Protection Of Vulnerable Groups Research Articles

Predicting regional sustainable development to enhance decision-making in brownfield redevelopment using machine learning algorithms

Brownfield redevelopment and land sustainable management have many interconnected aspects, which could be evaluated by regional development. Most contaminated sites in Taiwan often lack comprehensive consideration during remediation for land reuse planning; therefore, they are operated independently from regional development. Regional development is a dynamic process; however, there is a research gap in understanding how regional development can serve as an incentive for brownfield redevelopment. This study established a model for assessing regional sustainability using machine learning (ML-RSD), that model used principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) to predict the comprehensive evaluation rating of regional development at the township level and to explore the trends of regional governance sustainability. The results of ML-RSD that are compared to commonly used methods (driver-pressure-state-impact-response and entropy weight method) were consistent. Indicators such as the protection of vulnerable groups (SDG1), food security (SDG2), good health and well-being (SDG3), inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG4), environmental protection (SDG6), accessible and reliable energy (SDG7), and sustainable economic growth (SDG8) were identified as the main factors affecting regional development. Additionally, the model achieved an accuracy value exceeding 80%. Additionally, the results showed that there was no significant correlation between the delisted site (completed remediation) and regional development in southern Taiwan. The model underscored the overall lower comprehensive sustainable values for regions affected by inadequate land rehabilitation governance (SDG15). The results present that brownfield redevelopment strategies should enhance their effectiveness in land adaptation and integrating brownfield redevelopment with regional sustainable development is essential for it to become a win–win solution.

Responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law

The article examines an important aspect of international law, namely responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) during war, and examines forms of responsibility such as individual, collective, and state responsibility for violations of humanitarian norms. The importance of ensuring compliance with IHL and holding individuals, organizations and states accountable for serious violations such as crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and aggression was emphasized. It was determined that responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law is aimed at preventing similar violations in the future and restoring violated humanitarian norms and human rights. Emphasis is placed on the important role of responsibility for violations of IHL in maintaining global peace, security and protection of vulnerable groups in conflict.

Automated antigen assays display a high heterogeneity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including several Omicron sublineages

Diagnostic tests for direct pathogen detection have been instrumental to contain the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Automated, quantitative, laboratory-based nucleocapsid antigen (Ag) tests for SARS-CoV-2 have been launched alongside nucleic acid-based test systems and point-of-care (POC) lateral-flow Ag tests. Here, we evaluated four commercial Ag tests on automated platforms for the detection of different sublineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VoC) (B.1.1.529) in comparison with “non-Omicron” VoCs. A total of 203 Omicron PCR-positive respiratory swabs (53 BA.1, 48 BA.2, 23 BQ.1, 39 XBB.1.5 and 40 other subvariants) from the period February to March 2022 and from March 2023 were examined. In addition, tissue culture-expanded clinical isolates of Delta (B.1.617.2), Omicron-BA.1, -BF.7, -BN.1 and -BQ.1 were studied. These results were compared to previously reported data from 107 clinical “non-Omicron” samples from the end of the second pandemic wave (February to March 2021) as well as cell culture-derived samples of wildtype (wt) EU-1 (B.1.177), Alpha VoC (B.1.1.7) and Beta VoC (B.1.351)). All four commercial Ag tests were able to detect at least 90.9% of Omicron-containing samples with high viral loads (Ct < 25). The rates of true-positive test results for BA.1/BA.2-positive samples with intermediate viral loads (Ct 25–30) ranged between 6.7% and 100.0%, while they dropped to 0 to 15.4% for samples with low Ct values (> 30). This heterogeneity was reflected also by the tests’ 50%-limit of detection (LoD50) values ranging from 44,444 to 1,866,900 Geq/ml. Respiratory samples containing Omicron-BQ.1/XBB.1.5 or other Omicron subvariants that emerged in 2023 were detected with enormous heterogeneity (0 to 100%) for the intermediate and low viral load ranges with LoD50 values between 23,019 and 1,152,048 Geq/ml. In contrast, detection of “non-Omicron” samples was more sensitive, scoring positive in 35 to 100% for the intermediate and 1.3 to 32.9% of cases for the low viral loads, respectively, corresponding to LoD50 values ranging from 6181 to 749,792 Geq/ml. All four assays detected cell culture-expanded VoCs Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron subvariants carrying up to six amino acid mutations in the nucleocapsid protein with sensitivities comparable to the non-VoC EU-1. Overall, automated quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Ag assays are not more sensitive than standard rapid antigen tests used in POC settings and show a high heterogeneity in performance for VoC recognition. The best of these automated Ag tests may have the potential to complement nucleic acid-based assays for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics in settings not primarily focused on the protection of vulnerable groups. In light of the constant emergence of new Omicron subvariants and recombinants, most recently the XBB lineage, these tests’ performance must be regularly re-evaluated, especially when new VoCs carry mutations in the nucleocapsid protein or immunological and clinical parameters change.

The Right to a Fair Trial: Comparative Analysis of International Human Rights Standards

This research paper presents a comparative analysis of the right to a fair trial in Indonesia and Brazil, focusing on the international human rights standards applicable in both countries. The study examines the legal frameworks, case studies, and challenges associated with fair trial rights in each country. Through a comprehensive review of literature and analysis of relevant legal provisions, the research highlights the issues of presumption of innocence, access to legal representation, impartiality of the judiciary, and the protection of vulnerable groups. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the practical implementation of fair trial rights and provide insights into areas that require attention and improvement. The research concludes by emphasizing the importance of aligning domestic laws and practices with international human rights standards to ensure comprehensive protection of fair trial rights in Indonesia and Brazil.

Ethical perspectives of the involvement of vulnerable populations in health research

Abstract Background Public involvement in research has potential to transform public health research processes and outcomes, as well as contribute to sustainable collaborations between academia and the civil society. However, this all relies on public involvement being conducted in an ethical and inclusive way, especially when involving representatives from vulnerable populations. Methods In this empirically informed theoretical reflection, ethical perspectives on involvement of vulnerable populations in health research were explored using data collected within a public involvement evaluation project. By analysing observational and longitudinal qualitative data from research projects involving public representatives from vulnerable groups, ethical aspects were identified. Results Responsibility and decision-making appeared as important ethical aspects, where laws and regulations conflicted with involvement ideals. Similarly, reimbursement and recognition for public contributors became an ethical issue when facing legislation and bureaucracy, especially when involving children or refugees. Another ethical aspect concerned researchers’ concerns in balancing involvement and protection of vulnerable groups, especially when involving contributors living under unstable circumstances. Finally, effectively communicating around research and involvement in an accessible way, for contributors to be involved but not burdened, was a challenge for researchers. Conclusions Public involvement of vulnerable populations led to ethical challenges related to conflicting ideals and practical realities, including balancing involvement and protection of contributors. This highlighted a need for ethical guidance to support ethical decision-making and practice. The findings are used to guide the development of an ethical framework for decision-making in public involvement. Key messages • Researchers involving public contributors from vulnerable groups face ethical challenges which causes barriers to involvement. • There is need for guidance on ethical decision-making for researchers involving representatives from vulnerable groups in research.

Ethical analysis of cadaver supply and usage processes for research within the scope of the Helsinki Declaration.

Recent technological developments have considerably transformed the supply, storage, and transportation processes of cadavers, creating new and previously unforeseen ethical challenges regarding cadaver usage. In this study, we analyzed two aspects of the cadaver processing system-cadaver supply and its use in research. Thereafter, we highlighted the major ethical concerns underlying these stages and correlated our search results with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki (DoH), or Helsinki Declaration. To ensure the reliability and continuity of medical progress, human-especially cadaver-research depends on the ethical priorities as outlined in the DoH: respect for autonomy, privacy/confidentiality, risks/burdens/benefits, and the protection of vulnerable groups. According to our ethics analysis, which also corresponds with the ethics guidelines of the Consensus Panel on Research with the Recently Dead, the most ignored values were respect for autonomy and privacy/confidentiality issues. Based on these ethical concerns, we provide recommendations to address these challenges in anatomy research.

Climate Change, Conflict, and Resource Extraction: Analyses of Nigerian Artisanal Mining Communities and Ominous Global Trends.

Background:The 2010 lead poisoning outbreak that claimed the lives of more than 400 children in artisanal gold mining villages in Zamfara, Nigeria is the tragic result of high gold prices, a geologic anomaly, and processing of ores in residential areas. Today, these villages face a growing crisis related to conflict and climate change. While the situation in Zamfara is unparalleled in many ways, the interactions between climate change, conflict, and mining consistently overlap a global scale. The scope of this analysis extends beyond the Nigerian crisis.Objectives:Understanding the complexities of challenges faced in Zamfara provides insight into how these issues impact vulnerable communities globally, and which strategies should be considered to solve this wicked problem.Methods:Analysis of the relationships between climate change, conflict, and mining in Zamfara and globally via literature review and examination of current events in the Sahel region.Findings:Supporting healthy artisanal mining communities, as was prioritized in Zamfara, must be a focus of environmental, health, and mineral management policies. This includes the consideration of multiple environmental health challenges, the protection of vulnerable groups, government-supported formalization programs, and meaningful involvement of local leadership in developing, implementing, and sustaining intervention strategies to enshrine ASM as a poverty reduction, climate change adaptation strategy.Conclusions:Rapidly rising metal prices and demand will continue to fuel environmental health crises associated with mining. Given Africa’s growing role in the global mineral economy and the massive number of subsistence communities who will continue to be impacted by climate change, strategies that support responsible artisanal mining are both a necessity for preventing future health crises and an opportunity for promoting regional stability and peace.

Analysis of the Multi-Confessional Religious Situation in Ukraine in the Period from 2000 to 2021

This study summarizes information regarding features of religious and church-religious self-determination of citizens of Ukraine for the period 2000-2021. Ukraine’s Western region is traditionally characterized by a high level of religiosity, while the South and East of Ukraine are the least religious. In recent years, the proportion of citizens who do not identify themselves with any of the religions has increased. There is a significant difference between the level of declared religiosity and identification with a particular religious community. As a result of the military events in the East of Ukraine and the war with Russia, the number of believers and Orthodox churches of the Moscow Patriarchate has significantly decreased, while the number of Orthodox Churches of the Kyiv Patriarchate has increased. After receiving Tomos from the Patriarch of Constantinople on December 15, 2018, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine gained more authority in society. However, relations between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are characterized by the great tension and conflict, which is expressed at the level of individual communities. Some problems arose during the creation of a unified Orthodox Church in Ukraine, but they did not become critical and did not affect the religious situation as a whole. Only 10% of citizens regularly attend religious services and meetings. The decline in attendance at religious services during the COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by an increase in parishioner participation via the Internet. Leading churches have a positive attitude towards the use of the latest technologies and instant messengers. The article presents the results of surveys of focus groups. One of these polls testifies to the desire of believers to have changes in terms of religious rituals, in particular, the reduction of time, the understandable language of services and sermons, the introduction of seating in Orthodox churches, or a more modest decoration of churches. However, it has been established that for the growth of temple attendance, it is important not so much to develop a network of places of worship, but to form the interest and motivation of people to visit temples. Unfortunately, the level of recognition of the moral authority of the Church is lower than the level of trust in it. Citizens believe that the largest Ukrainian Churches in their approach to the problems of LGBT communities and other complex issues often take a conservative position that does not meet the requirements of the time, rather than an active position that contributes to solving social problems. Social service and assistance to people, according to the majority of respondents, should occupy a leading place in the activities of the Church. The greatest demand was for psychological assistance and protection of vulnerable groups. The overwhelming majority support the assertion that the Church should be separated from the state and the school from the Church. There is a high level of tolerance among citizens to the practice of different religions. A negative attitude is present only towards the UOC-MP, but this is a consequence of the military invasion by Russia and the presence of scandals due to provocative statements by the so-called “pro-Russian priests.” The activity of the latter was banned by a number of local councils on the territory of Ukraine due to cooperation with the aggressor country, and after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, it was outlawed. A deterrent to inter-religious, inter-confessional and inter-church conflicts in Ukraine remains the fact that religious and ecclesiastical identity is of little importance to citizens. It was found that in Ukraine during the period of independence a special religious situation has formed, characterized by multi-confessional tolerance and the almost complete absence of tension among the various churches that successfully coexist, and often even cooperate with each other.

English

BACKGROUND Elderly people especially those with co-morbidities are considered to be more at risk to suffer from serious infection and complications due to corona virus disease - 19 (COVID 19) infection. The concept of reverse quarantine which ensured minimum contact of vulnerable individuals with others was put forward even from early days of the pandemic. How much the vulnerable individuals were aware of the concept, its practice and the apparent outcome is of interest. This information could be used in designing infection prevention measures.The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude &amp; practice regarding “reverse quarantine” among senior citizens. METHODS A longitudinal study was conducted in the urban area of Kollam district in Kerala from June 1st 2020 to May 31st 2021 (1 year). The study subjects included 128 individuals above 60 years, residing in the area. RESULTS Majority of study subjects had good knowledge and the right attitude regarding reverse quarantine. Regarding correct practices, 70 % of them were following good practices on reverse quarantine. None of them received any assistance from health care providers in ensuring reverse quarantine. CONCLUSIONS Improving the practice of reverse quarantine will bring about further protection of vulnerable groups, even after being fully vaccinated. KEY WORDS COVID – 19, Risk - Group, Senior Citizens, Self-Protection, Reverse Quarantine.

Facebook with money: the rise of online brokerage platforms and vulnerable groups

AbstractThe recent advances in information technology now allow millions of people to trade and invest in an array of financial assets with the help of online brokerage platforms. This allows retail investors to have more control over their own financial well-being, arguably a positive development. Nevertheless, trading and investing with real money comes with serious risks, especially for vulnerable people. The current UK framework for the regulation of online trading in financial assets overlooks vulnerable groups, such as children, disabled adults, and vulnerable women. By drawing a parallel between online gambling and online trading, the negative effects of online trading can be minimised. The UK regulatory and policy framework surrounding online gambling could provide valuable solutions to tackle the existing lacunae in the protection of vulnerable groups in the online trading environment.

The study of the development of the social protection system in Ukraine taking into account the experience of foreign countries

Aim. To study the development of the social protection system in Ukraine and compare it with the social models of other countries. &#x0D; Materials and methods. The sample observation, questionnaire, formal-logical methods, analogies and comparisons, the system analysis, the content analysis were used. &#x0D; Results. According to the results of our studies, it has been found that the formation and development of the Ukrainian legislation in the field of social protection and social security can be divided into four stages; each of them has special characteristics and trends. The main approaches to regulating the social protection system and social security include the Soviet and European models. &#x0D; Conclusions. Considering the development of the Ukrainian legislation in the field of social protection and social security and the analysis of modern reforms it can be argued that today Ukraine combines the latest foreign and personal approaches and on their basis reforms the social protection and social security system with the implementation of the European social protection standards. The analysis has shown that the future social policy of our state should be based on the principle of justice and protection of vulnerable groups, with the preference given to social benefits, the system of the targeted assistance, a new healthcare system and pension protection.

Ethnopolitical challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic: international and national contexts

The article considers the current ethno-political challenges caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures of the state to counter the spread of coronavirus infection. The analysis of humanitarian threats is carried out posed by the spread of the pandemic in the ethno-political sphere at the international and national levels. Attention is drawn to the growing vulnerability of certain ethnic and racial groups as a result of the pandemic, both from the coronavirus itself and from the socio-economic consequences of national governments' response to the pandemic. The aim of the article is to analyze the main ethno-political challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic at the international and national levels, as well as the priority goals of the policy to opposition the negative consequences of the spread of coronavirus in Ukraine.The article emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on "vulnerable" groups from minority communities, in particular – socio-economic factors that cause the spread of coronavirus infection in multicultural communities and reduce the effectiveness of government pandemic policies. Among the main challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic are the ethno-political consequences of the pandemic, which are the growing inequality of certain minority groups, discrimination and the conflict-generating potential of interethnic/racial relations within multicultural societies. The article emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on "vulnerable" groups from minority communities and the growing conflict potential of interethnic / racial relations within multicultural societies.The ethno-political factors of influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Ukrainian society, actual questions of formation and realization of the state policy in the ethnonational sphere concerning protection of vulnerable groups and counteraction to displays of interethnic intolerance are considered. The most vulnerable groups that have suffered the most from the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic and the forms of interethnic intolerance in Ukrainian society during this period have been identified. The article concludes that the effectiveness of the implemented anti-epidemic measures of national governments depends on the state policy in the ethno-political sphere. Also, the importance of further analysis and prevention of ethno-political challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to preserve the domestic political stability of the state and develop an effective policy of preserving interethnic harmony in Ukraine is stated.

Legal protection of vulnerable groups of population: practice of the European Court of Human Rights

The relevance of the problem under study is due to the need to monitoring the general situation to respect to human rights. The establishment, provision and realization of human rights is an important indicator in a state, which indicates its democracy, sociality, as well as the fact that such a state is legal. Purpose of the article in the study the issues of legal protection of vulnerable categories of population in the context of formation of active human rights policy of state aimed at increasing the capacity of socially vulnerable groups and reducing the risks of growing social tensions in society. The leading method for studying this problem is the legal sociological method, which allows us to study the effectiveness of state and legal regulation of human rights protection. The article presents an analysis of the results of the European experience in combating intolerance and discrimination. Its types main determined have been. Highlighted the criteria by which discrimination is prohibited. The legal system of human rights protection mechanisms is analyzed. The article presents scientific categories: discrimination, hate crimes, vulnerable groups. The practical significance lies in the development of proposals for improving domestic legislation.

A Comparative Analysis of Zambia's Mental Health Legislation and the World Health Organisation's Resource Book on Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation

Background: Mental Health Legislation plays an important role in the promotion and protection of the rights of persons living with mental illness and mental disability. Many Countries are making attempts to bring these legislations in line with the major international guidelines like the WHO-RB. Zambia’s Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019 challenges the community, caregivers, mental health practitioners and policy makers to rethink the ‘Medical Model’ of Mental illness and existing services. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse and compare Zambia’s Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019 and the WHO-RB.&#x0D; Method: This study was a comparative analysis of two documents: Zambia’s Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019 and the WHO-RB, which contains a checklist of human rights specifications that are expected to be met at national level. This study scrutinized each component on the checklist and established the pertinent areas in Zambia’s Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019 that relate to each component of WHO-RB.&#x0D; Results: The Zambia’s Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019 attempted to include many legislative issues from the WHO-RB checklist. Analysis of the 27 checklist items showed that 44.4% (12/27) were adequately covered, 33.3% (9/27) were covered to some extent with missing and problematic areas clearly outlined for each of these items and 22.2% (6/27) components from the WHO-RB checklist were not covered at all in Zambia’s Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019. The items not covered at all related to rights of families or other carers, involuntary treatment in the community setting, police responsibility, housing for patients with mental illness, social security and protection of vulnerable groups.&#x0D; Conclusion: The Mental Health Act No.6 of 2019 makes an important contribution to mental health legislation in Zambia by bringing about the promotion, protection, respect of the rights and dignity of persons with mental illness. However, some efforts need to be made to respectively amend and include the problematic and completely absent components so as to produce a mental health act that is complete and inclusive.

Extensions of the SEIR model for the analysis of tailored social distancing and tracing approaches to cope with COVID-19

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide face the challenge of designing tailored measures of epidemic control to provide reliable health protection while allowing societal and economic activity. In this paper, we propose an extension of the epidemiological SEIR model to enable a detailed analysis of commonly discussed tailored measures of epidemic control—among them group-specific protection and the use of tracing apps. We introduce groups into the SEIR model that may differ both in their underlying parameters as well as in their behavioral response to public health interventions. Moreover, we allow for different infectiousness parameters within and across groups, different asymptomatic, hospitalization, and lethality rates, as well as different take-up rates of tracing apps. We then examine predictions from these models for a variety of scenarios. Our results visualize the sharp trade-offs between different goals of epidemic control, namely a low death toll, avoiding overload of the health system, and a short duration of the epidemic. We show that a combination of tailored mechanisms, e.g., the protection of vulnerable groups together with a “trace & isolate” approach, can be effective in preventing a high death toll. Protection of vulnerable groups without further measures requires unrealistically strict isolation. A key insight is that high compliance is critical for the effectiveness of a “trace & isolate” approach. Our model allows to analyze the interplay of group-specific social distancing and tracing also beyond our case study in scenarios with a large number of groups reflecting, e.g., sectoral, regional, or age differentiation and group-specific behavioural responses.

A atuação da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos no que tange a grupos em situação de vulnerabilidade: Análise da Opinião Consultiva 24/2017

O Sistema Interamericano de Proteção aos Direitos Humanos está inserido em um contexto de busca pela máxima proteção e garantia de direitos humanos. Assim, além de uma Constituição Federal que traz no seu bojo a vontade de concretizar direitos humanos e fundamentais, tem-se ainda um Sistema Global e um Sistema Regional de Proteção, o que evidencia a relevância e atualidade do tema. Partindo-se dessa premissa, trabalha-se neste artigo com os conteúdos que abarcam o direito à não-discriminação e à igual proteção perante a lei, especialmente a partir da lógica da função consultiva exercida pela Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos. Nesse sentido, tem-se como problema o seguinte questionamento: qual o posicionamento adotado na Opinião Consultiva 24/2017 pela Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos, no que tange aos direitos da comunidade LGBT, enquanto grupo em situação de vulnerabilidade? Para tanto, utiliza-se o método de abordagem dedutivo, e objetiva-se, num primeiro momento, abordar a lógica de atuação da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos, com foco na sua função consultiva; verificar os principais aspectos no que tange à proteção dos grupos em situação de vulnerabilidade sob a ótica da Convenção Americana; e, por fim, analisar criticamente a Opinião Consultiva 24/2017, emitida pela Corte, que versa sobre a proteção que deve ser conferida pelos Estados à comunidade LGBT. Conclui-se, ao final, que a Corte compreende que os Estados devem adotar medidas de proteção a esse grupo, evitando qualquer tipo de discriminação e erradicando, ou ao menos reduzindo, as violências que decorrem da identidade de gênero e sexual.

Охрана здоровья граждан и экономика: приоритеты политико-экономических решений в условиях пандемии

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to healthcare systems around the world. As of May 16, 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2, which is the causative agent of COVID-19) was identified in the vast majority of countries. There are more than 4.6 million confirmed cases and more than 300 000 deaths worldwide, according to official sources. In addition, according to the latest forecasts of the development of the situation associated with the spread of the pandemic, COVID-19 could lead to about 40 million deaths worldwide this year. Such a scenario is possible, provided that a vaccine against coronavirus infection will not be developed soon. Currently, in the absence of pharmaceutical interventions which are effective enough to be used as a preventive measure and when there are no drugs, the main strategy for fighting COVID-19 focuses on non-pharmaceutical interventions. These non-pharmaceutical interventions typically include a package of mitigation and suppression measures (for example, isolation on a case-by-case basis, protection of vulnerable groups, closing schools, limitation of publicly planned or any other activities, and introduction of selfisolation throughout the country). Obviously, these measures, in particular social distancing, are aimed at risk minimization of SARS-CoV-2 contagion from person to person. Having found itself in emergency conditions, the Russian government faced a difficult task when making political and economic decisions: to increase funding for healthcare or to ensure the welfare of the country’s economy. The aim of the article is to analyze and assess the degree of influence of the pandemic factor on the socio-economic situation, influence of the factors of the epidemic process on political and economic decision-making.

The Response of International Law to the Current Public Health Emergency of International Concern ‒ With Focus on Legal Aspects of Foreign Policy Issues Relating to COVID-19 ‒

Against the background of enhanced global interdependence and growing concerns over socio-economic inequalities, the pandemic of COVID-19 is expected to significantly impact the field of international law. Based upon the recent experience in legal advising for Korea’s foreign-policy response to the public health emergency of international concern, this article explores how international law addresses some of the current issues caused by the spread of the disease. The main topics are human rights; the status of aliens; and diplomatic privilege and immunity. First, while public response to infectious diseases may involve restriction on individual rights, the governments are required to comply with the requirements of the relevant international human rights covenants. Protection of vulnerable groups and safeguarding privacy are also critical legal issues in responding to the pandemic. Second, the implementation of travel restriction such as entry ban on foreign travelers coming from affected areas could be considered as being within the domaine r&#233;serv&#233; of sovereign states. Many states have relied on temporary suspension of visa waiver agreements in order to tighten the border control. Yet, the principle of non-discrimination and other human rights concern should be respected, as well as the objective of facilitating certain essential travel. Third, certain aspects of public health measures may be inconsistent with diplomatic privileges and immunities, resulting in difficult issues. Such privileges and immunities cannot be overridden even in the public health emergency, while the sending states may voluntarily consent to some of the intrusive health measures in the spirit of voluntary cooperation. The concept of the self-contained regime is also relevant in this respect. The lessons learned from the current pandemic may lead to a new set of international norms to meet the challenges of the new era of infectious diseases. New norm-making could take the form of bilateral agreements, regional norms or the improvement of IHR(2005), with focus on substantial issues such as information-sharing cooperation, human rights including digital tracing and privacy, minimization of interference with international trade and traffic and core capacity-building in public health areas.

Vulnerability and vulnerable groups from an intersectionality perspective

In general, the identification and protection of vulnerable groups in the case of hazards or when a crisis unfolds is an issue that any crisis and disaster risk management should address, since people have different levels of exposure to hazards and crises.In this article, we promote the application of the intersectionality perspective in the study of vulnerable groups, and we call for intersectionality as a guiding principle in risk and crisis management, to provide a better and more nuanced picture of vulnerabilities and vulnerable groups. This can help national and local authorities and agencies to formulate specific guides, to hire staff with the skills necessary to meet particular needs, and to inform vulnerable groups in a particular way, taking into account the differences that may coexist within the same group. Intersectionality allows us to read vulnerability not as the characteristic of some socio-demographic groups. It is rather the result of different and interdependent societal stratification processes that result in multiple dimensions of marginalisation. In this vein, we argue that research should focus on 1) self-perceived vulnerability of individuals and an intersectionality approach to unpack vulnerable groups; 2) cases of crises according to the level and/or likelihood of individual exposure to hazards, to better nuance issues of vulnerability.

The International Protection of Vulnerable Groups during Armed Conflicts

This research provides an overview of the various frameworks for protecting the status of vulnerable groups impacted by armed conflict. International humanitarian law and United Nations, various institutions and agencies, and non-governmental organizations aim to resolve armed conflict situations. Humanitarian action, however, unattached to any political agenda and balancing security and assistance, is often the only solution for the plight of armed conflict victims. Thus, this article deals with the mechanism to protect vulnerable groups. There are many conventions available in the covenant to protect them. I will discuss the mechanism in which the international conventions and resolutions with some former cases have clarified its recognizing a certain subject as vulnerable groups they have to protection.