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Yves Mersch Interviewed by Börsen-Zeitung

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European Central Bank
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Interview with Börsen-Zeitung

Interview with Yves Mersch, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, conducted by Kai Johannsen and published on 21 November 2020

21 November 2020

Mr Mersch, is it part of the European Central Bank’s mandate to engage with the capital market segment of green and sustainable finance?

The EU Treaties require the ECB to give primacy to the objective of price stability. If ECB’s engagement with the green and sustainable financial sector were necessary for maintaining price stability in the euro area, it would fall within the remit of our primary objective. I don’t think that applies at present.

In addition, the ECB has what are known as secondary objectives. Without prejudice to our primary objective of price stability, we support the general economic policies in the EU “with a view to contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Union”. One of these objectives is to work towards “a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment”. This justifies why the ECB is also looking into sustainability.

However, contrary to what some may argue, that does not mean that the ECB is free to take the initiative and decide itself how “a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment” is to be achieved. For good reason, that remains the privilege of elected politicians.

What are the risks facing green and sustainable finance over the coming years?

I would see it as a risk if green finance degenerated into a pure marketing tool. If investors want to make the world a greener place, they need to know how their investments contribute to more sustainability. To put it in technical terms, I see the risk of informational market failures if information on the sustainability of businesses and financial products is inconsistent, largely not comparable and at times unreliable or even completely unavailable. Definitions of what constitutes a sustainable investment are often subjective and inconsistent. The EU taxonomy is a promising initiative, albeit incomplete. Its practical usability remains a challenge. Plans are also under way for widely applicable industry standards.

What else is needed?

Better and more standardised non-financial reporting will also be crucial. This is essential for correctly pricing the risks. Sound reporting is the cornerstone of appropriate risk management.

Finally, financial institutions, including banks, need to ensure they can identify at an early stage, and deal with, the risks emerging from the effects of climate change and a rapid transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Only once these prerequisites are met can sustainable finance prosper and have a tangible impact on the real economy. Otherwise there remains a risk of “greenwashing” and of an unsustainable “green bubble” detached from fundamental data.

The EU taxonomy for green and sustainable finance is a complex system of classification intended to give investors and providers of financial products certainty as to what can be classified as green and sustainable. Is this a masterstroke by the EU that will advance this market segment and possibly also serve as an example for other countries and regions?

The EU Taxonomy Regulation is important. A sound classification system provides investors with valuable information for their investment decisions. The taxonomy was designed with green bonds in mind. Its application to other financial products may not be as straightforward and the overall design might need to be adjusted.

Moreover, the system is indeed very complex.

What does that mean for risk assessment in practice?

I see a certain gap between its envisaged objective and its practical usability.

However useful the taxonomy may be for green investment decisions, it will not help in the risk assessment of economic activities exposed to climate risk. Finally and more fundamentally, the taxonomy is only one piece of the puzzle: granular data at the corporate level are required in order for it to be usable.

If we address these shortcomings, the EU can set an example for the parallel processes now under way in other countries. We have one of the most advanced frameworks for sustainable finance. The EU taxonomy can be an important element in promoting the EU regulatory approach abroad, and in strengthening the EU’s role as a global hub for sustainable finance.

When do you expect financial markets and market participants to be fully green and sustainable?

I don’t think that the entire financial sector will one day be green. There are many industries that are neither clean nor dirty and they also raise funding on the market. Moreover, I don’t think we can stop climate change by choking off entire sectors of the economy. We should rather create the right incentives through, say, fiscal policy measures, including carbon pricing and other regulatory tools.

Finally, the financial sector can indeed help, but it can’t save the planet on its own.

We are now transitioning towards green and sustainable capital markets: what specific transition risks do you see in this phase?

The transition towards a greener and more sustainable capital market may lead to a repricing of assets. If this adjustment happens abruptly, i.e. if the redirection of capital proceeds in an unexpected or disorderly way, we talk about transition risks.

However, compared with the potential economic losses arising from climate risks, the transitory losses that may occur are paltry. But individual banks could certainly be hit hard: the bulk of exposures to the most energy-intensive borrowers are held by just a few banks. In other words, a few banks have very high exposures.

Are the banks already providing sufficient disclosure on specific risks that are neither green nor sustainable, i.e. largely brown assets, and do you already incorporate these in the ECB’s banking supervision? How far do the banks go in their disclosure and do they go far enough for the ECB?

I see a need for further action in that regard. It’s true that the disclosure of climate-related risks has improved, but mostly the information is just not detailed enough, and only seldom supported by quantitative data.

We will soon be publishing a “Guide on climate-related and environmental risks”. The Guide sets out how, in our view, institutions should take climate and environmental risks into consideration in their business strategies, governance and risk management frameworks and how these are to be disclosed. We looked at the disclosure for last year from a sample of the institutions that we supervise – more than half of them did not even meet the minimum requirements set out in the Guide. In relation to this we will soon be publishing a report on the disclosure of environmental risks of the banks under our supervision.

Does that provide any first lessons for the ECB?

Yes. That is why we will devote our 2022 stress test to the topic of climate change. This stress test should not only be analytical and top-down, but, in the hope of a better data situation, a better taxonomy and better standards, also enable a meaningful bottom-up approach.

Are you concerned that a major case of greenwashing could arise, which could trigger a chain reaction and result in a sharp downturn in the financial markets? Are the markets sufficiently forearmed against this, or in other words, are they stable enough?

There is no doubt that greenwashing is an issue, even if an improvement is in sight. The European Commission will soon present a legislative proposal for an EU green bond standard. However, a green bond does not necessarily tell us how green a company is as a whole. The classification relates instead to individual assets that these bonds are intended to finance. These assets are only part of the company’s balance sheet, which could indeed also include conventional assets with a bigger carbon footprint. Thus, on their own, green bonds are not sufficient for a greener real economy.

What would in your view be helpful?

A welcome Commission initiative concerns the introduction of an EU ecolabel for financial products and in particular for investment funds. This should allow retail investors who are concerned about the environmental impact of their investments to rely on a trustworthy and verified label and hence make informed investment decisions. At the same time incentives could be created for financial markets to develop more products with a reduced or positive environmental impact.

It remains a problem that markets may not yet be able to correctly assess the fundamentals of green financial products. This is for instance the case with green bonds, where there are large differences in the extent to which the bond proceeds are truly invested in green and sustainable projects.

How important are sustainability ratings? Do you already deploy these ratings in your supervision? Are the ratings robust enough for an appropriate estimation of risks and opportunities?

The current environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings of banks do not reflect their lending to companies with high carbon emissions. Similarly, they are also not an appropriate measure of credit risk. These ratings are more concerned with social responsibility.

Carbon emission figures could provide a better proxy for the physical and transition risks to which companies are exposed.

An issue that comes up repeatedly is that each agency uses different metrics for their sustainability ratings: the same data are assessed or weighed in different ways. Should providers therefore report several sustainability ratings or just one?

The fact that ratings vary so much across providers is largely due to three factors: first, the underlying raw data and calculation methodologies; second, the methodologies used to compute the ratings; and, third, the qualitative elements underlying each assessment. Therefore, providers should present metrics and ratings in a transparent way so that investors can understand them.

What is even more important is that data gaps in the underlying data are closed. This brings us back to disclosure, for which the taxonomy framework and reliable labels for sustainable financial products – including an EU standard for green bonds – are crucial.

Does the ECB deploy green and sustainable investments in its fund management – of pension funds, say? If so, what are the investment criteria, what kinds of investment are excluded?

The pension funds are managed autonomously. The management has undertaken to adhere to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and thus to include sustainability standards.

In addition, we have increased the share of green bonds in our own funds portfolio and will continue to do so in future. We follow the Sustainable and Responsible Investment Guide for Central Banks’ Portfolio Management from the Network for Greening the Financial System, of which we are a member.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantinos Vlasis participates in the international “Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief” (Warsaw, 16-17 November 2020)

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Newsdesk
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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantinos Vlasis participates in the international “Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief” (Warsaw, 16-17 November 2020)

Deputy Minister Konstantinos Vlasis participated online in the international “Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief,” which was hosted by Poland on 16 and 17 November, with the participation of some sixty countries, International Organizations and NGOs.

In his remarks, Mr. Vlasis pointed to the importance Greece attaches to advancing religious freedoms as a necessary condition for the peaceful co-existence of peoples, promotion of international security, and prosperity and development of societies, as described in the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

Mr. Vlasis then commented on the important role played by Greek Orthodoxy’s Ancient Patriarchates in Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem – in North Africa and the Middle East, respectively – in preserving religious and cultural plurality. He also highlighted that the Christian populations of these regions are, to this day, facing persecution, leaving no room for complacency.  

Finally, he made special mention of Turkey’s conduct with regard to respect for religious freedom and expression. Having noted Turkey’s stubborn refusal to recognize the Ecumenical nature of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, he reiterated the longstanding demand that the Halki Seminary be reopened.

In closing, the Deputy Minister pointed to Turkey’s obligation, as a founding member of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, to respect and not alter the ecumenical nature of Hagia Sophia and the Monastery of Chora, World Heritage Sites that have recently been converted into places of Muslim worship, in violation of, among other things, the obligation of prior notification of and consultation with UNESCO. At the same time, fully respecting the right to freedom of expression and faith, Greece officially opened the Athens Mosque, a highly symbolic move that demonstrates our country’s will to firmly defend the right to religious freedom.

COVID cases surge amid growing threat from antimicrobial resistance – WHO chief 

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officialinstitutions
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COVID cases surge amid growing threat from antimicrobial resistance – WHO chief 

“Across Europe and North America, hospitals and ICU units are filling up or are full”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said at a regular press briefing in Geneva. 

While sharing “more good news from vaccine trials, which continues to give us hope of ending the pandemic”, he upheld the need to continue to “use the tools we have to interrupt the chains of transmission and save lives”.  

Unwinding ‘century of medical progress’ 

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the “intimate relationship between humans, animals and the planet we share”, the WHO chief said. 

“We cannot protect and promote human health without paying attention to the health of animals and the health of our environment”. 

This is particularly relevant when considering antimicrobial resistance, according to Tedros, who called it “one of the greatest health threats of our time”. 

Antimicrobial resistance threatens the efficacy of the antibiotics that are key in combatting HIV, malaria, neglected tropical diseases and many other illnesses. 

And while antimicrobial resistance may not seem as urgent as a pandemic, it is not only just as dangerous but threatens to “unwind a century of medical progress and leave us defenseless against infections that today can be treated easily”, he warned. 

Combatting resistance 

Aligning with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which kicked off on Wednesday, the WHO chief launched a new report – along with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health  – that examines international rules governing antimicrobial practices, and identifies gaps in regulations governing their use on humans, animals and plants. 

The report, based on data from 136 countries, reveals that while almost 90 per cent of States have national action plans for antimicrobial resistance, only 20 per cent have identified funding for their implementation. 

“To help address that gap, together we have established a trust fund to support low and middle income countries to develop a truly ‘One Health’ approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance”, Tedros asserted, thanking Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom for $13 million in funding – the first round of support for eleven countries, and to generate more global coherence in their use. 

New leadership group 

Against the backdrop that increased political commitment at the highest levels of government was “one of the most important ways” to achieve that goal, the WHO chief announced the One Health Global Leaders Group, which will bring together prominent leaders from government, the private sector and civil society organizations “to advocate for urgent action to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance”. 

It also involves participants from agriculture, health, development and other relevant areas “to maintain urgency, public support, political momentum and visibility of the antimicrobial resistance challenge”.

FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Good hygiene on farms can help stem the rise of antimicrobial resistance that comes from the over-reliance of antibiotics.

US Bishops renew their call to stop federal executions – Vatican News

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officialinstitutions
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US Bishops renew their call to stop federal executions - Vatican News

By Lisa Zengarini

In the wake of more federal executions scheduled in coming weeks, US Bishops have renewed their call on the Administration “to act as a witness to the dignity of all human life”. 

Executions, which had been suspended in the Country for seventeen years, resumed on July 14, after the Supreme Court cleared the way in an unsigned order released the on same day. Since then, eight offenders have been executed by the Federal Government. The last execution took place on Thursday November 19 and two more are to come in December.

In a statement issued yesterday, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, appealed again to stop the executions.

“We are now on pace for ten federal executions in 2020, more than double the previous record of four in 1938”, the statement pointed out. “The death penalty is not necessary to protect society.  It is not necessary to hold people accountable for grave crimes.  The decision not to execute someone, even someone who has done something terrible, is not ‘soft on crime’; rather, it is strong on the dignity of life”,  the two Archbishops added quoting the recent encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti”, in which Pope Francis reiterated “the firm rejection” by the Church of capital punishment (no. 269).

Finally, the statement referred to all documents published this year by US bishops on the death penalty and the recent resumption of federal executions:.

Team Europe: European Union and Germany support Senegal with more than €200 million

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Newsdesk
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Team Europe: European Union and Germany support Senegal with more than €200 million

The European Union (EU) and Germany are supporting Senegal’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic by mobilising €112 million from the EU and €100 million from Germany’s global emergency programme for COVID-19. The funding is part of the overall ‘Team Europe’ envelope intended to support our partners’ efforts to face the coronavirus crisis.

The funding will help support the Senegalese government’s Economic and Social Resilience Programme, particularly economic aid measures for businesses and social assistance for the people of Senegal.

European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: ‘This support, which is on an unprecedented scale, illustrates the strength of the European Union’s commitment to supporting Senegal. I am proud of this joint Team Europe effort to optimise the impact of social measures to help the most vulnerable and to support economic actors. By ensuring management transparency, the Senegalese authorities can count on us to strengthen the country’s resilience.’

Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Gerd Müller, said: ‘We stand shoulder to shoulder with Senegal, our partner country for reform. Coronavirus is wiping out a great deal of the progress made: almost half of the population is unemployed. Senegal’s economy will experience a dramatic recession. By providing immediate support and bridging loans, we are helping to maintain production and safeguard tens of thousands of jobs, as businesses switch over to producing items such as protective masks and medical equipment.’

Background

The European Union is a leading and longstanding partner of Senegal. EU aid to Senegal for 2014-2020 totals around €1 billion, which includes €347 million from the bilateral envelope and €199.2 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

The EU is supporting the Senegalese government’s priorities of promoting sustainable and inclusive growth and involving the private sector in job creation, in particular for young people. It is also supporting green and sustainable development in Senegal, as well as governance and stability, including migration management.

Germany has been a close partner of Senegal since the country gained independence. In 2019, the two countries entered into a partnership to encourage reforms. Germany is supporting the implementation of reforms in Senegal in the area of good governance and the fight against corruption, for which additional funding is set aside. In return, the Senegalese government has undertaken to make measurable progress.

As part of its Marshall Plan with Africa, Germany has entered into partnerships with six countries to encourage reforms. The aim of cooperation with countries implementing reforms is to improve the business climate, boost the private sector and create jobs. The goal is to increase local investment.

This new funding will be made available to Senegal as a financial contribution to its Economic and Social Resilience Programme (PRES), the aim of which is to address the economic and social crisis triggered by COVID-19. Across the globe, the coronavirus crisis has led to dramatic food shortages and economic crisis, with developing and emerging countries being particularly affected.

To address the economic and social repercussions, the Senegalese government is receiving support so that it can continue to maintain basic public services, such as social protection and food security, as well as support for the private sector, which in turn helps safeguard jobs. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the informal sector are being particularly affected by the coronavirus crisis and the decline in economic growth.

Since March, many businesses have been forced to scale back their operations or stop them completely. MSMEs are the backbone of the private sector in Senegal. They account for 99.8% of the 400 000 businesses in Senegal and employ 89% of the working population. This makes them a driving force for economic and social development in Senegal.

Economy of Francesco: Generating solidarity out of ashes of pandemic – Vatican News

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officialinstitutions
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Economy of Francesco: Generating solidarity out of ashes of pandemic - Vatican News

By Devin Watkins

As the live-streamed event got started from the Italian town of Assisi on Friday, organizers expressed surprise over how the event’s first day had generated over 48,000 views on YouTube.

Some 2,000 young economists and entrepreneurs were signed up as direct participants.

The first session of “The Economy of Francesco” explored several social aspects of the global economy and how they could be improved, while seeking inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi.

From producing to caring

A conference entitled “Generativity, Relational Good, and Civil Economy” opened with Professor Mauro Magatti, a sociologist and economist at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy.

Prof. Magatti said the current economic system is based on productivity and the person’s status as a consumer, rather than as a human being.

He urged younger generations to move away from this standard toward the creation of economic indicators which take into account the idea of “generativity”. An economy with this expanded parameter would also care about what is produced and its effects on all of humanity.

Transition to open economy

Prof. Magatti said this requires four transitions: A formative transition which helps people grow; an organizational transition which can recognize people’s abilities and ideas without constraining them; a communitarian transition—known in the Church as the principle of subsidiarity—to create open communities that seek out future paths; an environmental transition which links up generations and all Creation.

“A generative economy reopens a future which had seemed closed,” he concluded.

Finding meaning

Another speaker, Leonardo Becchetti, an economist at Rome’s Tor Vergata University, expanded on this idea, focusing on its effects on political economy.

A “generative economy”, he said, means moving beyond a two-pronged approach to economics, whose center is the market and institutions, to one which also pays attention to “active citizenship of voting with our pocketbook” and “responsible business activity”. He said such a shift would allow an individual to find meaning within the economic system.

“Generativity,” said Prof. Becchetti, “is the best way to create meaning in individual life and make it flourish.”

For profit’s sake

The keynote speaker for the event’s second day was Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and social entrepreneur.

The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate developed the idea of microfinance, which gives low-income individuals access to small business loans to pursue their dreams.

Speaking to participants in The Economy of Francesco, Prof. Yunus said the goal of microfinance is “not to make money for yourself but to solve people’s problems.”

In the same vein, he offered several criticisms of the global economic system. He said the Covid-19 pandemic has thrust its main defect into the limelight: maximizing profits for those on the top.

“We have built a world where 1 percent of the population owns 99 percent of all wealth,” he said.

Pain of the poor

Prof. Yunus pointed out that with the onset of the pandemic those people who barely earned a living were suddenly thrust into poverty from their perch on the margin.

“They became poor; they don’t have any food; they don’t have any income. That’s almost half the population of the entire world.”

Prof. Yunus said many people yearn to return to a pre-pandemic world.

“Why would we want to return?” he asked the young economists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers participating in The Economy of Francesco.

A concrete, Ugandan example

The second day of the event concluded with a snapshot of a social ministry in Uganda, as an example of a caring economy based on solidarity.

The “Rescue Women Foundation” seeks to restore hope to sexually abused teenage mothers through microfinance.

Miriam Kiwumulo Kyalimpa, the founder and director of the foundation, said the organization helps women by granting small loans to kickstart their business ideas.

Since many women are unable to take on such risks alone, they are encouraged to form groups and work together to lift themselves out of poverty and destitution.

“We want to teach them how to work,” she said. “They have the capacity. All they need is a source of capital.”

World: UNHCR Recommendations to the European Union: Resettlement Needs and Key Priorities for 2021, October 2020

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In the past ten years, the number of forcibly displaced people has nearly doubled. In 2019, the number of people
forced to flee (inside and beyond the borders) grew to 79.5 million – the highest ever recorded. Refugee situations
continue to increase in scope, scale and complexity, whereas durable solutions provided to refugees are at levels that fall well below needs.

The Three-Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways translates the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) into a global plan for action to build the structures to increase the number of resettlement and complementary pathways places. It also seeks to expand the number of engaged countries and improve the availability and predictability of third country solutions for refugees. The Strategy foresees resettlement of one million refugees and admission of two million through complementary pathways by 2028. More specifically, the Strategy calls for an incremental increase of 10,000 resettlement admissions per year. The global resettlement admissions target was set at 70,000 refugees for 2020 and at 80,000 for 2021. It will be reaching 150,000 refugees by 2028.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact with border closure and travel restrictions and placed a significant obstacle in securing third country solutions for refugees in 2020. The pandemic’s toll on European countries has been significant. Despite the major challenges caused by COVID-19, EU Member States remained engaged with UNHCR to find ways to keep resettlement programmes running: scores of refugees with emergency protection needs have been able to depart for resettlement; and innovative modalities have been adopted to maintain resettlement processing. UNHCR welcomes the support and assistance provided by EU Member States and local communities to refugees.

With the resumptions of travel and admissions since June 2020, UNHCR stands ready to support States in their efforts. UNHCR is very pleased to see several arrivals to EU countries, including from the Niger Emergency Transit Mechanisms and calls on countries to assist and expedite departures in order to continue evacuations from Libya.

UNHCR welcomes the Pact on Migration and Asylum and looks forward to working with Member States and the EU. The Pact is a foundation for growing resettlement and complementary pathways in 2021 and beyond in reflection of the goals of the Three-Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.

Regional Director’s visit cements stronger cooperation on health in Albania

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On a recent country visit to Albania, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, signed a 2-year agreement to work together on key health issues, and met decision-makers and health workers on the COVID-19 frontline.

Following a press briefing, both Dr Kluge and Albania’s Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ms Ogerta Manastirliu, signed a new biennial collaborative agreement (BCA), setting out areas where WHO and the Albanian government can make efforts to improve the health and well-being of the population. This agreement includes: coverage of health services; maternal, child and reproductive health; tackling both communicable and noncommunicable diseases; health financing; and emergency preparedness and response, including COVID-19.

In a statement to the press, Dr Kluge said: “I encourage all efforts made towards delivering universal health coverage, including a focus on a primary health care system that is accessible, affordable and equitable. The European Programme of Work [EPW] places particular attention on 4 flagship initiatives: mental health, digitization, behavioural insights and immunization. It is encouraging to see these reflected in the strategic efforts of the Government of Albania.

“Today’s signing of our Biennial Collaborative Agreement 2021 with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Albania is another positive step in our close work together to deliver on the commitments of the EPW, across Albania and across the WHO European Region.”

Contributing to the European Programme of Work – “United Action for Better Health”, which was agreed by European Region Member States in September 2020, this agreement seeks to strengthen the country’s National Health Strategy in line with WHO’s triple billion health goals: more people benefitting from universal health coverage, more people better protected from health emergencies and more people enjoying better health and well-being.

The signing of the BCA followed a meeting between Ms Manastirliu and Dr Kluge where they discussed the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response, the country’s National Health Policy, health financing and the new primary health care strategy.

COVID-19 response

Dr Kluge commended the Government of Albania and health-care authorities for their response to COVID-19. Following the structural mechanisms put in place since January, in order to deal with the growing challenges brought by the virus, the strategy prepared for the autumn and coming winter is another positive step in the pandemic response.

As COVID-19 cases surge, Dr Kluge explained that it is vital that with WHO/Europe’s solidarity, the Albanian government continues strengthening testing and contact tracing capacity across the country, with robust case management.

Dr Kluge stressed: “like everywhere in Europe, we must redouble our efforts once again”.

Despite the challenges, Dr Kluge told the people of Albania that they are not alone. “WHO/Europe remains a steadfast partner amid this pandemic and we look forward to sustaining our close collaboration and commitment to leave no one behind.”

National Health Policy and COVID-19 response

In a meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Dr Kluge spoke about the COVID-19 response and the National Health Policy, while also offering support following an earthquake last year which caused damage in the country.

Dr Kluge welcomed the proposal to increase the health budget significantly compared to 2020, while encouraging increased public investment in the health system. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been placed at the centre of the country’s National Health Policy – increasing UHC is a central part of “United Action for Better Health”.

In a meeting with President Ilir Meta, Dr Kluge highlighted the ongoing response to COVID-19. This offered the chance to explain the work being undertaken by WHO, as well as recognizing the efforts made by the government in protecting the health system from being overburdened earlier this year, while also preparing for future increases in COVID-19 patients.

Furthermore, Dr Kluge expressed his appreciation to Albania for participation in the Solidarity trial and COVAX facility, working towards global, equitable access to potential COVID-19 vaccines.

Health-care workers

During the country visit, Dr Kluge visited a hospital caring for COVID-19 patients, expressing his admiration for the courage and determination of health-care workers.

“I would like to thank you for the great job that you are doing, but I would also like to thank your families because they suffer as well when you are working day and night. We have to fight the pandemic in the hospitals, but also at home, in the communities and at the primary health centres,” said Dr Kluge.

The Regional Director also thanked the health-care workers of the infectious disease department at Mother Theresa University Hospital Centre for being part of the Solidarity trial, pointing out that it is 1 of 500 hospitals worldwide which are participating in the trial. Dr Kluge emphasized that it is important to share knowledge, not only for Albania but for the whole world.

Albania has seen a scaling up of 4 health facilities as treatment centres for COVID-19, as well as increasing the salaries of health professionals who have been treating patients with the disease.

Partnerships for health

Working together with partners is an important part of delivering on the EPW.

A highlight of the visit was the meeting with the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Albania, Luigi Soreca. Common ground on strengthening health systems, stronger engagement in the Balkans, and support to the EU accession process of Albania was discussed.

During the visit, Dr Kluge also met with United Nations Resident Coordinator, Fiona McCluney, discussing joint efforts on COVID-19, elevating health on the political agenda and further strategies to support the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Albania.

The visit also offered the opportunity to meet with the Tirana-hub of the Global Shapers network. The Global Shapers are a community of socially driven young people from across the globe who have been working with WHO/Europe to monitor rumours, address myths and share evidence-based information on COVID-19.

During this meeting, Dr Kluge highlighted the importance of young people as partners in helping stop the spread of COVID-19, including motivating peers. The need for including and listening to young people, particularly on matters of global health which directly affect them, is crucial to strengthening the work of WHO/Europe.

Is France using political Islam to target religion as such?

By
Willy Fautre
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The law meant to tackle political Islamism in France should not target religion

The resurgence in attacks by radical Islamists in France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim population, has rekindled fierce debates about Islam, secularism, and discrimination. The deplorable assassinations in October 2020 of Samuel Paty, a teacher, and three Catholics in the Basilica of Nice have accelerated the political will of the authorities to adopt a law meant to tackle some of the root causes of Islamist terrorism.

The proposed law announced in October by the President of the Republic and the Minister of the Interior was often titled ‘law on separatisms’, in the plural, while other times it is in the singular form. This was not a mistake, an inaccuracy or a hesitation about spelling or grammar. It reflected the current uncertainty of whether to take the risk of identifying the problem as a religious one and to exclusively target one religion: Islam.

According to the French authorities, a specific group of Muslims are said to separate themselves from the historical majority of society and from its values in a dangerous manner, for example by rejecting scientific truths such as the evolution theory or by contesting the Holocaust.

To avoid the accusation of Islamophobia and concerns about religious discrimination, the government planned to include other religious groups, especially ones labelled ‘sectes’, to instrumentalize them as an alibi of its good faith. All the while, authorities would continue ignoring some very closed Jewish communities. The inherent flaw with this approach is that the security threat is considered religious in nature, which it is not.

A few days ago, the French authorities made the draft law and its new title public. It has changed entirely and is now the “Draft Law Strengthening Republican Principles”. Its scope is much wider than what had been announced, but it still targets separatism. The Council of State has begun examining it. 

The source of the problem that France is attempting to solve is a political ideology: radical Islamism. It is not Islam.

Radical Islamism’s objective is to impose a theocratic governance in Muslim minds whether they are in Muslim majority countries or not. This is accomplished by instilling its ideology in Muslim families, parents, and children, even before school education.

The enemy to combat is not a religion or some religions and their disciples, but a political project. If the French authorities persist in singling out an entire religious community as a threat, they will make the work of radical Islamism all the easier.

Therefore, the law should not target Islam as a religion, but should instead tackle political Islamism, in particular Salafism and its organisations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its satellite associations.

In line with this objective, about 50 suspicious mosques have been closed since the appointment of Gerald Darmanin as Minister of the Interior in July 2020. However, closing ‘suspicious’ mosques is not a solution and is in fact counterproductive. Such a restrictive measure angers the Muslims who are deprived of their right to collective worship, which is a violation of the international standards on freedom of religion or belief. It’s not ‘mosques’ that disseminate extremist ideas, but rather the individuals in leadership roles in some mosques who instrumentalise religious teachings for political purposes. Certain imams and preachers, who have been identified by the authorities for a very long time, behave as political militants instead of providing faith-building to their communities. The draft law must combat them, not the religious community they belong to.

The draft law sets the fight against radical Islamism at the religious level when it should only be carried out at the ideological and political one instead. Other religious or spiritual communities and other categories of believers have nothing to do with this political militant activism and should not be targeted.

The French government’s plan is to present the draft law to the Council of Ministers after it has been finalized on the basis of the remarks of the Council of State. The choice of the date of 9 December 2020 will coincide with the anniversary of the 9 December 1905 Law which regulates the relations between state and religions in France.

All religions should feel concerned by this law. Indeed, several vague concepts in the draft law such as ‘behaviours threatening human dignity’ and ‘psychological pressures’ may open the door to many abuses in the implementation of the law on other religious groups as well.

Moreover, an article of this law provides that if any member of a group is considered to have acted in violation of a point of the law, it will allow the ban of the whole association by the Council of Ministers.

It is to be hoped that the Council of State will keep in mind the guidelines of the OSCE/ ODIHR about freedom of religion or belief and the Venice Commission recommendations and will contest these questionable provisions.

—

Photo by Sung Shin on Unsplash

Next steps to deliver “United Action for Better Health” in Europe

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From the launch of a new centre for health emergency preparedness; the establishment of a scientific advisory board to help identify policy priorities during pandemics; and the formation of a regional tripartite joint secretariat to coordinate One Health action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR); to preparing for COVID-19 vaccine deployment and availability; and restructuring WHO/Europe, progress is being made on all fronts to deliver the European Programme of Work (EPW) – “United Action for Better Health”.

At a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Regional Committee (SCRC), WHO/Europe’s governance board, on 18 November 2020, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, detailed the wide range of activities undertaken by WHO/Europe since the EPW was adopted by Member States in September 2020.

Key among these developments are:

  • operationalization of the WHO European Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies in Istanbul, Turkey, which serves as the regional centre for emergency preparedness and provides technical expertise to improve capacity-building and operationalize selected International Health Regulations (2005) core capacity areas;
  • detailed discussions during the second meeting of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development, which is to provide policy recommendations on health and care systems, building on experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic; thematic working groups have been set up so that commissioners can explore specific areas such as the economic outlook, innovation and digital transformation, and the role of science in policy-making; a scientific advisory board has also been established to support the Commission’s work;
  • establishing a regional tripartite joint secretariat together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to coordinate One Health action against AMR across the WHO European Region;
  • preparation for COVID-19 vaccination deployment and availability, including discussions with the European Commission, the introduction of an online platform to monitor national-level preparedness, and guidance on the prioritization of population groups to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the Region;
  • finalizing a comprehensive restructuring of WHO/Europe, with a comprehensive functional review of all divisions, following the appointment of a new Executive Council.

After the Regional Director’s overview of the activities of WHO/Europe, and an update on the COVID-19 situation in the Region by the Regional Emergency Director, Dr Dorit Nitzan, members of the SCRC reviewed the initial draft programme for next year’s session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe. They also considered the tasks of committee subgroups that will work in the areas of WHO/Europe governance, work at country level and financing.

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