Biden move on refugee resettlement will save lives, deep fears of the violent crackdown in Myanmar and WHO urges effective and fair use of COVID vaccines. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector:
Biden move on refugee resettlement will save lives: UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, praised President Joe Biden’s plan announced to raise the cap on the number of refugees who could be admitted to the United States, saying it would send a powerful signal to other countries to continue to do the same.
“The action today by President Biden will save lives. It’s that simple,” Grandi said after Biden announced in Washington his intention to raise the ceiling starting this year on the number of refugees who can be admitted for resettlement in the United States.
“It also shows that strength is rooted in compassion. It signals that the United States will do its part, as it has historically done, to help the world’s most vulnerable people, including by welcoming them in the United States.”
Biden’s announcement signaled a reversal of four consecutive years of reductions in U.S. admissions.
Deep fears of violent crackdown in Myanmar, UN rights chief warns
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has voiced “deep fears” of a violent crackdown on dissenting voices in Myanmar, where the military assumed all powers and declared a state of emergency after overthrowing the civilian government and arresting top political leaders, on February,1.
“Given the security presence on the streets in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, as well as in other cities, there are deep fears of a violent crackdown on dissenting voices. I remind the military leadership that Myanmar is bound by international human rights law, including to respect the right to peaceful assembly, and to refrain from using unnecessary or excessive force”, High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.
High Commissioner Bachelet also called on the international community to “stand in solidarity with the people” of Myanmar at this time. She also urged all nations with influence to take steps “to prevent the crumbling of the fragile democratic and human rights gains made by Myanmar during its transition from military rule.”
Many international organizations, countries, and civil society leaders also condemned the military’s actions. The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet to discuss the situation in Myanmar.
WHO urges effective and fair use of COVID vaccines
With COVID-19 vaccines currently in scarce supply, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) pressed governments to prioritize inoculation of health workers and older persons and to share excess doses with other nations.
“More vaccines are being developed, approved, and produced. There will be enough for everyone. But for now, vaccines are a limited resource. We must use them as effectively and as fairly as we can. If we do that, lives will be saved”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, speaking in Geneva.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
Biden reverses Trump’s immigration policy on first day of presidency
On his first day in office, the new President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, 78, addressed several decisions concerning the country’s immigration policy made by his predecessor. Six out of 17 memorandums and proclamations signed on the day of the inauguration concerned the immigrants.
EU envoy to Nepal stresses empowerment of women to build back better
In an address to the NewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards 2021 which took place in Kathmandu on January 29, Nona Deprez, the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Nepal, stressed the need to empower women to build back better for themselves, their communities and societies for sustainable development and for a better world.
Will India be the leading supplier of COVID-19 vaccines for the developing world?
While wealthy countries have secured sufficient numbers of COVID-19 vaccines doses to vaccinate their populations, poorer nations are still struggling to access affordable vaccines. However, India is in a position to help the developing world and has actually started to do so.
Here’s what else has happened
Afghanistan: Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič has concluded an official visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, as the country tries to move beyond one of the deadliest conflicts worldwide, lasting decades.
EIB: The European Investment Bank (EIB) invested over €1 billion in Ukraine in 2020 alone, the year of the worst global health and economic crisis for generations, marking the second-highest investment volume in the history of the Bank’s activities in the country. This represents an increase of more than 50% compared to 2019. Total EIB investment in Ukraine has now reached €7.5 billion.
UK: The UK Government has signed a deal for a further 40 million doses of Valneva’s promising vaccine candidate.
UNHCR: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes renewed U.S. commitments aimed at providing safety and solutions for people in need of protection from violence and persecution. This action reflects authentic humanitarian values and reaffirms U.S. leadership amid global levels of forced displacement unseen since World War II.
UNOPS: In the midst of a global health pandemic, UNOPS is working to support COVID-19 response and recovery efforts around the world.
Finland: Finland strengthens its support for education in developing countries as a donor of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). At the virtual Educa event, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari informed that Finland will allocate EUR 25 million to GPE’s next replenishment for 2021-2025.
Reports
COVID-19 seen worsening overall trend in human trafficking
The share of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled while the share of boys has increased five times in the past 15 years. Girls are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation, while boys are used for forced labour, according to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Read the full report.
Global fisheries and aquaculture hard hit by COVID-19 pandemic, says FAO report
Global fisheries and aquaculture have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and could face further disruption in 2021 as lockdowns affect supply and demand across the sector, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The full report: The impact of COVID-19 on fisheries and aquaculture food systems.
Creativity is the answer we’ve been looking for – now is the time to embrace and invest in it
The 2021 UN Year of Creative Economy puts the ‘orange economy’ front and centre at a time when we need creative solutions for the world’s challenges.
Read the report: Impact Investing in the Global Creative Economy
Events
Best Practices For Creating and Working Effectively in a Consortium | Webinar
? 25 February ? 15:00 (CET)/9:00 (ET)/6:00(PT)
Virtual
Learn about the most powerful and best practices in creating consortia, input- and profit-sharing as well as other techniques for effective cooperation in a consortium.
Host: Sergiu Casu, Business Development Director, DevelopmentAid.
Сo-host: Akaoma Onyemelukwe, an expert with 20 years’ experience leading and managing international development initiatives delivering technical assistance across various sectors with an understanding of public sector management and performance, facilitating social performance, and supporting social standards.
Conference on Strengthening Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment Under the COVID-19 Crisis | Virtual
? 8-10 February ? 15:00–18:00 (Tokyo time)
Virtual
This conference will feature research papers that examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on ESG investment, its potential to support sustainable economic recovery, and ways to drive ESG investment growth and address related risks. Private investor behavior, the effects of ESG policies on investment performance, and ESG investment implications for social welfare and environmental sustainability in Asia and the Pacific will also be explored.
Committee on World Food Security: Making a difference in Food Security and Nutrition | Virtual
? 8-11 February
Virtual
Rescheduled from October 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, CFS 47 will be held virtually, and will seek to advance the CFS mandate and approved program of work. The plenary is a unique global platform where food security and nutrition stakeholders from all over the world agree on policy guidance, review global progress, network, and share experiences.
The theme for CFS 47 is, “Making a Difference in Food Security and Nutrition”.
