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Use COVID lessons to ‘do things right’ for the future, urges UN chief
In his remarks online to the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the Secretary-General said that COVID-19 was highlighting the challenges plaguing societies and had exposed some major systemic fragilities.
“Even before the virus, our societies were on shaky footing, with rising inequalities, worsening degradation of the environment, shrinking civic space, inadequate public health and untenable social frictions rooted in governance failures and a lack of opportunities,” said Mr. Guterres.
“And so we cannot go back to what was, but rather must turn the recovery into a real opportunity to do things right for the future”, he added.
Climate emergency already upon us
The Secretary-General underscored that this is all the more important in responding to the climate crisis, with climate-related destruction continuing to intensify and ambition for climate action falling short of what is needed.
“While COVID-19 has forced the postponement of COP26 until 2021”, he said, referring to the UN conference that assesses progress in dealing with climate change, “a climate emergency is already upon us.”
Mr. Guterres added that as the international community works to overcome the COVID crisis, it has an opening to address another, and steer the world onto a more sustainable path.
“We have the policies, the technology and know-how,” he continued, urging countries to consider six climate positive actions as they rescue, rebuild and reset their economies.
Quite simply, how the world recovers from COVID-19 is a ‘make-or-break moment’ for the health of our planet – Secretary-General
Six climate-positive actions
The actions, he outlined, include making societies more resilient and ensure a just transition; ensuring green jobs and sustainable growth; having bailouts of industry, aviation and shipping conditional on aligning with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; stopping fossil fuel subsidies and the funding of coal; considering climate risk in all decision-making; and working together.
“Quite simply, how the world recovers from COVID-19 is a ‘make-or-break moment’ for the health of our planet,” stressed the UN chief.
Address inequalities
In his address, the Secretary-General also highlighted that recovery efforts must address other sources of instability and drivers of discontent, including inequalities both within and between countries and communities.
“From racism and gender discrimination to income disparities, these deeply entrenched violations of human rights threaten our wellbeing and our future,” he said.
Inequality, Mr. Guterres continued, is associated with economic instability, corruption, financial crises, increased crime, and poor physical and mental health, and it is manifesting in new dimensions.
New social contract
“That is why I have been calling for a New Social Contract at the national level,” he said.
“This should feature a new generation of social protection policies and safety nets, including Universal Health Coverage and the possibility of a Universal Basic Income. Education and digital technology can be two great enablers and equalizers, by providing new skills and lifelong opportunities.”
And at the international level, a New Global Deal is needed, to ensure that power, wealth and opportunities are shared more broadly and equitably, with a fair globalization and a stronger voice for developing countries.
“Parliamentarians have a central role to play in helping the world respond to the pandemic wake-up call. We need you to align your legislation and spending decisions with climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said the Secretary-General.
Kenyan Bishops push against bill on reproductive health care
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ
Kenyan Bishops, alongside several pro-life groups in the country, have pushed against a 2019 Reproductive Health Care Bill currently before the senate of the east African country.
In a collective 17 August memorandum to the country’s Senate Committee on Health, the groups asked for the bill’s withdrawal “entirely without amendments” following fresh calls for public participation in the proposed law.
The memorandum was signed by the leadership of 26 groups including the Kenyan Bishops’ Conference (KCCB), Catholic Members of Parliament in Kenya, Kenyan Christian Professionals Forum (KCPF), Franciscan Friars Kenya, the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) and the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, among others.
Concerns raised
The groups listed various concerns regarding the proposed bill arguing that it is pushing for “illegalities and practices that are not acceptable” as they will “make abortion on demand legal” – which, they said, “is contrary to the spirit of our Constitution of 2010 and the Penal Code.”
Besides, the groups allege that the bill is “sponsored and championed by foreign NGOs that have continually pushed for it online, through media and also through holding workshops with a number of legislators.” All of these, they claim, are aimed at making abortion legal in all of Africa, beginning with Kenya.
Also, they said that proposed law pushes for surrogacy “without offering a clear framework on how this can be practiced” and with all of its negative effects “including harm to the best interests of the child and the spirit of Article 45 of the Constitution.” They also said that the bill leaves “loopholes for same-sex unions and related practices which are currently illegal in the country,” and it aims “at legalizing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in the name of adolescent-friendly education.”
Kenyan Bishops against the bill
The Catholic Bishops in Kenya have been vocal in their campaign against the proposed law.
On 23 June, the Bishops explained their opposition to the Bill in a letter to the country’s Catholic Members of Parliament. They listed various concerns including the “deliberately ambiguous” wording of the bill, and its contravention of the teachings of the Gospel, especially concerning the right to life and the protection of children and the family.
In particular, the Bishops contested the definition of pregnancy as “the presence of a foetus in the womb” – a definition which, according to them, does not recognize the right to life of everyone, and that the life of a person begins at conception. They also pointed out that they are aware that “a proposal to legalize abortion has been presented in parliament.”
“As Bishops, we respond to our belief that regards abortion as the intentional killing of human life,” read the Bishops’ June statement.
Also, in a collective statement on 5 July, the Bishops reiterated their push against the Reproductive Health Care Bill, underscoring their dedication to defending the “right to life, the dignity of children and the family as an inseparable unit.”
And, as an alternative to a clause in the bill that provides justification for the “termination of unwanted pregnancies,” the Bishops propose a proactive approach that involves “mentorship and behavior change programs, life skills and human sexuality programs.”
Liechtenstein brings an Inter-State case against the Czech Republic
On 19 August 2020 the Government of Liechtenstein lodged an inter-State application against the Czech Republic under Article 33 (Inter-State cases) of the European Convention on Human Rights, alleging breaches of the rights of its citizens in property cases.
The case concerns the Government of Liechtenstein’s complaint under several Articles of the Convention about the respondent State’s classification of Liechtenstein citizens as persons with German nationality for the purposes of applying the Decrees of the President of Republic of 1945 (also known as the Beneš decrees), which, among other things, confiscated property belonging to all ethnic Germans and Hungarians after the Second World War.
In its application the Government of Liechtenstein alleges violations of Article 6 (right to a fair trial), Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the Convention, Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property) to the Convention, as well as of Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) taken together with the other Articles.
The Government of Liechtenstein refers in its complaints to two sets of proceedings concerning property in the Czech Republic, one set against the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, which inherited all the property owned by the late Prince Franz Josef II, and one set concerning 33 individual cases brought by Liechtenstein nationals, including the head of state, Prince Hans-Adam II.
The Czech Republic has asserted ownership to the property in the cases. According to the Government of Liechtenstein, one of the cases was concluded in favour of the Czech State in a decision of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic of February 2020.
For a Q&A on inter-State cases please click here: https://web.archive.org/web/20211030212417/https://echr.coe.int/Documents/Press_Q_A_Inter-State_cases_ENG.pdf
Against the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis, COVID-19 responders carry out heroic work in northwest Syria
“Ten years of crisis, repeated attacks on health care, death and displacement of health-care workers, and an increase in hostilities towards the end of 2019 have all posed significant challenges for the ability of the health system in northwest Syria to respond to COVID-19,” says Dr Mohamed Altwaish, a dentist by training who serves as Public Health Coordinator for Hand in Hand for Aid and Development (HIHFAD), a WHO implementing partner in northwest Syria.
Since the first cases were identified on 9 July, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted health-care workers, who comprise 23 (43%) of all 54 identified cases reported by WHO. This has placed significant pressure on the already fragmented health infrastructure across the region (nearly 30% of health facilities are considered nonfunctional), including in Idleb and Aleppo governorates, which have been strained by years of crisis.
He stresses the critical work spearheaded by local health-care workers to mobilize COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts in collaboration with the WHO Emergency Field Programme in Gaziantep, Turkey, and the coordination of the Turkey Hub Health Cluster’s COVID-19 Taskforce, established in March 2020.
“Even before there were cases identified in northwest Syria, health-care workers were technically and logistically mobilizing local response efforts to combat COVID-19,” says Dr Altwaish. HIHFAD worked closely with WHO to establish isolation and treatment centres for suspected cases of COVID-19, ensure access to proper personal protective equipment for health-care workers across health facilities, and scale up training for community health workers to disseminate public health advice.
Leading training efforts for community health workers is another of Dr Altwaish’s roles. “I provide 1-day trainings for community health workers to engage local communities in COVID-19 prevention efforts as well as provide them with the skills to train other non-medical staff in how to distribute and disseminate these messages.”
Health-care workers have played a vital role in fostering community awareness of the growing threat of COVID-19, which has been one of the most challenging parts of the preparedness and response effort in northwest Syria.
“Health-care workers have struggled a lot to gain the acceptance of the local community, particularly in wearing masks and practising social distancing,” Dr Altwaish says. “Stigma was an issue from the beginning, particularly when the first case was identified among a member of the health-care workforce. Individuals started to assume that if you are a health-care worker, then you must have COVID-19.” He emphasizes the resulting psychological stress and pressure on the health-care workers to ensure the safety of their patients while continuing to provide essential services.
The protection of health-care workers continues to be a priority for WHO and local implementing partners in northwest Syria. Attacks on health care – a hallmark of the conflict in Syria – have brought the number of health facilities down further and deprived civilians of basic access to medical care. Now, with COVID-19 on the rise, stigma and barriers to care have added new challenges for the health-care workforce.
“When a fellow member of the health-care workforce tested positive for COVID-19, the event was an alert to the entire community in northwest Syria to better prepare and plan and avoid this in the future.”
Caritas Internationalis: ’empower local communities’
By Vatican News
World Humanitarian Day is annually celebrated on 19 August. It is a day set aside to raise awareness about humanitarian assistance worldwide and to pay tribute to the men and women who risk their lives to provide it.
“On this day, the international community recalls the generosity of heart of thousands of humanitarian workers, of the poor and above all the survivors of the disasters who in hope aspire to live in dignity”, said Aloysius John, Secretary-General of Caritas Internationalis, in a statement issued on the eve of the annual event.
The world marks this year’s celebrations amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. It also falls shortly after the massive 4 August explosion in Lebanon which claimed many lives. Thus, Caritas Internationalis is calling for “greater support to local civil society organizations, especially faith-based ones which around the world are supporting, helping and empowering local communities.”
Caritas Internationalis – a global confederation of 162 national relief and development agencies – is the second-largest civil society Catholic network and is present in almost all countries of the world. It aims to defend, serve, and accompany the poorest communities especially in times of disaster.
Local communities, first place actors of solidarity
“At a time when the disasters are getting to be more and more complex and the sufferings are high,” continued the statement, “the first support is given by the local communities which are better placed to bring appropriate help to the affected.” They are, therefore “to be recognized in the first place as actors of immediate solidarity,” insisted Caritas.
Even as the different parts of the world battle with the Covid-19 pandemic, Caritas points out that local communities have “shown the importance of being autonomous in taking quick action in responding to the pandemic.” Many, Caritas said, are “highly engaged in motivating and mobilizing community members to bring support and help to those who are vulnerable and also to build awareness around the danger of COVID-19 showing them how to avoid contamination.”
At this historic moment, continued the statement, “the international humanitarian system is being tested like never before, and humanitarian missions at the global level are bringing help to 1 in about 45 persons around the world.”
For this reason, Caritas “fully supports the localization of humanitarian aid and works to provide local communities with the knowhow and the means they need to enable them to respond to humanitarian emergencies autonomously.”
“This World Humanitarian Day must lead us to innovation in humanitarian response wherein governments and international aid community must focus on the empowerment of the local civil society organizations, especially faith-based organizations which are present with local communities,” said Aloysius John.
“At a time when the localization agenda is being introduced, it is vital that enough means are given to the civil society organizations to empower the local communities and prepare them for the humanitarian response in autonomy,” he added.
Appeals by Caritas
Caritas calls on governments to allocate funds to the empowerment of local civil society organizations and their basic structures, as well as provide funds to enable local communities to take appropriate action at times of disaster. Caritas is also calling for the protection of humanitarian workers and the interests of local communities.
World Humanitarian Day
In 2008, the United Nations General assembly designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day in memory of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad which killed 22 people, including UN chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. World Humanitarian Day was celebrated for the first time on 19 August 2009.
Southern African Catholic Bishops stand with Zimbabwean Bishops. – Vatican News
Vatican News English Africa Service – Vatican City
Southern African Church in unconditional solidarity
Bishop Sithembele Sipuka says that the Catholic Church and its Bishops in Southern Africa stand “in unconditional solidarity” with the Bishops of Zimbabwe in the face of vilification by the Zimbabwean Government.
“We, the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) … continue to note with increasing concern the unabated situation of repression in Zimbabwe, resulting in increasing hardship and suffering to the citizens,” reads a statement released Wednesday, by the Bishop of Mthatha and President of the SACBC, Sithembele Sipuka.
We commend your prophetic voice
Bishop Sipuka continues, “We commend you for your prophetic voice in naming and condemning the brutalisation of ordinary people by security forces and the underlying corruption that has led to the total collapse of services to the people by the government (of Zimbabwe).”
People needed to hear voice of encouragement
“Your Pastoral letter of Friday 14 August 2020 clearly describes the hardships and problems faced by Zimbabwe, and analyses the causes, which those in authority do not want to hear. Your voice of encouragement to the people of Zimbabwe is what they needed to hear in this time of their greatest need. It is opportune and appropriate that this letter was issued on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. We take hope from and hold on to the assurance given by Our Mother that, “God has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.” (Lk. 1:52),” says Bishop Sipuka.
Support for the Archbishop of Harare
The Bishops of Southern African, in particular, condemn the personal attacks targeted at the Archbishop of Harare, Robert Christopher Ndlovu, by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa.
“It is most regrettable that instead of addressing the issues, the Government through its Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, chose instead to target and insult Archbishop Robert Ndlovu as “evil-minded,” projecting its own tribalistic agenda to fuel divisions in the country. To you bishops and particularly to you Archbishop Ndlovu we remind you of what Jesus foretold about those who speak in his name that “they will seize you and persecute you” (Lk.21:12),” assured he Bishops.
For Shepherds, keeping quiet is not an option
“We pray that the Bishops and the Church will continue to speak prophetically, with the voice of God, and be the light that shines in the darkness, ‘and the darkness has not overcome it,’ (Jn.1:5). Keeping quiet is not an option, and as shepherds of the people, your voice of support gives hope to the people entrusted to you to carry on. As your brothers and sisters in Southern Africa, we assure you of our support and prayers that this time of suffering, in your country, may soon come to an end,” Bishop Sipuka said.
Bosnia and Herzegovina should recognise sex crime survivors’ rights, say experts
Between 12,000 and 50,000 girls and women were raped by armed forces in the country from 1992 to 1995, according to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
One of those women, a Bosnian Croat identified only as S.H. to protect her privacy, was robbed and raped in the town of Prijedor, which was occupied at the time by Bosnian Serb forces.
Filed away
She reported the incident to police but did not obtain a copy of the official report and no investigation was opened. In 2008, S.H. discovered that her initial case files had been disposed of 10 years after the offence.
After contacting the UN panel in 2017, it said after reviewing her case that her experience reflected the situation of many victims of conflict-related sexual violence, whose cases had not been investigated in a timely and effective manner.
In a statement, it also noted that the rape had caused S.H. physical and psychological harm, including a serious genital infection, for which she could not afford treatment.
The UN-appointed independent experts further added that since the assault, S.H. had suffered from depression and a personality disorder.
She had also been living below the poverty line since getting divorced in 2009, they explained.
In an appeal to the authorities to pursue investigations against perpetrators of all sex attacks, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) said that they had acted ineffectively and too slowly.
Paltry compensation
In 2019, the authorities eventually recognized S.H.’s status as a victim of conflict-related sexual violence and granted her a monthly disability pension of $66.
Such compensation for victims is not commensurate with the harm suffered, the independent experts insisted.
In the case of S.H., she had endured severe physical harm impacting her sexual and reproductive health and rights, they added, as well as the psychological harm and material damages she endured for more than 25 years after the incident.
A life of poverty
UN research conducted in 2017 into the socio-economic obstacles faced by survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that 62 per cent of survivors were unemployed, 64 per cent had no social support, and more than a half of them lived under poverty line.
Among its recommendations, the Committee urged the Bosnia and Herzegovina government to ensure that survivors of wartime sexual violence have full access to national remedies, effective relief and reparations on a basis of equality before the law.
Tailoring health interventions: behavioural and cultural insights for health
How does a better understanding of masculinity help us to create better mental health policies? How does a culture-centred approach to health literacy improve knowledge about sexual and reproductive health among Iranian and Afghan minority groups in Sweden? And why don’t enough people in Romania get vaccinated?
Behavioural and cultural insights are still relatively underutilized in global health. By drawing on fields outside of medicine such as the social sciences and health humanities (including anthropology, history, sociology and psychology), it is possible to develop more effective health interventions.
“Recognizing and understanding the rich and diverse social, cultural, political and historical dimensions that affect health in the WHO European Region is essential to provide actionable support to countries that is tailored to their needs,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge. “The Insights Unit will help health authorities to improve how their services meet citizens’ expectations – delivering respectful and people-centred care,” he concluded.
A new unit at WHO/Europe
Recognizing that, in terms of health policies, a one-size-fits-all approach is not always the most effective, WHO/Europe identified behavioural and cultural insights as a flagship area for the Region in the coming years. It established the Insights Unit to collaborate with partners and across sectors, academic disciplines and technical areas. The Unit is guided by 4 key principles:
- evidence – draw on evidence, test and evaluate it, and disseminate good practices;
- context – generate socially nuanced, culturally sensitive, people-centred health insights;
- scale – support the scale-up of interventions with proven impact; and
- partnership – work with experts, transformers, colleagues and critics.
The Unit works to identify barriers to and drivers of healthy practices. There is ample opportunity to encourage national health programmes and health authorities to use these insights to design more effective health interventions by ensuring they are relevant to their populations.
Behavioural and cultural insights in practice
Across the European Region, there are many cases of behavioural and cultural insights being used in practice.
For example, Kyrgyzstan has experienced measles outbreaks among internal migrants with low vaccination rates. Research to identify the reasons behind these low rates showed that a legislative barrier faced by people migrating from rural to urban areas was preventing them from getting routine vaccinations – an issue that could be changed to improve vaccination coverage and prevent measles.
High rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Romania also reveal how cultural contexts impact health behaviours. Historical and ethnographic research has looked at the lasting legacy of pronatalist policies introduced during the Ceaușescu regime (1966–1989) and how associations with these policies have led to considerable stigma against cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. People-centred health promotion efforts that acknowledge this historical stigma are needed if policies are to succeed in bringing down cervical cancer rates in Romania.
Another example is WHO/Europe’s ongoing work to support Member States across the Region to conduct behavioural insights studies in the context of COVID-19. Knowledge about the public’s fears and worries, levels of trust and risk perceptions, as well as their views on restrictions, testing and tracing, and a future COVID-19 vaccine, helps governments shape their pandemic responses.
If you want the answers to the questions posed in the beginning of this article, listen to the Health in Europe podcast, where Katrine Bach Habersaat, Nils Fietje and Anastasia Koylyu explain examples of how behavioural and cultural insights have been used to reveal the impact of social expectations on mental health, improve health literacy and understand low rates of vaccination.
Flagship initiatives
The work of the Insights Unit contributes to one of WHO/Europe’s 4 flagship initiatives to complement the European Programme of Work, which sets out health priorities for the coming 5 years. These initiatives – the Mental Health Coalition, Empowerment through Digital Health, the European Immunization Agenda 2030, and Healthier Behaviours: Incorporating Behavioural and Cultural Insights – are intended as accelerators of change. They mobilize action on critical issues that feature prominently on the agendas of Member States and for which high-visibility, high-level political commitment can be transformative.
Greek island Mykonos gets partial lockdown – Vatican News
By John Carr
As of today, all the smart bars and taverns on Mykonos will have to close at midnight, and at all other hours social distancing and mask-wearing will be required. And the all-night partying in luxurious villas, where to get in would cost maybe a thousand euros, had been halted.
The move comes after weeks of official fury at television and social media images of masses of people packing the bars and beaches, in defiance of the rules, taking no precautions whatsoever. Mykonos’ small police force has proved inadequate to cope with the situation.
Cases of Covid-19 in Greece are rising again, with about 220 deaths so far and more than 6,000 infections since the pandemic began. Crowded islands such as Mykonos have been blamed for the spike. Local bar owners and hoteliers are howling their protests that business will take a fatal hit.
