With the southernmost country on the continent, now among the top five of the world’s most affected, WHO underscored that it is critical to strengthen its COVID-19 response.
“At this time, when the COVID-19 epidemic in South Africa is spreading rapidly, it is important that we work together to intensify our fight against the virus”, said Owen Kaluwa, WHO Representative for South Africa.
To help manage the coronavirus outbreak, WHO will be deploying 43 experts from various fields, including seasoned infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert, David Heymann, who headed the response to the 2003 epidemic of the closely-related viral respiratory disease, SARS.
WHO will be complementing scaled-up national and provincial responses to minimize the spread and impact of COVID-19.
“Our collective efforts are necessary to identify cases, isolate and provide care, follow up contacts and fully implement physical distancing and other key public health measure”, said the WHO official.
Nuts and bolts
WHO will fund the international surge team and South Africa will provide administrative resources. The team will be jointly led by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, and Executive Director of the agency’s Health Emergencies Programme, Michael Ryan, who will work virtually from Brazzaville, Congo, and Geneva respectively, to support the experts on the ground.
“Dr. Moeti and Dr. Ryan have become familiar and trusted figures in the fight against COVID-19”, said South African Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize. “They have been supporting and complementing our national efforts and we have had very fruitful and honest discussions with them”.
Before their deployments in the provinces of Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal and Mpumalanga, the delegation completed an initial period of quarantine and testing.
“These provinces have been identified as the ones needing the most urgent support where the first team can make the most impact”, according to General Health Director Sandile Buthelezi.
Tasks ahead
The surge team aims to contribute to national efforts, including in surveillance and streamlining of epidemiological systems.
It intends to improve case management by promoting WHO’s global COVID-19 response guidelines and reduce the burden on hospitals by increasing community buy-in to assure greater compliance with public health measures.
‘Key priority’
WHO’s Regional Office for Africa has made supporting South Africa “a key priority”, according said Dr Moeti, who affirmed that working together “will help flatten the curve and save lives”.
“Our solidarity which spans the globe is a model partnership for an effective response”, she concluded. “United we will defeat COVID-19.”
GENEVA (4 August 2020) – A year after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, UN human rights experts* today called on India and the international community to take urgent action to address the alarming human rights situation in the territory.
“Urgent action is needed,” the experts said. “If India will not take any genuine and immediate steps to resolve the situation, meet their obligations to investigate historic and recent cases of human rights violations and prevent future violations, then the international community should step up.”
Since the Indian Parliament revoked the constitutionally mandated status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August 2019, “the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been in free fall,” the experts said. “We are particularly concerned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many protestors are still in detention and Internet restrictions remain in place.”
“We have yet to receive any reply to three of the four letters,” the experts said.
The October 2019 closure of the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission, which had been one of the few ways victims of human rights violations could seek remedy, is particularly concerning. Furthermore, no information was provided to the public about what would happen to the ongoing cases the body had been investigating, including hundreds of suspected enforced disappearances dating from as far back as 1989. Allegations regarding thousands of unmarked and some mass graves sites have also not yet been properly investigated.
“Decades on, families are still waiting in anguish and now there is a stream of new alleged rights violations,” the experts said. “With no State Human Rights Commission and internet restrictions, the avenues for reporting are further reduced.”
In 2011, India extended an open invitation to Special Rapporteurs to visit, but has several requests pending. “We call on India to schedule pending visits as a matter of urgency, particularly of the experts dealing with torture and disappearances,” they said.
John Hume was a Catholic nationalist who stood for Ireland as a unitary state, but he was also a peacemaker and straddled the divide into the mainly Protestant unionist camp at a time when Northern Ireland was in a state of deep conflict in the last century.
His funeral was at St, Eugene’s Cathedral, Londonderry on Aug. 5 after he died two days earlier at the age of 83.
Ireland’s President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin and Northern Ireland’s first and deputy first ministers Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill were among the mourners at the requiem mass.
Due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, Hume’s family had asked mourners to stay at home and light a “candle for peace” at their door in tribute ahead of the funeral which was tailored to the pandemic.
Hume was born in Londonderry in January 1937 at the height of the Depression, the son of an unemployed riveter, Reuters news agency wrote.
‘CAN’T EAT A FLAG’
His father, his hero, urged him to avoid narrow nationalist chauvinism “because you can’t eat a flag”.
“What he was saying is what I am saying today, that real politics are not about flag-waving. They are about providing bread on your table and a roof over your head,” Hume said.
He received plaudits from Catholic, Anglican and Protestant leaders as well as political leaders internationally for his role in the peace process.
“The death of John Hume, one of the greatest peacemakers and champions of social justice of our time, will be felt by many people locally and around the world,” said the Catholic bishop of Derry, Bishop of Derry after his death.
“He dedicated his life to the welfare of this community, at no small cost to himself.
“While he strode the world stage, he remained firmly rooted in his local city. It was the specific circumstances that prevailed here in his native city that helped develop his vision for the future.”
The tributes to Hume, one of the key architects of the Northern Ireland peace process, reflected his international reputation, the BBC reported.
Former US President Bill Clinton remembered his persistence and unshakeable commitment to non-violence, while former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in office when the Good Friday Agreement for peace in Northern Ireland was signed, described him as a political titan.
His role in brokering the 1998 power-sharing arrangement, which brought an end to the region’s sectarian violence involving groups like the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), saw him win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Hume was a co-recipient of the prize with, David Trimble when he was leader of the Ulster Unionist Party a party that stands Northern Ireland being part of the United Kingdom and not in a united Ireland.
The two had brought into the peace process warring sides seen as representing groups backed by minority Catholics and majority Protestants.
“In his campaign for peace, inspired by the example of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he employed a winning combination of public exhortation against the violence of the Irish Republican Army and secret diplomacy with its political leadership, sitting down for talks in his modest rowhouse over coffee. Deftly and persistently he enlisted the White House to help him reach his goal,” Alan Cowell wrote in The New York Times on Aug 3.
PRESBYTERIAN MODERATOR
The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Rev. David Bruce, said, “In pursuing a peaceful and just society, John Hume’s belief that past grievances and injustices could give way to what he called ‘a new generosity of spirit and action’ should not be forgotten.
(Photo: Wikipedia)A mural of John Hume in Derry’s Bogside, alongside fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureates Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa.
“He demonstrated a genuine desire to bring people together for the common good and to build a just and peaceful society. We give thanks for peacemakers, and on this sad day, John Hume in particular.”
The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh, John McDowell, said Hume “will be remembered not only as a significant politician in Ireland but also for his unambiguous dedication to making political change happen by purely peaceful means.”
Painted murals of Hume have long been a feature of the walls of Londonderry – also known as Derry – a city bordering Ireland which witnessed some of the darkest chapters of what is often referred to as “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.
On one, his silhouette ranks besides fellow Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr.
As a boy, Hume attended Saint Columb’s College in Derry before entering the seminary in Maynooth, in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland, where he decided that the priesthood was not for him, RTE, the Irish national broadcaster reported.
He became a teacher and married Patricia in 1960.
A tribute from Pope Francis to Hume was read out at the funeral mass by Bishop McKeown.
“Mindful of the Christian faith that inspired John Hume’s untiring efforts to promote dialogue, reconciliation and peace among the people of Northern Ireland, his Holiness commends his noble soul to the loving mercy of Almighty God,” said Francis
The Irish pop star and celebrity Bono wrote, “We were looking for a giant and found a man whose life made all our lives bigger.”.
Thailand’s overall response, and ability to curb infections, has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify Thailand, alongside New Zealand, as a success story in dealing with the pandemic. Of course, that success entirely depends on continued vigilance, a whole-of-society approach, and ramped up testing to prevent a second wave as borders open and full economic activities are resumed.
The economic impact of the pandemic has been serious, with predictions of an 8.1 per cent contraction of the economy in 2020. According to a recent survey, 65 per cent of people in Thailand report that their incomes are totally or very inadequate under pandemic conditions, with almost the same percentage saying that their finances had been adversely affected.
Vulnerable communities bear the brunt
UNDP Thailand
UNDP Thailand and a local NGO arranged for the delivery face masks to the ethnic community in Phuket province, Thailand.
Having started in my position just one week before the lockdown, my view of Thailand has been very COVID-centric. We have all personally felt the effects of the pandemic in many different ways and a large number of UN staff in Thailand have been apart from their families for months due to travel restrictions – my own family reunification was postponed for the first half of the year, and I hope to see my husband next month for the first time since the outbreak. At the same time, we are profoundly aware that vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of this crisis, making our advocacy and work with partners all the more important.
As the Resident Coordinator, my focus has been on working closely with the UN Country Team to develop the UN’s comprehensive response strategy to the pandemic and positioning it to be cutting edge, forward leaning, and offering thought leadership to sustain development gains and build back better.
Our understanding of the impact of the crisis and its implications on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) continues to unfold as we speak. It is only now that we are more fully understanding the implications of COVID-19 on agriculture and farm households, and the more long-term social impact.
The Royal Thai Government’s contribution to the UN’s COVID-19 Fund speaks to this shared responsibility. Similarly, the role played by the 1 million health volunteers, two-thirds of whom are women, in contact tracing across the country speaks to the whole of society approach.
The government’s stimulus packages have been comprehensive, rapid and well-sequenced, constituting 15 per cent of GDP. Almost half of respondents to a recent survey reported having received government support. Modelling estimates suggest that while government expenditure is emerging as the most effective means to support growth and employment, cash handouts followed by soft loans are the next best measures. In partnership with the National Economic and Social Development Council, the national economic planning agency of Thailand, UN Thailand will monitor the impact of these fiscal stimulus packages targeted at local economies to inform government programming.
The government will also need to closely watch the impact at the household level in the third and fourth quarters, and further refine the mix of stimulus measures with sharper targeting. In terms of vulnerabilities, the impact assessment indicates that youth could potentially lose out the most given rising unemployment and with nearly half a million young people joining the labour force at a time when jobs are difficult to secure. Similarly, women and men are impacted equally, yet differently, which will serve as a drag to the recovery process.
Increased health and social protection
UN Women/Ploy Phutpheng
Scene at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand.
UN Thailand’s strategy focuses on investing in partnerships with a clear-eyed view to build back better, while keeping the SDGs on track. The plan combines the direct health response based on the principle of leaving no one behind while investing in forward-looking policies to protect jobs and economies as well as to strengthen social capital.
Our immediate health response focuses on supporting the Government to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity, as well as to facilitate private and public sector engagement on vaccine research and pilot a “new normal” health service through tele-medicine. It also ensures that vulnerable groups such as migrants and refugees have access to PPE and health services.
In order to leave no one behind, UN Thailand has prioritised social protection, including successfully advocating for augmenting old age, child, and disability grants. In dialogue with the Royal Thai Government, we are supporting real-time monitoring of gender-based violence and violence against children while strengthening prevention and response. The UN is also mapping digital infrastructure to understand geographies and communities that are underserved to bridge the digital divide and support e-learning platforms for schools.
Rebuild a more equitable society
IOM/Benjamin Suomela
Burmese migrant worker in Bangkok
In partnership with local communities, the UN is scaling up sustainable tourism models which protect biodiversity, linking supply chains with markets to strengthen the network of community food management, as well as working with small and medium enterprises to support green technology to jumpstart the local economy, and supporting dialogue with youth across the country to showcase innovations which have created jobs for the marginalised in response to the crisis.
All evidence suggests that the pandemic will impact the SDGs, but it doesn’t have to, as long as there is effective reprioritisation, and public and private investments are strategically maximised. A resilient recovery will demand sustained economic support, long-term thinking, and policies which include a focus on building back better to jumpstart local economies and enable a green recovery.
Polling suggests that more than one-third of people in Thailand have donated cash, food or supplies during the pandemic, with most donations under 5,000 baht (about 160 US dollars). To me, this speaks of the social capital of the country and in many ways the glue that holds society together. There is also anecdotal evidence that in more marginalised regions, such as the northeast and deep south, the scale of donations has been higher.
We have seen in Thailand and around the world that times of crisis bring out the best of people. COVID-19 presents unprecedented challenges, but also opportunities to build back better. UN Thailand remains committed to working collaboratively to recover from the pandemic and to rebuild for a more equitable, just and resilient society.
The appeal, during World Breastfeeding Week, comes as WHO warned that not using mother’s milk is linked to 820,000 child deaths a year, at a cost to the global economy of $300 billion.
“WHO has been very clear in its recommendations to say absolutely breastfeeding should continue,” said Dr. Laurence Grummer-Strawn, head of the World Health Organization’s Food and Nutrition Action in Health Systems unit. “We have never documented, anywhere around the world, any (COVID-19) transmission through breastmilk.”
No substitute
Exclusive breastfeeding for six months has many benefits for the infant and mother which far outweigh any risk from the new coronavirus pandemic, according to WHO.
These advantages include the fact that breastmilk – including milk which is expressed – provides lifesaving antibodies that protect babies against many childhood illnesses.
This is only one of the reasons why new mothers should initiate “skin-to-skin contact” and “room-in” with their babies quickly, as “the risks of transmission of the COVID-19 virus from a COVID-positive mother to her baby seem to be extremely low”, added Dr. Grummer-Strawn.
Having tested the breastmilk of “many” mothers around the world in a variety of studies, the WHO official explained that although a few samples had contained the virus, “when they followed up to see whether the virus was actually viable and could be infective, they could not find any actual infective virus”.
Underscoring the WHO’s longstanding support for using mother’s milk over substitutes, Dr. Grummer-Strawn also warned that the pandemic had weakened essential breastfeeding support usually provided to families with newborns.
COVID ‘undermining essential support’
“The interruption of services has been tremendous around the world providing the kind of support mothers normally would get with breastfeeding,” Dr. Grummer-Strawn told journalists.
“Oftentimes, the health services that would provide maternal child health have been diverted to take care of the COVID response; sometimes families do not feel comfortable in going into the health services, because they’re afraid that they might get COVID and so they don’t come for the routine kinds of support.”
According to the WHO, “about 820,000 children’s lives are lost every year because of a lack of breastfeeding”, Dr. Grummer-Strawn continued, in reference to deaths among under-fives. “Economically, there are losses of about $300 billion a year in economic productivity, lost because of a lack of breastfeeding,” he added.
Numerous good things come from breastfeeding – for the child and their mother in developing and industrialized countries – WHO has long maintained.
It has insisted that “it is not safer to give infant formula milk”, together with UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN).
Benefits for baby and mother
The three organizations have united in their call to Governments to protect and promote women’s access to skilled breastfeeding counselling, for World Breastfeeding Week 2020 (1-7 August).
“Breastfeeding provides benefits during the time of breastfeeding, and those that are most recognised are protection against diarrhoea, which is one of the top causes of mortality in low-income countries, protection against respiratory infections, against obesity – childhood obesity later on – as children get older, protection against leukaemia,” said Dr. Grummer-Strawn.
Breastfeeding also protects the mother against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes later on, the WHO official said, “so there are benefits for both the mother and the baby, and when we added these up it comes out to about 820,000 lives around the world, even in high-income countries”.
In addition to the pandemic, breastfeeding is under pressure from what WHO and UNICEF have described as harmful promotion of breast-milk substitutes.
Countries could do more to protect parents from misleading information, the UN agencies believe. “We continue to be very concerned about the practices of the formula industries, both the big multinational corporations as well as in many countries there are local manufacturers of breastmilk substitutes that are trying to get mothers to get on to their products,” said Dr. Grummer-Strawn. “They use a number of tricks, sometimes it’s not as blatant advertising as it once was, because they know that they can get caught.”
According to WHO, of 194 countries analysed, 136 have legal measures related to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly (known as the Code).
Tricks of the trade
However, only 79 countries prohibit the promotion of breast-milk substitutes in health facilities, and only 51 have provisions that prohibit the distribution of free or low-cost supplies within the health care system, WHO said in a report published in May.
Only 19 countries have prohibited the sponsorship of scientific and health professional association meetings by manufacturers of breast-milk substitutes, which include infant formula, follow-up formula, and growing up milks marketed for use by infants and children up to 36-months old, the UN health agency study found.
WHO and UNICEF recommend that babies be fed nothing but breast milk for their first six months, after which they should continue breastfeeding – as well as eating other nutritious and safe foods – until at least two years old.
“The aggressive marketing of breast-milk substitutes, especially through health professionals that parents trust for nutrition and health advice, is a major barrier to improving newborn and child health worldwide,” said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety. “Health care systems must act to boost parent’s confidence in breastfeeding without industry influence so that children don’t miss out on its lifesaving benefits.”
UN, humanitarian partners launch largest COVID-19 response plan to aid 5.4M poorest Filipinos
The UN and humanitarian partners in the Philippines launched today the largest international humanitarian response plan in the country since Typhoon Haiyan.https://t.co/7JCvER5E5epic.twitter.com/3Lh0d41stz
According to the UN, the Humanitarian Country Team, the COVID-19 Response Plan aims to provide “critical health interventions and multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance” to those in epidemic hotspots and will be the largest response since 2013, when Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda ravaged the country and claimed some 7,800 lives.
“The pandemic is challenging the capacity of response of any single country in the world”, said Gustavo Gonzalez, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines.
“Our role is to make best use of our global knowledge and resources to join Government’s efforts to contribute to the safety and well-being of the Filipino people”, he added.
Building resiliency
Some 50 UN and local and international non-Government partners are involved in the programme. And with a price tag of about P6 billion – $122 million – 23 per cent of the response plan has already been mobilized, the UN said.
The plan is being kicked off as the epicenter of Manila and surrounding provinces have returned to lockdown after eased quarantine measures saw a surge in cases.
Millions remain out of jobs, while the already crippled economy face bleak forecasts, according to news reports.
The response plan to COVID-19 concentrates on supporting the Government in addressing its immediate challenges, including health, food security, water and sanitation.
And while it spans until the end of the year, the plan will be updated according to needs as they arise throughout the deadly pandemic.
The response plan is also a steppingstone to the UN’s mid- and long-term support to COVID-19 recovery, which will be developed in the upcoming UN Socioeconomic and Peacebuilding Framework.
“As we work together to support Government efforts to contain the virus against the demand to restore the economy, the UN and humanitarian partners will continue to seize opportunities to build greater resiliency, equity and inclusivity, in short, to build forward better,” Mr. Gonzalez explained.
India treats Confucius Institutes and higher education cooperation in fair manner’: China
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By —- Shyamal Sinha
China on Tuesday said it hopes India maintains healthy and stable development of people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges between two countries.
Confucius Institutes are public educational partnerships between colleges and universities in China with those in other countries and deals in Chinese language teaching. “Over the years, Confucius Institutes have played an important role in promoting Chinese language teaching in India and China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges. This has been generally recognised by the Indian education community,” read the statement.
The Embassy of China in a statement said Beijing hopes New Delhi will treat “Confucius Institutes and higher education cooperation in a fair and objective manner”.
The statement comes as the government of India is reported to review Chinese language programmes across universities.
“Indian relevant parties can treat Confucius Institutes and China-India higher education cooperation in an objective and fair manner, avoid politicising normal cooperation and maintain healthy and stable development of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges,” it said.
It said that the Confucius Institutes have played an important role in promoting Chinese language teaching in India and China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Confucius Institutes are public educational partnerships between colleges and universities in China with those in other countries and deals in Chinese language teaching.
The Embassy statement further added that the demand for Chinese language teaching is expanding in India.
“China-India cooperation on Confucius Institute Project has been carried out for more than 10 years,” it stated.
The National Education Policy (NEP) has not mentioned Mandarin – group of Sinitic Chinese languages from the list of the examples of foreign languages.
All Confucius Institutes were established by the Chinese and Indian universities after signing a legally binding cooperation agreement in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, friendly consultation, equality and mutual benefit and on the premise that the Indian side applied voluntarily and met the conditions for running the Institute. China-India cooperation on Confucius Institute Project has been carried out for more than 10 years,” it stated. Yesterday it was reported that the Ministry of Education will review the setting up of local chapters of the Confucius Institutes in association with seven local colleges and universities in the country.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and Special Adviser (SA) and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da’esh/ISIL in Iraq, Karim A. A. Khan Q.C., commended religious leaders for endorsing an Interfaith Statement on the Victims of ISIL.
The Statement followed extensive engagement with religious authorities by UNITAD which continued during USG Dieng’s visit to Iraq between 1–6 March. The statement is the first time Iraqi religious leaders have formally endorsed a common statement on the need for justice and the rights of victims and survivors of ISIL. USG Dieng and SA Khan applauded its adoption by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Hassan al-Taha Chairman of the Iraq Jurisprudence Council, His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbala’i, His Holiness Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail Yazidi Supreme Spiritual Leader, and His Beatitude Louis Raphaël I Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and Head of the Chaldean Catholic Church.
In the Statement, religious leaders repudiate and condemn the violence of ISIL as completely contrary to their respective faiths. It also underscores that members of all religions across Iraq have been impacted by the crimes of Da’esh, and that all survivors must be supported in their efforts to continue their lives within their communities. The Statement also recognizes the many acts of heroism in which members of their respective communities rose up in defense of those from other religious and ethnic backgrounds.
USG Dieng and SA Khan were particularly pleased that the religious leaders spoke with one voice in acknowledging the tremendous suffering members of their communities had endured as a result of sexual and gender-based violence and in underlining their commitment to ensure that survivors of such crimes are fully supported and do not suffer from any form of stigmatization. Noting the particular suffering endured by children impacted by the crimes of ISIL, the religious leaders recognized that such children are blameless and should benefit from love and kindness.
The critical importance of ensuring that ISIL members are held individually responsible for crimes committed, through fair trials in a court of law, as well as the investigation of cases of those disappeared and abducted by ISIL, is further underlined in the Statement. In this regard, all religious authorities expressed their strong collective support for the work of UNITAD.
USG Dieng and SA Khan emphasized that the collective endorsement of this statement reflected the religious leaders’ joint effort in advancing accountability for crimes committed by ISIL and prioritizing the need for justice and accountability – as well as empathy and solidarity for all victims. They stressed the crucial role religious leaders can play in fostering a peaceful and inclusive society and noted their essential role in ensuring effective support to the survivors of ISIL, countering violent ideology, mistrust and fear, and in bringing people together on the common ground of humanity.
SA Khan stated “This Statement constitutes an extremely important moment, representing as it does, a coming together of leaders from the Christian, Sunni, Shia and Yazidi communities, around universal values represented and promoted by their respective faiths. Justice for the victims of ISIL, support for survivors and an emphasis on inclusion and support in preference to exclusion, stigmatization and derision are important elements to ensure support for survivors – whether men, women or children. I am particularly grateful to the religious leaders for reiterating their unequivocal support for UNITAD and its mandate to vindicate the rights of victims and survivors to justice.”
USG Dieng stated “This Interfaith Statement constitutes a strong symbol of unity and a renewed call to deepen efforts to address concerns from all citizens of Iraq in their quest for a future together and in peace. It also represents a strong endorsement from these religious communities of the imperative to hold ISIL members responsible for their crimes”.
Reflecting his engagement with religious authorities across Iraq during the visit, as well as the statement made by Sheikh Ahmed Hasan al-Taha upon signature, USG Dieng further noted that efforts were also needed to ensure that accountability is delivered for all crimes committed against members of all communities in Iraq. He noted that such work would serve to strengthen the basis for stable and peaceful relations across Iraq, and that in his capacity as Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, he will continue to engage with national governments, UN partners and other actors to promote justice for all victims as well as recognition of their suffering.
Upon endorsing the Statement during a meeting with USG Dieng and SA Khan on 6 March, His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbala’i described the meeting as “an historic day” and he called upon other religious communities to also endorse the Statement. In the same vein, Cardinal Sako proposed a follow-up conference to broaden the endorsement for the Statement by other religious communities and build upon it.
USG Dieng and SA Khan noted that the adoption of the Statement represented the beginning of a process of further engagement with other religious leaders in Iraq and both emphasized that the statement remains open for signature and that any and all faith leaders who wish to sign or endorse the Statement and implement the principles reflected within it are welcome to do so.
Religious leaders from communities across Iraq called for greater “healing and reconciliation” during a UN-organized event on Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to support survivors of crimes perpetrated by ISIL terrorist fighters.
Key signatories of a landmark Interfaith Statement on the Victims and Survivors of ISIL – representing Islam, the Christian church and other faiths – joined the discussion online, held under the auspices of the UN Special Adviser who also heads up the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh / ISIL (UNITAD) and co-hosted by the international coalition, Religions for Peace, which consists of 90 national and six regional Interreligious Councils.
The event was made possible by the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, headed up by Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser, Adama Dieng.
Mr Dieng said it was and honour to be accompanied by religious representatives “whose tireless work, days after day, is making a difference in the lives of all Iraqis. Their leading efforts for justice, peace and reconciliation constitutes an example for all society to follow.”
Many still vulnerable: Dieng
He noted that many of the challenges for peace in Iraq did not start with the emergence of ISIL nor have they ended with its military defeat: “Many communities still feel vulnerable and consider that not enough is being done to protect not only their linguistic, religious or cultural heritage, but their very physical integrity. Addressing long-term grievances is one the most effective ways of prioritizing prevention of human rights violations, including atrocity crimes.”
He noted that Iraqi society has experienced “the tremendous cost of not addressing long-term grievances. It must therefore work to build and strengthen an inclusive society, where diversity is not perceived as a flaw but as an asset.
The prevention of genocide chief said he was convinced that Thursday’s Interfaith Statement on Victims and Survivors of ISIL constitutes “an essential step in this direction, in line with the Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes. I am proud to support it and commit my Office’s assistance in ensuring its full implementation.”
The participants condemned ISIL’s ideologically-driven acts of terror as being “contrary to the core principles of our religious faiths as well as the fundamental values of humanity”.
“What can religion be if not for peace?”, UNITAD Head, Karim Asad Ahmad Khan QC said to the meeting.
Attacks ‘far from over’
The UNITAD chief, expressed gratitude to Iraq religious leaders for their courage “in these difficult times” as they together support survivors and victims of ISIL.
Stressing that as ISIL attacks are “far from over” across the world, he exhorted representatives of all religions to denounce the group’s ideology as alien to religious values and those of all humanity.
According to Mr. Khan, the only way to respond to groups like ISIL, is for religious leaders to support each other and each other’s communities.
“Whenever people seek to weigh the worth of humans by their own belief, there should be alarm”, flagged the Special Advisor, adding that everyone must “start to implement a zero tolerance to intolerance.”
No religion spared
All religions across Iraq have been impacted by ISIL atrocities, the signatories said, as they underlined the importance of supporting survivors within their own communities.
“In showing ISIL crimes are divorced from the values of all faiths, Iraqi religious leaders have exposed crimes of ISIL”, upheld the UNITAD chief.
At the same time, the participants also noted that their brutality had prompted “acts of heroism” in which religious communities rose up in defence of those from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.
The most vulnerable
In recognizing the “tremendous suffering” endured by victims of sexual and gender-based violence, the signatories underscored their commitment to ensuring that those individuals are “fully supported” and do not suffer from stigmatization.
And for the “innocent children of God” impacted by ISIL, they stressed that “whatever pain these children have suffered, they are blameless” and called on the terrorists to return every child they have abducted to their rightful families.
Delivering justice
Justice will only be delivered for ISIL victims by ensuring that those who fought in its name, are held responsible for their actions, and that people forced to flee the violence, can return home safely.
To this end, they underscored their “strong collective support” for UNITAD’s work while stressed the importance of exposing ISIL’s offenses in a court of law.
“Investigating the cases of disappeared persons and those abducted” not only delivers justice for victims but also promotes “understanding of the severity and scale” of the violence and prevents “future revisionism”, maintained the signatories.
In closing, they highlighted their “common commitment” and “collective stamina” to promote “justice, tolerance, reconciliation and forgiveness” as the most effective way to combat ISIL’s crimes in Iraq.
This also serves as “a key step in preventing the re-emergence” of any similar terrorist ideology or groups, said the religious leaders.
Describing education as “the key to personal development and the future of societies”, António Guterres issued recommendations to get children back in the classroom in a policy brief launched alongside a new global campaign called Save our Future.
“As the world faces unsustainable levels of inequality, we need education – the great equalizer – more than ever,” he said in a video message.
“We must take bold steps now, to create inclusive, resilient, quality education systems fit for the future.”
COVID-19 and the classroom
The UN estimates that the pandemic has affected more than one billion students worldwide.
Despite efforts to continue learning during the crisis, including through delivering lessons by radio, television and online, many are still not being reached.
The UN chief said learners with disabilities, members of minority or disadvantaged communities, as well as refugees and displaced persons, are among those at highest risk of being left behind.
Even those students who can access distance learning face challenges, as success depends on their living conditions, and other factors such as fair distribution of domestic duties.
Looming potential catastrophe
A learning crisis existed even before the pandemic, the Secretary-General said, as more than 250 million children were out of school.
Furthermore, only a quarter of secondary school children in developing countries were leaving school with basic skills.
“Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities,” said Mr. Guterres. “The knock-on effects on child nutrition, child marriage and gender equality, among others, are deeply concerning.”
Children work from home in Guatemala following guidelines received from the Ministry of Education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back to school
The policy brief calls for action in four key areas, starting with the re-opening of schools once local transmission of COVID-19 is under control.
The UN chief also called for greater investment in education, as low- and middle-income countries had already faced an annual funding gap of $1.5 trillion prior to the pandemic.
“Education budgets need to be protected and increased,” he said.
“And it is critical that education is at the heart of international solidarity efforts, from debt management and stimulus packages to global humanitarian appeals and official development assistance.”
Education initiatives must also seek to reach those at greatest risk of being left behind, he continued. They also should be sensitive to the specific challenges faced by girls and boys, and women and men, while also addressing the digital divide.
Quality education for all
For his final recommendation, the UN chief highlighted what he sees as the “generational opportunity” to deliver quality education for all children, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 17 goals, which world leaders adopted five years ago, provide a pathway to a more sustainable future that benefits both people and the planet.
“To achieve this, we need investment in digital literacy and infrastructure, an evolution towards learning how to learn, a rejuvenation of life-long learning and strengthened links between formal and non-formal education,” said Mr. Guterres.
“And we need to draw on flexible delivery methods, digital technologies and modernized curricula while ensuring sustained support for teachers and communities.”
INDORE, India — Of the hundreds of millions of people employed in the informal economy in Indian cities, tens of millions have returned to their rural homes because of the pandemic. This mass exodus has awakened public consciousness to the precarious condition of people working in this sector, many of whom live in informal urban settlements without social protections.
The Baha’i Chair for Studies in Development at Devi Ahilya University, Indore, sees this period as especially important in promoting long-term approaches to development thinking. The Chair has been bringing together economists and academics in a series of online gatherings titled “Making Cities Belong to those Who Build Them” to examine the effects of the pandemic on marginalized people.
Arash Fazli, Assistant Professor and Head of the Baha’i Chair, explains how a new conception of human nature—one that sees the nobility of every human being and protects each one against prejudice and paternalism—is essential to any discussion on development.
“People living in urban poverty, particularly those who have migrated from rural areas, are predominantly spoken of as a pitiful group who suffer oppression and have all kinds of needs, or who are at most a source of labor. Yet to define people by the circumstances of their oppression is to deny them their full humanity.
“Advancing toward a more sustainable, prosperous, and peaceful future for our cities first requires a recognition of the nobility of each human being. Those who live in informal settlements lead meaningful and productive lives through creativity and ingenuity, strong social bonds, and spiritual convictions that give them joy, hope, and resilience in the face of dire circumstances.”
The Baha’i Chair was established nearly 30 years ago to promote interdisciplinary research and scholarship in the field of development from a perspective that regards human prosperity as an outcome of both material and spiritual progress.
At the most recent gathering held by the Chair, participants explored how urban development can become more inclusive of marginalized people.
Partha Mukhopadhyay of the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi, spoke about the different reasons given by migrants for returning to their home villages. “They have come to the city to support their families, and during difficult times they feel responsible to take care of those who remain in the village. At the same time, they don’t have faith that they will be taken care of in the city should something happen to them. … At these two levels, you realize that [migrants] still don’t belong to the city even if they have spent their entire working lives there.”
Discussions also highlighted the need for structures that allow marginalized populations to advocate for themselves. Siddharth Agarwal, of the Urban Research Centre, New Delhi, spoke about several strategies of social solidarity that have emerged in his organization’s experience, including the formation of women’s groups that are able to assess their communities’ needs and seek for their rights to be upheld through a process of “gentle but persevering negotiation” with authorities.
Vandana Swami, a professor at Azim Premji University, Bangalore, observed that “cities have never been built for the poor,” and that urban areas attempt to keep the existence of people living in poverty out of view.
In reflecting on the seminar, Dr. Fazli explains how ideas inspired by the Baha’i teachings can shed light on questions concerning development. “The long term purpose of these conversations is to provide new language and concepts which can allow new ways of thinking about urban development and effecting policy.
“Common ways of looking at this subject are from the perspective of access to material resources. While it is true that those living in poverty lack material means, they lead lives of meaning and purpose. When we recognize that social progress has a material and a spiritual dimension, we begin to see all the inhabitants of the city as potential contributors to the material and spiritual prosperity of the whole.
“Poverty is a great injustice that must be systematically addressed. But experience has shown that even well-meaning development interventions create dependence, exploitation and resentment when they are based on paternalistic assumptions about people living in poverty. Ultimately development will only bear enduring fruits when people become protagonists in their own development and are assisted to work with others in society to achieve common goals for collective social progress. Seeing the potential in everyone to contribute to this process, requires going beyond materialistic frameworks of thought and seeing the moral and spiritual capacities of people.”
Covid-19 impact and response measuresThe COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our world and our way of living with dire loses and substantial consequences on every aspect of our daily existence. The Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and the EU Budget (COTER) at the European Committee of the Regions will prepare regular bulletins on the policy fields within its remits reflecting recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different actions and response measures planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level.
Tips and contributions to: coter@cor.europa.eu.
“In the coming days and weeks, children and families will be at risk of being hit simultaneously by two disasters, COVID-19 and hurricanes,” cautioned Bernt Aasen, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
In the coming days and weeks, children and families will be at risk of being hit simultaneously by two disasters, #COVID19 and a stronger hurricane season.
Displacement and service interruption caused by storms could leave children and families more vulnerable to virus.
While acknowledging that displacement, infrastructure damage and service interruptions caused by storms – particularly in coastal areas – could render individuals more vulnerable to the disease and its impacts, the UN children’s agency expressed special concern that a powerful storm could severely undermine ongoing efforts to stem COVID-19.
The coronavirus could spread easily in crowded emergency shelters or displacement sites where physical distancing would be difficult to ensure, according to UNICEF.
At the same time, existing control measures like handwashing could falter if water, sanitation and health infrastructure were to be damaged or destroyed.
“This is the perfect storm we fear for the Caribbean and Central America,” said the UNICEF official.
Hampered efforts
In addition to straining national and local health systems in the region, the pandemic is also raising serious questions about the aftermath of a catastrophic hurricane, including movement restrictions and budget shortfalls, which may hinder national hurricane preparedness efforts.
“As we continue to take precautions to keep families safe from COVID-19, efforts to prepare for hurricane now are vital to mitigate the spread of virus among the most vulnerable communities”, Mr. Aasen explained.
Danger on the horizon
As UNICEF reported in a recent Child Alert, over the coming years the Caribbean region is expected to experience intensified storms and subsequent population displacements.
In late May, tropical storm Amanda caused flooding and landslides in parts of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. At least 33 people were killed in the region and thousands were displaced. All three countries have confirmed cases of COVID-19.
And in the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, storms caused 895,000 new displacements of children in the Caribbean and 297,000 in Central America, according to the UN children’s agency.
Stepping up
Across the region, UNICEF is working to support hurricane preparedness efforts and public health responses to COVID-19 through education, community outreach and technical support.
In collaboration with Governments and other partners, the agency is working to build disaster resilience among communities in the region, including by adjusting hurricane preparedness and response plans to reflect COVID-19 risks with a focus on vulnerable groups, like children, pregnant women and single-headed female families.
Moreover, UNICEF is also working to improve coordination mechanisms and tools for timely needs assessments and response based on evidence and with Governments on climate change adaptation policies to ensure that they are child sensitive and informed by the long-term perspectives of youth and adolescents.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Committee on COVID-19 met Friday to review the current coronavirus pandemic at what chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called “a sobering moment”.
At a regular press briefing on Monday in Geneva, he recalled that when the Committee met three months ago, WHO had received reports of three million COVID-19 cases and more than 200,000 deaths.
“Since then”, he updated, “the number of cases has increased more than five-fold to 17.5 million, and the number of deaths has more than tripled, to 680,000”.
Rippling effects
In addition to the direct toll of the virus, the Committee noted the impact disrupted services is having on a range of other diseases, which are compounding reduced immunization coverage, cancer screening and care, and mental health services.
And on top of the health impact, COVID-19 is causing social, economic and political damage, according to the WHO official.
Mitigation measures
The Committee suggested a range of proposals for countries to bring the virus under control, including enhanced political commitment and leadership for national strategies and localized response activities driven by science, data, and experience.
They also acknowledged that Member States have “tough choices” to make to turn the epidemic around.
While recognizing that “it’s not easy”, the WHO chief maintained that “when leaders step up and work intensely with their populations”, the disease can be “brought under control”.
“It’s never too late to turn this pandemic around”, Mr. Tedros upheld, adding that “if we act together today”, we can save lives and livelihoods.
Recommendations
The Committee recommended that countries engage in the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, participate in relevant clinical trials, and prepare for safe and effective therapeutics and vaccine introduction, the WHO Director-General told reporters.
He also informed them that some vaccines are currently in phase three clinical trials, sharing his hope of having “a number of effective vaccines”.
“For now”, Mr. Tedros explained, “stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control”, including testing, isolating and treating patients, along with tracing and quarantining their contacts.
Meanwhile, individuals must keep physical distance, wearing a mask, clean their hands regularly and cough safely away from others.
It’s never too late to turn this pandemic around — WHO chief
“The message to people and Governments is clear: do it all”, he stated, “and when it’s under control, keep going!”
Masking up
This week, WHO is also launching a so-called “mask challenge”, by encouraging people to send in photos of themselves wearing a protective mask.
In addition to being a key tool to stop the virus, masks have come to represent solidarity.
“If you’re a health worker, a frontline worker, wherever you are – show us your solidarity in following national guidelines and safely wearing a mask – whether caring for patients or loved ones, riding on public transport to work, or picking up essential supplies” Mr. Tedros urged.
He reiterated WHO’s recommendation that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged, the same as all other mothers, to initiate or continue to breastfeed, saying that the “many, many benefits of breastfeeding for newborn babies and children substantially outweigh the potential risks for COVID-19 infection”.
As set out in the Council conclusions of 24 July, the EU is following closely the political situation in Hong Kong and reiterates that it is essential that the Legislative Council elections take place in an environment which is conducive to the exercise of democratic rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
The proposed postponement by one year of the elections to the Legislative Council through recourse to emergency powers, would delay the renewal of its democratic mandate and call into question the exercise of the democratic rights and freedoms guaranteed under Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
The recent disqualification of pro-democracy candidates, including sitting lawmakers previously democratically elected by the people of Hong Kong, also weakens Hong Kong’s international reputation as a free and open society. The protection of civil and political rights in Hong Kong is a fundamental part of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, which the EU supports.
The EU calls on the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider these decisions.
Law on sects. The Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies is responding to the bill
21 July, 16:59
The NGO «Ukrainian Association of Researchers of Religion» in view of the attempt by officials to develop a discriminatory law against religious diversity and freedom wrote a letter to mobilize the government, politicians, and civil society of Ukraine and Europe to stop this law being worked on and approved.
Find below translation of the letter.
Letter of Appeal
The information space of Ukraine was lately disturbed by the news regarding the fact the Verkhovna Rada (Parlament) Committee on issues of social policy and protection of veterans’ rights develops a bill on destructive religious organizations’ activities. That was declared by Galina Tretyakova, the Chairman of the committee, as reported by Public TV, i.e. This news was also spread by other media.
Such declarations of government officials are a cause for experts on religions concern. Representatives of minority religions react particularly distinctly to this, being for a reason concerned with criterion approaches to the definition of “dangerous cults \ sects” and the negative public response, suspicious or opposed attitude, etc. that will be seeded in the public sphere because of the negative connotations of the term “totalitarian sect”. For decades, Ukrainian scholars on religions have performed significant efforts to exclude this term from the public sphere, since its recognition is incorrect within the secular multi-confessional state, and, practically, equals a manifestation of “hate speech” and a motive for discord on a confessional basis. We definitely would like to recall, such “initiatives” have already emerged in the history of independent Ukraine. Moreover, every time such “initiatives” were subdued, since the laws directed to restrict the rights and freedoms of citizens, always lead to the totalitarianization of the country, waiver democratic processes, as well as an introduction to the European world of civilization.
The temptation to control the spiritual world of citizens, and centrally determine in what and how one has to believe, and then establish in an authoritarian way, which faith is correct, and which one is “Dangerous” or “Harmful”, is inherent in post-totalitarian societies. Such approaches, which establish a mono-ideological dictate, mark any worldview alternative to the dominant ideology as harmful and destructive. Ones seek to restrict particular options of democratic procedures and the legal system that breathe weakly, as well as if the authorities are inexperienced in guaranteeing freedoms and human rights.
Analogous reproduction of the terminology of the proposed bill rooting to the Russian discourse is surprising, furthermore, it may be recognized as a conscious or unconscious imitation of the practices of the aggressor country, that has occupied the Crimea and parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The aforementioned territories occupied by Russian troops and mercenaries are being introduced with shameful practices of repression against dissidents, in particular following the guise of religious or denominational belonging to the «wrong» ones.
Unquestionably, society requires set safeguards against the abuse of mercantile or arbitrary persons, who seek private profit or pleasure of the sick ambitions satisfaction, subordinating the will and property of others. However, such fuses should be created regarding the notion of ‘damage’, furthermore, considered as a cause of potential criminal or administrative liability of individuals or groups of individuals, who committed a crime (fraud, seizure of another’s property, illegal deprivation of liberty, slave labor, crimes committed against the person, including minority representatives, etc.) or offence. It should be taken for granted there is a Criminal Code of Ukraine, as well as a list of laws of Ukraine, intended to regulate the criminal proceedings order, regardless of their nature. Thus, the brand “totalitarian sect” is a pretext for inciting interfaith hatred in Ukraine as in a secular state and a multi-religious society, the motivation for information harassment, etc. Similar rhetoric in the legislature initiatives shall lead to a real confrontation in interfaith relations, to the provocation of exclusivist and antisocial sentiments among the representatives of denominations minority.
Proposals and calls presented by some “intellectuals” for a “healthy religious climate” as one from the arguments for the adoption of such prohibitive laws indicate a disposition to doubt the expediency of the very fact of lasting for 30 years religious freedom in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, we believe the common sense will encourage government officials to realize, the secular state holds no legal grounds to determine “correctness” or “wrongness” of confessional doctrine, as well as to determine, which religious organization is a “sect” (branch). One concept is still quite justifiably applied in Ukrainian legislation, i.e., the religious organization, the concept, completely embracing the diversity of religious structures.
Therefore, we are to inform the forthcoming bill on “totalitarian sects” is dangerous in its consequences as it provokes mistrust and religious/confessional hatred in multi-religious community, thus initiating the “search for witches/enemies” in the field, where it is better recommended to preserve mutual respect and mutual understanding. The aforementioned threatens to violate the relatively moderate religious situation in Ukraine. Similar legislative initiatives, instead of approval ideas of interfaith solidarity, and the dialogue amid religions, are compelling enough to rush Ukraine into the abyss chaos.
President of the NGO «Ukrainian Association of Researchers of Religion» Doctor of Philosophy Honored Scientist of Ukraine
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today mourns the death of Tahir Ahmad Naseem, a U.S. citizen who was shot in a courtroom in Peshawar, Pakistan on July 29, 2020. The assailant claimed to have shot Naseem because he had belonged to the Ahmadiyya faith.
“Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are indefensible to begin with but it is outrageous beyond belief that the Pakistani government was incapable of keeping an individual from being murdered within a court of law for his faith, and a U.S. citizen, nonetheless,” USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore stated. “Pakistan must protect religious minorities, including individuals accused of blasphemy, in order to prevent such unimaginable tragedies. The authorities must take immediate action to bring Mr. Nassem’s killer to justice.”
Tahir Ahmad Naseem was arrested two years ago and charged with blasphemy under the Pakistan Penal Code. Blasphemy cases in Pakistan are extremely controversial and have led to riots and vigilante justice. As highlighted in a USCIRF policy update about Pakistan’s blasphemy law, USCIRF is aware of nearly 80 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, half of whom face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
“As USCIRF has noted countless times, Pakistan’s blasphemy law inflames interreligious tensions and too often leads to violence,” noted USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava. “We urge the State Department to enter into a binding agreement with the Pakistani government that includes the repeal of blasphemy provisions in the Pakistan Penal Code.”
In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended the State Department redesignate Pakistan as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, in part because of the “systematic enforcement of blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws,” which often target religious minority communities. In a recent policy update, USCIRF provided an overview of key issues that should be included in any binding agreement between the governments of the United States and Pakistan.
The European Union welcomes the release of members of the Baha’i community by the movement Ansar Allah after their prolonged detention. One of those detained had been imprisoned since 2013 and was sentenced to death. The EU and its Member States have consistently advocated for the immediate release of all detained individuals.
The spread of coronavirus in Yemen and appalling conditions in detention facilities throughout the country made their release even more urgent. This gesture is a step in the right direction, contributing to building confidence and bringing the resumption of the peace process in Yemen closer. We commend the efforts of the UN, notably the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, in securing the release of the members of the Baha’i community, as well as the generous facilitation of the Ethiopian government.
Nobody should be persecuted on the basis of their belief or political affiliations. The EU recalls that freedom of thought, conscience and religion, are fundamental rights which must be guaranteed under all circumstances according to article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Yemen has signed up to and ratified.
The EU calls on all parties to replicate such gestures throughout the whole country and put an end to the conflict by engaging with the efforts of the UN Special Envoy.
Team Europe: The EIB`s lends EUR 10 million to Credo Bank under its Georgia Outreach Initiative to support MSMEs
The EIB will lend EUR 10 million in synthetic local currency to Credo Bank, the leading actor on microfinance market in Georgia predominantly servicing enterprises in rural areas and agricultural sector;
This is the second loan under the EIBs Georgia Outreach Initiative launched to improve access to finance for the countrys MSMEs.
Loans will be available under flexible terms to help maintain liquidity of MSMEs to continue operating and preserve jobs;
The loan comes as a part of the immediate response to Covid-19 pandemic launched by the EU and its Team Europe and is facilitated by an EU grant.
The European Investment Bank will lend EUR 10 million to Credo Bank, the leading actor on microfinance market in Georgia, and provide more affordable loans to countrys micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), predominantly from the agriculture sector. This is the second loan granted under the EIBs Georgia Outreach Initiative. Launched in December 2019 the Initiative improves financial inclusion and access to finance for underserved MSMEs in Georgia by supporting smaller banks in the country to improve their service offers.
The loan from the EU bank will be available to MSMEs in synthetic local currency to shield them from risks related to the depreciation of the currency. A grant from the European Union will complement the EIB loan to promote the local currency financing and cover part of the foreign exchange risk related costs.
The EIB loan will support MSMEs to overcome problems induced by the Covid-19 pandemic by supporting MSMEs with much-needed working capital and additional liquidity by creating additional sources of finances, available under flexible terms, to preserve jobs and vital agricultural production in the country.
The investment is a part of the European Union`s Team Europe immediate response to Covid-19 pandemic, launched in over 100 partner countries around the world, to which the EIB alone pledged EUR 6.3 billion.
Lilyana Pavlova, Vice President of the EIB, responsible for the bank’s activities in Georgia said: “With this loan the European Investment Bank and Team Europe are delivering on their pledge to support Georgia overcome the challenges brought by Covid-19 pandemic. Through our partnership with Credo Bank we will provide liquidity in local currency in order to keep businesses running during the crisis, and support their early and speedy recovery, thus, contributing towards a more resilient economy and strengthening the national financial sector. This will all be crucial for any future sustainable development of Georgia.”
Carl Hartzell, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, said: Improving living conditions in rural areas is an important priority of EU-Georgia cooperation. This loan will have a strong focus on the local agricultural sector, which is key from a local food production and employment perspective.
Zaza Pirtshkhelava CEO of Credo Bank said: I would like to sincerely thank the European Investment Bank for years of successful cooperation to improve financial inclusion in Georgia, for standing by the bank and its customers during the most volatile times and the European Union for the complementary grant to the transaction. This long-term local currency finance will be directed to assist farmers survive current constraints induced by Covid-19 pandemic and will highly contribute to uninterrupted agriculture production and food security in the country.
The project, involving the construction and operation of a new biomass boiler at the Figueira da Foz pulp and paper plant, is a major step in the company’s recent decarbonisation strategy Funds are provided under the Investment Plan for Europe.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will support The Navigator Company, a major Portuguese industrial group and Europe’s leading pulp and paper manufacturer, with a €27.5 million loan for the construction and operation of a new biomass boiler at their integrated mill facility located in Figueira da Foz, a cohesion region in Portugal.
This project is the first major step of The Navigator’s decarbonisation strategy, launched recently with the aim of making the company carbon neutral by 2035 (15 years ahead of the EU target of 2050) in line with the Paris Agreement, the EU Green Deal and Portugal’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality.
Replacing the existing equipment with a new biomass boiler is part of the company’s investments for offsetting carbon emissions and is seen as crucial for preserving and improving its competitiveness and market presence in a cyclical business sector, especially now amid the far-reaching economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This EU bank financing is provided under the Investment Plan for Europe. The Figueira mill only uses feedstock from forests that are either certified by internationally accredited forest certification systems or considered to be controlled wood. This project will also contribute positively to supporting rural economies and employment in Portugal through the further development of a forest and bioeconomy value chain.
“We are very pleased to support the Navigator Company’s ambitious decarbonisation strategy and their efforts in modernizing production to make it more sustainable and to strengthen their competitiveness. While boosting economic recovery from COVID-19, this project will promote circular economy and help the EU reach its objective of climate neutrality by 2050” said EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro, responsible for the operations in Portugal as well as for the Bank’s climate action. “Climate action and cohesion, along with sustainable growth, continue to be key priorities for the EIB, even amid this pandemic. We are glad to support a project that is strongly contributing to these goals in Portugal and in Europe”.
This is the eighth transaction between the EIB and The Navigator Company with the last operation signed in 2018. In that project, the EIB Group supported The Navigator Company’s investments in innovation and climate action, such as the financing of the modernisation of the Figueira da Foz mill and the upgrade of their production technologies. As a result, energy consumption and the amount of chemicals used were reduced, as were greenhouse gas emissions thanks to fossil fuels being replaced with the greater use of renewable biomass energy.
The EIB is the world’s largest multilateral provider of climate finance. Its goal is to be a leader in mobilising the finance needed to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels to meet the Paris Agreement’s objectives. On 14 November 2019, the EIB Board of Directors approved its new climate objectives and the new energy lending policy. The Bank will gradually increase its financing for climate and environmental objectives by up to 50% by 2025, with the goal of ensuring that the EIB Group mobilises at least €1 trillion in the critical decade between 2021 and 2030 to promote investments helping to meet these objectives. It also announced its intention to align all EIB Group activities with the Paris Agreement. To this end, the EIB will cease financing fossil fuel-based projects from late 2021.
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