Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) Draft ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) [January, 2021] 1 1 To be updated to the Negotiation Date in due course. 1|Page ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN 1. Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (hereinafter the Recipient) shall implement the Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (the Project), with the involvement of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).The International Development Association (hereinafter the Association) has agreed to provide financing for the Project. 2. The Recipient shall carry out the Project in accordance with the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs). To this end, this Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) sets out material measures and actions to be carried out or caused to be carried out by the Recipient, including the timeframes of the actions and measures, institutional, staffing, training, monitoring and reporting arrangements, grievance management and the environmental and social assessments and instruments to be prepared or updated, disclosed, consulted, adopted and implemented under the ESCP and the ESSs, all in a manner acceptable to the Association. 3. Implementation of the material measures and actions set out in this ESCP shall be monitored and reported to the Association by the Recipient as required by the ESCP and the provisions of the Financing Agreement. 4. As agreed by the Association and the Recipient, this ESCP may be revised from time to time during Project implementation, to reflect adaptive management of Project changes and unforeseen circumstances or in response to assessment of Project performance conducted under the ESCP itself. In such circumstances, the Recipient shall update the ESCP to reflect the agreed-upon changes. Agreement on changes to the ESCP shall be documented through an exchange of letters signed between the Association and the Recipient. The Recipient shall promptly disclose the updated ESCP. 5. Where Project changes, unforeseen circumstances, or Project performance result in changes to the risks and impacts during Project implementation, the Recipient shall provide additional funds, if needed, to implement actions and measures to address such risks and impacts. 2|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY MONITORING AND REPORTING A REGULAR REPORTING: Prepare and submit to the Association regular monitoring Quarterly throughout Project Ministry of Public Health reports on the environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) performance of the implementation Project, including but not limited to, stakeholder engagement activities and grievances log. B INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS: Promptly notify the Association of any incident or Notify the Association within 24 hours Ministry of Public Health accident related to the Project which has, or is likely to have, a significant adverse after learning of the incident or accident. effect on the environment, the affected communities, the public or workers , A report would be provided within 72 including, inter alia, any COVID outbreak in the Project area . Provide sufficient hours on the incident to the Association. detail regarding the incident or accident, indicating immediate measures taken or that are planned to be taken to address it, and any information provided by any contractor and supervising entity, as appropriate. Subsequently, as per the Association’s request, prepare a report on the incident or accident and propose any measures to prevent its recurrence. ESS 1: ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISKS AND IMPACTS 1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The MoPH shall maintain the Sehatmandi The Vaccine coordination officer, an Ministry of Public Health Coordination Unit (SCO) with qualified staff and resources to support management environmental, a social specialist and a of ESHS risks and impacts of the Project including a Vaccine coordination officer, an health and safety specialist will recruited environmental specialist, a social specialist and, a health and safety specialist. under the parent project will support the activities under the AF. Parent project’s SCO’s E&S staff will support implementation of the ESMF in the interim. SCO will be maintained throughout Project implementation 3|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT/MANAGEMENT PLANS AND Ministry of Public Health INSTRUMENTS/ CONTRACTORS a. Assess the environmental and social risks and impacts of proposed Project a. The ESMF prepared for the Parent activities, including to ensure that individuals or groups who, because of their Project shall be updated prior to the particular circumstances, may be disadvantaged or vulnerable, have access to Effective Date of the project. the development benefits resulting from the Project in accordance with ESSs, Assessment shall be conducted the Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSGs) and its OHS before the carrying out of the component of the EHSGs. Here is the link to the whole EHSGs: relevant Project activities. http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/topics_ext_content/ifc_external_corp orate_site/ifc+sustainability/our+approach/risk+management/ehsguidelines and other relevant Good International Industry Practice (GIIP), including relevant WHO guidelines and the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) to be prepared pursuant to the provisions of the Financing Agreement. The ESMF will include an updated version of the Health Care Waste Management Plan (HCWMP) based on the existing HCWMP prepared for the Parent Project. ESMF will also include a template for Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) as necessary for low-medium scale construction works. b. Prepare, disclose, consult, adopt and implement any environmental and social b. Plans/instruments shall be prepared, management plans (e.g. health-care waste management plans), instruments or disclosed, consulted and adopted other measures required for the respective Project activities based on the before the carrying out of the assessment process, in accordance with the ESSs, the ESMF, the EHSGs, and relevant Project activities, and other relevant Good International Industry Practice (GIIP), including relevant thereafter implemented throughout WHO guidelines to, inter alia, ensure access to and allocation of Project the carrying out of such activities. benefits in a fair, equitable and inclusive manner, taking into account the needs of individuals or groups who, because of their particular circumstances, may be disadvantaged or vulnerable, including health workers, teachers, security personnel, prisoners, people aged over 50 years old, people with co- morbidities, nomadic people, internally displaced persons, returnees from Iran and Pakistan, government employees who work with crowds, and men and women 20-50 years old living in the settings with high density of infection. c. Incorporate the relevant aspects of this ESCP, including, inter alia, the ESMF, c. The relevant ESHS measures shall be any environmental and social management plans or other instruments, ESS2 incorporated into the procurement requirements, and any other required ESHS measures, into the ESHS documents before launching the specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with contractors procurement process for the relevant 4|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY and supervising firms. Thereafter ensure that the contractors and supervising Project activities, and shall thereafter firms comply with the ESHS specifications of their respective contracts. complied with throughout the carrying out of such activities. d. Adopt procedures, protocols and/or other measures to ensure Project d. Protocol and procedure for consent beneficiaries that receive vaccines under the Project do so under a program to be developed before the carrying that does not include forced vaccination and is acceptable to the Association, out of the relevant Project activities, as set out in the ESMF. and thereafter implemented throughout the carrying out of such activities. 1.3 EXCLUSIONS: Exclude the following types of activities as ineligible for financing During the assessment process Ministry of Public Health under the Project: conducted under action 1.2.a. above. • Activities that may cause long term, permanent and/or irreversible (e.g. loss of major natural habitat) impacts • Activities that have high probability of causing serious adverse effects to human health and/or the environment other than during treatment of COVID-19 cases • Activities that may have significant adverse social impacts and may give rise to significant social conflict • Activities that may affect lands or rights of vulnerable minorities, • Activities that may involve permanent resettlement or land acquisition or impacts on cultural heritage • All the other excluded activities set out in the ESMF of the Project. 5|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY 1.4 CONTINGENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE FINANCING a) The adoption of the CERC manual in Ministry of Public Health a. Ensure that the CREC (if activated) includes a description of the ESHS form and substance acceptable to the assessment and management arrangements for the implementation of Bank is a withdrawal condition as in line Component 5, in accordance with the ESSs. with the Parent Project’s Financing Agreement (Schedule 2 of the s Agreement). b. Prepare, disclose, consult and adopt any environmental and social (E&S) b) The E&S management plans or management plans or instruments which may be required for activities under instruments shall be prepared, disclosed, the of Component 5 of the Project, in accordance with the ESMF and the ESSs, consulted, and thereafter adopted before and thereafter implement the measures and actions required under said E&S the carrying out of the relevant Project management plans or instruments, within the timeframes specified in said E&S activities under the Component 5. The management plans or instruments. E&S management plans or instruments shall be implemented in accordance with their terms, throughout Project implementation. ESS 2: LABOR AND WORKING CONDITIONS 2.1 LABOR MANAGEMENT: The Project shall be carried out in accordance with the The LMP shall be prepared prior to the Ministry of Public Health applicable requirements of ESS2, as set out in Labor Management Procedures (LMP) project effectiveness and thereafter to be adopted for the Project, including through, inter alia, implementing adequate implemented throughout Project occupational health and safety measures (including personal protective equipment, implementation. and emergency preparedness and response measures), setting out grievance mechanisms for Project workers, and incorporating labor requirements into the ESHS specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with contractors and supervising firms. ESS 3: RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT Relevant aspects of this standard shall be considered, as needed, under action 1.2 Throughout Project implementation. Ministry of Public Health above, including, inter alia, measures to: carry out the purchase , storage, transportation and handling of vaccines (including, ultra-cold chain management) in a safe manner and in accordance with the EHSGs, and other relevant GIIP including relevant WHO guidelines; and adequately manage and dispose of health care wastes (including, vaccines) and other types of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. ESS 4: COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY 6|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY 4.1 COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY: Throughout Project implementation. Ministry of Public Health Relevant aspects of this standard shall be considered, as needed, under action 1.2 above including, inter alia, measures to: minimize the potential for community exposure to communicable diseases; establish and implement appropriate quality management systems to manage the risks and the impacts that services provided and activities carried out under the Project may have on community health and safety; manage the risks of the use of security personnel; manage the risks of labor influx; and prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment. 4.2 The Project will use the current contractual modes for Sehatmandi and COVID-19 Throughout Project implementation. Ministry of Public Health Emergency projects and will use the facilitation of UNICEF, NGOs and the relevant local community leaders to deliver the vaccines and help the implementing staff of vaccination. ESS 5: LAND ACQUISITION, RESTRICTIONS ON LAND USE AND INVOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT Not relevant ESS 6: BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF LIVING NATURAL RESOURCES Not relevant ESS 7: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES/SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED TRADITIONAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES 7.1 Not relevant ESS 8: CULTURAL HERITAGE Not relevant ESS 9: FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES Not relevant ESS 10: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 7|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY 10.1 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN: Prepare or revise, disclose, consult, adopt The parent project SEP has already been Ministry of Public Health and implement a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) consistent with ESS10, which updated for the AF and will be disclosed shall include measures to, inter alia, provide stakeholders with timely, relevant, before appraisal. The SEP shall be understandable and accessible information, and consult with them in a culturally implemented throughout Project appropriate manner, which is free of manipulation, interference, coercion, implementation and updated as and discrimination and intimidation. when necessary. 10.2 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM: An accessible grievance mechanism shall be established, The existing GRM of Sehatmandi project Ministry of Public Health publicized, maintained and operated to receive and facilitate resolution of concerns has been updated and made functional. and grievances in relation to the Project, promptly and effectively, in a transparent The GRM will be utilized throughout manner that is culturally appropriate and readily accessible to all Project-affected Project implementation. parties, at no cost and without retribution, including concerns and grievances filed anonymously, in a manner consistent with ESS10. The grievance mechanism shall also receive, register and address concerns and grievances related to sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment in a safe and confidential manner, including through the referral of survivors to gender- based violence service providers. CAPACITY SUPPORT (TRAINING) CS1 SCO and other relevant implementing support staff responsible for the Project to No later than 60 days of the Effective Ministry of Public Health receive training on the Project’s ESHS plans and instruments, fair, equitable and Date and periodically with the addition inclusive access and allocation of Project benefits [including with regards to of new Project team members join the vaccines], and the roles and responsibilities of different key agencies in the ESF Project throughout implementation. implementation. 8|Page NAME OF PROJECT: Additional Financing for and Restructuring of the COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project (P176012) MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY In consultation with relevant stakeholders, further training for personnel involved in the implementation of Project activities will be arranged on following topics: • Safe administration of the Vaccine and medical waste management • COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations • Laboratory biosafety guidance related to the COVID-19 • Specimen collection and shipment • Standard precautions for COVID-19 patients • Risk communication and community engagement • WHO guidelines on quarantine including case management • Maintenance and safety of the vehicles used for vaccine transportation • Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment 9|Page