Key Public Policy Developments Around the World
On 12 October the House of Commons Science & Technology and Health and Social Care Committees published their report into the UK Government’s handling of the Coronavirus Pandemic (the Report).
The Report focused on six main areas
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Continue Reading Parliamentary Health & Social Care Committee Report into the UK’s Covid-19 Response
On September 24, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force released guidance on workplace safety protocols for federal contractors and subcontractors related to COVID-19 (“the Guidance”). The Guidance was issued pursuant to President Biden’s Executive Order on Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors.
As expected, the Guidance covers
On September 9, the Biden Administration released a number of new details for its Path out of the Pandemic that will impact U.S. Government contractors and a number of other individuals and entities. In addition to requiring most executive agency employees to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the Administration plans to…
Continue Reading COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for U.S. Government Contractors
Ireland is beginning to emerge from the shades of Covid with almost full opening of the economy now planned for October 22nd. It brings with it some significant changes to working lives, education and business and while the signals are optimistic, caution is in the air.
The Irish have followed…
Continue Reading Ireland Report – Emerging from Covid
On March 4, 2021, Brazil deposited with the United Nations its ratification of the Nagoya Protocol (“Protocol”) (see here the announcement of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs). This represents Brazil’s formal commitment to be bound by the Protocol.
On August 6, 2020, the Brazilian Senate passed a Decree that ratifies the Nagoya Protocol. The Protocol complements Brazil’s existing access and benefit sharing rules relating to Brazil’s genetic heritage and associated traditional knowledge (“ABS Framework”). One important effect of this ratification is that other countries parties to the Protocol will have to ensure that users of Brazilian genetic heritage and associated traditional knowledge comply with the Brazilian ABS Framework. However, the inverse is also true. Brazil will need to ensure that Brazilian users of foreign genetic heritage and associated traditional knowledge comply with the access and benefit sharing regime of the country of origin.Continue Reading Brazil Ratifies the Nagoya Protocol
As the Brexit Deal settles down and the UK becomes used to being a Third Country in relation to the EU, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on the damage that Brexit may have done to the United Kingdom. This is particularly evident in N Ireland and Scotland…
Continue Reading The Untied Kingdom
With the Covid news from the UK (good – vaccine rollout; and bad – high cases and deaths), the impact of the Brexit Deal has been somewhat masked. This note summarises some of the most noticeable of those impacts.
Red Tape & Border Delays
Cross-Channel trade was slower than normal…
Continue Reading Brexit – The Consequences
On January 4, 2021, the narrowed Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed, in a party-line vote, a set of rules governing the House for the 117th Congress. While the House, unlike the Senate, has to approve its rules every Congress, the rules stay generally consistent from Congress-to-Congress, with…
Continue Reading Key Changes to House Rules for the 117th Congress
