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Add to Preferred SourcesOcean benefits increasingly undermined by human activity, EU launches €100 million humanitarian initiative to support COVID-19 vaccination and UN calls for urgent action to feed the world’s growing population. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
Ocean benefits increasingly undermined by human activity, UN assessment reveals
A greater understanding of the ocean is essential if the world is to recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve agreed targets on sustainable development and climate action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on April 21 in launching a major study on what he called “the life support system of our planet.”
The second World Ocean Assessment (WOA II) is the work of hundreds of scientists from across the globe and follows an initial report published in 2015.
It warns that many benefits the ocean provides are increasingly being undermined by human actions, the UN chief said, describing the findings as alarming.
EU launches €100 million humanitarian initiative to support COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Africa
The Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič visited the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa. This visit marks the start of the implementation of the EU’s new humanitarian initiative in support of the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Africa.
As announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the G7 meeting in February 2021, this €100 million initiative is part of the European Commission’s efforts to ensure equitable and fair access to safe and effective vaccines to all. By joining forces with the Africa CDC and other international partners, the European Commission aims to support a fast and safe rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.
Following his meeting with the Head of the Africa CDC, Dr. John Nkengasong, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, stressed: “I am delighted to announce the start of a new chapter in the EU’s partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. This additional EU funding in support of the rollout of vaccination campaigns against the coronavirus pandemic in Africa will help to ensure that no one is left behind, including people in hard-to-access humanitarian crisis settings. I look forward to even closer cooperation with the Africa CDC in the future, to strengthen our readiness and efficient preparedness to respond together to the challenges of tomorrow.”
UN calls for urgent action to feed the world’s growing population healthily, equitably and sustainably
The COVID-19 crisis has added between 83 and 132 million to the 690 million people worldwide who were already undernourished, casting doubt on the chances of meeting global targets on food security and nutrition and prompting calls for an overhaul of the world’s food systems, which the fifty-fourth session of the UN Commission on Population and Development will discuss.
This year’s meeting of the Commission on Population and Development will examine the interlinkages between population, food security, nutrition, and sustainable development. The Commission’s debates will inform the preparations of the Food Systems Summit, to be convened by the United Nations Secretary‑General in September 2021.
“Our children’s future is in peril with unsustainable food systems,” said Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “What is worse, even while wreaking havoc on the planet, our current food systems fail the hundreds of millions who still go hungry and the billions that cannot afford a healthy diet. It is time for a change.”
“The close linkages between population, food security, and nutrition demonstrate that people lie at the heart of sustainable development and the creation of equitable food systems,” said Agnes Kalibata, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
World Bank study reveals only 31% of students had teacher interaction during COVID-19 related school closures in Nepal
A study titled ‘Learning in the time of COVID-19: insights from Nepal‘ carried out by the World Bank has revealed that only 31% of primary school students had teacher interaction during the COVID-19 related school closures in Nepal.
Making peace with nature – call for a different vision of economic development
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the issue of environmental degradation and its impact on people’s lives is becoming increasingly topical. “We must make peace with nature” is the call the United Nations Environment Assembly made at its fifth session. The value of natural systems and environmental health for people has been on the global agenda for decades. This time, however, a stronger emphasis was placed on the issue because of the COVID-19 outbreak and all the repercussions of this pandemic on people’s lives and the economy. How should our economic model evolve so that it truly contributes to making peace with nature? There is a possible answer in the article below.
An exploration of EU foreign aid by country
With the UK leaving the European Union, there have been a number of logistical discussions, but one area that has not made the mainstream media is how this will impact EU foreign aid. The EU is the largest aid donor across the world. However, as part of the withdrawal agreement, the UK will continue to contribute to the EU for the next 10 years with gradually decreasing amounts of funds. So, here we explore the current EU foreign aid policy and which countries receive the greatest amount of aid.
Over 700 million children worldwide face climate change risks – report
Millions of children and entire future generations living in countries hit by climate changes will be badly affected if immediate action to curb climate changes is not taken, the London-based aid organization, Save the Children, has warned ahead of the 22 April online Leaders Summit on climate change due to be chaired by US President, Joe Biden.
Millions of refugees and migrants deprived of access to basic services over pandemic-related movement restrictions
The movement restrictions imposed throughout 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic have badly affected migrants, refugees, and displaced people, depriving them of access to basic services, according to a report by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
Here’s what else has happened
Syria: More than 250,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Syria on April 22 from the UN-backed COVAX initiative, to inoculate the country’s frontline health workers.
World Bank: The World Bank and the government of Bangladesh signed a $250 million financing to help Bangladesh create more and better jobs; recover faster from the COVID 19 pandemic, and build resilience to future crises.
Japan: A school reconstructed in Nepal under the Government of Japan (GoJ) supported Emergency School Reconstruction Project (ESRP) was handed over to the school management committee on April 19. The handover ceremony of the reconstructed Patan Secondary School, the second oldest school in Nepal, took place in Patandhoka in the Lalitpur district in the presence of K. P. Sharma Oli, the Prime Minister of Nepal.
EIB: New financing of € 3.4 billion was approved on April 22 by the European Investment Bank (EIB) that will accelerate the shift towards renewable energy and sustainable transport, corporate innovation, improved housing, education, and communications.
Reports
New report from WHO on health spending calls on governments not to repeat past mistakes when rebuilding from COVID-19 2
A new report from the WHO Barcelona Office for Health Systems Financing has highlighted the need for governments to maintain a higher level of public spending on health for the wider benefit of society despite expected budgetary pressures following the pandemic.
The report: “Spending on health in Europe: entering a new era”
WHO launches effort to stamp out malaria in 25 more countries by 2025
Ahead of World Malaria Day, marked annually on 25 April, WHO congratulates the growing number of countries that are approaching, and achieving, zero cases of malaria. A new initiative launched today aims to halt transmission of the disease in 25 more countries by 2025.
Check out the new WHO report.
Climate change indicators and impacts worsened in 2020
Extreme weather combined with COVID-19 in a double blow for millions of people in 2020. However, the pandemic-related economic slowdown failed to put a brake on climate change drivers and accelerating impacts, according to a new report compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and an extensive network of partners.
The report: State of the Global Climate 2020
Events
Doing Business with EBRD. Procurement Guidelines and Best Practices | Webinar
? 29 April 2021 ? 4 PM (Brussels Time) /10 AM (Washington DC Time)
Virtual
Join us for this exciting free webinar, “Doing business with EBRD. Procurement guidelines and best practices”.
The speakers will be procurement specialists from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the conversation will focus on procurement procedures and best practices in the preparation of proposals.
You will have the possibility to ask questions directly and to learn how COVID-19 has affected the offers prepared by contractors.
HOST: Sergiu Casu, Business Development Director, DevelopmentAid.
Speaker: Johan Bert, Acting Interim Director, Procurement Operations and Delivery Department, EBRD
Speaker: Jan Jackholt, Director Procurement Policy, and Advisory Department. EBRD
Participation is free of charge but the number of seats is limited, so REGISTER NOW
Any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]
SDG 16 Conference 2021 | Virtual
? 28-30 April 2021 ? 14:00 – 19:00 (CEST)
Virtual
The Conference will help to generate a preliminary assessment of how progress towards SDG 16 has been affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic’s wider implications for the realization of the 2030 Agenda. It will highlight the importance of policy orientations embodied in SDG 16 to efforts to build resilience to shocks and provide a roadmap for a more just, inclusive, and equitable recovery required to sustain peace and development and deliver on Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals.
Water: The Game Changer for Food Systems | Virtual
? 27 April ? 8:00 – 10:30 GMT-4
Virtual
This Global Dialogue will explore the fundamental interconnections between food systems and water systems, and their relations to other areas fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as energy, climate, and the environment.
SAMEA Online Capacity Building Workshops | Virtual
? 1-3 June 2021
Virtual
SAMEA’s popular online Capacity Building Workshops are taking place from 1 to 3 June 2021! The theme for this year’s workshops is: “Monitoring and Evaluation in the context of Global Crises”.
UN Forum on Forests – 16th session (UNFF 16) | Virtual
? 26-30 April 2021
Virtual
This year, UNFF16, will have a full agenda. As outlined in the quadrennial programme of work, UNFF16 will be a technical session, and will among other discussions, consider and adopt the 4POW for 2021-2024. The Forum will also take into account the review cycle of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), and the theme of the 2021 International Day of Forests, “Forest Restoration: a Path to Recovery and Well-being.”