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Labour Minister: Bahrain keen on ensuring protection for all workers

Manama, Labour Minister, Board of Directors Chairman of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, today inaugurated the fifth regional “Social Protection for Domestic Workers” conference, organised by the General Federation OF Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) on October 25-26.

Labour Ministry’s Undersecretary, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, GFBTU Secretary-General, Abdulqader Abdulkarim Al-Shehabi, representatives of the domestic labour exporting and importing countries, in addition to the representatives of civil society organisations from 11 countries attended the conference.

The conference aims to shed light on national legislation and laws related to expatriate domestic workers in order to enhance cooperation mechanisms between labour organisations in Asia, Africa and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and to ensure that domestic workers enjoy the same rights enjoyed by their counterparts in other sectors.

 The conference reviewed a research study on the reality of domestic workers in Bahrain, in addition to the legislation in the labour-hosting countries and the extent to which protection for domestic workers is achieved.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference, the Labour Minister affirmed Bahrain’s resolve to continue protecting the rights of all workers, based on the system of humanitarian values spearheaded by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and supported by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The leadership’s support has resulted in strengthening the foundations and principles of improving working conditions for all workers and preserving their rights without discrimination, which contributed to placing Bahrain among developed countries in providing fair and equitable guarantees for workers, earning it a prestigious status at all international labour gatherings.

He affirmed that the that the Kingdom has issued innumerable laws, procedures and regulations that provide protection for all.

He also highlighted the measures taken by the LMRA to ensure protection for all expatriate workers, including domestic helpers.

GFBTU Secretary-General said that the conference will discuss a number of issues related to domestic labour and their impact on the living situation of citizens.

It will also review a number of studies that contribute to strengthening the preservation of the rights of workers and the employers, he added.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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Security Forum Focuses on Stability Challenges in Africa

Policymakers from around the world met Monday and Tuesday in Senegal to discuss Africa’s most pressing security challenges. This year, attendees of an annual conference focused on redefining the role international partners play in promoting stability in Africa.

More than 1,000 people participated in the eighth edition of the International Forum of Dakar on Peace and Security.

Attendees included the heads of state from Cape Verde, Angola and Guinea-Bissau, as well as high-ranking officials from Japan, Saudi Arabia and France.

The event opened with a speech from Senegalese President and African Union Chairman Macky Sall, who spoke about the need to re-examine modern peace operations.

If U.N. peacekeepers are being attacked on their own bases, they can’t be expected to protect local populations, he said.

“Threats to peace and stability lie in the deep economic crisis that is shaking the world,” Sall said. “Millions of people can no longer bear the cost of living, and others fall into extreme poverty, with no hope of a better future.”

The solution, he said, is to educate and create employment for Africa’s growing youth population.

The conference took place in the wake of France’s withdrawal of military forces from Mali and ongoing criticism of U.N. missions throughout the region.

Militant Islamic violence in Africa has doubled since 2019, with a record 6,300 incidents in 2022 – a 21 percent increase over last year, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a U.S. Department of Defense research group. The Sahel has been the most impacted, with violent events quadrupling over the same period.

Across the continent close to 15,000 people have died this year from extremist-linked violence, a nearly 50 percent increase from 2019.

Aude Darnal, a fellow with the Stimson Center, a Washington research organization, said of the violence, “Solutions need to be defined by local actors. They also need to be implemented by local actors. International stakeholders should support, but the leadership needs to come from Africa.”

Nadia Adam, a Sahel analyst for the nonprofit Center for Civilians in Conflict, said solutions must be built from the inside. “Most African countries, especially the youth, now want to make decisions for themselves,” she said. “They want to be part of the change. And they have the capacity. More people are educated.”

Government officials attending the conference reiterated that message.

Chidi Blyden is the U.S. assistant secretary of defense for African affairs. In a speech, she quoted a Creole saying from Sierra Leone, which translates to “When and if there’s a problem, look exactly where you’re standing.”

“Some of the problems reside there, but more importantly, the solution probably resides there as well,” she said. “The continent is full of African solutions to global problems.”

The forum also addressed how to decrease Africa’s dependence on international food aid and become more resistant to external shocks, such as the war in Ukraine.

Source: Voice of America

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DTM Turkey Migrant Presence Monitoring – Overview of the Situation with Migrants, Quarterly Report Q3 | July August September 2022

According to the latest available figures from the Turkish Presidency of Migration Management (PMM), there are more than 5* million foreign nationals present in Turkish territory, 3.6* million of whom are seeking international protection. Most are Syrians (3,646,278* individuals) who are granted temporary protection status. In addition, international protection applicants from countries including Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq constitute another group of foreign nationals. According to PMM, there were 29,256* international protection applicants present in Türkiye in 20211, published annually. Moreover, according to UNHCR**, there are close to 330,000 international protection status holders and asylum-seekers. Since June 2022 the number of Syrians residing in camps has decreased by 1,392.

Source: International Organization for Migration

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Central African Republic: Situation Report, 24 Oct 2022

Humanitarian actors provided life-saving assistance to 1.2 million people in the first half of 2022, representing 60 – per cent of the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) target.

Thousands of Central Africans affected by recent torrential rains.

After several years of displacement, humanitarian and development actors are helping internally displaced persons and refugees to resume a normal life.

With 50 per cent of the population not eating enough, CAR has one of the highest proportions of critically food-insecure people in the world.

The humanitarian community in CAR plans to provide multi-sectoral assistance to 2 million people in 2022. US$461.3 million are required.

BACKGROUND

Floods continue to affect the Central African Republic

Since June 2022, floods in the Central African Republic (CAR) have affected some 85,300 people, destroyed more than 2,600 houses and 18,500 hectares of crops, damaged numerous other infrastructures and displaced more than 6,000 people. At the end of September, six schools were still occupied by flood victims, jeopardizing the start of the 2022-2023 school year for 10,000 children.

More than 176 town and villages have been affected by floods in 12 of the country’s 17 prefectures. The northern Vakaga Prefecture has been the most affected with 24,000 flood victims, followed by the capital Bangui (20,400 victims) and the Ouham Prefecture (13,000 victims). These latest floods come at a time when humanitarian needs have increased exponentially across the country, with 63 per cent of the Central African population in need of assistance and protection – 3.1 million people.

The last major floods occurred in 2019. Some 100,000 people lost their homes and access to clean water, and most of them were forced to move to temporary sites or host families. At that time, 3 per cent of all displaced people in the Central African Republic were displaced by natural disasters.

In response to the current situation, the Government’s strategy is to provide humanitarian assistance in the affected neighborhoods, coupled with disaster mitigation and recovery measures.

Disaster victims need assistance

Since July, the Ministry of Humanitarian Action, Solidarity and National Reconciliation has brought together specialized state actors, representatives of the affected districts, humanitarian and development actors, and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to set up a coordinated response structure, co-facilitated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Complementing the Government’s efforts, the humanitarian community has provided a multi-sectoral emergency response to more than 43,000* people. 11,000 families received shelter kits to rebuild their houses and 10,000 families received essential household items, such as buckets, blankets, sleeping mats and kitchen utensils. Tens of thousands of water purification tablets were distributed to prevent waterborne diseases, boreholes and wells were rehabilitated, mobile clinics ensured people’s access to healthcare and food, cash and food vouchers, as well as school supplies were distributed.

The largest number of people were assisted in Ouham Prefecture with 17,300 people, followed by 17,000 people in the capital Bangui. But many affected people have yet to receive assistance – resources are scarce and physical access to some of the affected regions is very difficult during the rainy season, for example in the Vakaga Prefecture, where floods have affected 24,000 people, as well as in Haute-Kotto. According to weather forecasts, there is a risk of further flooding before the end of the rainy season, which lasts from April to October.

Humanitarian actors continue consolidating their emergency stocks to fill any gaps not covered by the Government assistance, in a context where resources to meet the humanitarian needs are heavily stretched. At the end of September, only 71 per cent of the USD 461 million needed in the framework of the Humanitarian Response Plan for CAR have been mobilized.

Mitigation measures

The floods come after the adoption of the new National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management on 13 July. It is built around four strategic axes, including risk identification and analysis, disaster risk governance, strengthening disaster risk management mechanisms, and disaster emergency management. However, the operationalization of the implementing bodies awaits the signing of a presidential decree.

In September 2020, the NGO REACH published a study of flood susceptibility in populated areas. The study developed a flood risk score, aimed at improving emergency preparedness initiatives, and supporting planning and decision-making. Funded by the Humanitarian Fund for the Central African Republic (CAR), the data from this study was cross-referenced with data from multi-sectoral needs assessments conducted in 2019. The final result was made available to the authorities, revealing, for example, higher impact risks of flooding in Ouham and Kémo Prefectures (more than 203,000 people at high risk), while Nana-Mambéré and Ouham-Pendé had low risk scores.

The study also showed that most Central African settlements are located next to rivers and their basins, around which people’s livelihoods are developed. The banks of these rivers tend to overflow with increasing amounts of rainfall collected in the basins. Thus, if infrastructure adaptation, as well as contingency planning are not developed, downstream interventions will not be sufficient for populations already battered by more than a decade of conflict and several other shocks.

For better preparedness

To ensure optimal preparation for flooding, a Technical Operational Committee was set up in 2020 under the aegis of the Ministry of Humanitarian Action, Solidarity and National Reconciliation, with the participation of OCHA, the DGPC, the Central African Red Cross, MINUSCA and the Bangui City Council. This new structure has coordinated field visits in Bangui to identify areas at risk and priority preparedness measures.

The extensive impacts of the floods highlighted coordination problems in terms of standardizing the data provided by various actors, the lack of people trained in post-disaster assessments and the lack of clear guidelines for assessments. The lack of a common data storage/management platform, including mapping, has also been a weakness.

In response, OCHA in collaboration with the NGO REACH and the IFRC, has been building the capacity of 45 volunteers from the National Red Cross and the DGPC on post-disaster assessment since 2021. These volunteers are currently part of the teams assessing the situation.

* Other vulnerable people than those directly affected by the floods benefited from humanitarian assistance, for example people who benefited from the rehabilitation of wells in their neighborhoods.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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SRSG Abdoulaye Bathily’s remarks to the Security Council meeting on Libya – 24 October 2022

Mr. President,

Distinguished Members of the Security Council,

It is a great honour for me to brief you for the first time since I assumed my functions as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya on 25th September. I look forward to working closely with the Council and trust I will be able to count on your support.

Prior to my arrival in Libya, on 14 October, I engaged with a broad range of representatives of Member States in New York, including Members of the Security Council, and representatives of regional organisations, to hear their thoughts on the situation in Libya and ideas on how to overcome the country’s challenges. I stressed the importance of ensuring that the international community support Libyan efforts in a coordinated manner, rally behind the UN’s lead, and refrain from taking any action that could further deepen divisions.

Mr. President,

The political deadlock persists with no clear end in sight to the prolonged stalemate over the executive. Further, efforts to resolve the remaining outstanding issues related to the constitutional basis for elections do not appear to lead to concrete action by the relevant actors, further delaying prospects for the holding of inclusive, free and fair elections aimed at ending the transition and reinstating the legitimacy of institutions.

To design a response to these daunting political challenges, I have decided to give priority to the consultations with Libyan institutional, political, security and civil society actors from across the country, including the South, East and West.

Therefore, since my arrival in Libya, I have embarked on a series of consultations with a broad range of Libyan political, security and economic actors, as well as representatives of civil society from all regions of the country, to gain a better understanding of the current challenges, possible solutions, and aspirations of the Libyan people.

I am grateful for my interlocutors who have without exception welcomed me and expressed their high hopes for the UN mediation and good offices role.

More specifically, I exchanged views with the President of the Presidential Council, members of the Government of National Unity (GNU), including Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, Minister of Foreign Affairs Najla Mangoush and other GNU cabinet members. I also met with the Chief of General Staff, General Haddad, and with the Western members of the Joint Military Committee (JMC). Furthermore, I consulted with the High National Electoral Commission, the National Oil Corporation and the Central Bank of Libya. I further exchanged views with the President of the High State Council, Khaled Mishri, over the phone as he had to travel out of the country the day after my arrived. I travelled to Al Quba to meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh. The day before yesterday, I travelled to Benghazi, where I met with Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, General Commander of the Libyan National Army, the Eastern members of the JMC and the Prime Minister designated by the House of Representatives, Fathi Bashaga. I also met with representatives of women organisations. Yesterday in Tripoli, I received civil society organisations, women candidates for the parliamentary elections, and representatives of women civil society organisations.

Mr. President,

There remain significant differences on how Libyans want to overcome the current crisis. In response to the near unanimous condemnation across the spectrum of the presence of mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces in Libya and the incessant foreign interference in the country’s affairs, I stressed to all my interlocutors that the solution to the crisis must come from inside Libya, on the basis of the will of the Libyan people. I urged the country’s leaders to hear the people’s aspiration for peace, stability, economic development, and a responsive leadership.

Mr. President,

While the ceasefire continues to hold, the security track needs to be reinvigorated as it has been adversely impacted by the protracted political impasse. The violent clashes in Tripoli on 27 August have resulted in a shift in the power balance in the capital, which has deepened tensions between Eastern and Western security actors and led to a fragile stability.

Despite the noticeable decrease in mobilization of armed groups and clashes among them, there are reports of ongoing large-scale recruitment activities. Fighting between armed groups in Zawiya, west of Tripoli, on 25 September, trapped dozens of families for several hours and left at least three civilians killed, including a 10-year-old girl.

Further to my engagements with security actors in the East and the West, I am pleased to report that the 5+5 JMC has agreed to meet under UN auspices in Sirte next Thursday to discuss the resumption of the Commission’s activities to further the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement.

Regarding the Chief of Staff talks, the two Chiefs of Staff met in Tunis on 12 October on the margins of an air and defence exhibition. An intended visit by the Chief of Defence Staff of the Libyan Army to Benghazi is still pending. I encourage regular exchanges between the two Chiefs of Staff, to give momentum to steps towards the reunification of military institutions.

Mr. President,

Developments in the economic track include the release of the annual reports of the National Audit Bureau and the Administrative Control Authority on the activities of public institutions, including the Central Bank of Libya and the Government of National Unity. In response to some of the findings and recommendations in the reports,Prime Minister Dbeibah announced a series of corrective administrative measures. Investigations were opened into the work of Libyan officials, based on the observations and recommendations in the reports.

Mr. President,

Regrettably, the human rights situation in Libya remains concerning. Violations against migrants and asylum seekers continue with impunity. Arbitrary detention continues as a common practice.

On 7 October, in the aftermath of clashes between rival human-trafficking gangs in the city of Sabratha, eleven charred bodies of persons believed to be migrants were discovered in a docked boat and four more bodies found outside the boat bearing wounds. I note the announcement by the Ministry of Interior of an investigation, which should bring the perpetrators to justice.

I call on Libyan authorities to take immediate and credible measures to address the dire situation of migrants and refugees and dismantle the related trafficking and criminal networks.

Official statistics received by UNMSIL on 1 October show that nearly 11,000 individuals including 55 women are serving sentences in prisons run by the Judicial Police. In addition, nearly 6,000 individuals are in pretrial detention, including 113 women. 135 juveniles are behind bars. The total number represents a 40 percent increase from statistics released in August 2021. Many of those in pre-trial detention, representing a third of the total prison population, are detained with no access to justice. These numbers do not include the approximately 3,243 migrants who are arbitrarily detained in detention centres operated by Government entities.

Libyan authorities should guarantee due process and a fair trial for those detained on credible charges and immediately and unconditionally release all persons who are arbitrarily detained.

Mr. President,

On 12 October, the co-chairs of the Working Group on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights of the International Follow-up Committee on Libya, in collaboration with the Presidency Council and the African Union, organised a briefing on national reconciliation by experts who shared best practices and other national experiences in this area. The meeting highlighted the role of victims at the centre of effective, rights-based reconciliation processes, the need to rebuild trust in State institutions, and the criticality of ensuring inclusivity and women’s meaningful representation and participation. The experts also stressed the importance of ensuring that reconciliation efforts are effectively linked to the political process.

On 18 October, I met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Congo in his capacity as representative of the Chairperson of the AU High-Level Committee on Libya. He briefed me on the outcome of the meeting that had just concluded during which the AU discussed preparations for a national reconciliation meeting with Libyan counterparts.

Mr. President,

The situation in Libya calls for a consensus State re-legitimation process. Legitimate institutions capable of providing for the basic needs of the people must be established on the basis of a genuine political will. In this process, the conduct of legislative and presidential elections is paramount. I will intensify consultations with relevant actors to progress towards an agreement on the necessary parameters to reach this objective, including during the upcoming Summit of the League of Arab States. It will be important for your august body to coordinate messaging and stress upon Libyan actors the need to work together, in a sincere and committed manner, towards elections. Your unified call for more coherence and coordination in the action of international actors would also be precious to UNSMIL’s endeavour.

In the coming weeks, I intend to:

Undertake to facilitate a meeting between the main leaders of the House of Representatives and High State Council to understand the commitments announced in Rabat on 21st October and agree on political, constitutional, legal and security measures to advance preparations for elections as soon as possible in keeping with the aspirations clearly expressed by the Libyan people.

I intend also to travel to Sirte on 27th October to resume the 5+5 JMC work and revive the security track. On that basis, we will also reinvigorate the political and economic tracks.

Finally, work to mobilise the support of the international community to ensure that we all coordinate in coherence with the above approach.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Source: United nation

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Immigration Stories Capturing the Headlines

Canadian High Court Weighs Immigration Agreement With US

Canada’s highest court is deliberating whether to overturn a nearly 20-year-old immigration agreement with the United States on the grounds that asylum-seekers cannot safely be returned to Canada’s southern neighbor. The story by Craig McCulloch and VOA’s immigration reporter Aline Barros.

Venezuelan Migrants in Mexico Protest New US Border Policy

Venezuelan migrants hoping to enter the United States from Mexico protested over the weekend a new U.S. program granting legal entry to 24,000 people from the crisis-wracked country while deporting all those who cross the southern border illegally, Agence France-Presse reports.

US Policy Prompts Some Venezuelan Migrants to Change Route

Venezuelan Gilbert Fernandez still plans to cross the dangerous Darien jungle into Panama and head toward the United States over land, despite a U.S. announcement that it will grant conditional humanitarian permits only to 24,000 Venezuelan migrants arriving by air, The Associated Press reports.

New York City Opens Tent Shelter for Hundreds of Migrant Men

New York City Wednesday opened an emergency tent shelter to alleviate some of the strain the city has felt recently from the steady stream of migrants who have arrived on buses sent by officials in Texas and other southern U.S. states. The Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center on Randall’s Island, east of Manhattan, will be the temporary home for 500 single migrant men who arrived in the city after their long journeys that began in Venezuela and other places south of the U.S. border, The Associated Press reports.

Migration around the world

New Arrivals: Afghan Refugees Camped in Brazilian Airport

About 150 refugees from Afghanistan are camped out in the main airport of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s financial capital and most populous city. Many more are expected to arrive in the coming months, but aid workers say the government has no plans for a wide-scale response to the growing crisis. For VOA, Yan Boechat has this report from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with Heather Murdock in Istanbul.

Migrants Caught in Middle as Turkey-Greece Tensions Escalate

A photograph of migrants found exposed, without clothing, along the border of Greece and Turkey last week shocked the world and is raising international concerns that migrants and refugees are becoming the latest victims of a growing dispute between Turkey and Greece. From Istanbul, Dorian Jones reports both nations blame each other for the incident.

Botswana Expresses Concerns Over Influx of Asylum-Seekers

Botswana has expressed concern over an influx of asylum-seekers who fled from countries where they had been granted refugee status. Nearly 700 refugees have arrived from neighboring Zimbabwe, citing poor conditions at the refugee camps, while others have come from South Africa, driven out by xenophobic attacks. Mqondisi Dube reports for VOA from Botswana.

News Brief

— The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced updates to remove barriers to naturalization for applicants with disabilities.

— A new asylum process for Venezuelans is now online.

— The Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a new report following its initial review of the Afghan special immigrant visa (SIV) program. The OIG made nine new recommendations “that are intended to further improve the Afghan SIV program” including revising the Standard Operating Procedures for Quarterly Congressional Reports, develop and implement procedures to establish ongoing interagency coordination until the Afghan SIV program concludes, and implement an updated staffing plan to adjust resources for all Department of State offices involved with the Afghan SIV program, among others.

Source: Voice of America

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HRP 2022 Monitoring Dashboard GBV AoR West and Central Africa region

6.9 million people estimated in need of humanitarian assistance for Protection-GBV in the West and Central Africa region in 2022. 70% of these people in need were targeted for humanitarian response plan 2022. A total of US$ 138.7 million required to deliver GBV life-saving assistance and protection to 4.8 million people across the 7 countries including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger and Nigeria in the region which have developed Humanitarian Response Plans, only 8.9 per cent of the required funds were met.

Despite funding shortfalls and operational challenges, humanitarian partners assisted 33 per cent of the targeted population. More than 1.6 million people were reached with 202300 Women and Girls including male reached by Specialized GBV services/GBV Response , 68486 reached with GBV Risk Mitigation &Dignity kits/security or hygienic Kits distribution, 891729 reached with GBV Awareness raising & Sensitization , 9035 on Economic and Social empowerment activities, 5213 on Training and capacity-building activities. Mains challenges raised across countries are low coverage of intervention areas by specialized GBV services, critical need to scale up lifesaving GBV services and advocate for access to reach affected communities

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

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South Africa’s Ramaphosa Outlines Anti-graft Plans After Inquiry

South Africa will overhaul its anti-corruption strategy and ensure the independence of prosecutors, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday, responding to recommendations from a state inquiry into alleged corruption under his predecessor.

A judicial commission of inquiry was established to examine allegations of high-level graft during former President Jacob Zuma’s nine years in power from 2009 to 2018.

“The people of South Africa are tired of corruption and want it to end,” Ramaphosa said in a live television broadcast. “As a country, we are emerging from a dark and difficult period.”

The inquiry found Zuma had allowed businessmen close to him – brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh Gupta – to plunder state resources and influence policy, commonly known as ‘state capture’ in South Africa.

The Guptas deny any wrongdoing and have left the country but face extradition proceedings in Dubai. Zuma denies wrongdoing and at one stage refused to cooperate with the inquiry, leading to his imprisonment in July 2021 for contempt of court.

Inquiry reports said investigations, which implicated ANC politicians and company executives, found rampant graft across key economic sectors including state-owned companies such as power utility Eskom and freight and logistics group Transnet.

Evidence uncovered by the inquiry can be used by authorities to pursue criminal charges.

Ramaphosa said of plans to overhaul South Africa’s anti-graft strategy: “Through the implementation of the actions contained in this response, we can start a new chapter in our struggle against corruption.”

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said his response outlined steps government will take to catch suspects and other reforms.

Ramaphosa, who served as deputy state president under Zuma, testified at the inquiry that he chose to “remain but resist” rather than resign when allegations surfaced.

Source: Voice of America

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Seven G20 Countries Called For Distribution Of Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacture Centres To Countries In Southern Hemisphere

Seven countries from the Group of 20 (G20), sought to collaborate in distributing pharmaceutical research centres and manufacturers to poor countries in the southern hemisphere, Indonesian Health Ministry’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi said, yesterday.

Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and South Africa, agreed to bring up the plan to the 2nd Health Ministers Meeting, that would be held in Indonesia’s Bali on Oct 27-28, this year, Tarmizi said. They called on the other G20 members to join the collaboration.

“The distribution will open broader access to vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tools, to the countries in the southern hemisphere, particularly the middle and low-income ones. They deserve to participate in strengthening health resilience at the global level,” Tarmizi told a virtual press conference.

She also said that, all this time, the distribution of pharmaceutical research centres were still centralised in the countries in the northern hemisphere.

Source: Nam News Network