Foreign-Affairs
Share vaccines to cope with new surges, variants: UN
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has renewed his call for countries to share vaccines, particularly with those that are struggling to cope with new surges and variants.
He also renewed his call to the international community to come together to address the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 pandemic.
Read:UN authorizes AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine for emergency use
"There is an urgent need for increased global solidarity to ensure that vaccines are available to everyone, everywhere," said his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a regular briefing on Friday.
Equitable access to vaccines is a prerequisite for ending the pandemic and kick-starting a strong recovery, he said.
The UN welcomed the announcement made by the Biden administration that it will be sharing millions of vaccine doses with both the COVAX facility as well as bilaterally with countries in particular need.
The Administration announced its framework for sharing at least 80 million U.S. vaccine doses globally by the end of June and the plan for the first 25 million doses.
Read: UN Chief for ensuring equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccine
The Biden-Harris Administration on Thursday announced an allocation plan for the first 25 million doses to be shared globally.
Approximately 7 million doses will be shared in Asia covering countries and entities including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands, according to White House.
The United States will share vaccines in service of ending the pandemic globally.
The United States will share 75% of these vaccines through COVAX.
The United States will share at least three-quarters of its donated doses through COVAX, supplying U.S. doses to countries in need.
"But I also want to add that the Secretary-General is extremely grateful to the United States Government for the inclusion of United Nations personnel and Member States delegates serving in the United States in its national vaccination programme, and for the generous offer to provide vaccines for United Nations frontline personnel serving in the most challenging and dangerous locations around the world," said the UN Spokesperson.
This donation, he said, will allow the UN staff to stay and deliver critical services to vulnerable people around the world in a safe and effective manner.
Preparedness strengthened ahead of cyclone, monsoon season in Cox's Bazar: IOM
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Friday said it has strengthened preparedness ahead of cyclone and monsoon season in Cox's Bazar district.
Cox's Bazar, home to 900,000 Rohingyas, narrowly avoided Cyclone Yaas last week – the Bay of Bengal's second major storm of the cyclone season that went on to do over $2 billion damage elsewhere in Bangladesh and India.
Read: IOM training locals, Rohingyas to prepare for disasters in Cox;s Bazar
"When the rains hit, an emergency will be inevitable," said Manuel Marques Pereira, IOM Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangladesh. "It is crucial we work together now to mitigate the risks before the disaster occurs. We need to be able to respond swiftly and effectively during such crises."
Cox's Bazar is one of the most disaster-prone districts in the country, subject to cyclones, monsoons, strong winds, floods, landslides and other natural hazards.
These disasters can cause mass casualties, disrupt humanitarian access, and severely damage shelters and other critical facilities.
Also, close to 50,000 refugees displaced by the fire live in tarpaulin shelters on unstable slopes, which will quickly turn to mud when the rains arrive. So, the IOM has given special attention to refugees currently hosted in the three camps gutted by a devastating fire in March.
Meanwhile, more than 4.4 million people were displaced by storms and floods in Bangladesh in 2020, many of whom were pre-emptively evacuated and are unable to return home, the IOM said.
Read: 160 Bangladeshi migrants return from Libya with IOM support
These are the highest displacement figures recorded for Bangladesh since data became available in 2008.
This year, the IOM is assessing the risk of landslides, strengthening drainage networks, installing slope protection measures and upgrading key pathways.
Landslides and mud could cause road closures and blockages of major drains and waterways so IOM teams and machines are on standby to help humanitarian and government agencies clear the debris to keep vital access routes open.
Such catastrophes can result in acute medical emergencies requiring immediate first aid and resuscitation, trauma management, referrals and psychosocial support. Four primary healthcare centres and six health posts have been supplied with mass casualty incident kits.
The IOM is helping communities in Bangladesh prepare for and respond to the cyclones that are a feature of the monsoon by strengthening infrastructure, preparing for possible medical emergencies and providing cyclone preparedness training to dozens of new volunteers.
The IOM and its implementing partners have also trained and equipped 10 mobile medical teams and 350 community health workers to act as first responders, while 11 ambulances are ready to respond.
In close collaboration with local authorities, the IOM supports early warning systems for host communities.
A total of 1,655 volunteers have been trained to respond to cyclones and 20 multi-purpose shelters have been made accessible for emergency evacuation.
Thousands of refugees and host community members have received search and rescue and first aid training, with support from the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Department.
They will act as community focal points in emergencies, spreading early warning messages and helping the frontline response.
The IOM and its partners have trained an additional 100 volunteers in each camp on cyclone preparedness and the flag warning system.
The volunteers are now disseminating awareness-raising messages to community members and responding to community requests.
"It is vital to inform and support our fellow community members, so they are ready to respond and protect themselves and others when the weather conditions worsen," said Abdul, one of the volunteers.
Additionally, masks and hand sanitiser are readily available, and personal protective gear – including search and rescue kits, first aid kits and life vests – has been provided to all volunteers in fire-affected camps, the IOM said.
Indo Pacific region holds future but tensions growing: EU
High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell has said the Indo Pacific region is the future, but insecurity and tensions are rising, threatening the order and balance of this dynamic region.
"The key point to make here is that the economic growth of this region rests on openness, on stable and shared rules, and shared security," he said.
The High Representative for the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy made the remarks while sharing the EU approach to the Indo-Pacific at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Read:Bangladesh seeks TRIPS waiver to ramp up Covid vaccine production
Borrell said this is a dynamic region and it is as much a strategic space as a geographical reality, which they define as stretching from East Africa to the Pacific Island States.
"It’s becoming the world’s centre of gravity, both in geo-economic and geo-political terms," he said.
The EU is the top investor and development assistance provider for the Indo-Pacific and one of its biggest trading partners.
The Indo-Pacific creates 60% of global GDP and two-thirds of global growth. It is the second largest destination for EU exports; and home to four out of the top ten EU trading partners, according to the European Union.
By 2030, the overwhelming majority (90%) of the 2.4 billion new members of the middle class will come from this region, it said.
However, Borrell said, amid all this dynamism, the regional stability is increasingly challenged: maritime and land disputes, internal crises and conflicts, and the US-China geo-political competition is intensifying.
Read:US unveils strategy for global vaccine sharing with Bangladesh, India on list
"We see the consequences around the world, but most sharply in this region. A clear sign is the strong regional military build-up," he said.
The Indo-Pacific’s share of global military spending increased from 20% in 2009 to 28% in 2019 and is rising further, Borrell said.
"That means countries in this region are investing heavily in their militaries, as they aren’t sure what the future holds. It’s a sign of a worsening regional security landscape," said Borrell.
A research Institute in Singapore recently asked opinion-leaders and policy-makers in Southeast Asia who would be their most favoured and trusted strategic partner. Four in 10 of the respondents picked the EU.
EU & COVAX
Borrell said they favour vaccine multilateralism and believe that COVAX is the best way to ensure the access to vaccines by low and middle-income partner countries in this region.
"We put our money where our mouth is, and the EU is now the second largest contributor to COVAX with over EUR 2.4 billion," he said.
Read:Dhaka, London hopeful of signing climate accord before COP26
In addition, Borrell said they are the world's largest exporter of vaccines. "With over 240 million doses, we have exported around half of our production to 90 countries."
He said the “EU Digital COVID Certificate” that the EU is working on will not be exclusive or to build barriers. "It’s mainly regulating and allowing inside-EU travel."
In their efforts to globally fight the pandemic, Borrell said they deliberately chose a different path from others.
"We do not offer preferential treatment, nor do we seek political favours in return. Instead, we look for concrete cooperation, including with ASEAN."
EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy
The EU wants to expand engagement with this region, which is why the 27 EU Foreign Ministers recently adopted a new EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, after several EU member states had already done so at national level.
Read:COVAX Facility: Japan to provide 30mn vaccine doses to other countries
The basic message is that the EU will work with its partners in the Indo-Pacific to respond to emerging dynamics that are affecting regional stability, said Borrell.
"Our approach is by the way very close to ASEAN’s own Outlook on the Indo-Pacific."
Concretely, he said, they will advance joint work to boost trade and investment, economic openness and a sustainable approach to connectivity.
The EU will promote multilateral cooperation, working on global challenges, from the pandemic to climate, from ocean governance to digital.
"And we will deepen our security engagement, seeking to make that cooperation as concrete as possible," said Borrell.
He said their new strategy aims to deepen regional integration and is inclusive for all partners in the region, wishing to cooperate with the EU when our interests coincide.
Read:ILO: Slow jobs recovery, increased inequality risk long-term COVID-19 scarring
"This includes China because we know that in important areas, like climate, fisheries and biodiversity, its cooperation is essential," said Borrell.
He said they do not aim to create rival blocs or force countries to take sides, and want to deepen our cooperation with democratic, like-minded partners.
"The European Union’s commitment to democratic rights and fundamental freedoms is very strong. Not because we see these as European or Western constructs. But because these values and principles are universal," he said.
Bangladesh seeks TRIPS waiver to ramp up Covid vaccine production
Bangladesh has called for a temporary waiver from certain obligations under the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for the production of vaccines, medicines and other health technologies to effectively respond to the pandemic.
Bangladesh made the demand in the just concluded 74th virtual session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held in Geneva.
Read: US unveils strategy for global vaccine sharing with Bangladesh, India on list
Intellectual property is currently a barrier to swiftly scaling up and diversifying the production of Covid-19 health products, including vaccines.
Bangladesh said the pharmaceutical industries across the developing countries, including Bangladesh, capable of producing vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other medical equipment should get licenses as well as technology and technical know-how to produce the vaccines and health technologies for Covid-19 and those items should be provided to other developing countries free of cost.
Besides, Bangladesh highlighted the timely and swift actions taken by the government of Sheikh Hasina, including health measures and stimulus packages, to combat the socio-economic impacts posed by the pandemic.
A Bangladesh delegation, led by Zahid Maleque, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, and in direct collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva, attended the virtual WHA, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.
Read:COVAX Facility: Japan to provide 30mn vaccine doses to other countries
This year, the Assembly mainly focused on the production, supply and equitable distribution of vaccines to address the Covid-19 crisis.
US unveils strategy for global vaccine sharing with Bangladesh, India on list
The US Administration has unveiled its strategy for global vaccine sharing through COVAX, keeping Bangladesh and India on the list.
The Biden-Harris Administration on Thursday announced an allocation plan for the first 25 million doses to be shared globally.
Approximately 7 million doses will be shared in Asia covering countries and entities, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands, according to White House.
As they continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic at home and work to end the pandemic worldwide, US President Joe Biden has promised that the United States will be an arsenal of vaccines for the world.
Also read: COVAX Facility: Japan to provide 30mn vaccine doses to other countries
To do that, the administration will pursue several additional measures beyond their robust funding for COVAX: Donating from the US vaccine supply to the world and encouraging other nations to do the same, working with US manufacturers to increase vaccine production for the rest of the world, and help more countries expand their own capacity to produce vaccines, including through support for global supply chains.
This vaccine strategy is a vital component of our overall global strategy to lead the world in the fight to defeat Covid-19, including emergency public health assistance and aid to stop the spread and building global public health capacity and readiness to beat not just this pandemic, but the next one.
The administration announced its framework for sharing at least 80 million US vaccine doses globally by the end of June and the plan for the first 25 million doses.
The United States will share vaccines in service of ending the pandemic globally.
Also read: Vaccine maker Serum seeks indemnity protection in India
The administration announced its framework for sharing these 80 million US vaccine doses worldwide.
Dhaka, London hopeful of signing climate accord before COP26
Bangladesh and the United Kingdom are planning to sign a "climate accord" before COP26 and expressed optimism for a successful outcome of the COP26 with a possible CVF-COP26 event at Glasgow.
The two countries agreed to work together to put nature at the heart of their climate action, building on the 2020 Leaders’ Pledge for Nature and realising shared commitments towards conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as those under the Global Ocean Alliance and the Commonwealth Blue Charter.
As founding members of the Adaptation Action Coalition, Bangladesh and the UK renewed their commitment to work together with other Coalition members to accelerate adaptation on the ground with a particular emphasis on promoting locally led climate action, according to a joint statement issued on Thursday.
The two countries will do more to avert, minimise, and address Loss and Damage, said the joint statement on climate action between the two countries.
Bangladesh and the UK will work together to get the network operating, following the UK-led Climate and Development Ministerial and drawing on the expertise in the UK, Bangladesh and internationally.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma met on Wednesday during the visit of COP26 President-designate to Bangladesh on June 2-4.
Also read: COP26: Alok Sharma pledges support for Bangladesh towards clean energy transition
They jointly reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom in tackling climate change’s causes and adverse effects. They agreed to demonstrate sustained leadership to tackle the climate emergency bilaterally and globally.
The two countries agreed to exchange expertise, share technology, facilitate partnerships, and identify practical solutions to common climate challenges.
COVAX Facility: Japan to provide 30mn vaccine doses to other countries
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has expressed his country’s intention to provide around 30 million vaccine doses manufactured in Japan to other countries and regions, including through the COVAX Facility.
Prime Minister Suga who co-chaired the COVAX AMC (Advance Market Commitment) Summit virtually with Gavi Board Chair José Manuel Barroso on Wednesday said Japan will provide the vaccine doses at an appropriate time when the circumstances allow.
Read: UK recognises Bangladesh's Dr Jara as 'Vaccine Luminary'
The Japanese Prime Minister explained that Japan has always supported the efforts by the COVAX Facility, including through its financial contribution, amounting to US$ 200 million and announced Japan’s additional contribution of US$ 800 million.
In this context, as one of the largest contributors to the COVAX Facility, Japan welcomed the arrival of 106,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh on May 31, which was made possible through the COVAX AMC.
Read:1 lakh-plus Pfizer vaccine doses reach Dhaka
Japan will continue to cooperate with Bangladesh to suppress the spread of the Covid-19 and overcome this unprecedented crisis, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.
The Summit, held on Wednesday, was organised to raise additional funds to secure necessary vaccines for developing countries by the end of 2021, in order to ensure through the COVAX Facility equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured vaccines thereby overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read: Bangladesh approves emergency use of Pfizer vaccine
Participants in the Summit include leaders and ministers from about 40 countries, including Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States of America, as well as António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General and other heads of international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and representatives from the civil society and the private companies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Prime Minister Suga called for further solidarity and commitments from the international community in the fight against Covid-19, and expressed Japan’s full support for ensuring equitable access to safe and effective vaccines for as many people as possible with a view to achieving Universal Health Coverage guided by the principle of human security.
UK recognises Bangladesh's Dr Jara as 'Vaccine Luminary'
The UK Government has recognised Dr Tasnim Jara, a Bangladeshi doctor working at England's National Health Service, as a "Vaccine Luminary" in the G7 Global Vaccine Confidence Summit.
As part of its G7 Presidency, the UK Government convened the Global Vaccine Confidence Summit on Wednesday, a first-of-its-kind event, bringing together global experts from across the public and private sectors to build and maintain confidence in vaccines.
"Although I have been featured from the UK on the global map, my work has served more people in Bangladesh and India," Dr Jara, also a postgraduate student of evidence-based health care at the University of Oxford, said.
Read: Sinovac vaccine restores a Brazilian city to near normal
As the only Bangladeshi recognised as a "Vaccine Luminary," Dr Jara said, "I am very proud to represent our part of the world on this global platform."
An interactive photo mosaic created in partnership with the UK Government and the People's Picture, titled "The Luminaries," was also unveiled at the event.
Using video and images, it showcased many global "Vaccine Luminaries" who are taking to social media to build confidence in vaccines, including health care professionals on the front line.
Read How to protect yourself and your family from Dengue fever
The platform will be available on a dedicated website with plans to feature more "Vaccine Luminaries" from around the world over the next year.
The Global Vaccine Confidence Summit forms part of the UK's wider work as G7 President this year to bring an end to the pandemic, with vaccine uptake, access and confidence a key component.
Recent data published by YouGov shows that the UK continues to top the list of nations where people are willing to have a Covid-19 vaccine or have already been vaccinated.
Read Japan’s vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late
During the Summit, world-leading experts at the forefront of efforts to build vaccine confidence and tackle misinformation about vaccines offered their perspectives on the critical global actions that governments and partners from across sectors can take to address the issue.
It was acknowledged that increased levels of vaccine confidence, accessibility and availability are needed globally to end the pandemic.
One of the biggest threats to confidence in vaccines is misinformation, which can damage public perceptions of vaccine safety and efficacy.
Read: WHO validates Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
Speaking at the Summit, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus showed his support saying: "Trust must be earned. To succeed in vaccinating the whole world, governments will have to deploy a range of strategies and tailor them to each country."
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark and former CEO of Save the Children International, and co-chair of Facebook's Oversight Board, also spoke at the Summit.
Other speakers at the Summit included Dr Anthony S Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, and Africa CDC First Director Dr John Nkengasong – who debated the relative success and challenges of building vaccine confidence in the US and Africa respectively, and what lessons are relevant for other regions.
Read Quit Smoking: How to prevent Nicotine addiction
ILO: Slow jobs recovery, increased inequality risk long-term COVID-19 scarring
The labour market crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and employment growth will be insufficient to make up for the losses suffered until at least 2023, said a new assessment by the International Labour Organization (ILO) released on Wednesday.
The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2021 (WESO Trends) projects the global crisis-induced ‘jobs gap’ will reach 75 million in 2021, before falling to 23 million in 2022.
The related gap in working-hours, which includes the jobs gap and those on reduced hours, amounts to the equivalent of 100 million full-time jobs in 2021 and 26 million full-time jobs in 2022.
This shortfall in employment and working hours comes on top of persistently high pre-crisis levels of unemployment, labour underutilization and poor working conditions.
In consequence, global unemployment is expected to stand at 205 million people in 2022, greatly surpassing the level of 187 million in 2019.
This corresponds to an unemployment rate of 5.7 per cent. Excluding the COVID-19 crisis period, such a rate was last seen in 2013.
Also read: ILO lauds progress in RMG sector
The worst affected regions in the first half of 2021 have been Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia. In both, estimated working-hour losses exceeded eight per cent in the first quarter and six per cent in the second quarter, compared to global working-hour losses of 4.8 and 4.4 per cent in the first and second quarter, respectively.
Global employment recovery is projected to accelerate in the second half of 2021, provided that there is no worsening in the overall pandemic situation.
However this will be uneven, due to unequal vaccine access and the limited capacity of most developing and emerging economies to support strong fiscal stimulus measures. Furthermore, the quality of newly created jobs is likely to deteriorate in those countries.
The fall in employment and hours worked has translated into a sharp drop in labour income and a corresponding rise in poverty.
Compared to 2019, an additional 108 million workers worldwide are now categorized as poor or extremely poor (meaning they and their families live on the equivalent of less than US$3.20 per person per day).
“Five years of progress towards the eradication of working poverty have been undone,” the report says, adding that this renders the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 even more elusive.
Also read: Bangladesh elected ILO Covid-19 Technical Committee chair
The crisis has also hit women disproportionately. Their employment declined by 5 per cent in 2020 compared to 3.9 per cent for men.
A greater proportion of women also fell out of the labour market, becoming inactive. Additional domestic responsibilities resulting from crisis lockdowns have also created the risk of a “re-traditionalization” of gender roles.
Globally, youth employment fell 8.7 per cent in 2020, compared with 3.7 per cent for adults, with the most pronounced fall seen in middle-income countries.
The consequences of this delay and disruption to the early labour market experience of young people could last for years.
The pandemic’s impact on young people’s labour market prospects is laid out in greater detail in an ILO brief published alongside the WESO Trends.
The Update on the youth labour market impact of the COVID-19 crisis also finds that gender gaps in youth labour markets became more pronounced.
“Recovery from COVID-19 is not just a health issue. The serious damage to economies and societies needs to be overcome too,” said ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder.
“We need a comprehensive and co-ordinated strategy, based on human-centred policies, and backed by action and funding. There can be no real recovery without a recovery of decent jobs,” he said.
COP26: Alok Sharma pledges support for Bangladesh towards clean energy transition
Appreciating Bangladesh’s adaptation and resilience, COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma on Wednesday pledged to help Bangladesh having a “clean energy transition”.
“We can work together to make sure that it is not just the public finance but also private finance that is coming into Bangladesh,” he told reporters in a joint media briefing at Foreign Service Academy.
Responding to a question, Sharma said he discussed the coal power issue during his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen noting that he raised the issue not just in Bangladesh but around the world.
Read:We expect UK to promote interests of climate vulnerable countries: Hasina
He laid emphasis on alternative sources of energy – clean energy – if the dependency on coal power is cut globally.
To supplement, Foreign Minister Dr Momen said they are scaling down some of the coal power industries as part of reducing dependency on coal power.
“We planned to have around 40 percent renewable energy by 2041. We’ll be looking for more renewable energy and we’re asking for technology to support renewable energy,” he said.
Bangladesh is among the fast growing economies with significant renewable energy potential, said the UK government.
Responding to a question on US$ 100 billion climate fund for developing countries, Sharma said the donor and developed countries need to step up noting that it is a matter of trust and it is very important they deliver on it.
He appreciated Bangladesh’s leadership in terms of adaptation and resilience saying they saw a very limited damage during recent cyclones due to Bangladesh’s works done to that front.
Sharma expressed satisfaction over private sector’s interest towards clean energy transition but they want long-term policy and clear regulations from all governments around the world.
Read: COP26: Alok Sharma discusses climate issues with FM
On the Sundarbans, he said they want to see further protection given to areas such as mangroves. “I am looking forward to the visit tomorrow (Thursday) there.”
Dr Momen said they want to save the planet. “We’re capable of doing it if there’s strong partnership and collaboration.”