The Embassy of Ukraine in Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a note to the B&amp;H Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking for detailed information on the origin of objects from the Ukrainian cultural heritage, which B&amp;H Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik gifted to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to B&amp;H on 14th of December.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of B&amp;H, as confirmed to us, received a diplomatic note from the Embassy of Ukraine asking for a statement on how the 300-year-old icon was in the possession of the Chairman of the Presidency of B&amp;H Milorad Dodik.
This diplomatic note was forwarded to the Presidency of B&amp;H for declaration.
The Embassy of Ukraine, according to the letter, which is in the possession of "Avaz", is asking for detailed information.
The reaction of the Embassy of Ukraine states that the non-provision of public, immediate and unequivocal denunciation by the top leadership of B&amp;H of information related to the gift in question, possession or transfer, in any way, of cultural, historical or religious values originating from the territory of Ukraine , which are temporarily under the occupation of the Russian Federation, will signify support for the aggressive policy and military actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which has already resulted in the deaths of many thousands of Ukrainian citizens, the top leadership of B&amp;H - it is said in the reaction of the Embassy of Ukraine.
In question is a 300-year-old gilded icon, whose origin is from Lugansk, Ukraine, on which a seal is imprinted, which proves its originality.
The icon was handed to Lavrov during a meeting at the Republic of Srpska government headquarters in East Sarajevo, which was also attended by RS government leaders and the president of the Bosnian entity, Željka Cvijanović.

B&H Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik presented gifts to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to B&H on December 14th

What is written in the protest note of the Ukraine Embassy

What did Ukraine really send to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

&nbsp;A&nbsp;Vietnamese pharmaceutical company began testing a coronavirus vaccine on volunteers in Hanoi on Thursday, as developing countries jostle with richer nations to access affordable inoculations.Nanogen's Nanocovax is one of four under development in Vietnam, and a company representative said it is expected to cost around $5 a dose.
Three volunteers received the jab on Thursday and will be monitored for 72 hours at the Vietnam Military Medical University.
Nguyen Ngo Quang from the health ministry said 60 participants will receive the vaccine in the first phase of the trial.
University director Do Quyet said medical personnel were well prepared in case any participants developed problematic side-effects.
-All of us think that Covid is our enemy, so we are preparing for a battle... We have to prepare very carefully and we have to win (this battle)- he told reporters, describing the work on the clinical trial.
Vietnam has won plaudits worldwide for its handling of the pandemic -- with just over 1,400 cases and 35 deaths in a country of around 96 million people.
There are concerns that at least a fifth of the world's population may not have access to a Covid-19 vaccine until 2022, according to a study published Wednesday.
Wealthy nations -- accounting for just 14 percent of the global population -- have pre-ordered just over half of the vaccine doses expected to be produced by the 13 leading developers next year, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found.
Researchers said that Canada had ordered the equivalent of four doses per person, the United States has reserved just enough for one vaccine course per person, while countries such as Indonesia have reserved less than one vaccine course for every two people.

Nanogen's Nanocovax is one of four under development in Vietnam

Vietnamese military medical officials administer a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine Nanocovax to a volunteer in Hanoi

Vietnam starts human trial of coronavirus vaccine

Health officials were rushing Thursday to trace the source of a growing cluster of Covid-19 cases in Australia's largest city of Sydney, with thousands of residents urged to stay home.
Initial reports of five cases on Thursday morning had grown to 17 hours later, as officials worked to uncover the source of the infection in the city's northern beaches.
New South Wales Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said at an earlier press conference that the cases were "a wake-up call" to Sydneysiders, who had been enjoying a relative return to normal in recent months.
-I think that it's fair to say that mask wearing has declined, with some level of complacency in the population- Chant said.
-And I think this is a wake-up call to urge the community to continue to follow that health advice.-
Mask wearing - although encouraged - remains optional in Sydney as daily community cases in the country have remained low or at zero for months, allowing a continued rollback of restrictions ahead of Christmas.
NSW Health told around 250,000 residents in the affected suburbs to stay home for three days and urged people to get tested, prompting large queues outside clinics.
Health alerts were also issued for a growing number of venues with one confirmed case in a worker at a retirement village.
The news triggered swift action from several state officials around Australia, with some immediately revising travel rules for those arriving from Sydney.
"I know these changes will cause frustration and uncertainty for some people," Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said, as he announced quarantine measures and mandatory testing for all travellers arriving from Sydney.
Australia has recorded over 28,000 coronavirus cases and 908 deaths in a population of 25 million.

Initial reports of five cases on Thursday morning had grown to 17 hours later

Daily community coronavirus cases in Australia have remained low or at zero for months, but officials have said the new Sydney cluster is a 'wake-up call'

New Sydney Covid-19 cluster gives Australians 'wake-up call'

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, the presidency said, adding that he would now self-isolate for the next week.
-The president tested positive for Covid-19 today- it said in a statement, adding that he had been tested after the "onset of the first symptoms".
Macron will now, in accordance with national regulations, "self isolate for seven days. He will continue to work and carry out his activities remotely," it said.
The French president is one of several heads of state and government around the world who have contracted Covid-19, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Donald Trump.
France earlier this week eased restrictions imposed to battle the second wave of the coronavirus but infection rates remain high.
There is still a nationwide overnight curfew from 8 pm to halt the spread of the virus while restaurants and cafes as well as theatres and cinemas remain closed.
Over 59,300 people have died in France of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.
The recording of over 17,000 new cases on Wednesday alone has also generated concern as people shop and travel more intensely ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Like other EU states, France is pinning its hopes on a vaccine to quell the virus and Prime Minister Jean Castex said Wednesday the country will receive around 1.16 million Covid-19 vaccine doses by year end.

French President  will now, in accordance with national regulations, "self isolate for seven days"

Macron had been tested after the "onset of the first symptoms"

Macron tests positive for Covid-19

A major increase in self-harm and mental health conditions has accompanied the coronavirus lockdown in Greece's migrant camps, a prominent aid group said Thursday.
The International Rescue Committee said data from three islands with the largest migrant populations -- Lesbos, Chios and Samos -- showed that three quarters of more than 900 people assisted since 2018 had such symptoms.
As of the end of October, 41 percent had reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, 35 percent reported suicidal thoughts and 18 percent reported having attempted to take their own lives, IRC said. 
And immediately after Greece imposed a virus lockdown in March, there was a 71 percent increase in psychotic symptoms and a 66 percent increase in self-harm, the group said.
More than 15,000 people live in camps in the three islands, and over 17,000 in Aegean camps overall, according to government data.
On Lesbos, more than 7,000 people are staying in a makeshift tent camp set up after the permanent facility burned down in September.
On Monday, a three-year-old Afghan girl was found semi-conscious and bleeding in the camp lavatory, with authorities saying she was likely raped.
-The mental health of refugees has been decimated this year, in the wake of devastating fires in Lesbos and Samos, Covid and the lockdown restrictions brought with it, and the move to a new temporary reception centre on Lesbos, which is yet to provide dignified living conditions- said IRC Greece director Dimitra Kalogeropoulou.
Only a few thousand refugees have been allowed to relocate to other EU states this year, despite repeated requests by Athens and the European Commission.
These include around 1,300 ailing or unaccompanied minors. 
-We need a fair and predictable system whereby EU member states share responsibility for hosting new arrivals, which respects the right of each individual to a full assessment of their asylum application- said Imogen Sudbery, IRC director of policy for Europe.

More than 15,000 people live in camps in the three islands

As of the end of October, 41 percent had reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder

Self-harm rises in Greek migrant camps amid lockdown

America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo was in quarantine Wednesday after being exposed to a person who has tested positive for Covid-19, the State Department said.
The 56-year-old Secretary of State "has been tested and is negative," it said in a statement.
-In accordance with CDC guidelines, he will be in quarantine- the State Department said. -He is being closely monitored by the Department's medical team.-
The State Department said that for privacy reasons it was not identifying the person Pompeo came into contact with.
The US Secretary of State is fourth in the line of succession after the president following the vice president, speaker of the House of Representatives and president pro tempore of the Senate.
President Donald Trump was hospitalized for three days in October after contracting Covid-19. His wife, Melania, and son Barron, also caught the disease.
While Trump frequently appeared in public without a facemask, Pompeo generally wore one during his foreign trips.
Pompeo and his wife, Susan, hosted a holiday party on Tuesday for the families of US diplomats serving overseas.
According to The Washington Post, Pompeo had been scheduled to speak at the event but canceled his speech.
The newspaper said more than 900 invitations had been sent out for the reception but less than 70 people showed up for the indoor event.
US health authorities have discouraged large indoor gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic which has left more than 300,000 people dead in the United States.
The CNN television network reported meanwhile that Pompeo had been scheduled to meet sometime in the next few days with Antony Blinken, who has been nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to be the next secretary of state.
Pompeo is one of Trump's most loyal supporters and a meeting with Blinken is seen as potentially problematic for the secretary of state since the president has still refused to acknowledge he lost the November 3 election.

The 56-year-old Secretary of State "has been tested and is negative"

The State Department said that for privacy reasons it was not identifying the person Pompeo came into contact with

Pompeo quarantining after contact with Covid-positive person: State Dept

Facebook said Wednesday it will switch legal responsibility for British users from its EU base in Ireland to its US headquarters next year in a change sparked by Brexit.
-Like other companies, Facebook has had to make changes to respond to Brexit and will be transferring legal responsibilities and obligations for UK users from Facebook Ireland to Facebook Inc- a group spokesperson said.
The California-based company added that it will implement the switch from January after the Brexit transition period ends.
That means that the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy charter will no longer apply to the data.
However, British GDPR protections will remain in place, overseen by Britain's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) data watchdog.
-There will be no change to the privacy controls or the services Facebook offers to people in the UK, and the protections of UK GDPR will also apply- the spokesperson added.
Facebook Inc. already retains legal responsibility for users' data from all other nations outside the European region.
Internet search giant Google announced a similar move in February.
The UK-based digital privacy campaign group Open Rights Group slammed Facebook for the move.
-Moving data out of the EU makes it harder to enforce your privacy rights- said Open Rights Group executive director Jim Killock in a statement. 
-It means European actions to limit the power of the tech giants will not apply to UK citizens. It means the UK ICO will need to be pushed to make the same decisions when companies break the law.
--And it means those tech giants can lobby for weaker UK rules to ensure they can get away with things in the UK that they cannot in the EU.-
The government last month announced it would set up a watchdog to regulate tech giants, including Facebook, to help protect smaller competitors and give consumers more control over personal data.
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said a new statutory code will aim to make tech giants "more transparent about the services they provide and how they are using consumers' data".

Facebook Inc. already retains legal responsibility for users' data from all other nations outside the European region

EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy charter will no longer apply to the data

Facebook to implement UK accounts switch after Brexit

After its first full board meeting in six years, Libya's central bank announced Wednesday a unification and devaluation of official exchange rates, a move that aims to fight corruption.
The rate nationwide from January 3 will be 4.48 Libyan dinars to the dollar for "all public, private commercial and personal transactions in foreign currency", the Tripoli-based body said in a statement.
Over the last two years, two official rates have been in effect: 1.4 dinars to the dollar for public sector transactions, according to a source at the central bank, and 3.9 dinars for personal and private commercial transactions.
Authorities said the move aims to stem corruption and money laundering that have blighted the economy.
Some have profited by buying dollars at the official rate and selling them on the black market, sometimes at more than seven dinars per dollar.
Libya has been riven by violence since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with two rival administrations vying for control since 2014. 
The central bank has also been split between two branches -- one in Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), and another in Benghazi in the east of the country, an area controlled by strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Representatives of the two branches took part in meetings Monday and Tuesday in Geneva that were also attended by the World Bank.
Wednesday's announcement came after the central bank's first unified board meeting between its directors in six years. 
The UN Support Mission in Libya applauded the announcement as "an important and much needed step towards alleviating the suffering of the Libyan people and a good sign that this vital sovereign institution is moving towards unification".
Forces loyal to the GNA and those of rival Haftar formally agreed a ceasefire in October.
Despite holding Africa's biggest oil reserves, the country has long endured shortages of liquidity, fuel and power, while being hit by soaring prices.&nbsp;

Authorities said the move aims to stem corruption and money laundering that have blighted the economy

Discussions regarding the official exchange rate finally reach a conclusion

Libya central bank unifies exchange rate

Russia's "Gazprom" informed the Management of BH Gas today that it has reduced the delivery of gas to B&amp;H by 50 percent, "Avaz" found out.
According to the documents in the possession of Avaz ", this morning the quantity requested was confirmed, and at 15.39 PM a confirmed smaller quantity by 50 percent arrived.

According to unofficial information that „Avaz“ has, our country is in danger of running out of gas.The information that B&amp;H has reduced gas supplies was also confirmed to us by "BH Gas". The company is seeking an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Fadil Novalić.

For now, the reasons are allegedly of a technical nature, but it is possible that this has a political background.As a reminder, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited B&amp;H two days ago. He first met with members of the RS leadership in East Sarajevo, and then with Milorad Dodik, chairman of the B&amp;H Presidency in the institution's building.However, the meeting with Lavrov was refused by the members of the Presidency of B&amp;H, Željko Komšić and Šefik Džaferović.

At 15.39 PM a confirmed smaller quantity by 50 percent arrived, with a signature from "Gazprom"

Russia reduces gas supplies to B&H by 50 percent!

While European countries are recording large numbers of newly infected with coronavirus, as well as deaths, they are also tightening measures. Neighboring states have also enacted certain measures regarding holidays that are getting closer, and most have introduced “lockdowns”.
As "Avaz" finds out, the Crisis Staff of the Federal Ministry of Health will meet tomorrow and will consider measures for the New Year, which will then be announced to the public.
The measures will also apply to ski centers, given that there is great interest among the citizens of our country, but also neighboring countries, for B&amp;H mountains
According to recent data, the situation in FB&amp;H is improving, and a slight trend of improvement is noticeable.
We remind you that last week the Federal Ministry of Health sent a request to the state level, that is, to the Ministry of Security of B&amp;H for the introduction of PCR test for citizens of other countries who want to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina. In particular, the neighbors who record huge numbers of new infections every day. However, there is no answer yet.

The measures will also apply to ski centers, given that there is great interest among the citizens of our country, but also neighboring countries, for B&H mountains

Tomorrow, the measures for the New Year will be known, the FB&H Crisis Staff has a meeting

Bojan Dedić (34) from the Sarajevo's neighborhood Švrakino Selo was arrested today after a complex police operation carried out by investigators of the Federal Police Administration, which interrupted the pedophile channel for the distribution of child pornography!"Avaz" brings the details of the investigation, which even the most experienced criminal inspectors are disgusted with.

Preparations for the searches and arrest of Dedic lasted for two days, and everything was done under the supervision of the Sarajevo Prosecutor's office.
The suspect is connected with the criminal offense of exploiting a child or a minor for the purpose of pornography.
He is also charged with using his knowledge and skills in the field of information technology to continuously download child pornography from the Internet from March 1st last year to October 30th, and also created Facebook user accounts and exchanged photos and videos of children through the "Messenger" application with other pedophiles.
Based on the order of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, the house used by the suspect was searched, where computers, various digital data storage media, mobile phones, and other items used in the commission of the criminal offense were found and confiscated.

Dedić was interrogated in the premises of the Federal Police Administration, and was handed over to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of the Sarajevo Canton.
As a source close to the investigation revealed to us, the suspect was a close associate of Saša Despotović, a pedophile who committed suicide by hanging himself in the Sarajevo Penitentiary in 2017.
They had previously exchanged material containing child pornography. 10,000 photos and recordings of children being humiliated were found in Despotović's house at that time.

Through the "Messenger" application, he exchanged photos and videos of children with other pedophiles

The pedophile was questioned and handed over to the Prosecutor

How FUP investigators cut off the pedophile network of Bojan Dedić from Sarajevo

The US Embassy posted on Twitter on the occasion of the online meeting of the President of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Željko Bakalar, the US Ambassador to B&amp;H Eric Nelson, the High Representative of the European Union to B&amp;H Johann Sattler, the Head of the OSCE Mission to B&amp;H Kathleen Kavalec and the director of the Coalition "Pod lupom" Darija Jovanović.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sastanak predsjednika <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CIKBiH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CIKBiH</a> g. Bakalara sa ambasadorom <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassySJJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USEmbassySJJ</a> Nelsonom, šefom Delegacije EU i specijalnim predstavnikom EU u BiH <a href="https://twitter.com/josattler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@josattler</a>, šeficom <a href="https://twitter.com/OSCEBiH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OSCEBiH</a> u BiH <a href="https://twitter.com/KathleenKavalec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KathleenKavalec</a> i direktorom Koalicije <a href="https://twitter.com/pod_lupom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pod_lupom</a> Dariom Jovanovićem. Više na: <a href="https://t.co/YGGGPzlAhl">https://t.co/YGGGPzlAhl</a> <a href="https://t.co/9k231BnAOf">pic.twitter.com/9k231BnAOf</a>— Central Election Commission of BiH (@IZBORI_BA) <a href="https://twitter.com/IZBORI_BA/status/1339202661015564293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

- Important discussion today. We commend the CEC for their work to ensure that local elections are held in accordance with international standards, and we welcome the proactive role of the Coalition "Pod lupom" in reporting irregularities throughout the election process, the US Embassy's Twitter post said.
They also said they all agree that next year should be a year of action to implement necessary electoral reforms, including those recommended by the OSCE and a group of Council of Europe member states against corruption.

A meeting was held between Bakalar, Nelson, Satttler, Kavalec and Jovanović

US Embassy: Next year should be a year of action to implement the necessary electoral reforms

For the employees of the General Hospital “Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakaš”, the third action of this year's voluntary blood donation was organized today, in which 26 doses of precious liquid were collected.
Blood reserves must be constantly renewed, because blood also has a lifespan (erythrocytes up to 35 days, and platelets only five days). Every dose of blood collected is welcome and can save someone’s life.
The action was organized by the Department of Transfusion Medicine of the General Hospital in cooperation with the Institute of Transfusion Medicine of FB&amp;H.
The organizer thanks all the employees who participated in this humanitarian act, according to a statement from the General Hospital.

Blood reserves must be constantly replenished, because blood also has a lifespan

A voluntary blood donation campaign was held at the General Hospital

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&amp;H prof. dr. Zlatko Lagumdžija spoke at the international conference "Legacy of Peace - 25 Years of the Dayton - Paris Peace Agreement", organized by the Croatian Academy of Science and Art and the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.Lagumdžija pointed out that a real dialogue was held at the conference, and that two concepts could be heard - one that insists on resolving the "Croatian issue" and advocates constitutionality and ethnic representation, and the other that he advocated, which advocates B&amp;H as a civic, secular and liberal democratic state.
- There is no reason for B&amp;H not to be organized as a civil and liberal-democratic state like the EU countries, unless behind this whole story of constitutivity there is a motive for not accepting that you should have one country in the EU where Muslims are the majority and then you are trying to package it into a constitutivity that is essentially the last recurrence of the Communist-Bolshevik constitutivity that is almost 100 years old. In the end, Yugoslavia ended in blood, and the Soviet Union went into dissolution, thanks, among other things, to that concept of constitutivity - said Lagumdžija.
Lagumdžija points out that even the highest Western experts have a problem in understanding the concept of constitutivity, which is completely foreign to their countries.
- The strongest argument was given by Ambassador Hill, who was Richard Holbrooke's deputy, who drew attention to the fact that in Dayton, Americans who are top experts in constitutional law could not understand the concept of what we are talking about when we talk about constitutivity - said the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&amp;H.
As he claims, the examples of Sarajevo and Vareš show the meaninglessness of the arguments about "legitimate representation".
- You have the situation that in the capital of B&amp;H today is the Prime Minister of the Canton Mario Nenadić, the Mayor of Centar Srđan Mandić, and the future mayor will be Bogić Bogićević. You also have the example of Vareš, where Zdravko Marošević, otherwise a member of the HDZ, won with the majority of Bosniak votes.-
Lagumdžija also pointed out that the latest messages from the newly elected American president and European officials are very encouraging:
- Joe Biden talks about a different B&amp;H from this one, which is based on national atavisms, and that was confirmed by his address on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Dayton. There is a clear strategy for which B&amp;H that America will stand for. But the presentation of Josep Borrell, as well as, for example, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, is also encouraging. The two spoke exclusively about human rights and justice in B&amp;H, Lagumdžija said.

At the conference held in Zagreb, two concepts on the possible organization of B&H clashed

Lagumdžija for "Avaz": Constituent nations are Communist-Bolshevik recurrence, not European value

Yesterday, the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H filed an indictment against Vahidin Šahinpašić, Chief Inspector of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA). He is charged with the criminal offenses of unlawful deprivation of liberty and obstruction of justice.He is charged that on August 30th, 2017., then Deputy Chief of the SIPA Criminal Investigation Department, without respecting internal procedures and without the knowledge or order of the competent prosecutor and the court, issued an order to SIPA members to locate and detain a person with the initials J. Š. Đ. They did so and held the detainee illegally.
Šahinpašić is also charged with using threats, intimidation, promising and offering illicit benefits in the night between 5th and 6th of September 2017-, and forcing J. Š. Đ. to drink alcohol with the aim of giving a false statement against the then Deputy Chief Prosecutor Gordana Tadić and the then Vice President of the HJPC Ružica Jukić.
He is charged with, as an official in B&amp;H institutions, unlawfully depriving another of his freedom of movement and using threats, intimidation, promising and offering illicit benefits in order to induce another to give false testimony in criminal proceedings under B&amp;H law.

He is charged with unlawful deprivation of liberty and obstruction of justice

Šahinpašić: He threatened the arrested

Šahinpašić forced the arrested person to give a false statement

The global scheme to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries faces a “very high” risk of failure, potentially leaving nations home to billions of people with no access to vaccines until as late as 2024, internal documents say.The World Health Organization’s COVAX programme is the main global scheme to vaccinate people in poor and middle income countries around the world against the coronavirus. It aims to deliver at least 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 to cover 20% of the most vulnerable people in 91 poor and middle-income countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
But in internal documents reviewed by Reuters, the scheme’s promoters say the programme is struggling from a lack of funds, supply risks and complex contractual arrangements which could make it impossible to achieve its goals.
-The risk of a failure to establish a successful COVAX Facility is very high- says an internal report to the board of Gavi, an alliance of governments, drug companies, charities and international organisations that arranges global vaccination campaigns. Gavi co-leads COVAX alongside the WHO.
The report and other documents prepared by Gavi are being discussed at Gavi’s board meetings on Dec. 15-17.
The failure of the facility could leave people in poor nations without any access to COVID-19 vaccines until 2024, one of the documents says.
The risk of failure is higher because the scheme was set up so quickly, operating in “uncharted territory”, the report says.
-Current risk exposure is deemed outside of risk appetite until there is full clarity on the size of risks and possibilities to mitigate them,” it says. -It therefore requires intensive mitigation efforts to bring the risk within risk appetite.-
-Gavi hired Citigroup last month to provide advice on how to mitigate financial risks.&nbsp;

In one Nov. 25 memo included in the documents submitted to the Gavi board, Citi advisors said the biggest risk to the programme was from clauses in supply contracts that allow countries not to buy vaccines booked through COVAX.

A potential mismatch between vaccine supply and demand “is not a commercial risk efficiently mitigated by the market or the MDBs,” the Citi advisors wrote, referring to multilateral development banks such as the World Bank.

-Therefore it must either be mitigated through contract negotiation or through a Gavi risk absorption layer that is carefully managed by a management and governance structure.-
Asked about the documents, a Gavi spokesman said the body remains confident it can achieve its goals.

-It would be irresponsible not to assess the risks inherent to such a massive and complex undertaking, and to build policies and instruments to mitigate those risks- he added.

The WHO did not respond to a request for comment. In the past it has let Gavi take the lead in public comments about the COVAX programme.


Citibank said in a statement: -As a financial advisor, we are responsible for helping Gavi plan for a range of scenarios related to the COVAX facility and supporting their efforts to mitigate potential risks.-

COVAX’s plans rely on cheaper vaccines that have so far yet to receive approval, rather than vaccines from frontrunners Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna that use more expensive new mRNA technology. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved for emergency use in several countries and deployed in Britain and the United States, and the Moderna vaccine is expected to be similarly approved soon.
COVAX has so far reached non-binding supply agreements with AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi for a total of 400 million doses, with options to order several hundred million additional shots, one of the Gavi documents says.
But the three companies have all faced delays in their trials that could push back some possible regulatory approvals to the second half of 2021 or later.
This could also increase COVAX’s financial needs. Its financial assumptions are based on an average cost of $5.20 per dose, one of the documents says.
Pfizer’s vaccines costs about $18.40-$19.50 per dose, while Moderna’s costs $25-$37. COVAX has no supply deals with either of those firms. Nor is it prioritising investment in ultra-cold distribution chains in poor countries, necessary for the Pfizer vaccine, as it still expects to use mostly shots which require more conventional cold storage, one of the Gavi documents says.
On Tuesday a WHO senior official said the agency was in talks with Pfizer and Moderna to include their COVID-19 vaccines as part of an early global rollout at a cost for poor countries possibly lower than current market prices.
Other shots are being developed worldwide and COVAX wants to expand its portfolio to include vaccines from other companies.
Rich countries, which have booked most of the currently available stocks of COVID-19 vaccines, are also planning to donate some excess doses to poor countries, although is not clear whether that would be through COVAX.

To meet its target of vaccinating at least 20% of people in poor countries next year, COVAX says it needs $4.9 billion in addition to $2.1 billion it has already raised.
If vaccine prices are higher than forecast, supply is delayed or the additional funds are not fully collected, the facility faces the prospect of failure, the documents say.
So far Britain and European Union countries are the main donors to COVAX, while the United States and China have made no financial commitments. The World Bank and other multilateral financial institutions are offering cheap loans to poor countries to help them buy and deploy vaccines through COVAX.
The facility is issuing vaccine bonds which could raise as much as $1.5 billion next year if donors agreed to cover the costs, one of the Gavi documents says. COVAX is also receiving funds from private donors, mainly the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
But even under the best financial conditions, COVAX could still face failure, because of disproportionate financial risks caused by its complex deal-making process.
COVAX signs advance purchase contracts with companies on vaccine supplies that need to be paid for by donors or receiving countries that have the means to afford them.
But under clauses included in COVAX contracts, countries could still refuse to buy pre-ordered volumes if they prefer other vaccines, or if they manage to acquire them through other schemes, either faster or at better prices.
The facility could also face losses if countries were not able to pay for their orders, or even if herd immunity were developed too quickly, making vaccines no longer necessary, the Citigroup report said. It proposed a strategy to mitigate these risks including through changes in supply contracts.

COVAX has so far reached non-binding supply agreements with AstraZeneca, Novavax and Sanofi for a total of 400 million doses

A logo is pictured outside a building of the World Health Organization (WHO) during an executive board meeting on update on the coronavirus outbreak, in Geneva, Switzerland

What did Ukraine really send to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Vietnam starts human trial of coronavirus vaccine

New Sydney Covid-19 cluster gives Australians 'wake-up call'

Macron tests positive for Covid-19

Self-harm rises in Greek migrant camps amid lockdown

Pompeo quarantining after contact with Covid-positive person: State Dept

Facebook to implement UK accounts switch after Brexit

Libya central bank unifies exchange rate

Russia reduces gas supplies to B&H by 50 percent!

Tomorrow, the measures for the New Year will be known, the FB&H Crisis Staff has a meeting

How FUP investigators cut off the pedophile network of Bojan Dedić from Sarajevo

US Embassy: Next year should be a year of action to implement the necessary electoral reforms

A voluntary blood donation campaign was held at the General Hospital

Lagumdžija for "Avaz": Constituent nations are Communist-Bolshevik recurrence, not European value

Šahinpašić forced the arrested person to give a false statement

WHO vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving poor countries no COVID shots until 2024

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Russia reduces gas supplies to B&H by 50 percent!

Tomorrow, the measures for the New Year will be known, the FB&H Crisis Staff has a meeting

How FUP investigators cut off the pedophile network of Bojan Dedić from Sarajevo

US Embassy: Next year should be a year of action to implement the necessary electoral reforms

A voluntary blood donation campaign was held at the General Hospital

Lagumdžija for "Avaz": Constituent nations are Communist-Bolshevik recurrence, not European value

Šahinpašić forced the arrested person to give a false statement

WHO vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving poor countries no COVID shots until 2024