CLIPPINGS COVID-19
Wednesday, May 20
OAS/OEA
TWITTER
La @CIMOEA hace un llamado por la incorporación de las mujeres en todos los espacios de decisión, necesitamos más #MujeresLiderando para hacer frente a la crisis del #COVID19 #NoSinNosotras
PERMANENT OBSERVERS/OBSERVADORES PERMANENTES
PORTUGAL - Second edition of P-BIO Pledge 4 COVID: Portuguese Bio Startups in the Coronavirus Global Response took place today
The second edition of P-BIO Pledge 4 COVID: Portuguese Bio Startups in the Coronavirus Global Response took place at the Center of Engineering and Product Development (CEiiA), in Matosinhos. The event was attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor. This initiative aims at stimulating the participation of national bioindustry Startups in emerging international networks capable of establishing international partnerships in three sectors: diagnosis, therapies/treatment and development of vaccines to combat the pandemic.
The platform "Coronavirus Global Response" has already raised 7.5 billion euros and it has brought together a set of European and world organizations, from the sectors of health, retail, banking and foundations committed to the development of solutions to fight COVID-19.
ITALY - Italy’s “Phase 2” officially starts. PM Conte’s press conference (in IT)
“Phase two starts now. Let us face it with a desire to restart, but also with caution (..) this is a 'calculated risk'”. Please find provisions regulating entry to Italy here.
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS/OTROS ORGANISMOS
UNHRC - Indigenous refugees battle Coronavirus in Latin America
Many live in isolated or remote areas, where they lack access to health services, clean water and soap. Others live in cramped dwellings or in informal urban settlements without access to protective equipment. Most of the border indigenous groups are threatened by physical and cultural extinction because of insufficient food and severe malnutrition that can increase the risk of contagion. These areas have lacked adequate health services which can now exacerbate the current situation.
UNDP - COVID-19: Human development on course to decline this year for the first time since 1990
With school closures, UNDP estimates of the “effective out-of-school rate”—the percentage of primary school-age children, adjusted to reflect those without Internet access—indicate that 60 per cent of children are not getting an education, leading to global levels not seen since the 1980s.
The combined impact of these shocks could signify the largest reversal in human development on record.
This is not counting other significant effects, for instance, in the progress towards gender equality. The negative impacts on women and girls span economic - earning and saving less and greater job insecurity -, reproductive health, unpaid care work and gender-based violence.
WHO - WHO countries agree 'equitable and timely access' to coronavirus vaccine, 'comprehensive evaluation' of response
More broadly, international organizations were called on to work collaboratively to develop, test and scale-up production of safe, effective, quality, affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines for the COVID-19 response – including in the licensing of patents to facilitate access to them.
PAHO - PAHO Director calls to protect vulnerable groups from effects of COVID-19 pandemic
“During a pandemic, we must overcome the structural inequalities that limit access to services. This means establishing mechanisms that support universal access to health regardless of income, pooling resources with the private and not for profit sector, eliminating payment at point of service and setting up emergency hospitals that add surge capacity where it is most needed.”
CDB - CDB to provide almost US$67 million to seven Caribbean countries to counter the COVID-19 crisis
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is making available emergency loans to seven Caribbean countries, in the first instance, to finance the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a total of US$66.7 million for Antigua and Barbuda (US$13 million), Belize (US$15 million), Dominica (US$2.5 million), Grenada (US$5.9 million), Saint Lucia (US$10.8 million), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (US$11.3 million), and Suriname (US$8.2 million).
“The provision of support to the seven countries to respond to COVID-19 and keep critical government services and operations running is urgent to halt the economic decline and minimise social hardship, while giving focused attention to the most vulnerable people,” says CDB President Dr. Wm Warren Smith.
IDB - IDB-AFD Strengthen Partnership in Times of COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond
Towards this end, IDB and AFD have exchanged on the modalities of the support to be brought to Latin American countries both in their immediate to rather short terms responses to COVID-19, and on the medium to long-term recovery plans. These could be developed further, leading to a potential joint-cooperation aligned with climate and SDGs objectives, key drivers of the IDB-AFD partnership.
CEPAL - Alicia Bárcena llama a repensar el modelo y consolidar las dimensiones económicas, sociales y ambientales del desarrollo sostenible para no dejar a nadie atrás
La pandemia provocada por el COVID-19 ha hecho visibles los problemas estructurales del modelo económico y las carencias de los sistemas de protección social
y los regímenes de bienestar. Por ello, una nueva normalidad no es el camino, debemos repensar el modelo de desarrollo y consolidar las dimensiones económicas, sociales y ambientales del desarrollo sostenible, sin dejar a nadie atrás, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
IICA - CENFOTEC University and IICA launch online technical program on the internet of things for agriculture
CENFOTEC University and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) have launched a technical training program on the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) for agriculture, as means of equipping the sector with technological tools that will enhance the efficiency and sustainability of food production.
In the medium-term, the institutions also plan to launch a Master’s program in Digital Agriculture for the entire Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Costa Rica (where UCENFOTEC is headquartered).
WORLD BANK - World Bank Group: 100 Countries Get Support in Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
The World Bank Group today announced its emergency operations to fight COVID-19 (coronavirus) have reached 100 developing countries – home to 70% of the world’s population. Since March, the Bank Group has rapidly delivered record levels of support in order to help countries protect the poor and vulnerable, reinforce health systems, maintain the private sector, and bolster economic recovery.
This assistance, the largest and fastest crisis response in the Bank Group’s history, marks a milestone in implementing the Bank Group’s pledge to make available $160 billion in grants and financial support over a 15-month period to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of COVID-19 and the economic shutdown in advanced countries.
ILO - Bridging the skills gap for informal economy workers – How can skills and lifelong learning help mitigate the consequences of the crises?
Promoting the employability and income opportunities of people working in the informal economy is highly critical for inclusive societies, and more so in times of crisis. Innovations to facilitate outreach, the recognition of prior learning or digital solutions are highly needed, requiring new financing models and partnerships with employers and workers’ organizations."
|
|
|
|
