Go back

The Virus, the Vaccine and Violence

This webinar in partnership with Chatham House assesses the potential for conflict-sensitive approaches to Covid-19 with a focus on vaccines.

DATE: 23 NOVEMBER 2020

TIME: 17:00 – 18:15 CET

LOCATION: ONLINE

As the social, economic and political implications of Covid-19 continue to unfold, the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better, particularly for the billion or so people in, and from, conflict-affected and fragile states. To date, response to the virus has been characterized by political competition. Richer states have taken unprecedented steps at scale to manage and mitigate the economic impact of the virus for their own citizens. This has not been complemented by similar political efforts to protect the health, livelihoods or security of people in the poorest countries.

As countries begin to roll out vaccines for their citizens, this webinar assesses the potential for conflict-sensitive approaches to Covid-19 with a focus on immunization. How has the pandemic response so far been instrumentalized by political leaders, powerbrokers and armed groups? How might a vaccine, or vaccines, be weaponized by these same groups? What might be the implications for people in conflict-affected countries and ungoverned spaces? And to what extent is there still scope to present a coordinated and cohesive response to the virus and roll out of a vaccine?

This event is run by the European Institute of Peace in partnership with Chatham House

SPEAKERS:

  • Dr Robin Niblett, Director and Chief Executive of Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs)
  • Dr Christopher Maher, Manager, Regional Polio Eradication Programme, WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region
  • Mariano Aguirre, Associate Fellow, International Security Programme, Chatham House
  • Olla Al-Sakkaf, Project Coordinator, Youth Without Borders Organisation for Development
  • Cristina Gallach, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and for Ibero-America and the Caribbean, Spanish Government