The pandemic triggered on a global scale by Covid-19 has opened up troubling questions: about the evolution in itself of the viral contagion, unknown.
To its origins and for which there is still a lack of an effective remedy, but also on the effects-political, economic, social-that we will have to face even after the health emergency is over.
Many argue that in the “world of tomorrow” nothing will be the same as before: we must therefore expect radical transformations, starting with habits related to daily life. Others believe, cynically, that once the ”great fear” has passed, societies will return to their usual rhythms.
The precautions of the USCIS
Before COVID, all signatures on USCIS forms required a “handwritten signature”. This means that the signature must be original and cannot be reproduced by scanning or copying. In response to the current COVID19 pandemic, USCIS announced that it is making the signing policy permanent for the COVID era.
Since the pandemic, USCIS has relaxed its signature policy to accept national orders to receive photocopied, forged and scanned signatures. This means that the forms no longer have to be the original versions, but can be copied versions of the original signatures. This policy, originally a response to a pandemic, has now become permanent.
USCIS still does not accept digital or electronic signatures, so the reproduced signature must be an original signature, but this policy has removed the need for applicants to send original documents from their place of residence to their lawyer’s office by mail.
Please note, however, that this policy does not apply to all applications. Many applications, including applications filed at the border, still require original and wet signatures.
USCIS has also announced that it is extending its policy of postponing the deadline to the 23rd. October 2022. This policy gave applicants an additional 60 days to respond to requests for information and notices of refusal.
USCIS announced that USCIS will make its COVID-19 flexibility permanent to accept all benefit forms and documents with original signatures that have been copied, scanned, or otherwise reproduced for submission purposes. This change applies only to signatures. All other instructions for forms must be followed when filling out a form.
WHO’s Position and Initiatives On the Issue
The World Health Organization (WHO) is using the emergence of the post-vaccination omicron variant of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) to lobby for a “global treaty on pandemics”.
Wednesday, December 1st prompted the world leaders of the WHO to start negotiations to create a binding international agreement on the prevention and management of future pandemics.
The decision to start drafting a global treaty on the pandemic was announced by the World Health Assembly, a forum organized by the WHO executive board. The decision was approved by all the participants of the Assembly after three days of discussions.
The agreement authorized the creation of an “intergovernmental negotiating body” responsible for drafting and negotiating the final wording of the global pandemic treaty. This treaty must be ratified by the WHO member states.
The Ideas of the Authorities on Future Crises
The Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said : countries that commit to negotiating a global agreement “will help protect future generations from the effects of pandemics”.
WHO member states have agreed to create the global pandemic treaty in the context of growing international concerns about the post-vaccine Omicron variant of COVID-19. Among the issues that the treaty should cover are the exchange of research data and genomic sequences of NYE viruses.
The WHO Director-General warned that the creation of a legally binding international agreement to enforce pandemic protocols will make it impossible for people in local or state jurisdictions to hold their elected representatives to account, as they will be replaced by unelected bureaucrats who cannot be held accountable.
The United States supports a global agreement on the pandemic
The agreement on the pandemic is not expected to be finalized to the satisfaction of most WHO member states for several years. However, the United States has already expressed its support for the preparation of the proposal.
“The United States is committed to working with member states to advance the latest recommendations of the Task Force on Preparedness and Response,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
“This includes the development of a new WHO convention or other international instrument and the conclusion of agreements aimed at improving the effectiveness and flexibility of international health regulations.”
The United States takes a stand
A US-led bloc of nations initially opposed the inclusion of language in the future pandemic treaty that would have made the treaty legally binding. But later, the White House issued a statement in which it supported the first draft resolution negotiated by the World Health Assembly.
The international body negotiating the treaty will hold its first meeting no later than January 1. March 2022. The agenda of this meeting will consist of agreeing on a timetable for the preparation of the treaty. The second meeting is held no later than the 1st. august 2022. The agenda for this second meeting will be a discussion on the status of a draft draft treaty.
What we can remember?
The world has changed and we will have to change with it. But the various initiatives to make permanent the measures of the COVID crisis will have to be more seriously debated.
Between these official meetings, WHO and the treaty negotiators will hold public consultations to inform the public of their decisions. A progress report will be officially presented on the 76th. World Health Assembly in 2023. The final agreement will be presented on the 77th. World Health Assembly for the treatment of the 77th World Health Assembly in 2024.
