Energy

The Rockefeller Foundation Announces Call to Action to Provide Sustainable Energy for One Billion People by 2030
Development finance, global energy, and multilateral agencies commit to accelerate electrification as the cornerstone of an equitable, global economic recovery

NEW YORK | December 10, 2020 – The Rockefeller Foundation today announced the formation of a global coalition aimed at providing sustainable energy for one billion people within this decade. Organizations joining this call to action include the African Development Bank, CDC the UK’s development finance institution, European Investment Bank, International Energy Agency, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Today one in ten of the world’s people (800 million) lack access to electricity, including half the population of Sub-Saharan Africa. Another 2.8 billion people lack access to electricity that is reliable enough to secure their livelihoods or power modern healthcare facilities and schools. The pandemic has only exacerbated the inequality of global energy access.

“In this era of unprecedented crises—including the coronavirus pandemic—we have a responsibility and remarkable opportunity to harness the power that can lead to a more equitable, safer world,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, “Our goal is ambitious yet achievable: to bring reliable and sustainable electricity, powered by renewable technologies, to a billion people by the decade’s end. Our success will empower millions of people to participate in a modern economy, growing economic opportunity for us all.”

As the world begins to focus on vaccine distribution and stimulus to help bring about a rapid end to the devastation of Covid-19, the new coalition is focused on unleashing the full potential of distributed renewable energy systems, including technologies such as mini-grids; grid-connected local generation, and storage; renewable power solutions for industrial and commercial clusters; and stand-alone commercial appliances. Over the past decade, technological breakthroughs have made these systems more affordable and easier to deploy; harnessing their impact is essential for rapidly providing electricity to power modern economies and critical social services.

Additional signatories of the call to action include the:
:: Africa Mini-Grid Developers Association
:: Global Association for the Off-grid Solar Energy Industry (GOGLA)
:: Gridworks (development and investment platform backed by UK CDC)
:: International Solar Alliance
:: Power Africa (government-led partnership coordinated by USAID)
:: Power for All
:: Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
:: Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)
:: UN Climate Change Conference COP26 Presidency (UK)

…As founding members of this Coalition, the organizations commit to:
:: Launch a global partnership to end energy poverty, bringing together local, national, regional, and international leaders, and institutions from the public and private sectors to unleash the full potential of distributed renewable energy systems (DRE) to improve the livelihoods of a billion people.

:: Mobilize and coordinate concrete DRE roadmaps to unlock public and private capital flows into DRE technologies that will create local jobs, promote sustainable livelihoods, and build an environmentally smart, resilient electricity grid of the future.

:: Identify and support appropriate regulatory, policy, and financial regimes in partnership with national leadership in order to build capacity and create an environment to increase renewable energy technology investments and associated economic development partnerships.

:: Collaborate to enhance project development and new financing instruments to catalyze billions of dollars of additional annual investment in DRE projects in underserved markets…

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Bill and Melinda Gates call for collaboration, continued innovation to overcome challenges of delivering COVID-19 scientific breakthroughs to the world
Gates Foundation pledges additional $250 million to accelerate development and equitable distribution of COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines to end the pandemic

SEATTLE, December 9, 2020 – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced it will commit an additional $250 million to support the research, development, and equitable delivery of lifesaving tools in the global effort against COVID-19. Marking the end of a year focused on the scientific breakthroughs needed to end the pandemic, the foundation calls for global commitments to making these innovations available in 2021 to everyone who needs them.

“Everyone, everywhere deserves to benefit from the science developed in 2020,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “We are confident that the world will get better in 2021, but whether it gets better for everyone depends on the actions of the world’s leaders and their commitment to deliver tests, treatments, and vaccines to the people who need them, no matter where they live or how much money they have.”

Today’s commitment, the foundation’s largest single contribution to the COVID-19 response to date, builds on the partnerships and expertise it has established over the last 20 years. This funding will support continued innovation to develop tests, treatments, and vaccines that are easier to scale and deliver, to ensure there are many options that are less expensive and can be used in different settings. Today’s commitment will also support the delivery of new COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Getting these innovations to where they are needed will require the same level of planning, urgency, and collaboration it took to develop them. It will require manufacturing tests, doses of treatments, and vaccines quickly and safely; securing sufficient funding to buy and distribute them; organizing logistical infrastructure and supply chains; preparing clinics and health workers to administer them; and sharing accurate information with communities so people understand and trust what they are receiving. Part of today’s funding will enable countries to use cutting-edge technology and delivery systems to plan and implement the rollout of vaccines. It will also support efforts to engage communities in the process to increase trust and improve communication about new COVID-19 interventions.

“Thanks to the ingenuity of the global scientific community, we are achieving the exciting medical breakthroughs needed to end the pandemic,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “We have new drugs and more potential vaccines than we could have expected at the start of the year. But these innovations will only save lives if they get out into the world.”

As the world prepares to embark on a global logistical challenge previously unmatched in scale and complexity, it can draw on the expertise of global organizations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund, which have collaborated with governments to deliver vaccines, tests, and treatments against infectious diseases to people in lower-income countries for 20 years. “Fortunately, reaching people with lifesaving tools is something the world knows how to do,” said Melinda Gates.

“The next phase of fighting this pandemic will be much costlier than the initial development of safe and effective vaccines. Our commitment today is only a fraction of what is needed and will be focused on the areas where philanthropy can best add value,” said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman. “Every institution with a role to play has to be generous now. Multilateral organizations, national governments, companies, and philanthropies—we all must invest in making sure the tests, drugs, and vaccines reach as many people as possible.”

The total commitments include:
Today’s announcement brings the foundation’s total commitments to the global COVID-19 response to $1.75 billion. This draws from three sources, including new funding commitments above the foundation’s planned annual program budget; at-risk financing from the foundation’s Strategic Investment Fund; and a portion of funds channeled from foundation programs where grantees identified urgent needs or had unique expertise to mitigate the effects of the pandemic…

EMERGENCIES

Coronavirus [COVID-19]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
Last update: 5 December 2020, 9:02 am GMT-5
Confirmed cases :: 69 808 588 [week ago: 65 257 767] [two weeks ago: 61 299 371]
Confirmed deaths :: 1 588 854 [week ago: 1 513 179] [two weeks ago: 1 439 784
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 220

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Weekly epidemiological update – 8 December 2020
Overview
Globally in the past week, cases of COVID-19 have remained at approximately 4 million new cases, while new deaths have continued to increase to over 73 000. This brings the cumulative numbers to over 65.8 million reported cases and 1.5 million deaths globally since the start of the pandemic.

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 09 December 2020
:: Aidan O’Leary appointed new WHO polio eradication director – Mr Aidan O’Leary will assume the responsibilities of Director for Polio Eradication at WHO, effective 1 January 2021. Mr O’Leary will succeed Mr Michel Zaffran, who will enter a well-deserved retirement end-February 2021.  Mr O’Leary is from Ireland and is currently Head of Office in Yemen for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). He has served as the Chief of Polio Eradication in Pakistan for UNICEF and spent three years working in Afghanistan (between 2011 and 2014) as Head of Office, OCHA.  He has extensive experience in emergency settings, including in Iraq and Syria, where he also held the position of Head of Office for OCHA.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES postitives):
:: Pakistan: five WPV1 positive environmental samples, six cVDPV2 cases and eight cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Central African Republic: one cVDPV2 case
:: Chad: nine cVDPV2 cases
:: Somalia: one cVDPV2 case

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Editor’s Note:
A number of country pages below did not load at inquiry.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 12 Dec 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 12 Dec 2020]
Iraq
:: An increasing number of suicide cases in Ira q worries public health experts amid COVID-19 pandemic Baghdad Iraq, 9 December 2020 – The growing number of suicide cases in Iraq over the past years is a worrying public health concern that can no longer be ignored. If not addressed, it will keep taking a heavy toll on individuals and communities in the country…

Burkina Faso
:: L’OMS appuie la revue intra action de la riposte contre la COVID-19 au Burkina Faso
10 décembre 2020

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Angola – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 12 Dec 2020]

Kenya
:: Keeping to the universal health coverage path in Kenya 11 December 2020

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

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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. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syrian Arab Republic: COVID-19 Response Update No. 13 – 9 December 2020

Yemen
:: Yemen Situation Report, 9 Dec 2020

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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.
COVID-19
:: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update (8 December 2020)

East Africa Locust Infestation
:: Desert Locust situation update – 10 December 2020

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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 5 December 2020 :: Number 344

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

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

PDF– The Sentinel_ period ending 28 Nov 2020

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

Human Rights – Venezuela: Crimes Against Humanity

OAS General Secretariat Report Reaffirms Crimes against Humanity in Venezuela
December 2, 2020
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court criticized for failing to open an investigation, despite examining the situation for almost three years

The Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro and OAS Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect Jared Genser today released a report that reaffirms that there is a reasonable basis to conclude the regime of Nicolás Maduro has been committing crimes against humanity in Venezuela since February 12, 2014 and condemns the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for inaction in the face of these crimes.

The 145-page report, entitled “Fostering Impunity: The Impact of the Failure of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to Open an Investigation Into the Possible Commission of Crimes Against Humanity in Venezuela” expands on the report by the 2018 OAS Panel of Independent Experts, which concluded there was a reasonable basis to believe crimes against humanity were being committed in Venezuela.

The new document notes that, since the publication of the 2018 report, the crimes against humanity in Venezuela have increased in scale, scope, and severity as the country faces a humanitarian crisis caused by unprecedented political and economic turmoil along with food and medical shortages. Drawing on the work of the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, NGOs, independent scholars and other credible sources, the new report paints a vivid portrait of a Venezuela wracked by state-sponsored violence and in the throes of a humanitarian disaster.

Among other findings, the report:
:: Identifies 18,093 extrajudicial executions carried out by state security forces or colectivos since 2014.
:: Identifies 15,501 cases of arbitrary detention or other instances of severe deprivation of liberty since 2014.
:: Identifies that tens of millions of people have suffered or been subjected to serious injury due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis created by the regime. This includes reports, such as by the United Nations, which found 7 million people in need and more than 100,000 children under age 5 affected by severe acute malnutrition. One NGO with a strong local presence reported that 52 of 100 children served have nutritional deficits and 24 percent of pregnant women were malnourished. In major cities, shortages of essential drugs have ranged from 60 to 100 percent. And with low vaccination rates and limited drugs, there have been outbreaks of measles and diphtheria and at least 400,000 cases of malaria, the highest in Latin America, with almost 1,000 reportedly dead because of a lack of anti-malaria medication.
:: Identifies 724 instances of enforced disappearance in 2018 and 2019.
:: Identifies 653 documented cases of torture since 2014.
Identifies that rape and sexual violence have been weaponized by the regime, including as a method of torture.
:: Highlights the failure of the Prosecutor of the ICC to conduct her preliminary examination expeditiously and to open an investigation despite overwhelming evidence of crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction.
:: Recommends the Prosecutor proceed as rapidly as possible to open an investigation into the situation in Venezuela and, in the meantime, request immediate, full, and open access to Venezuela, issue a detailed public statement about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela, and highlight the true scope and severity of the situation in Venezuela in her forthcoming “2020 Report on Preliminary Examination Activities.”

The report also presents alleged crimes that were not part of the 2018 report, including intentionally committed “inhumane acts” that have resulted in great suffering or death. These include actions by the Maduro regime that have facilitated and prolonged Venezuela’s worsening humanitarian disaster.

Government institutions, including the security forces and the Judiciary, have been used as weapons against its citizens. For the people of Venezuela, the rule of law domestically no longer exists. For members of the regime, the State empowers them to operate with total impunity. The pursuit of international justice is the only recourse left.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, said “the Venezuelan regime has been allowed to operate with impunity. Every day of inaction from the international community increases the suffering of the Venezuela people. We call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to take action and show the world that crimes against humanity will not go unpunished.”…

Governance – Global Technology

World Economic Forum Announces Global Technology Governance Summit and Flagship Report
News 01 Dec 2020
:: World Economic Forum announces the inaugural Global Technology Governance on 6 7 April 2021. The summit will be held virtually and in Tokyo, Japan.
:: It will convene stakeholders from key industries, government, technology, civil society, and academia to drive cross-sector action on the most pressing technological challenges of our time.
:: The summit will focus on four core areas: industry transformation, government transformation, global technology governance and frontier technologies such as synthetic biology.
:: The Global Technology Governance Report will be a focal point of the summit. The report identifies 33 governance gaps across five technology areas: Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, drones and unmanned air systems, internet of things (IoT), and mobility (including autonomous vehicles).
:: Read the Global Technology Governance Report here.

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Global Technology Governance Report 2021: Harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies in a COVID-19 World
In Collaboration with Deloitte
I N S I G H T R E P O R T D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 :: 67 pages
PDF: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Technology_Governance_2020.pdf

Executive summary – The global technology governance outlook for 2020 and 2021.
This study examines some of the key applications of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for
thriving in a post-pandemic world, as well as the complications of governance that may need to be
addressed for these technologies to realize their maximum potential.6

The report:

Describes governance gaps for each of the technologies. These include issues of privacy, liability, cross-border regulatory discrepancies and the potential for misuse by bad actors – such as the recent surge in ransomware attacks enabled by cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or the risk of abuse osed by technologies like “deepfake” videos.7

How can regulatory agencies ensure the unrestricted flow of data necessary for many new technologies to operate robustly and efficiently while still safeguarding user privacy? Is facial recognition technology enough of a boon to police investigations to offset its potential for error and abuse? How vulnerable are IoT devices such as smart speakers and home cameras to hacks that put consumer data at risk?

Explores governance and oversight needs highlighted by the pandemic that should be addressed. These include balancing the need for human supervision of automated technology with the advantages of touchless operations in a post-COVID-19 world or assuaging consumers’ privacy fears surrounding contact-tracing apps.

Profiles innovative government frameworks that may suit these future economic engines and outlines some emerging post-pandemic approaches. Finland, for example, requires private innovators in the transit sector to make certain data standardized and publicly available, which has enabled cities such as Helsinki to create an application that integrates both private and public modes of transport and enables users to plan and book a multimodal trip from start to finish using one interface.8

Countries such as New Zealand have introduced guidelines that incorporate privacy, human rights and ethical concerns into the design of governmentalgorithms.9 The pandemic has also increased public-private coordination, as in the United Kingdom, which formed a taskforce of pharmaceutical companies,
regulators and academics to facilitate the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines.10

Details many of the regulatory innovations in technology necessitated by the pandemic and explores whether or not they should become permanent. Regulatory agility, for example, has become increasingly important in the COVID-19 era, as governments ease restrictions to accelerate the development of new treatments and technology – such as autonomous delivery drones – to address
the pandemic.11 In other cases, governments have adjusted regulations based on user feedback or
created experimental sandboxes that allow the private sector to test out

Humanitarian Response – Global COVID-19 Plan

UN and partners release record Humanitarian Response Plan as Covid-19 wreaks havoc
:: 235 million people worldwide will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2021 – an increase of 40 per cent in a year.
:: UN-coordinated response plans presented today aim to reach 160 million of those most in need of life-saving support. The estimated cost is $35 billion.
:: Fifty-six countries affected by humanitarian crises and the fallout of the pandemic are included. The :: UN Secretary-General calls on the world to “stand with people in their darkest hour of need”.

(Geneva, 1 December 2020) – The shock of COVID-19 has pushed the number of people who need humanitarian assistance worldwide to a record high – up by 40 per cent compared to the same time last year.

If all those who will need humanitarian aid next year lived in one country, it would be the world’s fifth largest nation, with a population of 235 million.

The UN and its partners aim to help 160 million of the most vulnerable people who face hunger, conflict, displacement, and the impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local and global humanitarian organizations stand ready to save lives and livelihoods and respond to the special needs of women and children as well as people with disabilities and mental health needs. They need solidarity and funding from the rest of the world.

The Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) 2021 sets out 34 response plans covering 56 vulnerable countries. It is presented today in Geneva at an event with opening remarks from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, and the participation of donor representatives and national and international NGOs. Subsequent presentations will take place on the same day in Berlin, Brussels, London and Washington, D.C.

“The humanitarian system again proved its worth in 2020, delivering food, medicines, shelter, education and other essentials to tens of millions of people,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

“But the crisis is far from over. Humanitarian aid budgets face dire shortfalls as the impact of the global pandemic continues to worsen. Together, we must mobilize resources and stand in solidarity with people in their darkest hour of need.”…

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said: “The rich world can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. The same is not true in the poorest countries. The COVID-19 crisis has plunged millions of people into poverty and sent humanitarian needs skyrocketing. Next year we will need $35 billion to stave off famine, fight poverty, and keep children vaccinated and in school.

“A clear choice confronts us. We can let 2021 be the year of the grand reversal – the unravelling of 40 years of progress – or we can work together to make sure we all find a way out of this pandemic.”

International donors gave a record $17 billion in 2020 for collective humanitarian response. Data shows that 70 per cent of the people targeted for aid were reached, an increase compared to 2019. But as needs are rising, funding remains less than half of what the UN and partner organizations asked for. Next year, the estimated cost of response is $35 billion.

Note to Editors
1 . The GHO 2021 includes country-specific plans for Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Mozambique (new), Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, occupied Palestinian territories, Pakistan (new), Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe (new).
2 . The GHO 2021 also has the following regional inter-agency plans: DRC Regional Refugee Response Plan, South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan, Syria Regional Refugee Response Plan (Syria 3RP), Rohingya Joint Response Plan, Venezuela Regional Migrant and Refugee Plan, and the Regional Migrant Plan for the Horn of Africa and Yemen (new). The GHO includes 34 response plans covering 56 countries in total.
3 . Details on all launch events are available on OCHA’s website.

Education – COVID Opportunities

Realizing the Future of Learning: From Learning Poverty to Learning for Everyone, Everywhere – Report
World Bank
Authors: Saavedra Chanduvi, Jaime Aedo Inostroza, Mario Cristian Arias Diaz, Omar S.
December 2020:72 pages
PDF: http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/250981606928190510/pdf/Realizing-the-Future-of-Learning-From-Learning-Poverty-to-Learning-for-Everyone-Everywhere.pdf
Overview
:: Too many education systems are not delivering even basic skills for all children, let alone preparing them for the demanding world they will live in as adults.

:: Urgent action is needed to realize a new vision for education: one in which learning happens for everyone, everywhere.

:: The COVID-19 crisis has further exposed the weaknesses of education systems around the world and underlined the urgency to act. Simulations by the World Bank show that the learning poverty rate might increase by 10 points, from 53% to 63% in low- and middle-income countries.

:: This report describes the World Bank’s vision for the future of learning and a strategic approach that lays out the lines of actions needed for education systems to move forward in accelerating learning improvement.

:: COVID-19 pandemic response has opened a window of opportunity for educational systems to move to a path of accelerated progress. It is now possible to bring forward to today elements that many would have thought are part of the future of learning.

:: A vision of this future should guide today’s investments and policy reforms so that countries can lay the foundations for effective, equitable, and resilient education systems.

:: To guide our policy advisory and operational support to countries, the report discusses policy actions that are needed to accelerate learning and that characterize the way many successful systems operate.

:: These are presented within five interrelated pillars of a well-functioning education system that underpin the World Bank’s strategic education policy approach: learners, teachers, learning resources, schools, and system management.

:: Countries can chart their own path with a political commitment to carry out investments and reforms in five pillars that ensure that:
[1] Learners are prepared and motivated to learn—with a stronger emphasis on whole-child development and support to learning continuity beyond the school.

[2] Teachers are effective and valued—and ready to take on an increasingly complex role of facilitators of learning at and beyond the school with use of education technology.

[3] Learning resources, including curricula, are diverse and high-quality—to support good pedagogical practices and personalized learning.

[4] Schools are safe and inclusive spaces—with a whole-and-beyond-the-school approach to prevent and address violence and leave no child behind.

[5] Education systems are well-managed—with school leaders who spur more effective pedagogy and a competent educational bureaucracy adept at using technology, data, and evidence.

Media Release
Pandemic Threatens to Push 72 Million More Children into Learning Poverty—World Bank outlines a New Vision to ensure that every child learns, everywhere
December 2, 2020

Education

Let’s break silos now! Achieving disability-inclusive education in a post-COVID world
Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion
Report :: November 2020 :: 52 pages
Credits: Humanity & Inclusion editorial committee (in alphabetical order): Aurélie Beaujolais, Blandine Bouniol, Francesca Piatta, Julia McGeown, Sandra Boisseau, Sandrine Bohan Jacquot, and Valentina Pomatto. Production of this report was coordinated by Valentina Pomatto. Proofread by Julia McGeown. Edited by Lucy Hillier.
PDF: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Break_Silos_Now_Inclusive_Education_in_a_post-Covid_world.pdf
[Excerpts]
Disability-inclusive education – an urgent call for renewed action
A world where inclusive education can flourish is also a world that can nurture inclusive societies. Inclusive learning environments consider diversity an asset and, accordingly, they cater for the different needs of all learners, so that they learn, grow and thrive together. Working towards this vision is critical for reducing the vast levels of inequality and discrimination currently faced by millions of persons across the globe. This is especially so for the millions of children with disabilities, many of whom struggle to receive even the most basic of educations.

The exclusion of learners with disabilities from education is due to many reasons, including inaccessible school facilities, a lack of assistive technologies, poor health, prejudice, discrimination and stigma. The interconnected and complex nature of achieving inclusive, quality education for all therefore requires stakeholders to break with siloed approaches and to work collaboratively across economic, social, cultural and protection sectors and domains.

Global progress in building inclusive education systems is now threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely disrupted the educations of most children, and has seen funds diverted away from the education sector. Despite this setback, governments and the global community are now in a unique position to learn from the pandemic and to renew efforts to improve education…

Building multi-sectoral, disability-inclusive education systems: key considerations
Putting children at the centre. The needs and meaningful participation of the child should be the starting point when developing inclusive education approaches.

Twin-track. This two-pronged strategy ensures that the mainstream education systems (and other sectors supporting education) become more inclusive, while children with disabilities are empowered to succeed by being provided with any additional necessary and specific supports related to their individual needs. Twin-track education strategies are designed to leave no child behind while education systems take steps to become fully inclusive.

Collaboration with civil society and non-governmental organisations. Strong collaboration with this sector is crucial. Organisations of persons with disabilities, as well as parents and other stakeholders, have been at the forefront of advocacy for better education. Organisations are also key service providers for persons with disabilities, helping fill the gaps in public service provision.

Enhancing cooperation and coordination between central and local authorities. Many countries have moved to decentralise education decision-making and spending to sub-national levels. Effective, well-coordinated decentralisation strategies have the potential to improve the quality of education services and to use education resources more efficiently.

Connected, interagency service delivery for maximised returns. When services are available as part of a comprehensive and integrated package and can be easily accessed through a single service point, they are more likely to be taken up. This has significant benefit for children with complex needs, including those with disabilities. Services offered in this way are also more cost-effective.

Collecting more, and better, data on disability. Improving data is a priority for effective disability-inclusive education strategies and frameworks. The “Washington Group Short Set of Questions” and the “Child Functioning Module” are robust and valuable tools which should be used to collect disability-disaggregated data.

Exploring strategies to include the youngest children. Truly inclusive education systems also need to include younger children, aged 0-8 years old. Currently, young children with disabilities are often excluded from early childhood development policy and programmes.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

Ending the Covid-19 pandemic: The need for a global approach
Report – Eurasia Group COMMISSIONED BY THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
25 NOVEMBER 2020 Publication date: 3 December 2020 :: 3 pages
PDF: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/act-accelerator/2020-summary-analysis-of-ten-donor-countries-11_26_2020-v2.pdf?sfvrsn=6d6f630c_5&download=true

executive summary
:: Eurasia Group’s analysis suggests that leaving low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) to fend for themselves amid the Covid-19 pandemic will cause significant economic damage that puts decades of economic progress at risk.
:: The Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (Act-A) program is the only “end-to-end,” complete global solution – across tests, treatments, and vaccines – for tackling the pandemic. The world needs strong leadership and international cooperation to make this program a success. The Act-A program needs $38 billion in funding, of which $28.2 billion is still currently outstanding. Without contributions from advanced economies to fill that gap, Act-A will not be able to provide LLMICs with the life-saving tests, treatments, and vaccines they need.

:: Rapid, widespread, and equitable vaccination, tests, and treatments will save countless lives in LLMICs, allowing policymakers’ focus to return to the core development goals of raising living standards, empowering women, and marginalized communities, and strengthening institutions.
:: There is also a clear self-interested case for advanced economies to contribute to Act-A, and in particular, to the Gavi Covax-Advance Market Commitment (AMC), which aims to secure doses of Covid-19 vaccines for 92 LLMICs through the Covax Facility.

:: On the basis of the IMF’s October 2020 World Economic Outlook forecasts, Eurasia Group has estimated selected industry-level impacts for ten donor economies to quantify the economic impact of equitable vaccine distribution to Covax-AMC-eligible LLMICs. The US, the UK, Germany, Japan, and France were chosen based on their track record as the five largest donors in the world; Canada, Qatar, South Korea, Sweden, and the UAE were chosen to provide broader coverage across geographies and donor profiles.

:: This analysis suggests that the economic benefits of an equitable vaccine solution accrued by these ten donor countries alone would be at least $153 billion in 2020-21 (at constant exchange rates). Over the next five years, this sum rises to a cumulative $466 billion, more than 12 times the $38 billion total estimated cost of the Act-A program.

:: Apart from the clear economic benefits, each country involved stands to gain geopolitically—not only by taking a leading role in a coordinated multilateral response to Covid-19, but also by promoting prosperity and stability in the potential growth economies of the future.

3 December 2020 Joint News Release
Global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines estimated to generate economic benefits of at least US$ 153 billion in 2020–21, and US$ 466 billion by 2025, in 10 major economies, according to new report by the Eurasia Group

EMERGENCIES

Coronavirus [COVID-19]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Weekly Epidemiological and Operational updates
Last update: 5 December 2020, 9:02 am GMT-5
Confirmed cases :: 65 257 767 [week ago: 61 299 371] [two weeks ago: 57 274 018]
Confirmed deaths :: 1 513 179 [week ago: 1 439 784] [two weeks ago: 1 368 000]
Countries, areas or territories with cases :: 220

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WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 30 November 2020
:: Last week saw the first decline in newly-reported cases globally since September. This is no time for complacency, especially with the holiday season approaching in many cultures and countries.
:: The COVID-19 pandemic will change the way we celebrate, but it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate. The changes you make will depend on where you live. Always follow your local or national guidelines.
:: Tomorrow is World AIDS Day. New HIV infections have declined by 23% since 2010, and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 39%.
:: A record 26 million people are on antiretroviral treatment – but the pace of increase has slowed, and that leaves 12 million people who are living with HIV but are not on treatment. That gap is jeopardising our goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

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Weekly epidemiological update – 1 December 2020
Overview
Globally in the past week, cases of COVID-19 have remained at approximately 4 million new cases, while new deaths have continued to increase to over 69 000. This brings the cumulative numbers to over 61.8 million reported cases and 1.4 million deaths globally since the start of the pandemic.

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 02 December 2020
:: One of the largest polio immunization campaigns in the African Region this year has just concluded in Chad, where over 3.3 million children in 91 districts were vaccinated. This pushes the total number of children vaccinated against polio to over forty million across 16 countries in the Region, since campaigns resumed following a necessary pause in immunizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summary of new WPV and cVDPV viruses this week (AFP cases and ES postitives):
:: Pakistan: one WPV1 case, 13 WPV1 positive environmental samples and five cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo): five cVDPV2 cases
:: Mali: two cVDPV2 cases

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Editor’s Note:
A number of country pages below did not load at inquiry.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 05 Dec 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique floods – No new digest announcements identified
Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 05 Dec 2020]
Iraq
:: Baghdad, 30 November 2020 – On Sunday, Iraqi health authorities, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF began a mass polio vaccination campaign targeting more than 1.9 million children under the age of 5…

Angola
:: Battling COVID-19 rumours and hoaxes in Angola 03 December 2020

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
Iran floods 2019 – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi Floods – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Mozambique – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 05 Dec 2020]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

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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. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Syrian Arab Republic: COVID-19 Humanitarian Update No. 21 As of 30 November 2020

Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
COVID-19
:: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update (1 December 2020)

East Africa Locust Infestation – No new digest announcements identified

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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 28 November 2020 :: Number 343

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

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

PDF– The Sentinel_ period ending 28 Nov 2020

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

World Has Moral Obligation to Ensure Future Generations Not Burdened by Mountain of Debt on Broken Planet, Secretary-General Tells G20 Summit
22 November 2020 SG/SM/20440
Following are UN Secretary General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered, to the Group of 20 (G20) Riyadh Summit Session II: Building an Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Future, today:

Our greatest defence against COVID 19 is solidarity and cooperation. In this context, G20 leadership is vital in three key areas.

First, halting the further spread of the pandemic. Yesterday, I was encouraged by the broad recognition that vaccines – as well as tests and treatments – must be global public goods, available and affordable for all.

But I want to repeat the call on G20 members to support the ACT Accelerator and its COVAX facility. There is a financial gap of $28 billion and we need $4.2 billion of that immediately for mass manufacturing, procurement and distribution around the world.

Second, mobilizing the resources to build forward better. The initiative I took with the Prime Ministers of Canada and Jamaica on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID 19 and Beyond puts forward an array of concrete policy options. I urge you to consider these in shaping solutions. There will be no different and better future without stronger action now to provide the necessary liquidity and tackle the debt emergency of the most vulnerable.

It means strengthening the firepower of the IMF [International Monetary Forum] and other international financial institutions in support of the developing world, including through a new issuance of special drawing rights and the reallocation of unused SDRs [special drawing rights]. It means broadening the eligibility of the G20 debt initiatives to all vulnerable developing countries, including the middle income ones that need it. It means building a global architecture to enhance debt transparency and sustainability.

Third, aligning recovery efforts with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. To build an inclusive, resilient and sustainable post COVID world, public spending must be linked with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
And we have a moral obligation to ensure that the trillions of dollars for COVID 19 recovery – money that we are borrowing from future generations – does not leave them burdened by a mountain of debt on a broken planet. The recovery must help to reconcile humankind and nature on all fronts – from climate to biodiversity, from protecting the oceans to stopping deforestation and land degradation.

A growing number of countries have pledged carbon neutrality by 2050: good news. By early next year, countries representing more than 65 per cent of global emissions – and more than 70 per cent of the world economy – are very likely to have made ambitious commitments to carbon neutrality. I urge all G20 members to join the global coalition for net zero greenhouse gas emissions – and act now to set a clear direction.

I firmly believe we all must put a price on carbon. End fossil fuel subsidies. Stop construction of new coal power plants. Invest in resilient infrastructure. Shift the tax burden from income to carbon, from taxpayers to polluters. Ensure mandatory financial reporting on exposure to climate risks. Integrate the goal of carbon neutrality into all economic and fiscal policies and decisions. Implement the necessary measures – such as social protection and reskilling – for a just transition towards decent jobs. And meaningful increases to the support to developing countries for resilience and adaptation.

The pandemic has revealed the enormous fragilities of our world; the absence of effective universal health care, shocking inequalities that undermine the social cohesion of our societies, the climate disruption and lawlessness in the cyberspace.

We must be humble. We must recognize these fragilities and make sure our recovery strategies are designed to overcome them. This is critical to achieving a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future, where women and youth are empowered, and all people can enjoy the full respect of their human rights on a healthy planet. We can only get there together, committed to an inclusive multilateralism based on international law and the values of the UN Charter.

Development – Aid Budget Thresholds/Commitments

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office  [nee DFID] [to 28 Nov 2020]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office
Selected Press Releases. Announcements
Changes to the UK’s aid budget in the Spending Review
26 November 2020 — Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UK aid will be overhauled to achieve greater impact.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced, as part of the Spending Review, a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of our national income.

The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced the government to take tough but necessary decisions, including this temporary reduction in the overall amount we spend on aid. We will return to 0.7% when the fiscal situation allows.

The UK government remains a world leading aid donor spending 0.5% of our national income. We will spend more than £10 billion next year to fight poverty, tackle climate change and improve global health.

We will do aid better across government, even if the budget is smaller, to deliver maximum impact for every pound we spend.

We will combine aid with diplomacy, focusing our efforts where the UK can make a world-leading difference ensuring the UK is a force for good across the globe.

In a statement to the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary set out how we will overhaul UK aid to deliver even greater impact by focussing on 7 global challenges where it can make the most difference:

:: climate change and biodiversity: a greener and cleaner path to growth in developing countries

:: COVID and global health security: combat COVID-19 and support healthier and more resilient populations in developing countries

:: girls’ education: a global commitment to get 40 million girls into education and 20 million more girls reading by the age of 10

:: science, research, technology: deliver cutting edge technology and research-led solutions in health, education, resilience, low carbon technologies, agriculture and economic development, conflict and poverty

:: open societies and conflict resolution: strengthen democratic institutions, human rights, free media and effective governance

:: humanitarian preparedness and response: Lead stronger collective international response to crises and famine

:: trade and economic development: build trading and investment partners of the future

We will prioritise what we spend aid on and where we spend it. Spending will also be subject to a new and rigorous performance assessment.

Governance Responsibility – International Humanitarian/Human Rights Law

Humanitarian diplomacy and protection advocacy in an age of caution
ODI Briefing papers | November 2020 | Mark Bowden and Victoria Metcalfe-Hough
Exploring to what extent UN leaders are fulfilling their responsibility to promote greater compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law.
PDF: Humanitarian diplomacy and protection advocacy in an age of caution

Since the United Nations (UN) came into existence 75 years ago, its Charter has tasked it with promoting ‘international peace and security’, including through the ‘pacific settlement of disputes’. Mediation and coordinating diplomatic efforts to secure peace are therefore two of the organisation’s core functions.

UN leaders have a unique role and responsibility to enhance the protection of civilians affected by war and to promote greater compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law. However, there have been increasing concerns that, due to both internal and external factors, UN organisations and leaders have become more cautious in their engagement with conflict parties and third-party states on protection issues.

This briefing note seeks to understand to what extent senior UN leaders are fulfilling their responsibilities in this respect, to explore the extent of and reasons for a more cautious approach and to identify what factors inhibit the effectiveness of their engagement with conflict actors on protection issues.

Key messages
:: United Nations humanitarian and political leaders have a key role in promoting respect for international humanitarian and human rights law by all conflict parties and should be held accountable for delivering on this task.

:: Lack of clarity on the different roles and responsibilities of UN entities and leaders, and a failure to harness the organisation’s multidisciplinary capacities and authority, inhibit more robust engagement by UN leaders with conflict parties and third-party states on their responsibilities to protect civilians.

:: UN leaders that do undertake ‘protection advocacy’ are not given adequate political or technical support – they are challenged by a still-fragmented UN system, competing and incomplete analyses, an overly technocratic approach to protection and little political backing from headquarters.

:: More effective protection advocacy by UN leaders requires a more coherent culture of protection across the organisation, including clarification of roles and responsibilities and strengthened tools and capacities for engaging conflict parties.

:: Ultimately, UN leaders will only be effective in their advocacy with conflict parties if they are supported by member states. Member states have tasked UN leaders to speak up on behalf of victims of armed conflict – they must end this ‘age of caution’ and provide the diplomatic and other support UN leaders need to fulfil this critical task.

Health – “Counter-Terrorism Medicine”

Prehospital & Disaster Medicine
Volume 35 – Issue 6 – December 2020
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/prehospital-and-disaster-medicine/latest-issue
Guest Editorial
Counter-Terrorism Medicine: Creating a Medical Initiative Mandated by Escalating Asymmetric Attacks
Michael Court, Brydie Edwards, Fadi Issa, Amalia Voskanyan, Gregory Ciottone
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 August 2020, pp. 595-598
Abstract
Introduction:
Since 2001, a burgeoning interest by health care professionals in the growing asymmetrical terrorist threat and its impact on health care preparation and response has seen significantly increased academic output around this nebulous subject. Despite this, there has failed to be a consolidation of this sub-specialty.
Discussion:
This editorial argues for the consolidation of the body of experience gathered since 2001 into an initiative called Counter-Terrorism Medicine (CTM). It proposes that previously discrete sub-specialty areas can be consolidated, with improvements in collective understanding, and can build on previous work to provide a non-political health care focused definition of terrorist events, based on the triad of Violence, Intent, and Heath Care Impact. It notes the importance this defining triad has in health care planning and response considerations. Finally, it defines the parameters of CTM within the larger specialty of Disaster Medicine (DM).
Conclusion:
There is a growing body of academic work on the health care implications of terrorism. The time is right to coalesce these into an initiative referred to as CTM and to consider this as a discrete part of DM.

Governance Standards – Guidance on Social Responsibility

10 years of ISO 26000 leading social responsibility
November 2020 marks ten years since the publication of a ground-breaking International Standard for social responsibility.
By Barnaby Lewis on 27 November 2020

The development of ISO 26000 was a standardization project of unusually large scope, representing an ambitious addition to a catalogue of standards addressing environmental management and sustainability. That journey began with ISO 14001, which further broadened the scope of ISO’s work from the industrial, technical and quality standards for which it’s best known. Wide participation was integral to the concept of developing a new International Standard that could be applied to almost every sector imaginable.

The result was a specialized project committee that would draw on the combined knowledge and input of more than 500 global experts. Around 80 countries contributed, together with bodies like the International Organization of Employers and consumer groups. When it was published in November 2010, ISO 26000 set new firsts, both for consensus building in standardization, and a comprehensive set of guidelines that increased engagement and recognition of social responsibility…

To ensure consistency around the time of its launch, ISO entered into special agreements with the ILO, the Global Compact, the GRI and the OECD. As a result, ISO 26000 was probably the most inclusive sustainability standard for the issues it covered.

ISO 26000 gives guidance, not requirements. It can’t be certified to, but companies and other organizations can use it as a framework to query and improve their approach to social responsibility, disclosing data and reporting on how they are using the standard to commit to real change. The subjects at the core of ISO 26000 have influenced the way that companies do business, how they treat their employees and how they assess and limit the impact of their activities. While society has made progress in many areas over the last decade, the guidance of ISO 26000 remains relevant to addressing today’s challenges. With many being forced to reassess the way that they do business in the light of COVID-19, the importance of social responsibility has come to the fore as a component of building a more resilient and more equitable society.

The guidance of ISO 26000 is needed more than ever when it comes to implementing a recognized approach to
:: human rights,
:: labour practices,
:: the environment,
:: fair operating practices,
:: consumer issues, and
:: community involvement and development.

Stewardship – Plastics Pollution

Global Tourism Plastics Initiative Welcomes 26 New Signatories
25 Nov 20 UNWTO
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative has welcomed 26 new signatories, including businesses and organizations from every part of the global tourism value chain. Led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a common goal of addressing the root causes of plastic pollution.

The new signatories include Booking.com, G Adventures, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Inkaterra, TUI Care Foundation, deSter part of gategroup, and International Aviation Waste Management Platform, among others. They feature suppliers of guest amenities, on-the-go packaging and waste-management platforms, as well as accommodation providers (both large groups and SMEs), leading online tourism platforms, tour operators, and associations working at the destination level.

The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative was launched in January 2020 and now counts on 46 signatories, illustrating how reducing plastics pollution in tourism remains a priority despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The diversity of the signatories highlights the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative’s potential to promote systemic solutions that can be implemented locally and scaled up globally.

Tackling plastic pollution remains a priority for sector
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative can lead to the reduction of pollution and waste across all parts of the tourism sector and support a responsible recovery from COVID-19 that leads to more sustainability and resilience

Within the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a circular approach to the management of plastic items and packaging can avoid any increase in the use of single-use plastics for hygiene purposes. It can also relieve pressure on waste management infrastructures and foster a more sustainable supply chain. In this sense, a circular economy for plastics is critical for the tourism sector to preserve and protect destinations and to recover responsibly from the current crisis.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Moving towards the circular economy is a strategic approach for the tourism sector. The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative can lead to the reduction of pollution and waste across all parts of the tourism sector and support a responsible recovery from COVID-19 that leads to more sustainability and resilience.”