Winter aid action plan: Switzerland helps Ukraine through the winter, schools for more than 2 million children in Pakistan remain inaccessible due to devastating floods and UK leads the way on ending plastic pollution. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
Winter aid action plan: Switzerland helps Ukraine through the winter
The Federal Council adopted an action plan to mitigate the impact of the coming winter on the people of Ukraine. Switzer-land is providing CHF 100 million in aid, in particular for projects financing the urgent rehabilitation of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The humanitarian situation of those affected by the war in Ukraine has become even more precarious in recent weeks due to targeted attacks on energy infrastructure and basic supply systems.
Around 18 million people in Ukraine – some 40 per cent of the population – are dependent on aid due to the war. With the onset of winter, this number may rise to 24 million. Over 30 per cent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged. The targeted attacks have left many places without access to drinking water, as well as disrupting power and telecommunications. Ukraine requires additional aid from the international community to deal with this emergency.
Schools for more than 2 million children in Pakistan remain inaccessible due to devastating floods
Schools for more than 2 million children in Pakistan remain completely inaccessible after the most severe flooding in the country’s history destroyed or damaged nearly 27,000 schools in the country.
“Almost overnight, millions of Pakistan’s children lost family members, homes, safety, and their education, under the most traumatic circumstances,” said UNICEF’s Global Director of Education Robert Jenkins, upon returning from flood-affected areas in Pakistan. “Now, faced with the uncertainty of when they’ll be able to return to school, and having already endured some of the world’s longest school closures due to the pandemic, they are experiencing yet another threat to their future.”
UK leads the way on ending plastic pollution
The Environment Secretary has started talks with businesses, environmental groups, scientists, and civil society on shaping a legally-binding global treaty that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040.
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest global environmental challenges we currently face and it is predicted that unless action is taken there will be a threefold increase in the amount of plastic flowing into the ocean between 2016 and 2040.
In partnership with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network – an organization comprised of industry, scientists, and activists – the UK Government is running a series of dialogue meetings, which will be key in strengthening the UK’s leading voice at the treaty negotiations.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
The most fragile countries, according to the States of Fragility 2022 report
As many as 1.9 billion people from 60 ‘fragility contexts’ were exposed to environmental, political, economic, human, security, and societal risk in 2021, according to the States of Fragility 2022 report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This figure increased by 19 million people compared to 2020 largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Furthermore, with the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, no improvement is expected.
The OECD defines fragility as “the combination of exposure to risk and insufficient coping capacities of the state, system and/or communities to manage, absorb or mitigate those risks“. To put it simply, fragile contexts are regions, countries, or cities facing deep instability, violence or conflicts that trigger high levels of poverty amongst their population. Although fragility has been growing since 2011, the OECD warns that the series of crises triggered by climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the coronavirus pandemic has deepened fragility even further across economies, putting intense pressure on the world’s poorest populations.
How does poverty impact modern society?
The impact of poverty on the modern world is the elephant in the room that richer nations tend to avoid. Meanwhile, its seriousness should not be ignored as poverty has no borders and can spread at an astonishing rate across the world. In 2021 alone, 77 million people worldwide became poor according to the United Nations. People living in poverty cannot afford proper healthcare services or education for their children, cannot pay taxes nor buy goods and services, therefore stagnating the economy.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the social issues linked to poverty.
Energy poverty and prices on the rise. Consequences and Solutions | Experts’ Opinions
The world is at a cross point today due to unprecedent crises and multiple ongoing conflicts. One out of a myriad of consequences of these negative events is energy poverty which, now at its highest recorded rates, has far-reaching social and economic impacts on household wellbeing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated acute inequalities among households in terms of access to energy. With energy prices having constantly grown since September 2021, the inequalities between the wealthiest and the most vulnerable have become more serious and visible. We asked international experts what they think about energy poverty, its consequences and possible solutions.
Here’s what else has happened
AIIB: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other international financial institutions (IFIs) are for the first time launching a joint video campaign, Investing for a greener world, to showcase their role in facilitating climate change solutions, ahead of COP27.
Europe: Temperatures in Europe have increased at more than twice the global average over the past 30 years – the highest of any continent in the world. As the warming trend continues, exceptional heat, wildfires, floods, and other climate change impacts will affect society, economies, and ecosystems, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
UNHCR: During her first visit to Burundi, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements urged for increased international support to areas and communities where Burundian refugees are opting to return home. More than 200,000 Burundian refugees have returned from neighboring countries since 2017.
AKF: The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the UK government have partnered in Afghanistan for many years to strengthen girls’ education in remote areas of the country. A new agreement will expand this partnership to include support for agriculture and livelihoods and access to healthcare. The £11.2 million grant will support AKF’s efforts to help Afghans move beyond immediate humanitarian relief to supporting communities to rebuild.
Haiti: Immediate action is needed to save young lives in Haiti amid the “triple threat” of cholera, malnutrition, and violence, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) said. CRC members urged the international community to support authorities in the Caribbean country in guaranteeing the rights of millions of boys and girls to live, grow, learn, and thrive.
Reports
Without responsible mining, there is no energy transition
If governed well, the mining sector can help countries meet climate and energy security priorities. A new report examines the risks at play and proposes how diverse stakeholders can strengthen oversight of mineral value chains for the energy transition.
The energy crisis is topping policy agendas in many countries. The geopolitical fallout from the war in Ukraine has sent energy prices skyrocketing. Enduring energy poverty and poor infrastructure have been compounded by supply disruptions.
UN Methane Observatory paves way for steep emissions reductions
A new report launched at a major gathering of the oil and gas industry finds that many companies are increasing their efforts to tackle methane, one of the biggest and most solvable contributors to the climate crisis, but more needs to be done. An Eye on Methane: International Methane Emissions Observatory 2022, launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) at Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, reports that over 80 oil and gas companies across the world have committed to measuring and reducing their methane emissions. Of these, 60 members are on the Gold Standard pathway to reach the highest level of disclosure.
2 in 3 children in Latin America and the Caribbean experience violence at home
From the age of one, children in Latin America and the Caribbean are at risk of violence at home, in school, and on the street, a new regional UNICEF report reveals. A statistical profile of violence against children in Latin America and the Caribbean finds that almost 2 in 3 children aged 1 to 14 in the region experience violent discipline at home.
Along with physical punishment and psychological aggression in early childhood, sexual abuse and homicide stalk millions of children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean. The regional child and adolescent homicide rate (12.6 per 100,000) is four times higher than the global average (3 per 100,000). And homicide is the leading cause of death among adolescent boys aged 10 to 19.
Events
The list of major upcoming events in the development sector in November 2022
Keep up-to-date on key events about emerging funding strategies, environmental policies, climate change, technological development, labor standards, and energy issues in the development sector via our compiled list.
Track events hosted by reputable international organisations, donors, NGO’s and IFIs that bring together the biggest change-makers and stakeholders in international development cooperation.
Save the date to register and attend the upcoming events in November 2022.
Download the comprehensive schedule of major online events.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Gender Based Violence | Training
📅 9,16,23, 30 November 2022
Online, Zoom
The “Monitoring and Evaluating Gender-Based Violence” workshop is designed to present the basic principles and concepts for monitoring and evaluating GBV prevention and mitigation programs.
The training will be fully taught in Arabic.
This training will rely on the GBV Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit to give practitioners the resources to improve individual and organizational capacities to implement monitoring and evaluation processes, protocols, and tools applicable to GBV programming.
This intensive 4-day training is intended for staff of GBV sub-cluster member organizations, third-party monitoring entities, and donors, who seek to build their individual and organizational capacity to implement monitoring and evaluation interventions in their programmes.
Global Forum on Environment: Working towards the elimination of mercury and reducing its harmful impacts on human health and the environment
📅 7-8 November 2022
Paris, France & Virtual
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) productions account for over 60 per cent of global mercury consumption. Other sources of mercury emissions are coal combustion, primary non-ferrous metal production, and cement-clinker production. Once emitted or released, mercury persists in the environment where it circulates between air, water, sediments, soil, and living creatures. It can travel long distances to areas far from any production or use. Scientific evidence on the dangers of mercury exposure on human health and the environment has mounted for decades and is compelling.
The Global Forum on Environment on Mercury will bring together leading actors in the field of chemicals and waste management of mercury to promote effective engagement, collaboration, and action on eliminating or reducing mercury from the supply chain. This includes regulators and policymakers in charge of chemical safety in OECD member and partner governments, as well as relevant stakeholders from International Governmental Organisations, private industry organizations, and companies, civil society, philanthropies, and more.
1st Asia-Pacific Housing Conference (AHC) 2022
📅 8–9 November 2022
Virtual
The 1st Asia-Pacific Housing Conference (AHC) 2022 will take place virtually on 8–9 November 2022 and will be open to all. The theme will be “Making Housing Affordable, Inclusive, and Resilient.”
Participants can expect high-level technical sessions and parallel break-out sessions that will bring out the synergistic interplay of three critical factors to achieving affordable, inclusive, and resilient housing—access to affordable and well-located land, inclusive and effective city planning, as well as the availability of affordable and sustainable housing finance.
The sessions will also highlight the technological advancements for planning, designing, and construction of houses, and the need for sound policy and governance frameworks as enablers.
AHC 2022, a flagship event of ADB, will be an important platform to facilitate peer-to-peer learning from successful models and practices in the housing sector. It will discuss innovations and best practices to adopt as well as lessons and pitfalls to avoid for an affordable, inclusive, and resilient housing sector, especially for vulnerable groups. AHC 2022 will bring in regional and international best practices to support this agenda.
APEC CEO SUMMIT 2022
📅 16 – 18 November 2022
Bangkok, Thailand
APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) is an important forum for advancing the prosperity of people and societies in the region. Together, APEC governments and businesses work toward inclusive and sustainable growth by deepening economic cooperation, improving the environment for trade and investment, and adapting and sharing innovative measures.
The APEC CEO SUMMIT 2022 is the most influential meeting of business and government leaders in the Asia Pacific. The Summit provides opportunities for CEOs and top business executives to engage in dialogue with APEC Leaders on the most pressing issues of the day.
The APEC CEO SUMMIT provides the unmatched potential to build networks, hear directly from APEC Leaders, discuss regional challenges, and take away relevant business insights.
Thailand is Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy with a nominal gross domestic product of around USD 500 billion. With a free-market economy, the Kingdom has a strong domestic market and a growing middle class, with the private sector being the main engine of growth.
The Thai economy is well integrated into the global marketplace, with exports accounting for over 70% of the Kingdom’s GDP. Thailand also has a strong industrial sector (40% of GDP) and a robust and growing services sector (50% of GDP) centered on the tourism and financial services industries.
The friendly and warm attitude of the Thai people makes the Kingdom an ideal and welcoming destination for Asia Pacific’s biggest business meeting.
Development2030 | Beyond Aid
📅 16-17 November 2022
Brussels Expo
With an ever-increasing pressure to ensure the global public and governments worldwide continue to support overseas development assistance, it is imperative for the international community to adapt to the changing landscape if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Development2030 event will consider how best we can do this, through identifying the key existing and emerging players, and analysing their role in creating long-term impact for low- and middle income countries. It is THE place for the overseas development community to build meaningful relationships, get inspired and meet like-minded individuals committed to achieving the 2030 goals.
