The United Nations Network on Migration released urgently needed practical recommendations with guidance for States and stakeholders on preventing and responding to COVID-19 in the context of immigration detention. By focusing on the development of non-custodial alternatives based in the community, the brief highlights steps that several governments have already taken to swiftly release migrants from detention and to provide access to healthcare, housing and other services regardless of migration status. The Network looks forward to feedback from all partners and to updating these recommendations on an ongoing basis. 

La pandemia de neumonía por coronavirus (COVID-19) ha cambiado drásticamente nuestra vida diaria, así como las perspectivas mundiales sobre lo que es importante. Alrededor del mundo las personas aplauden el increíble trabajo y la dedicación de los profesionales de la salud, quienes luchan en el frente de batalla contra esta crisis sanitaria. Sin embargo, como sociedad, hemos prestado atención también al trabajo esencial realizado en silencio por los hombres y las mujeres que a diario siguen poniendo al mundo en marcha: obreros industriales, quienes mantienen la línea de producción en movimiento; empleados de tiendas de comestibles, que colocan la mercadería en los estantes; y los agricultores y ganaderos, quienes trabajan incansablemente para alimentar al mundo. 

Jefes de Estado y Ministros de Finanzas del Caribe se reunieron con la Secretaria Ejecutiva de la CEPAL, Alicia Bárcena, para analizar las propuestas de alivio de la deuda y otras medidas para combatir los efectos de la pandemia.

“With the crisis expected to deepen before it improves, there are some foundational issues relating to health systems and people’s access to health services that, from our position as co-chairs of the International Partnership for Universal Health -Coverage 2030 (UHC2030), we want to highlight,” says the World Bank.

Health authorities should take specific steps to protect health care workers and communities during essential immunization activities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, say experts at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

If we look at the reaction of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are two sides: Internally, the focus was on limiting the spread of the disease while mitigating its negative impact on the economy and ensuring that the national measures are in line with international obligations. Externally, Liechtenstein has demonstrated solidarity through contributions to the UN Global Humanitarian Response plan while also advocating international cooperation by initiating – together with five other States – a COVID-19 resolution that was passed by the UN General Assembly with the active support of 188 States.

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting the world under enormous strain, affecting the lives of everyone. The unprecedented measures adopted to flatten the infection curve include enforced quarantine, curfews and lockdowns, travel restrictions, and limitations on economic activities and public life. While at first sight, these enforcement measures and increased police presence at the borders and on the streets seem to dissuade crime, they may also drive it further underground. In trafficking in persons, criminals are adjusting their business models to the ‘new normal’ created by the pandemic, especially through the abuse of modern communications technologies. At the same time, COVID-19 impacts the capacity of state authorities and non-governmental organizations to provide essential services to the victims of this crime. Most importantly, the pandemic has exacerbated and brought to the forefront the systemic and deeply entrenched economic and societal inequalities that are among the root causes of human trafficking.

On 29^th April 2020, The Official Gazette published the emergency measures to take effect from the 4^th May 2020 and last until 3^rd June 2020 unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health.

El Gobierno del Paraguay puso a disposición de la ciudadanía la plataforma rindiendocuentas.gov.py. Se trata de una herramienta tecnológica de visualización de datos para que la población haga seguimiento del destino y uso de los recursos que el Gobierno paraguayo está destinando a la atención de la emergencia sanitaria desatada por la pandemia del COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis that is already having devastating impacts on the world economy –both directly and through necessary measures to contain the spread of the disease. These impacts are also being felt by the food and agriculture sector. While the supply of food has held up well to date, in many countries, the measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus are starting to disrupt the supply of agro-food products to markets and consumers, both within and across borders. The sector is also experiencing a substantial shift in the composition and –for some commodities –the level of demand.

The COVID-19 outbreak and its containment measures including the lockdown of much of the world's population has put corporate balance sheets under tremendous pressure. As observed during the financial crisis 12 years ago, governments are finding it necessary to engage in multiple rescue operations involving companies deemed to be systemically important. Unlike the previous crisis where government interventions mostly concerned ailing banks, interventions relating to COVID-19 have so far mostly focused on insolvency and illiquidity in industry sectors hard hit by the virus, such as aviation and tourism. Other sectors seem bound to follow as the fallout from the crisis spills over into the second half of the year.

Co-ordinating  government policies will make crisis response more effective. A wide array of international regulatory co-operation approaches can be used to align government responses, including international evidence gathering and sharing to aid in the design of emergency rules, aligning regulations or using mutual recognition to expedite administrative processes and facilitate the trade of essential products, such as protective equipment, for example. International organisations provide essential platforms to promote such co-operation

La integridad pública es clave para responder de forma contundente a lacrisis delCOVID-19, asegurandoque la accióngubernamentalbeneficiaa quienes lonecesitan. Esta crisis crea oportunidades para diversastrasgresionesa laintegridad y podría intensificar el fraude y la corrupción, particularmente en la contratación pública, en los paquetes de estímulo económico y en las organizaciones públicas. Esto podría socavar significativamente la acción gubernamental. Se necesitan medidas de corto y largo plazo para abordar estos riesgos, centrándose enestrategiasde contratación, los recursos de las funcionesde auditoría interna y las estrategias de integridad de las organizaciones públicas, entre otroselementos. Este documento analizalos principales desafíos a la integridad y recomienda medidas que pueden ayudar a los gobiernos a garantizar una respuesta y recuperación efectivas antela crisisdel COVID-19. Integridad pública para una respuesta y recuperaciónefectivasante el COVID-19

Most Latin American and Caribbean countries have been hit by the Covid-19crisis in the context of low potential growth, high inequalities and rising social discontent. Policy reactions to the crisis have been bold, but further measures will be needed. In the immediate term, the priority must be to prevent contagion and support most vulnerable families, workers and firms. In the phasing out of the containment and lockdown measures, continued income support to stimulate consumption and support inclusiveness, as well as investment efforts to promote activity are fundamental to spur a swift economic recovery. In the medium term, the aftermath of this crisis must be turned into an opportunity to redefine the social pact, putting well-being at the center, based on stronger social protection systems, better healthcare, more robust and inclusive public finances and implementing inclusive development strategies. Co-coordinating a global response to address the impact of the Covid-19 crisis in the region remains vital.

Fragile contexts are beginning to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these countries are insufficiently prepared to cope with the spread of the disease and its consequences across the multiple dimensions of fragility. The most vulnerable have difficulty in accessing hospitals and rely on poor public services. Confinement measures are hardly applicable and the mobilization of security actors to enforce them creates further risks. The crisis highlights social inequalities and governance issues in many contexts. While the pandemic has created new peace dynamics, most conflicts continue unabated as peace keeping missions and humanitarian response are extremely constrained

Policymakers often have a linear view of the world, where pulling the right levers will get the economy and society back on track after shocks and crises. This paper argues that such an approach ignores how systems interact and how their systemic properties shape this interaction, leading to an over-emphasis on a limited set of characteristics, notably efficiency. The emphasis on efficiency in the operation, management and outcomes of various economic and social systems was not a conscious collective choice, but rather the response of the whole system to the incentives that individual components face. This has brought much of the world to rely upon complex, nested, and interconnected systems to deliver goods and services around the globe. While this approach has many benefits, the Covid-19 crisis shows how it has also reduced the resilience of key systems to shocks, and allowed failures to cascade from one system to others. A systems approach based on resilience is proposed to prepare socioeconomic systems for future shocks

Ongoing lockdowns and major disruptions to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic could result in seven million unintended pregnancies in the coming months, according to data released on Tuesday by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners.

Francia, depositaria de la convención de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE), recibió el 28 de abril el instrumento de adhesión de Colombia, que se convierte así en el 37.o Estado miembro de la organización.

Francia se congratula de poder contar con Colombia como nuevo socio en esta organización. Compartimos los mismos objetivos: promover políticas públicas que fomenten la prosperidad, la igualdad de oportunidades y el bienestar para todos, apoyándonos en la experiencia compartida de sus miembros y de los socios clave. El contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 y sus consecuencias económicas y sociales harán que esta cooperación internacional sea aún más necesaria. Los valores comunes compartidos con Colombia, especialmente en lo que respecta a la preservación del medioambiente y la promoción del multilateralismo, no podrán sino reforzar la colaboración entre nuestros dos países en el marco de este foro.

Humanitarian situation in Venezuela
Press statement by Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and Poland

The EU members of the Security Council reiterate their concerns about the sharply deteriorating crisis in Venezuela and its destabilizing effects across the region, including its severe humanitarian consequences.

Full-scale efforts are underway to develop a vaccine free us from COVID-19’s deadly grip. But even if they succeed (and that’s no guarantee), the question regrettably must be asked: Will people take it?