World Food Safety Day emphasizes the importance of safe food in traditional markets and recognizes the role of production chain workers in facilitating a continuous supply of food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s not over until there’s no virus anywhere in the world”, said WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris. “So, all the things we have been saying (still) apply. The best precaution is being able to stay one metre away from each other, being able to wash your hands, being able to ensure that you don’t touch your mouth, nose and eyes…We have certainly seen a lot of passion this week, we’ve seen people who’ve felt the need to be out and express their feelings, but we ask them to remember: still protect yourself and others, the coronavirus is all around, protect yourselves and others while expressing yourselves.”

Ciudad Juárez - More than 50 migrants have benefited from a “Filter Hotel” here in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua. “Guests” have stayed up to two weeks under medical supervision before accessing one of the city’s 17 shelters, which otherwise are closed to new admissions. 

The “Filter Hotel” response is an initiative supported by approximately 40 civil society organizations, academics, and businesses, as well as government—local, state, and municipal—the World Organization for Peace (WOFP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which rents the facilities. 

According to Dr. Damour, a lot will depend on the age of your child. “Very young children may be confused about what happened – both with loss and grief. Children under the age of 5 may not understand why they don’t go to school and why their parents are home. In the case of death, they may not really understand what death is or understand that it’s permanent. We need to appreciate that really young children are not only dealing with dramatic changes in their lives, but that they often don’t entirely understand why these changes have occurred or what caused them.”

Measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 have an unprecedented impact on businesses and consumers, challenging governments to both protect consumers’ economic interests and prevent airlines from going bust. Amicable solutions, where consumers accept some new conditions proposed by airlines, are a good way of preserving both consumers’ rights and the service itself.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led, in addition to dramatic health implications for people around the globe, to an almost immediate and profound economic up heaval in many economies. The health and economic crises have governments scrambling for responses to limit the damage and impact on their societies and economies. This note considers the implications and challenges for international investment and offers initial responses from the OECD investment policy community as economies around the world address the crisis and prepare for the recovery.

Hay una demanda creciente de un mejor Estado que sea más efectivo, eficiente y transparente. Esta institucionalidad debe acompañarse de entidades fiscalizadoras que respondan a las crecientes demandas ciudadanas de más y mejor acceso a la información oportuna y confiable, así como de mayor participación en las decisiones que les afectan, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).

“No country can fight the pandemic or manage migration alone. But together, we can contain the spread of the virus, buffer its impact on the most vulnerable and recover better for the benefit of all”, said António Guterres. The UN launched the latest briefing on the pandemic, which reminds countries of their obligation to protect people on the move, who number more than 70 million globally, according to data from the UN refugee agency.   (3/6)

“We are especially worried about Central and South America, where many countries are witnessing accelerating epidemics”, said the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The Americas continue to account for most cases worldwide. For several weeks now, the region has had more cases than all other countries combined.

COVID-19 is presenting critical challenges for humans everywhere. Restrictions on human mobility are exposing many people on the move to significant risks, impacting their human rights and well-being, impeding our collective response to the pandemic, and threatening our ability to ensure a recovery in which no-one is left behind. But this current environment is also an opportunity for us to reimagine how migration can be governed in a more humane and effective way, during and after this crisis. 

Cooperation among countries of the South cannot substitute for the actions required by the wider international community but it can bring a degree of relief and support with recovery.

As important, it can provide a blueprint for the kind of international coordination and cooperation that will be needed to recover better than after previous crises.

With this in mind, a South-South cooperation agenda needs to build around three broad objectives: scaling-up financial resources; enhancing policy space; and building resilience.

“We need a much stronger response of unity and solidarity if we are to get through this pandemic together and build a safer, more stable future, (…) Returning to the systems that created this fragility is out of the question,” António Guterres said.

He added: “This is essential not only to beat COVID-19, but to tackle the other existential crises we face, including the climate emergency.”    

“Cambiará nuestra preocupación por lo que consumimos y cómo nos relacionamos, al ser más conscientes que ante determinadas circunstancias todos somos iguales”, dijo el ministro uruguayo Carlos María Uriarte. En el ámbito internacional, “seguiremos preocupados por el acceso a los mercados”, en particular por el cierre temporal de China ante la pandemia.

The contraction responds to the continuation of a downward trend that began in early 2019, when exports from the region declined by 2.2 percent, and to the first effects of the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The downturn in global demand hit the region through both the price and volume channels, according to the latest edition of Trade Trend Estimates for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Hay una demanda creciente de un mejor Estado que sea más efectivo, eficiente y transparente. Esta institucionalidad debe acompañarse de entidades fiscalizadoras que respondan a las crecientes demandas ciudadanas de más y mejor acceso a la información oportuna y confiable, así como de mayor participación en las decisiones que les afectan, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).

To achieve a better outcome, the world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions. Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a “Great Reset” of capitalism.

MigApp is IOM’s global app for migrants. A quarter of its users are in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

A new section in Migapp’s Medical tab highlights official health recommendations to prevent the virus’ spread.  News and Migration Tips sections are updated to capture changes across countries—such as border restrictions, COVID-19 hotlines or migration status changes. 

MigApp also features mini surveys, which allow IOM to run simple questions to better understand the issues affecting migrants.

El programa priorizará el apoyo a la sostenibilidad de las MIPYME agropecuarias y su cadena de valor como sostén del empleo frente a la crisis, y con foco en la seguridad alimentaria. De igual forma, el programa también podrá financiar a otros sectores relevantes que hayan sido afectados por la crisis actual.

Just in the past week there were 732,000 new cases globally, and of these, more than 250,000 new cases were in Latin American countries, “a serious concern that should serve as a clarion call to redouble our efforts,” Dr. Carissa Etienne said at a press briefing. “The situation we face is dire, but not hopeless – as long as our approach to defeating the virus is based on solidarity. We must work together, share resources and apply the proven strategies we have learned along the way.” 

Short-term response measures to address the health emergency and secure core public services will need to be accompanied by comprehensive policies to boost long-term growth, including by improving governance and business environments, and expanding and improving the results of investment in education and public health. To make future economies more resilient, many countries will need systems that can build and retain more human and physical capital during the recovery – using policies that reflect and encourage the post-pandemic need for new types of jobs, businesses and governance systems.