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Add to Preferred SourcesWhile global wealth grows, inequalities persist, Commission welcomes approval of 10 Partnerships for green and digital transition, Commission proposes to strengthen coordination of safe travel in the EU. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
While global wealth grows, inequalities persist
Progress towards the global wealth recorded over the period between 1995 and 2018 is accompanied by a persistent level of inequalities, according to the World Bank report, titled, “The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021: Managing Assets for the Future”. Studies on the inequalities across different income groups have revealed that OECD countries had 58 times greater MER-based (MER = market exchange rate) and 21 times greater PPP-based (PPP = purchasing power parity) total wealth per capita over low-income countries in 2018. To catch up with the rest of the world, low-income countries should increase their total wealth at an above-average rate. However, according to the World Bank, the opposite is currently true.
According to the report, global wealth grew noticeably between 1995 and 2018, with upper-middle-income countries doubling their total wealth over this period. While wealth per capita dropped in North America, Europe, and Central Asia and increased in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia, the inequalities between countries are still significant. While progress did increase in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, the share of the global wealth declined after 2014.
“A deeper and more nuanced understanding of the sustainability of wealth is crucial to a green, resilient, and inclusive future. It is essential that renewable natural capital and human capital are given the same importance as more traditional sources of economic growth so that policymakers take steps to enable long-term prosperity.”
Commission welcomes approval of 10 Partnerships for green and digital transition
The Council of the European Union gave its green light to the Single Basic Act, a regulation aimed at facilitating the launch of 9 new European Partnerships, namely ‘Joint Undertakings’, between the European Union, Member States and/or the industry, to deliver innovative solutions in Europe for global health, technology, and climate challenges.
The EU will provide nearly €10 billion of funding from Horizon Europe that the partners will match with at least an equivalent amount of investment. This combined contribution is expected to mobilize additional investments in the areas of health, transport, energy, digital technology, and metrology, create jobs and growth, and generate a long-term positive impact on the environment and society.
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth said:
“These Partnerships are all about pooling research and innovation resources and ensuring that research results are turned into useful innovations for the citizens. With Horizon Europe we are committed to emerging from the climate crisis, providing sustainable solutions to major environmental challenges, improving citizens’ health, and accelerating a sustainable recovery. This will benefit all Europeans.”
Commission proposes to strengthen coordination of safe travel in the EU
The European Commission has proposed to update the rules on coordination of safe and free movement in the EU, which were put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the summer, vaccine uptake has increased significantly and the EU Digital COVID Certificate has been rolled out successfully, with more than 650 million certificates issued to date. At the same time, the epidemiological situation in the EU continues to develop with some Member States taking additional public health measures, including administering booster vaccines.
Taking into account all those factors, the Commission is proposing a stronger focus on a ‘person-based approach to travel measures and a standard acceptance period for vaccination certificates of 9 months since the primary vaccination series. The 9 month period takes into account the guidance of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on the administration of booster doses as of 6 months and provides for an additional period of 3 months to ensure that national vaccination campaigns can adjust and citizens can have access to boosters.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety added: “The EU Digital COVID Certificate and our coordinated approach to travel measures have greatly contributed to safe free movement, with the protection of public health as our priority. We have vaccinated over 65% of the total EU population, but this is not enough. There are still too many people who are not protected. For everyone to travel and live as safely as possible, we need to reach significantly higher vaccination rates – urgently. We also need to reinforce our immunity with booster vaccines. Taking into account the guidance from ECDC, and to allow the Member States to adjust their vaccination campaigns and for citizens to have access to boosters, we propose a standard acceptance period for vaccination certificates. At the same time, we have to continue to strongly encourage everyone to continue to respect public health measures. Our masks need to stay on.”
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Women’s income decreases after giving birth, fathers’ is on the rise
Gone are the days when a woman’s role was simply to be a good wife and mother. Today, the gender equality issue is gaining more and more attention. Nonetheless, women still earn less than men for doing the same jobs. Moreover, women who raise a child tend to lose their income sharply. Several international researchers have shed light on the decline in women’s income after giving birth.
How Green Climate Fund tackles climate changes in developing states
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is yet one more financial instrument seeking to mitigate climate changes and facilitate adaptation in poorer countries that are especially vulnerable to extreme weather events provoked by global warming. However, it is distinguished by the transparency and pace with which financial resources are granted to recipients.
Energy poverty expected to affect millions as prices ramp up
The demand for energy in Europe is growing quickly as countries recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Natural gas represents the most important energy source in Europe highlighted by a dependency rate of 83.5% in 2020. As a consequence of Russia slowing the delivery of piped gas to the EU, the price for 1,000 cubic meters of gas reached nearly US$1,250 in October 2021 or six times higher than last year. In these circumstances, the issue of energy poverty becomes pertinent, as more people around the globe will suffer from the inability to afford adequate, affordable, and reliable energy services. This article defines energy poverty, highlights its implications, and presents some facts and statistics related to the current energy situation around the globe.
International actors gather in Paris to tackle peace-related, cyber security, media issues
With 15,000 online and 1,000 participants in Paris, including 45 heads of states and governments and leaders of international organizations, the Paris Peace Forum 2021 took place from 11th to 13th November with the aim of advancing tangible solutions to the huge amount of challenges brought about by the pandemic. This year, the fourth Paris Peace Forum focused on existing global governance gaps.
Here’s what else has happened
UN in Tigray: With the dire humanitarian situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, continuing to deteriorate, it is critical to establish a regular flow of humanitarian aid into the region, the Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General said.
EBRD: Boosting equality of opportunity and advancing women’s economic empowerment, the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved new strategies for the promotion of gender equality and equality of opportunity.
IOM: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and aid partners are appealing for USD 21.1 million to provide new shelters and homes for more than 1.8 million extremely vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in camps in communities and villages across Ethiopia’s Tigray, Somali and Amhara regions.
USAID: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing an additional $8.9 million in humanitarian assistance for the people of the Central African Republic (CAR). The announcement follows Administrator Samantha Power’s call with the Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.
Reports
Girls’ rights are a “casualty” of Syria conflict
The research – carried out in Northwest Syria with the women-led organization Women Now For Development – examines the “invisible” toll that years of war, exacerbated by gender inequality, have taken on girls and young women.
Widespread poverty and a lack of education opportunities have led to a steep increase in adolescent girls becoming married as children – a practice which although not new to Syria, was relatively uncommon prior to the beginning of the conflict in 2011.
Interviews with girls, their parents, and social workers suggest that the practice is increasing because desperate families see marrying their daughters as a way to cope with economic hardship.
New UN Women data confirms violence against women has worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic
A new report released by UN Women highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s safety at home and in public spaces. The report shows that women’s feelings of safety have been eroded, leading to significant negative impacts on their mental and emotional well-being.
The new UN Women report, “Measuring the shadow pandemic: Violence against women during COVID-19”, based on survey data from 13 countries, shows that almost 1 in 2 women reported that they or a woman they know experienced a form of violence since the COVID-19 pandemic. Women who reported this were 1.3 times more likely to report increased mental and emotional stress than women who did not.
Action against gender-based violence being pushed to the outlying margins of the global COVID-19 response
A new Oxfam report shows an undeniable increase in gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic around the world to which too many governments and donors are not doing enough to tackle.
The report, The Ignored Pandemic: The Dual Crisis of Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19, showed the number of calls made by survivors to domestic violence hotlines in ten countries during the first months of lockdown. The data reveals a 25 – 111 percentage surge; in Argentina (25%), Colombia (79%), Tunisia (43%), China (50%), Somalia (50%), South Africa (69%), UK (25%), Cyprus (39%), Italy (73%) and the largest increase in Malaysia where calls surged by over 111%.
Events
Rise or fall? DevelopmentAid’s projections on the evolution of the Official Development Assistance | Webinar
📅 2 December 2021 🕒 4 PM (Brussels Time)/ 10 AM (Washington DC Time)
Virtual
In the context of high uncertainty caused by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, DevelopmentAid announces the organization of an exclusive webinar on “DevelopmentAid’s projections on the evolution of Official Development Assistance” to provide its members and followers with a better understanding of how the ODA market will evolve in the coming years (2021-2025).
During the webinar, our speakers will dive into statistics and the effects of these numbers on International Development. You will also learn about DevelopmentAid’s research unit, its mission, and internal capabilities.
Speakers:
Sergiu Casu, Head of Business Development at DevelopmentAid
Mircea Chiriac, Market Research & Analysis at DevelopmentAid
Host:
Ion Ilasco, External Relations, and Events at DevelopmentAid
EU-Africa Business Summit: Unlocking Africa’s economic potential
📅28 – 29 November 2021
Hybrid, Online/ Morocco
The EU-Africa Business Summit is an event organized by European Business Summits to promote the voices of enterprises in Europe and Africa. This event is independent of the EABF organized by the European Commission and the African Union.
International Forum on Low Carbon Cities
📅 23-24 November 2021
Virtual
While many cities in North-East Asia have already initiated low carbon city (LCC) development policies and strategies to reduce GHG emissions, more cities need to commit local actions to carbon neutrality following the goals announced by each national government.
Building Bridges
📅 29 November – 02 December 2021
Hybrid- Online/ Geneva
Building Bridges is a joint initiative, launched in 2019 by Swiss public authorities, the finance community, the United Nations, and other international partners to accelerate the transition to a global economic model aligned with the SDGs.