Newsletter 139 18 December 2021

Goodbye to a Long Year

And Hope for 2022

Can 2021 really have been a mere twelve months long? As we have cycled through Covid variations - and the cycles of hope, complacency and despondency they produce - it has felt as though the fates are attempting to fit a decade into a year. A sense of political time accelerating while our personal sense of time is distorted and fogged by the psychological impact of the pandemic. Democracy has certainly faced acute challenge again this year - not least in the USA, bookended by the 6 January assault on the Capitol and the more hopeful (but controversial) Summit for Democracy. From closing civic space, to coups everywhere from Myanmar to Tunisia, to growing internet censorship (see a new study here), there is much to lament. But there has been good news too, including fierce resistance against repression, advances in conducting more inclusive elections, stories of resilience and solidarity, and determination to fight for democratic freedoms and fairer economies. We'll be taking an extended hiatus until the end of January, but we want to thank all of our readers and contributors for helping to make COVID-DEM a leading source on how Covid continues to impact democracy worldwide. We wish you an enjoyable break and here's to a more democratic 2022!

In this last update for 2021, we're highlighting:

42nd Annual Forum of Parliamentarians for Global Action
Reviews of the Biden administration's Summit for Democracy
Curated list of analysis of the Omicron variant and vaccine inequality
New items in our Super-Blog and Policy Hub
The EU and the pandemic

On 16 December 2021 Deputy Director Tom Daly joined MPs from 132 countries to discuss Covid-19 and parliaments' role in renewing democracy, at the 42nd Annual Forum of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) co-hosted by the National Assembly of Belize. Under the PGA's Democratic Renewal & Human Rights Campaign, Day 1 focused on 'The Antidote to Authoritarianism: Parliamentarians as champions of democratic principles and institutions'. Tom spoke on the topic 'Has the recession of American and European leadership weakened democracies and emboldened “autocratic” regimes?', finishing with a number of reasons for hope. You can find his talk at 1.19.18 below, but the entire discussion is well worth watching.

Held mainly online due to COVID-19, the two-day Summit for Democracy had a guest list of participants from 111 states and territories, with ultimately 101 participating (including the USA itself, the EU and UN). The Summit focused on three areas: defending against authoritarianism; addressing and fighting corruption; and promoting respect for human rights. One wag described the event as sounding more like “an international therapy session” – a far cry from the “triumphalist chest-beating” of past meetings of free world leaders. Despite many criticisms, signal announcements in President Biden’s opening speech range from a U.S. government Strategy on Countering Corruption to $224 million funding in 2022 to support democratic reformers, promote technology that advances democracy, and fair elections; including a multilateral International Fund for Public Interest Media, a Fund for Democratic Renewal, and a new Partnership for Democracy program.
Overview: Prof. Tom CAROTHERS, at the 42nd Annual Forum of PGA (16 December 2021) - starts at minute 28.00.
Discussion: WASHINGTON POST LIVE, 'The Future of Democracy with Isobel Coleman, Chris Krebs & Michael McFaul' (17 December 2021)
Opinion: C.J. POLYCHRONIOU, 'Biden’s “Democracy Summit” Prioritized US Hegemony Over Democratic Ideals' Global Policy (17 December 2021)
Opinion: WALL STREET JOURNAL, 'The Achievements of the Summit for Democracy' (14 December 2021)
Opinion: Alexander PANETTA, 'Countries at the global democracy summit take the first step — admit there's a problem' CBC News (11 December 2021)

Omicron's arrival has not only put a stop to our hope of breaking free from Covid-19 anytime soon, it has once again highlighted the prominence and persistence of vaccine apartheid suffered by populations from mid/low-income countries, especially southern African nations which are currently taking a battering from gratuitous travel bans imposed by various countries worldwide based on political, non-scientific agendas.

"The year is therefore ending with wealthy countries administering booster vaccines to their own vaccinated population faster than first vaccines are being given to the entire population of sub-Saharan Africa." - Robert YATES, Chatham House

Despite experts’ clear, constant messaging that global vaccination remains the key to overcoming the health crisis, rich, influential states including the US, China, Japan, and the EU continue to provide vaccine aid based on political grounds and diplomatic gains, stripping millions of their opportunity to be immunised and their right to health, subsequently amplifying the probability of new variants emerging in the future. Further, pharmaceutical companies continue to oppose the temporary waiver of intellectual property rights, blocking attempts to universalise access to the know-how, technology, and materials required to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics.

“If the current course is not corrected, vaccine apartheid will only deepen, and the resulting mal-distribution will render historically subordinated groups even more disposable.” - Matiangai SIRLEAF, Just Security

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, ‘East Africa: “Address the access issue and the pandemic will be managed tomorrow”: Global vaccine inequity’s impact in East Africa’ (14 December 2021)
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ‘The Politics of China's Vaccine Diplomacy in Africa’ (10 December 2021)
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE, ‘Russian COVID-19 Diplomacy in Africa: A Mixed Bag’ (10 December 2021)
AL JAZEERA, ‘WHO warns against rich nations hoarding jabs to fight Omicron’ (9 December 2021)
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, ‘Covid-19: Omicron variant must spur world leaders to share vaccines’ (8 December 2021)
THINK GLOBAL HEALTH, ‘The Global COVID-19 Contract Conundrum’ (8 December 2021)
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, ‘Omicron Latest Reminder That Global Vaccine Equity Is Critical’ (6 December 2021)
THINK GLOBAL HEALTH, ‘Friends or Foes? International Law and Health Nationalism During COVID-19’ (6 December 2021)
THINK GLOBAL HEALTH, ‘Omicron and the Scramble from Africa’ (6 December 2021)
CHATHAM HOUSE, ‘Covid’s solidarity failure’ (3 December 2021)
CHATHAM HOUSE, ‘Inequality is polarizing the world’ (3 December 2021)
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, ‘Rich Countries Must Stop Blocking the Covid Vaccine Patent Waiver’ (2 December 2021)
JUST SECURITY, ‘Omicron: The Variant that Vaccine Apartheid Built’ (2 December 2021)
OPENDEMOCRACY, ‘Vaccine apartheid is prolonging COVID – not vaccine hesitancy’ (2 December 2021)
THINK GLOBAL HEALTH, ‘Billions Committed, Millions Delivered’ (2 December 2021)
THINK GLOBAL HEALTH, ‘The Real Meaning of Omicron’ (2 December 2021)
WORLD POLITICS REVIEW, ‘Only a Truly Global Vaccination Campaign Will End the Pandemic’ (1 December 2021)

New blog posts uploaded to our Super-Blog in the past two weeks include:

Governance/rule of law
Tomáš ĽALÍK, ‘Leaving the Rule of Law Behind: How Slovakia is fighting against COVID-19 without Legality’ Int’l J. Const. L. Blog (9 December 2021)
Cassandra EMMONS, ‘Limiting Human Rights During Pandemics: Recommendations for Closing Reporting Gaps and Increasing International Oversight’ Bill of Health (6 December 2021)
Marco BITSCHNAU, ‘Book Review: The Great Recoil: Politics after Populism and Pandemic by Paolo Gerbaudo’ USAPP Blog (5 December 2021)
Roman HENSEL, ‘The Federal Constitutional Court’s Final Decisions on the ‘Federal Emergency Brake’’ LAC19 (2 December 2021)
John KINCAID & J. Wesley LECKRONE, ‘In US COVID-19 responses, party polarization has trumped cooperative federalism’ USAPP Blog (1 December 2021)
Giulia BOSI, ‘Overcoming the “Soft vs Hard Law” Debate in the Development of New Global Health Instruments’ Opinio Juris (30 November 2021)

Vaccine mandates
Fiona DE LONDRAS, Daniella LOCK & Pablo GREZ HIDALGO, ‘COVID passes and the ongoing abuse of ‘urgent’ law-making’ UKCLA Blog (14 December 2021)
Ronald JANSE, ‘Netherlands: Blaming the unvaccinated?’ LAC19 (10 December 2021)
Pierre DE VOS, ‘On Rage, Distrust and Covid-19 Lockdowns: Why Vaccine Hesitancy Is Irrational but Not Incomprehensible’ Const. Speaking (3 December 2021)
Jasper L. TRAN, ‘Causes of COVID Vaccine Hesitancy’ Bill of Health (30 November 2021)
Spyridoula KATSONI, ‘How Greece Set the Wrong Example for Compulsory Vaccinations Against COVID-19’ Opinio Juris (30 November 2021)

Media
Gohar MARTIROSYAN, ‘Combatting COVID-19 Disinformation in Armenia through Non-Traditional Media’ Democracy Speaks Blog (1 December 2021)
Aida AL-KAISY, ‘Iraqis do not know which media narratives to trust about COVID’ LSE COVID-19 Blog (30 November 2021)

Additional analyses uploaded to our P olicy Hub in the past two weeks include:

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, ‘Kenya: Vaccine Requirements Violate Rights’ (13 December 2021)
HANSARD SOCIETY, Briefing: ‘What Covid Regulations might MPs be asked to debate on 14 December and how will the Regulations be approved?’ (12 December 2021)
CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM (CIJ) (Malaysia), ‘Freedom of Expression Status Report: 2021’ (11 December 2021)
HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CENTRE (AUSTRALIA), ‘Auditor General probe shows failings in international travel exemptions system‘ (9 December 2021)
INTERNATIONAL IDEA, ‘International IDEA Democracy Statement’ (6 December 2021)
IFEX, ‘Mongolia urged to uphold the right to peaceful assembly during the pandemic’ (6 December 2021)
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CENTRE (IDRC), ‘Covid-19 and social accountability: Insights from a rapid baseline study in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda’ (6 December 2021)
INTERNATIONAL IDEA, ‘Democracies must join forces to counter growing authoritarianism, 29 governments say’ (6 December 2021)
HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CENTRE (AUSTRALIA), ‘Response to COVID-19 variant underscores the need for reform to international travel restrictions system’ (2 December 2021)
LOWY INTERPRETER, ‘Border closures should not be Australia’s default response’ (30 November 2021)

The COVID-DEM team have experienced the endless complexity of international travel as the end of the year looms - a reminder of just how much our world has changed. As some of us head from Asia and Australia to the EU, we do so with a sense that much has changed since we last set foot on European soil in 2019. Key readings include:
Elian PELTIER & Monika PRONCZUK, 'E.U. Proposes Changes That Would Chip Away at Borderless Model' New York Times (14 December 2021)
Iris GOLDNER LANG, 'EU COVID-19 Certificates: A Critical Analysis' European Journal of Risk Regulation (19 July 2021)
Iris GOLDNER LANG, '“Laws of Fear” in the EU: The Precautionary Principle and Public Health Restrictions to Free Movement of Persons in the Time of COVID-19' European Journal of Risk Regulation (5 February 2021)
EU FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AGENCY, COVID Bulletin: 'Coronavirus pandemic in the EU - Fundamental Rights Implications: Vaccine rollout and equality of access in the EU' - Bulletin 7 (16 June 2021).Click on ’related’ to access all bulletins.
EU FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AGENCY, Fundamental Rights Report: The coronavirus pandemic and fundamental rights: A year in review | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (europa.eu)

COVID-DEM is You

Every day we work with people worldwide to build this platform for helping us understand how the pandemic is challenging and re-shaping democracy globally, and the many ways we can defend and improve our democracies. Our sincere thanks to every one of you who has helped us to develop COVID-DEM into what it is today. Don't hesitate to send us your work and suggestions, to coviddem@gmail.com or through our online form.

Dr Tom Gerald Daly
Director

Find out more about Tom here.