ADA Newsletter- April 2020

Dear ADA Members and Friends,

Hope you all are staying very safe in these trying times of the global pandemics. This has again reiterated the fact that how the civil society sector has come up with full vigour to help, aid and support not only their respective communities but are also working with the governments in reaching the needy ones. The sector , united, has raised some very crucial voices against human right violations, especially the gender based violence, issues of migrants and under-privileged and marginalised communities who have been hit hardest due to lock down in many  countries. As a regional platform, we are mapping the needs of CSOs to combat this pandemic by soliciting their concerns and we will use them as a point of advocacy. 

Please feel free to share your concerns and opinion and how can we help you, by writing to ADA secretariat and share updates should you wish them published in our monthly newsletter apart from giving your suggestions on how to improve our communication with you at  ada2030.secretariat@gmail.com

In solidarity, 

Jyotsna Mohan
Coordinator - ADA 
                          
 

Table of Contents

Sharing Asia concerns in April Webinars
Webinar on Regional Forums- April 6th, 2020 by A4SD
Promoting effective civil society engagement with SDG implementation in challenging times, Thursday 30th April
ADA Member’s Alarms in COVID times!!
Central Asia: Civil Society Responds to COVID-19 implications: Civil Society Development Association “ARGO”, Kazakhstan
COVID-19 Exposes Singapore’s Shame
CSOs response on COVID-19 in Nepal
Mongolian CSO’s Response on COVID
Japan’s CSOs Response on COVID
Philippines: CODE-NGO Statement on COVID-19 Response
India: WNTA Response to the COVID 19
Pakistan : Pakistan Development alliance (PDA) Response to the COVID-19
Worth a Read!!!
APRCEM Statement on COVID  SAAPE Call for Rapid Response from the South Asian Governments to Fight the COVID19 Crisis and to build unitedly long-term public health care for South Asians
The Economic Impact of COVID 19 in South Asia
Asia Pacific SDGs Progress Report 2020
G20 Information Center
C20 Information
The Impact and Policy Responses for COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific
A small Spark of hope for bipartisan cooperation in SDGs
Global Indicator Framework on SDGs: update and CSO perspectives
Empowering Civil Society for National reporting and Action on SDG16
Forus and ADA National Case Studies on Goal 16
Action Please!!!
Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak
Update on 2020 HLPF Side-events and Exhibitions: To Be Held VIRTUALLY. Application Deadline: MAY 29
For Your Endorsement!!
Register for the UN75 People's Forum on May 14 & 15
Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2020
  

Sharing Asia concerns in April Webinars

Webinar on Regional Forums- April 6th, 2020 by A4SD

to track the SDGs regional mechanism and CSOs involvement  
ADA’s Submission

• Asia Pacific regional forum (8 mins): Jyotsna Mohan Singh, Asia Development Alliance- the regional coordination mechanism and virtual engagement in 2020

The Asia region was the first to establish a Regional Coordination Mechanism and this has already been in full operation since 2016, building on earlier coordination which had happened in the build up to the agreement of the SDGs in 2015.
The regional coordination mechanism has grown to include: 

1. 18 constituency groups: Women; Children & youth; NGOs; Indigenous Peoples; Local authorities; Farmers; Science & Technology; SMEs; Trade Unions & workers; Older groups; Persons with disabilities; Fisherfolks; Urban poor; Migrants; LGBTIQ; People living with and affected by HIV; People affected by conflict & disaster; Dalits
2. 5 sub-regional representatives from: Central Asia; East Asia; Pacific; South Asia; Southeast Asia.

This year 2020, there was no physical meeting due to the Covid pandemic but instead there have been a series of online workshops/webinars over the month of March. There have been some useful opportunities to engage and a wide range of CSO voices have been able to speak on these webinars, so it will be important to draw out the good practice in terms of ensuring wide participation for future online engagement. 
 

Promoting effective civil society engagement with SDG implementation in challenging times, Thursday 30th April

Forus, A4SD, TAP Network and Together 2030 organised this webinar on CSO’s engagement with SDG implementation nationally, regionally and globally during these challenging times.
ADA’s submission – 

• Enhanced Inequality in Asia-Pacific
• Mitigating Increased Gender Based Violence
• Need to have established universal health care and universal social protection systems for better positioning to address the pandemic. 
• Call for reduced military expenditures
• Vulnerable population groups must be placed at the centre of all social policy reform packages in the short- and medium-term. 
• In long term, countries should invest to enhance emergency preparedness and strengthen social protection in order to enhance resilience of economies and minimize impact of potential health emergencies in future. 
• Digital connectivity is making social distancing possible without social isolation. Investments need to be stepped up to reduce the digital divide. 

ADA Member’s Alarms in COVID times!!

Central Asia: Civil Society Responds to COVID-19 implications: Reported by Civil Society Development Association “ARGO”, Kazakhstan

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world, and sparked an international effort to contain the virus and minimize its impact. Many people are beginning to accept that life may never return to the way we once knew it.  
 
Four out of five countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) have acknowledged cases of COVID-19 within their borders, and all have taken steps to limit the spread of the virus and protect their citizens.  Four countries have declared a state of emergency, and are working to implement recommendations from the WHO to minimize infections. Only Turkmenistan maintains that there has not been a single case of COVID-19 in the country.
 
While almost no one has escaped the disruption caused by the pandemic, there is growing evidence that the coronavirus is disproportionately affecting women in a number of ways. Women constitute the majority of health care workers, and may have limited or no access to adequate personal protective equipment to protect themselves on the job. In addition, gender-based violence is on the rise during the pandemic – Kyrgyzstan, for example, has seen a 60% increase in reported violence over last year. The pandemic has also led to massive unemployment and loss of income, with the greatest effects felt by self-employed and informally-employed workers. 
 
Yet in spite of daunting challenges and shifting circumstances, civil society organizations (CSOs) are not sitting at home waiting for the threat to pass. Throughout Central Asia, local citizens are organizing to ensure that their neighbor’s needs are met. Some are using their technical skills to support online learning. Others are creating new resources for mental health support to reduce domestic violence. Still others are sewing inexpensive masks, delivering food to vulnerable groups in their communities. Regardless of their approach, all are demonstrating the important ways in which civil society in the region mobilizes around shared values. Below are more details on the specific cases of CSOs’ respond to COVID-19 implications in the Central Asian countries. 
 
In Kazakhstan, volunteers deliver food and supplies to those in need

Kazakhstan was one of the first countries in Central Asia to declare a State of Emergency. These restrictions effectively slowed the infection rate of the virus, but also complicated movement within cities, leaving vulnerable residents isolated from their relatives and support networks. Volunteers stepped in to fill the gap.  
In Atyrau, volunteers set up a headquarters at the local Civic Center and organized food deliveries to residents in need, including isolated pensioners, people with disabilities, and families with many children. 
 Volunteers paid special attention to the needs of residents over 60 in particular, due to their elevated risk for coronavirus-related complications. Home delivery of essential items reduces their need to leave homes for food or medicine, keeping everyone safer.  
 

 
In Kyrgyzstan
 
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, education has moved online in multiple Central Asian countries. Online learning school has helped communities maintain social distancing to slow the spread of the virus, but the transition to virtual learning has met with significant challenges. Frequently, the functionality and technical capacity of popular online platforms are insufficient to meet the needs of online learning. System bugs and connection issues are common. 
 
Recognizing the need for organized support, community organization “Cornelius Society” stepped up to help address the challenges of online learning for teachers in the city of Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan; 13 schools in the community requested support from the organization. 
 
The Society recruited 13 volunteers with IT skills. The volunteers consulted teachers online and provided support to use Google Class and Zoom. Thanks to the initiative of the Cornelius Society, Tokmok’s teachers and students can return to their online classrooms with renewed confidence. 
 
In Tajikistan, women’s CSO helps keep communities safe
 

Tajikistan recently announced its first confirmed cases of COVID-19, but has yet to declare a State of Emergency. Residents, however, have long been taking preventative measures to help each other stay safe. In the rural Rasht district of Tajikistan, members of community organization “Madadgor” have been using their sewing workshop to sew gauze masks. The organization is one of the first of its kind to switch gears in response to the pandemic to anticipate and prepare for community needs.
 
Nazira Kamolova, “Madadgor” director, brought together low-income women – all abandoned by husbands who left to work in Russia – to help their community reduce COVID-19 infections. 
 
The women in the workshop sew 150-200 masks each day; one mask costs 4 somoni to make (approximately 35 US cents), and can thus be sold at an accessible price to community members. The gauze masks are designed to be used for 8 hours. A sample mask has also been shared with community organization “Duzanda” in neighboring Lyakhsh district, which has also started to sew masks for the communit

 
CSO in Uzbekistan creates Telegram channel to help prevent domestic abuse

The pandemic poses a serious threat to women; according to the UN, gender-based violence has been on the rise during the pandemic. 
 In Uzbekistan, civil organization “Nihol” is working to prevent domestic violence during the quarantine through a free messenger application. The Center for Development and Initiative Support “Nihol” partnered with local activists working on a volunteer basis to launch a Telegram channel (@psixologikmaslaxat) and Telegram Bot (@psixologikmaslahat_GT_bot) for families.
 The application is monitored by school psychologists, psychoanalysts, certified psychologists, professors, scientific researchers, mental health specialists, and members of the Association of Psychologists of Uzbekistan. Those respond directly to inquiries and appeals for support through the application’s messenger. 
 Since its launch, the Telegram Channel has responded to inquiries and requests from more than 500 families. The mobile format allows specialists to provide timely and confidential support to families in need and diffuse conflict situations to minimize domestic violence. 

 
Combating COVID-19 in Turkmenistan
 
Turkmenistan has closed its borders, allowing only deliveries of essential goods, food, and medical supplies through customs. School holidays have also been extended in order to disinfect all schools and surrounding territories. Trade has been halted, and all large events have moved online - including such national events as Race Horse Day. Residents are asked to avoid crowded areas, wash hands frequently, and maintain at least 1.5 meters in ‘social distance’.

COVID-19 Exposes Singapore’s Shame 

CSOs response on COVID-19 in Nepal 

Mongolian CSO’s Response on COVID 

Japan’s CSOs Response on COVID 

Philippines: CODE-NGO Statement on COVID-19 Response 

India: WNTA Response to the COVID 19 

Pakistan : Pakistan Development alliance (PDA) Response to the COVID-19 

Worth a Read!!!

APRCEM Statement on COVID  

SAAPE Call for Rapid Response from the South Asian Governments to Fight the COVID19 Crisis and to build unitedly long-term public health care for South Asians

The Economic Impact of COVID 19 in South Asia 

Asia Pacific SDGs Progress Report 2020 

G20 Information Center 

C20 Information 

The Impact and Policy Responses for COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific 

A small Spark of hope for bipartisan cooperation in SDGs 

Global Indicator Framework on SDGs: update and CSO perspectives 

Empowering Civil Society for National reporting and Action on SDG16 

Forus and ADA National Case Studies on Goal 16 

 Action Please!!!

Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak 

Update on 2020 HLPF Side-events and Exhibitions: To Be Held VIRTUALLY. Application Deadline: MAY 29

 

 Uzbekistan, Solomon Islands, Samoa*, Papua New Guinea, Nepal*, Micronesia, Kyrgyz Republic, India*, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Bangladesh*
2020 VNR Countries from Asia and Pacific
 
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2020#otherPlease check the website for more information: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020HLPFApplication for Side-events using this link: 
Guidelines/ Criteria for Side-events
Application Form for Exhibitions
Guidelines/ Criteria for Exhibitions

."Only those events and exhibitions that have been approved will be part of the official programme for HLPF Side-events and Exhibitions. After registrations are closed on 29 May, the Secretariat will still screen applications and inform approved organizers so that they provide links to the virtual platforms of their events and exhibitions. 29 May 2020. Nevertheless, we do invite interested parties to submit their applications to organize an exhibit or a side event during the 2020 HLPF following the guidelines and criteria in the links below. Application process will be open until virtually"Given the situation linked to COVID-19, after careful consideration, it has been decided that all Side-events and Exhibitions will be held 
 
Please find below the latest information from UN DESA regarding the 2020 HLPF side-events and exhibitions:

For Your Endorsement!!

Register for the UN75 People's Forum on May 14 & 15

Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2020

The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual and inclusive intergovernmental forum and a regional platform for supporting countries, in particular those with special needs, in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Forum provides a regional perspective on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by identifying regional trends and consolidating and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The Forum takes into consideration the contributions of United Nations system bodies (at the regional level), other regional and sub regional organizations, and relevant stakeholders. The APFSD also supports follow-up and review of progress on the 2030 Agenda at the regional level. The theme of the 7th APFSD is “Accelerating action for and delivery of the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific”. Pre-session documents are available on the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development website, www.unescap.org/apfsd/7/ .In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Forum will be held on 20 May 2020 as a fully virtual event.

Calendar