, social, political); justice (formal laws and informal discrimination); and security (at the family, community, and societal levels) – and captures and quantifies them through 11 indicators. It ranks 153 countries [covering more than 98 percent of the world’s population] along these three dimensions in a way that focuses attention on key achievements and major shortcomings. It reflects a shared vision that countries are more peaceful and prosperous when women are accorded full and equal rights and opportunity.

A primary goal of the index is to accelerate progress on both the international Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, bringing partners together around an agenda for women’s inclusion, justice, and security. It offers opportunities for stakeholders to review and discuss challenges and to identify opportunities for transformative change. It highlights key priorities, points toward a roadmap of needed reforms, and can inform more effective partnerships and collaboration.

Alongside much-needed reforms, this report aims to inspire further thought and analysis, as well as better data, to illuminate the constrainers and enablers of progress for women and girls to meet the international community’s goals and commitments. Highly comparative and easy to
understand numbers can call out low performers and help to reinforce good performance.

The WPS Index and the findings it reveals are likely to be especially useful to several key stakeholder groups:
:: Policymakers can draw on the results to set priorities for action to improve women’s inclusion, justice, and/or security in countries that are performing poorly overall or where achievements are unbalanced across the three dimensions and the underlying indicators. The index results reveal the potential for improvements, as well as more generalized deficits that require attention.
:: Civil society can use the results to spotlight achievements as well as injustice and to hold decision-makers accountable, especially given the links to the Sustainable Development Goals to which all national governments have committed.
:: Businesses and investors can better analyze risks and assess the policy environment in countries based on rankings on inclusion, justice, and security.
:: Academics from a range of disciplines—peace and security studies, development economics, gender specialties – can exploit a wealth of possibilities for research from the WPS Index, which provides a major database for analysis as well as online tools to investigate the data.
:: The international development community can see a comprehensive picture of achievements and gaps along a range of fronts, including areas needing greater focus and investment.

The index will be updated every two years. It will track progress ahead of the UN High-level Political Forum in 2019, for follow-up and review of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the 20th anniversary of 2000 UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, providing a platform for scaling up efforts toward 2030.

Development – U.S. Foreign Aid: Governance/Structures

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REDESIGN CONSENSUS: A Plan for U.S. Assistance
October 2017 :: 7 pages
Unified Proposal
This set of ambitious yet practical steps constitutes a holistic package designed to overcome the fragmentation of development and humanitarian assistance in order to create a structure and alignment that enhances the effectiveness, accountability, and efficiency of U.S. assistance.

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US: International affairs experts reach consensus on how to restructure foreign aid
20 October 2017
George Ingram, Senior Fellow – Global Economy and Development
Brookings
The Trump administration has demonstrated that there is no better way to galvanize a community and activate energy than with an existential threat. The international affairs community has been heated about proposed cuts and reforms to development and diplomatic agencies, but until now, experts have failed to agree upon a unified response.

While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has recently acknowledged the important and unique roles of agencies like the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the administration’s call for radical reforms remains threatening. These include the proposed 30 percent reduction in funding for international affairs, reports of merging USAID into the Department of State, arbitrary cuts in staffing, and an Office of Management and Budget directive to all agencies that required reorganization plans by September to increase agency efficiency and reduce staff levels.

The reaction of the development and foreign policy experts, including allies on Capitol Hill, has been to muster the justification for existing funding levels and to enlist policymakers to roll up their sleeves and take advantage of the chaos and directive for agency reorganization to propose more effective organizational structures.

First out of the gate was an article in December in Foreign Affairs magazine by former USAID administrators Brian Atwood and Andrew Natsios that proposed consolidating all development and humanitarian programs in a global development department. Six additional plans came out this summer from an array of organizations.

All of the plans are based on an assessment of the importance of U.S. foreign assistance programs to the national interests—security, economic, and humanitarian—and a common analysis of the underlying problems. That analysis posits that U.S. development and humanitarian programs are well managed and make important contributions to advancing U.S. interests around the world, but face barriers to maximizing their potential. U.S. assistance is hamstrung by fragmentation (25 agencies are involved in the mix); a lack of alignment of functions and responsibilities and therefore accountability; and antiquated and overly complex systems for personnel, information technology, transparency, procurement, and evaluation.

The recommendations in all the plans pursue common objectives—better alignment and consolidation to create clear lines of authority and accountability; more strategic approaches to guide assistance policies; and more responsive, modernized systems.

Six (listed below) of the seven plans offer solutions (see MFAN identification of 10 common priorities) focused on a stronger, more capable, independently lead development agency, and most recommend a more robust instrument for development finance. The specifics range from two plans that propose a bold approach of creating a new cabinet level agency to house the broad array of humanitarian, development, and stabilization programs to four plans that seek to strengthen USAID as the lead development agency and fix existing systems and processes.

With multiple executive agencies and congressional committees seized with figuring out how and what elements of the U.S. aid architecture to reorder, but barraged by a maze of proposals (see USGLC report on over 60 reports), the authors of the six plans decided to plot a singular, unified path forward.

Keeping their eye on the bigger aim of achieving the goal of an empowered U.S. development function, the authors reached agreement on an Aid Redesign Consensus. This unified approach has two pillars: an empowered development agency, USAID, and a new global finance corporation (GFC).

USAID would be the lead U.S. agency for humanitarian, development, and stabilization programs and granted full authority for its budget and an enhanced policy function. The administrator would be assigned cabinet rank, have a seat on the National Security Council, chair the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the new GFC, and lead the development of a U.S. government-wide humanitarian and development strategy. Certain development, humanitarian, and stabilization functions, including President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), would move from the Department of State to USAID.

The GFC would comprise the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and relevant functions of the Trade and Development Agency and would have the additional capabilities of equity investment and technical assistance. The GFC would have a long-term authorization and could retain a portion of its revenues. This would allow the GFC to operate more along the lines of its European counterparts.

The authors of these various plans still believe that more aspirational recommendations would ultimately serve U.S. interests. However, since the aid redesign discussions have been complicated by an array of plans, it has become important to identify a set of pragmatic and less controversial actions that can be taken now to move the U.S. development function to a more effective, efficient architecture.

Redesign Plans [citations links at title link above]
J. Brian Atwood and Andrew Natsios: Rethinking U.S. National Security: A New Role for International Development Center for Global Development (CGD) – Jeremy Konyndyk and Cindy Huang: A Practical Vision for US Development Reform
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) – Bipartisan Taskforce on Reorganization: Reforming and Reorganizing U.S. Foreign Assistance
USAID’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) Efficiency and Effectiveness in Organization (EEO) Working Group: Recommendations of the Efficiency and Effectiveness in Organization Working Group
Atlantic Council: State Department Reform Report
Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) – Co-Chairs George Ingram, Tessie San Martin, and Connie Veillette: A New Foreign Aid Architecture Fit for Purpose and MFAN’s Guiding Principles for Effective U.S. Assistance