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COVID-19 can spark new generation of social protection measures: UN chief

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COVID-19 can spark new generation of social protection measures: UN chief

António Guterres was speaking at an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development, where he called for bold and imaginative action by leaders to avert the long-term impacts of the crisis. 

“The pandemic brings new awareness of the social and economic risks that arise from inadequate social protection systems, unequal access to healthcare and other public services and high levels of inequality, including gender, race inequality, and all the other forms we witness in the world”, he said.  

“It can therefore open the door to the transformational changes needed to build a New Social Contract at the national level, that is fit for the challenges of the 21st century.” 

A New Social Contract 

The Secretary-General outlined the components of this New Social Contract, which include a strong emphasis on quality education for all, measures related to fair labour markets and fair taxation, Universal Health Coverage, and “a new generation” of social protection measures. 

He said countries with strong social protection systems before the pandemic were better positioned to rapidly offer their citizens access to much-needed healthcare. They also were able to ensure income security and protect jobs. 

“We must make every effort to extend social protection systems to the two billion informal economy workers, many of whom are women”, he continued.  “They are particularly vulnerable to the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19.” 

Progress under threat 

The World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in March 1995, saw world leaders agree that economic growth and social development must be balanced. 

Since then, countries have made progress in putting people at the centre of development, according to the head of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Liu Zhenmin. 

While results have been uneven, he pointed to successes such as reducing poverty and expanding access to education, especially for girls.  However, the pandemic threatens to undermine these efforts. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that the gains are fragile. Forging a better, more sustainable path to recovery calls for governments, the private sector and civil society, to adapt their roles and responsibilities”, said Mr. Liu, underscoring the UN chief’s call for a new contract. 

Re-imagine global systems 

Meanwhile, the crisis has also exposed huge gaps in governance structures and ethical frameworks, and the Secretary-General further called for the re-imagining of global systems and institutions to build a more inclusive, equal and sustainable world. 

“We need a New Global Deal where power, resources and opportunities are better shared at international decision-making tables – and governance mechanisms better reflect the realities of today,” he said. 

“And at the same time, we need to integrate the principles of sustainable development – and the promise of leaving no one behind – in all decision-making.” 

In this regard, he stressed the urgent need to secure the international cooperation and financing required to rollout COVID-19 vaccines and treatments that will be available and affordable to all, and to ensure support for developing countries so they can invest in better post-pandemic recovery.

Would a no-deal Brexit mean food shortages or price rises?

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Would a no-deal Brexit mean food shortages or price rises?
For most Britons, the impact of the UK’s transition to Brexit will first be noticed when they go to the supermarket to stock up on food and drink after the festive break.

With or without a deal, departure from the EU’s single market and customs union is likely to mean stores having to raise prices and may leave them with gaps on the shelves as supplies of certain foods run short.

The UK imports around 45 per cent of its food, with 26 per cent coming from the EU and the remainder from the rest of the world. European imports come mainly from the Netherlands (14 per cent of the total value of EU goods), Germany (11 per cent), Ireland (10 per cent) and France (10 per cent).

That makes Britain vulnerable to the disruption in the flow of traffic from the continent which the government admits is likely due to the additional red tape resulting from Brexit, including more than 200 million extra customs declarations annually.

If no free trade agreement is secured and ratified by 31 December, tariffs averaging 18 per cent will be imposed on food and drink imported from the continent, with retailers likely to pass some if not all of this additional cost onto consumers.

An 18 per cent hike on products making up around a quarter of the typical shopping basket would push the UK’s average £45-a-head weekly spend on food and drink up by around £2.

At the same time, no-deal would mean additional costs averaging 23 per cent on sales to the EU, making UK food and drink exporters less competitive and eating into their profits.

The Food and Drink Federation’s head of international trade Dominic Goudie described a no-deal outcome as “catastrophic” for UK supply chains, and said it was “highly likely” that any additional financial burdens would have to be passed on to consumers.

But even if Boris Johnson gets a deal with Brussels, there will still be a big financial burden on importers and exporters from extra red tape, including customs declarations, health certification and rules of origin checks. If passed on to customers, this alone could push prices up by 3 per cent.

Any rise in food prices will hit the poorest hardest, as food purchases make up the largest proportion of their spending.

And with or without a deal, delays are expected at key ports like Dover and Folkestone, with the government’s own worst-case planning scenario suggesting traffic across the straits could be reduced to 60-80 per cent of normal levels, with waits of as much as two days.

UK authorities have deferred the full implementation of new paperwork to July, and can be expected to wave food deliveries through where possible.

So initially at least, queues of lorries are more likely to be seen on the Kent side of the Channel than in France.

However, any delays will put consignments of perishable goods like seafood and salads at risk.

And there are fears that a proportion of EU-based hauliers will be discouraged by the additional friction from making the trip to the UK at all, cutting the total amount of produce arriving from Europe.

While no one expects an overall food shortage, it is possible that particular products will be harder to find. Britain relies on European trade for most of its onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and salad, and for a critical portion of many other vegetables and fruits. 

Meanwhile, failure to resolve issues relating to organic produce could mean UK suppliers being frozen out of the EU and Northern Ireland markets.

Mr Goudie said that delays are “inevitable” and warned that stockpiles of produce in the UK are currently low as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

“While our industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have used up stockpiles that had been built for a no-deal Brexit to cope with increased demand,” he said.

“Staff have also been redeployed to respond to the Covid-19 crisis and as a result many businesses have fewer available resources to dedicate to preparing for the end of the transition period.

“While we are working closely with the UK government to highlight the issues at stake for food and drink, we are deeply concerned that even a thin Brexit deal will mean impossible deadlines for UK manufacturers that depend on highly integrated UK-EU just-in-time supply chains.”

The FDF is calling for an amnesty period following the formal transition to post-Brexit arrangements on 31 December, to allow companies time to make changes in areas like food labelling and new border requirements.

“Failure to do this will undermine choice and value for UK shoppers,” said Mr Goudie.

“We anticipate impacts on product availability and on prices but it is hard to predict what that will look like as the added trade friction is likely to lead to a mixture of over and under-supply which will be equally damaging for manufacturers.”

Uncertainty is greatest in Northern Ireland, with goods traveling from the British mainland subject to new customs and health checks on arrival.

Under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol signed by Mr Johnson in 2019, these measures are required for any goods which could enter the EU by crossing the border into the Republic.

The UK government has claimed the EU could use the protocol to impose an effective blockade on food supplies to the North, and has threatened to breach international law to prevent this happening.

Delivering good mental health for people living with HIV

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This World AIDS Day let’s take stock of progress made and reflect on what we have learned. 2020 has not been an easy year for anyone amid the disruption and devastation brought by COVID-19.

The impact of the pandemic has been terribly unequal, with marginalized and vulnerable groups carrying the burden of this crisis.

When COVID-19 arrived in Europe our health systems were forced to adjust with unprecedented speed. In most countries this came at the expense of caring for patients suffering from other health issues, including HIV. As COVID-19 took hold, by July, we recorded 13% of countries in the WHO European Region reporting a risk of disruption to antiretroviral treatment services.

As we again battle a surge in COVID-19 cases, despite the heavy burden this already places on our health system and workforce, its essential we make efforts to reduce missed opportunities for preventing HIV and ensure continuity of testing, treatment and counselling services.

We have learned 3 important lessons this year that will help drive progress:

  1. Strong health systems are vital.
  2. Adequate HIV care includes mental health services.
  3. Solidarity and partnership are our way through this crisis.

Firstly, COVID-19 has reaffirmed our belief that strong health systems are central to protecting our communities. For these systems to be effective, they must be accessible to all. Aligned with our agenda for health in the Region 2020–2025, the European Programme of Work (EPW) represents a commitment to leaving no one behind. The provision of quality HIV services is key to achieving this.

People living with HIV are at a greatly increased risk of developing mental health conditions, often suffering from depression and anxiety. While people living with mental health problems can also be at higher risk of HIV.

As part of the EPW, I have identified mental health as a core need and priority. The WHO Reginal Office for Europe’s focus on mental health is being operationalized through a “Mental Health Coalition”, coming together under the auspices of Sustainable Development Goal Advocate, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium. It brings together Member States and high-profile advocates, as well as service users, providers and innovators, to reform mental health services and fight stigma. By integrating HIV and mental health services we will be able to reach more people with the specialist care and life-saving support they urgently need.

And finally, for these efforts to be realized we need solidarity.

There is plenty of work for us all to do. HIV affects more than 2 million people in the WHO European Region. The 2016 “Action plan for the health sector response to HIV”, aims to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat in the European Region by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Partnership and solidarity with you all, with our member states, with policy-makers and with partners like UNAIDS, will be critical.

I echo this year’s World AIDS Day theme of “Global solidarity, shared responsibility”. Let us remember that no one is safe until everyone is safe. If we want a way through the crisis, we must bring everyone along. If we want to protect our communities from future crises, we must leave no one behind.

Asylum: MEPs call for more solidarity among EU member states | News | European Parliament

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, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201126IPR92515/

  • Current rules do not ensure fair distribution of responsibility among member states
  • Frontline countries bear a disproportionate burden in terms of registration and reception of asylum-seekers
  • In the absence of a reform, more resources must be channelled to frontline member states

The Dublin Regulation does not share responsibility fairly among member states nor secure swift access to asylum procedures, say Civil Liberties Committee MEPs.

In a draft resolution to assess the functioning of the law that determines the member state which has to deal with an asylum application, the committee notes that the 2013 Dublin III Regulation puts a “disproportionate responsibility on a minority of member states, in particular when high numbers of arrivals occur”. MEPs call for a solidarity-based mechanism to ensure the fundamental right to asylum in the EU and the equal distribution of responsibility among member states.

The inappropriate application of the hierarchy of criteria – in particular the excessive use of the first country of entry criterion – and the ineffective implementation of transfers increase pressure on certain countries, namely Greece, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, and Spain, according to the committee, which asks for fairer rules.

MEPs regret that Council, contrary to Parliament, did not adopt a position on the 2016 proposal to reform the Dublin Regulation, thereby blocking that reform and leaving the Union with the “same set of rules which have proven to be ineffective” in managing high numbers of arrivals. They insist that ad hoc agreements on relocation cannot replace a harmonized and sustainable Common European and Asylum System and demand more resources and capabilities for frontline member states as long as the Dublin rules are not reformed.

The non-legislative text was approved with 45 votes to 10 and 13 abstentions. It will be put to the vote by the full House during the next plenary session. You can read more about the draft resolution here.

COMECE participates in the high level EU religious leaders’ meeting

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COMECE participates in the high level EU religious leaders’ meeting

COMECE participates in the high level EU religious leaders’ meeting

H. Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ and H.E. Mgr. Youssef Soueif, respectively President of COMECE and delegate of the Maronites in Cyprus to COMECE, participated in the 15th annual high-level EU-religious leaders’ meeting on the theme “European Way of Life” on Friday 27 November 2020, with the Vice Presidents of the European Commission and Parliament, Margaritis Schinas and Roberta Metsola, in charge of Article 17 dialogue.

The COMECE delegation highlighted the need to work together in a spirit of solidarity for people-centered policies that would guarantee a fair and fast Covid-19 recovery, without leaving anyone behind. In this context, religious leaders put emphasis on their collaboration to fight the current pandemic, especially with regards to the celebration of religious festivities.

The meeting was also an occasion to discuss about the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe, considered as a significant occasion to rethink and improve the European project. Religious leaders expressed their will to participate in this process in order to give their constructive contribution for the common good in the context of the open, transparent and regular structured EU-Churches dialogue as foreseen by the Article 17 TFEU.

H. Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, stressed the need to work together for the common good, “not only within the EU, but also around the world, protecting the dignity of every human person, especially of the most vulnerable and in need”.

According to the President of COMECE, this global engagement could be implemented through active peace and development policies in Europe’s neighborhood and beyond. “Saving people from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea should be a must. Contrary – added Card. Hollerich – the EU would lose his soul in the Mediterranean”.

And on the front of interfaith dialogue and in the context of the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Europe, the Head of EU Bishops stated: “if someone hurts my Muslim sister or my Jewish brother, he hurts me. We stand together in full solidarity and will not allow anyone to divide us. No to hate, no to fanaticism”.

The meeting between high-level EU and religious representatives is a consolidated tool to implement Article 17 TFEU, which foresees an open, transparent and regular structured dialogue of the EU with Churches and religious associations.

Staying safe and healthy this winter

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The winter holidays this year might be different from recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the best gifts you can give are health, kindness and support.

Whether you’re celebrating or not, there are plenty of ways you can enjoy this time while staying safe and healthy.

Read our tips for the winter holidays in our calendar below.

Staying safe during COVID-19 – Winter holidays calendar 2020

This calendar is best viewed using Adobe Acrobat or similar PDF viewer

Article – What is the State of the EU address? (video)

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Article - What is the State of the EU address? (video)

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201127STO92607/

Making your voice heard in the EU | News | European Parliament

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Making your voice heard in the EU | News | European Parliament

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201127STO92609/

Article – What is the EU’s Covid-19 recovery plan? (video)

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Article - What is the EU’s Covid-19 recovery plan? (video)

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201127STO92608/

Climate change: the EU needs to be better prepared so it can better adapt

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Climate change: the EU needs to be better prepared so it can better adapt

  • More funding needs to be channelled into adaptation; cost of inaction far greater
  • EU funds should only go to climate-proofed infrastructure
  • Climate-related extremes have caused damage costing EUR 426 billion 1980-2017

The upcoming EU adaptation strategy must give impetus to building climate-resilient societies, say Environment MEPs in a new resolution on adapting to climate change.

On Tuesday, the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety approved a resolution on adaptation to climate change, with 64 votes to 9 and 7 abstentions, providing input on the upcoming EU Strategy on adaptation to Climate Change.

The resolution calls for a renewed and improved focus on adaptation, as it is crucial to prepare for a changing climate by building resilient societies that are able to minimise the adverse impact of climate change.

The EU Strategy on adaptation should be an opportunity to ensure EU countries are on track to meet the adaptation goal under the Paris Agreement, show EU global leadership in building global climate resilience through increased financing and promote EU science, services, technologies and practices for adaptation, MEPs say.

How to help the EU adapt to climate change

MEPs call for increased funding at EU, national and regional levels, and for public and private investments in adaptation. The EU’s climate-related spending target should contribute to both climate mitigation and adaptation, they say, recalling that the cost of inaction would be far greater.

The Commission should ensure that costs arising from a failure to take adaptation measures are not passed on to citizens and enforce the “polluter pays” principle, making the polluter take responsibility for adaptation, MEPs agreed.

They also want to ensure that EU funding only goes to climate-proofed infrastructure by making an ex-ante examination to assess the capacity of EU projects to cope with medium-to-long term climate impacts in different global temperature rise scenarios an obligatory condition of receiving EU funding.

Next steps

The resolution is scheduled to be voted on during the 14 – 17 December Plenary session, where a related question will also be presented to the Commission for oral answer.

Background

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has estimated that weather and climate-related extremes have accounted for EUR 426 billion in monetary losses in the period 1980-2017 in EU-28.

Adaptation means anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage. Well planned, early adaptation action is proven to save money and lives later.

The ability to adapt differs across populations, economic sectors and regions within Europe. The EU can ensure that disadvantaged regions and those most affected by climate change are capable of taking the necessary measures to adapt, and when the impact of climate change transcends borders of individual states, e.g. rivers.

As part of the European Green Deal, a new Adaptation Strategy is expected to be adopted by the Commission in early 2021.

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