Re: ID2020 (Accenture, Deloitte, Mastercard, Microsoft, Rockefeller Foundation, GAVI, Open Society Foundation, World Economic Forum, COVI-Pass, CommonPass)

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(February 22, 2021) Air France to pilot ICC’s blockchain Covid-19 credentials app
Air France will begin a four-week pilot of a new health passport, the blockchain-powered ICC AOKpass starting March 11.
The app enables passengers to present their Covid-19 negative test on their mobile phones and is supported by MedAire / International SOS.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has more than 45 million corporate members worldwide.
The app was co-developed by Perlin, ICC’s blockchain partner, and startup AOKpass.
App usage will be carried out on a voluntary basis, and Air France will share the results with other airlines in the Skyteam alliance,
including Delta, KLM, Aeroflot, Air Italia, Korean Air, and others.
Meanwhile, various other blockchain-based health credentialing initiatives are being trialed by airlines.
Emirates Airlines, for example, is trialing GE Digital and TE-FOOD’s TrustOne app.
British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and others are trialing IATA’s Travel Pass platform.
ledgerinsights.com/air-france-to-pilot-iccs-blockchain-covid-19-credentials-app/

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(February 22, 2021) Air NZ trials ‘vaccine passport’, a glimpse of post-COVID travel
Air New Zealand will ask passengers to use a digital health pass on flights to Australia
in a trial run of a “vaccine passport” system for travellers to prove they have been immunised against COVID-19.
Travel industry leaders expect COVID-19 immunisation will become mandatory
for international flights once vaccines have been widely distributed, with Qantas
chief executive Alan Joyce saying in November it would be a requirement to fly on his airline.
Incoming travellers to Australia already have to provide evidence they tested negative to COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure.
smh.com.au/business/companies/air-nz-trials-vaccine-passport-a-glimpse-of-post-covid-travel-20210222-p574m9.html

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(February 24, 2021) Rwanda becomes first in Africa to Trial Air Travel Digital Health Passport
RwandAir will become the first African airline to trial IATA Travel pass,
a digial health pass currently being trialled around the world.
The airline will begin a three-week trial in April for customers travelling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.
The IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform to help passengers easily and securely verify that they comply
with Covid-19 test or vaccine travel requirements, in turn giving governments the confidence to reopen borders.
gulf-times.com/story/685397/Rwanda-becomes-first-in-Africa-to-Trial-Air-Travel

(February 24, 2021) Malaysia Airlines to introduce Digital Travel Health Pass
National carrier Malaysia Airlines plans to introduce a Digital Travel Health Pass to enable
safer air travel in a post-pandemic era. In a statement today, the airline said the health pass will integrate modules
from the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass,
enabling passengers to create a digital passport on the Malaysia Airlines mobile app.
malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/02/24/malaysia-airlines-to-introduce-digital-travel-health-pass/1952609

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(February 25, 2021) Tony Blair’s anti-freedom project continues, but ‘War on Terror’ is replaced by ‘War on Covid’
The ‘War on Terror’ seems to have morphed into a ‘War on Covid’. And guess what? Serial warmonger Tony Blair is a key figure in both,
seeking to curtail our civil liberties with the excuse that it’s all for the “greater good.”
The date: Monday November 6, 2006. The place: Downing Street news conference.
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair dismisses the civil rights argument against ID cards,
which his government is keen to introduce. He says it is an issue of “modernity” and “modern life.”

Fast forward fourteen years, and the same Tony Blair is saying much the same thing about Covid vaccine passports.
There’s been no more zealous British advocate of vaccine passports than the man the anti-lockdown journalist Peter Hitchens calls ‘The Blair Creature’.
“Prepare for a health passport now,” he said in December. “I know all the objections,
but it will happen. It’s the only way the world will function and for lockdowns to no longer be the sole course of action.”
Last week it was reported that ´The Blair Creature’ had been lobbying hard for vaccine passports to be included in Boris Johnson’s so-called ‘road map’ out of lockdown. And they were.
Back in 2006, ID cards were promoted as a way of tackling the ‘terrorism’ threat and keeping us all ‘safe’. Vaccine passports are presented today in the same reassuring manner.
The War on Terror and the War on Covid have so much in common. They both have five level ‘alert’ systems. ´The Blair Creature’ is the key linking figure.
rt.com/op-ed/516591-tony-blair-war-terror-covid/

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(February 15, 2021) CloudLIMS Announces Collaboration with Folio for Secure Issuance of COVID-19 Results to Patients
CloudLIMS, a leading laboratory informatics provider, and Folio, a leader in the digital identity world,
offers an integrated solution that enables COVID-19 diagnostic testing laboratories to register patients,
seamlessly manage tests, and digitally deliver COVID-19 results and certifications
directly to patients efficiently and securely. The Folio mobile wallet,
a biometrically secure wallet on patients’ smartphones, enables patients to receive,

store and share their COVID-19 test results digitally with their employers or government authorities.
The test results also include a unique secure QR code generated by the Folio app to facilitate contactless
result validation. They can have the QR code scanned by businesses, academic organizations, governments,
or health screening staff at airports to assert their COVID-19 results.

Folio is consulted by Government Departments and Think Tanks like the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change,
advising on best practices in Digital Identity frameworks, architecture and policies and recommended by Gartner
as a solution for returning to normal in a post-covid world.
bio-itworld.com/pressreleases/2021/03/01/cloudlims-announces-collaboration-with-folio-for-secure-issuance-of-covid-19-results-to-patients

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(March 3, 2021) New York State trialing IBM Covid-19 blockchain app
This week, the State of New York announced it is piloting a blockchain health certificate app with IBM
to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or negative test results. Named the Excelsior Pass,
the tool confirms vaccine and testing information via confidential data transfer. It is hoped
the app can help with the swift re-opening of venues and businesses.
Like a mobile airline boarding pass, the Pass provides participants with a QR code,
which venues can scan to confirm health status. First trialed at a Brooklyn Nets basketball game
at the Barclays Center in New York City, the Excelsior Pass was again piloted
at Madison Square Garden for the New York Rangers ice hockey game yesterday.
The results will be used to develop the user experience before being submitted to the Apple and Google app stores.
ledgerinsights.com/new-york-state-ibm-blockchain-covid-19-app-excelsior-pass/

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(March 2, 2021) Los Angeles School District partners with Microsoft to introduce COVID-19 “Daily Pass” app for kids
The Los Angeles Unified School District has partnered with tech giant Microsoft to introduce a COVID-19 “Daily Pass” app
which requires students as young as 13 to complete daily in-app health checks in order to gain access to the school.
Students that pass the health checks will be given a scannable QR code “entrance ticket”
which gives them access to the school for the day as long as they have a negative test result for COVID-19,
show no symptoms, and have a temperature of under 100 degrees. Even after obtaining this entrance ticket
and being granted access to the school, students will still be required to wear masks and social distance.
reclaimthenet.org/la-unified-school-district-microsoft-covid-19-daily-pass/

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(March 5, 2021) Moderna to explore blockchain vaccine traceability with IBM
Yesterday Moderna and IBM said they plan to explore using blockchain, AI, and other technologies for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
The pharmaceutical company is planning a blockchain pilot to provide vaccine traceability
so that government and healthcare providers can see the current status of specific vaccine
batches as they go through the supply chain from the manufacturer to the destination.

One of IBM’s in-house enterprise blockchain offerings is IBM Food Trust
which provides similar results in a different sector. IBM also previously participated in an FDA pharmaceutical pilot
and launched a blockchain consortium, the Pharmaceutical Utility Network (PhUN), with Walmart, Merck, and KPMG.

Another collaboration area between Moderna and IBM is for the Digital Health Pass,
an IBM solution that leverages blockchain to enable vaccine or test credentials to be verified.
It recently unveiled a pilot with the State of New York, including for events at Madison Square Garden.
ledgerinsights.com/moderna-to-explore-blockchain-vaccine-traceability-with-ibm/

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(March 3, 2021) Bahrain’s Gulf Air signs up for IATA travel pass
DUBAI: Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, became the fourth Middle East airline to sign up for the trial phase
of a digital travel pass launched to accelerate the revival of the global aviation industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline joined three other Gulf-based carriers — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways
— who will be working with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
to test the travel pass in the coming weeks. The e-pass, which will be made available soon on mobile application stores,
includes documented health information about passengers, such as checks and vaccinations,
as well as specific country requirements related to COVID-19 precautions.
arabnews.com/node/1819931/business-economy

(March 4, 2021) IATA Getting Ready to Launch Covid-19 Travel Pass
Τhe International Air Transport Association this week said it will soon launch the IATA Travel Pass
to help travelers and governments manage digital health credentials.
The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app created by the association aimed
to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with
government requirements for coronavirus (Covid-19) testing or vaccine information.
A number of airlines have already began to trial the IATA Travel Pass
such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Copa Airlines, airBaltic and Gulf Air.
news.gtp.gr/2021/03/04/iata-getting-ready-launch-covid-19-travel-pass/

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(March 9, 2021) China to support WHO on setting up vaccination mutual recognition platform
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday once again expressed practical and ethical concerns
over using a vaccination passport as a certificate for international travel,
while China on the same day launched its version of a health code for people who travel abroad.

The certificate includes nucleic acid test and serum antibody results, vaccine inoculation and other information.
It has an encrypted code that allows authorities to verify the holder's personal information,
according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Israel wants to be the first country to sign an agreement
on mutual recognition of vaccines with China, Israeli Ambassador Irit Ben-Abba Vitale said in an interview with Chinese media on Monday.
globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1217876.shtml

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(March 10, 2021) IBM led consortium wins $3.2 million German Digital Health Passport contract
Yesterday German press reported that a consortium led by IBM, including blockchain cybersecurity firm Ubirch
won the tender for digital vaccination certificates in Germany.
The two firms beat competition from a joint initiative by Deutsche Telekom and SAP.
According to the Official EU Journal the award is €2.7 million ($3.2 million), but IBM will subcontract 51% of the project.

Ubirch positions itself as an IoT cybersecurity firm. It claims it created the world’s first blockchain-on-a-SIM solution
together with 1NCE and G+D Mobile Security, a firm known as a currency solution provider to central banks.
Meanwhile, IBM’s Digital Health Pass solution is currently being trialed by the State of New York.
It uses a mobile phone app and blockchain for verifiable credentials.
ledgerinsights.com/ibm-consortium-wins-german-digital-health-passport-contract-ubirch/

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(March 13, 2021) Mastercard and ICC to explore interoperability of digital health credentials
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mastercard are partnering
to explore the possibility of making their digital health pass solutions interoperable.
Mastercard explained that the interoperability isn’t just between different health credentials
but also between other technologies such as passports or identity and tickets.
ICC and Mastercard are part of ID2020’s Good Health Pass Collaborative.
The initiative is also backed by the Airports Council International, Hyperledger, IBM, the Covid Credentials Initiative, and others.

Meanwhile, blockchain health credentials are also being developed for motives beyond travel.
IBM developed a Digital Health Pass for companies to verify employee health status,
and the State of New York is piloting the blockchain health certificate app
to show proof of vaccination or negative test results.
Big Blue was also recently awarded a project for German health certificates alongside local firms.
ledgerinsights.com/mastercard-icc-explore-interoperability-digital-health-credentials-blockchain/

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(March 11, 2021) Carbon Health Launches First Health Pass Certifying COVID-19 Vaccination
Carbon Health, a technology-enabled healthcare provider, announced today the launch of Health Pass,
the first HIPAA-compliant digital vaccine card for patients to use anytime they need proof of their COVID-19 vaccination.
Once a patient receives their first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a Carbon Health-powered vaccination site,
they will receive a discharge notification via SMS on their cell phone containing a link to their digital Health Pass.

Patients can currently access their Health Pass on Carbon Health’s patient desktop web application,
and it’s currently available in the Carbon Health mobile apps for iOS and Android as of early March.
The Apple Wallet and Google Pay integrations will be launched shortly thereafter.

Coming this Spring, Health Pass will be available to most people in the United States by integrating with state registry data,
regardless of where they receive the vaccine. In the future, Health Pass will include scannable QR codes
and provide easy access and display of additional health and vaccine information,
such as COVID test results as well as proof of vaccination for diseases such as the annual flu, hepatitis B and others.
businesswire.com/news/home/20210311005597/en/Carbon-Health-Launches-First-Health-Pass-Certifying-COVID-19-Vaccination

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(March 18, 2021) Walmart partners with Commons Project, Clear to launch digital COVID-19 vaccine records
Customers at Walmart and Sam's Clubs may soon be able to verify that they have received a COVID-19 vaccine by showing an app on their smartphones.
The retail giant announced Wednesday that it will provide access to digital health records, including vaccination information,
to people who receive their shots at Walmart and Sam's Clubs. Walmart is working with The Commons Project and Clear,
an identity management platform, to make the digital health records available.

The records will be available via the organizations' app called the Health Pass by Clear, as well as the CommonHealth and CommonPass apps.
Walmart will use the open and interoperable SMART Health Cards standard being developed under the Vaccination Credential Initiative,
which is co-chaired by the Commons Project Foundation. The Vaccination Credential Initiative is a cross-industry coalition
that includes health IT heavy hitters Epic, Cerner and Change Healthcare along with tech giants and healthcare companies
Mayo Clinic, Microsoft, Cigna's Evernorth, Salesforce, and the Carin Alliance.

The CommonPass mobile app, created by the Commons Project Foundation and the World Economic Forum
is being used by United Airlines and other airlines on some international flights.
fiercehealthcare.com/tech/walmart-partners-commons-project-clear-to-launch-digital-covid-19-vaccine-records

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(March 26, 2021) New York launches nation's first 'vaccine passport'
New York has become the first state to launch a “vaccine passport”
that can be used to get into certain venues. Called an Excelsior Pass,
the passport will be available on a phone app in the form of a QR code
that can be scanned to prove the owner has been vaccinated,

USA Today reported on Friday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is reportedly expected
to announce the new initiative on Friday. The pass will be used at entertainment venues
and can allow for increased crowd sizes for events such as weddings.

It is not clear if vaccine passports will be developed around the country
or accepted by many Americans, as some are still unwilling to get the coronavirus vaccine.
thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/545121-new-york-launches-first-in-nation-vaccine-passport

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(March 29, 2021) Japan, Estonia and New York State digital health pass plans revealed
Japan is joining the EU, China, and other countries around the world in issuing digital vaccination certificates to inoculated individuals
to support their return to previously normal activities, including international travel, Nikkei reports.
The standards will be determined with reference to the EU’s vaccine certificates and the World Economic Forum’s CommonPass.

Estonia is also planning to launch its digital vaccine certificate in April,
ERR News writes, in collaboration with enterprise blockchain provider Guardtime.
Estonia’s health pass will also be integrated with the EU’s system when it is launched in June.

Lithuania is planning to release its digital health certificate by the summer,
and a report has indicated Latvia’s will also be ready in April.
Finland has already begun issuing digital health passes.

New York has launched a digital identity-based health credential, Excelsior Pass,
which allows people to gather in larger groups and access event venues, according to USA Today.
Vaccination data is populated from the state registry, and pre-approved testing companies.
The Vaccine Credential Initiative, which includes Microsoft, the Mayo Clinic, Oracle, Walmart, CVS and Salesforce,
is set to issue its standards for vaccine passports next month.

Israel’s ‘Green Passes,’ meanwhile, are being spoofed, prompting interest in stronger authentication of the person holding the digital health pass.
Pangea’s COVID-19 access control system now confirms the validity of Green Pass COVID vaccination credentials with face biometrics, CTech reports.
biometricupdate.com/202103/japan-estonia-and-new-york-state-digital-health-pass-plans-revealed

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(April 6, 2021) Gov. Abbott bans vaccine passports from being required in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Tuesday morning prohibiting state agencies
or political subdivisions in Texas from creating a "vaccine passport" requirement.
But Abbott shut that down as an option in the Lone Star State with Executive Order No. GA - 35
also prohibiting "organizations receiving public funds from requiring consumers
to provide documentation of vaccine status in order to receive any service or enter any place."

Abbott's not alone in this move. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also issued an order in his state on Friday
banning vaccine passports and barring businesses from requiring proof of vaccination,
saying that requiring them would infringe on personal freedom and decisions.
abc13.com/vaccine-passports-ban-texas-gov-greg-abbott-what-is-a-passport/10490835/

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(April 6, 2021) WHO does not back vaccination passports for now - spokeswoman
The World Health Organization does not back requiring vaccination passports for travel
due to uncertainty over whether inoculation prevents transmission of the virus,
as well as equity concerns, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/who-does-not-back-vaccination-passports-for-now-spokeswoman/81933413

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(April 5, 2021) England pitches free, nationwide COVID-19 testing twice per week
The plan includes two tests per week starting April 9, with results expected at home within 30 minutes, regardless of whether a person is showing symptoms.
The plan is part of the country’s road map to lift wider lockdowns by the end of June,
depending on the continuing rollout of vaccines and lower rates of infections and hospitalizations.
The announcement also comes as the country considers implementing COVID-19 passports as a requirement
for entering large public gatherings, such as soccer matches and concerts, according to the Associated Press.

"Mass testing is a scandalous waste of money," Allyson Pollock, professor of public health at Newcastle University,
told the BBC. "When the prevalence rate of coronavirus falls as low as it is at the moment,
then an increasing proportion of cases are likely to be false positives meaning that cases and contacts will self isolate unnecessarily."
fiercebiotech.com/medtech/england-pitches-free-nationwide-covid-19-testing-twice-per-week

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(April 5, 2021) AU10TIX Partners With Microsoft On Identity Verification Tool
AU10TIX announced Monday (April 5) in a press release that it has partnered with Microsoft
for the launch of Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) verifiable credentials.
AU10TIX brings its automated identity verification tools to Azure AD,
which is in public preview, to support identity management and safe information exchange.
It will help Microsoft-run organizations “issue digital claims about identity
attributes based on Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers open standards,” according to the release. Based in Israel, AU10TIX
verifies identities using neural networks in less than eight seconds, without collecting and storing personal data, according to the release.
pymnts.com/news/partnerships-acquisitions/2021/au10tix-partners-with-microsoft-identity-verification-tool/

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(April 20, 2021) Eurofins Covid-19 testing incorporated into IATA Travel Pass
IATA has launched a new partnership with bio-analytical testing firm Eurofins
to incorporate the group’s worldwide Covid-19 testing network into the IATA Travel Pass.
The new initiative will see Eurofins’ 800 laboratories across 50 countries
offer secure, verified test results to travellers using the app.

IATA said that the partnership is expected to begin across multiple regions in the coming weeks.
A number of carriers have recently commenced IATA Travel Pass trials,
including Iberia on Europe-Latin American routes, and Emirates on flights between Dubai and Barcelona / London.
businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2021/04/20/eurofins-testing-incorporated-into-iata-travel-pass/

(April 21, 2021) French anti-Covid app takes first step towards EU health pass
On Monday 19 April, France became the first country in Europe to adopt the electronic certification model
for storing proof of antigen and PCR tests and vaccination against Covid-19,
integrated into the existing TousAntiCovid phone app.

The "health pass" project has been discussed for months in France and could prepare the gradual
lifting of travel restrictions and access to certain places and events.

The European Union is due to introduce by the end of June a pass
designed to facilitate travel for Europeans who can prove that they
have been vaccinated against Covid-19, or that they have undergone a PCR or rapid antigenic test.

The health pass could also contain, for example, a blood test to prove that immunity has been acquired,
European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said on Sunday in an interview with BFMTV.

The document will concern "everyone", including children, but will remain "voluntary", he added.
Ambassadors from the 27 member states on Wednesday set a one-year deadline for the implementation
of a regulation on the health certificate prepared by the European Commission and now being negotiated with MEPs.
rfi.fr/en/france/20210421-french-anti-covid-app-takes-first-step-towards-eu-health-pass-technology-european-commission-travel-vaccination

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(April 28, 2021) U.K. Joins France With Vaccine Passport Plan to Lift Travel
Britain is working on a digital Covid-19 vaccine passport as the move to restart travel in Europe gathers pace.
The U.K. initiative, disclosed Wednesday by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, is based on an existing National Health Service app,
which will be adapted to help travelers prove they’ve had a jab or tested negative for the virus.

Britain had previously said that they were under consideration ahead of a planned reopening on May 17,
while the European Union aims to introduce digital passes by June
after governments reached a deal on technical standards earlier his month.

Britain, which along with Germany is the biggest source of visitors to Mediterranean sun spots,
is set to announce a Green List of countries to which leisure travel will be permitted early next month.
Spanish tourism minister Fernando Valdes Verelst told The Sun newspaper on Wednesday that Britons will be allowed back
in from June once an agreement on mutual recognition of vaccine passports is in place.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-28/u-k-follows-france-in-turning-health-app-into-vaccine-passport

(April 28, 2021) Iowa House approves bill to limit use of 'vaccine passports,' sending it to the Senate
A bill that would prohibit businesses from requiring customers to prove they have received the COVID-19 vaccine
and restrict state and local governments from including a person's vaccination status
on an identification card has passed the Iowa House of Representatives.

The Republican-controlled House voted down amendments that would have prevented
employers from requesting vaccination information from employees
and that would have prohibited health care providers from asking hospital and nursing home visitors for vaccination information.
The House's final version of the bill would exempt both from the ban.
desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/28/iowa-house-passes-bill-limit-use-vaccine-passports-businesses-covid-19-vaccinations/4879749001/

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(July 8, 2020) The Commons Project Establishes Global Board of Trustees
The Commons Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public trust dedicated to unlocking the full potential of technology and data
for the common good, today announced the establishment of its Global Board of Trustees representing each major region of the world.
The 62 Global Trustees from 24 countries will provide overall governance for The Commons Project
and serve as strategic advisors for its initiatives.

The Commons Project was established with support from The Rockefeller Foundation
to build digital platforms and services for the common good.Its first service is CommonHealth,
the privacy-preserving Android app for people to collect, store and share their personal health
information securely. The Commons Project is also collaborating with the World Economic Forum

and a broad coalition of public and private partners to launch CommonPass,
a standard global framework enabling people to document and present their COVID-19 status
to facilitate international travel and border crossing while protecting individual data privacy.

The Global Trustees include:

- Rajiv Shah, MD, President - The Rockefeller Foundation (U.S.)
- Ángel Cabrera, PhD, President - Georgia Institute of Technology (Spain)
- James Kondo, Chairman - International House of Japan
- Julie Gerberding, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Patient Officer - Merck, and former Director - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
- Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Financial Officer - New Development Bank (South Africa)
- Ninie Wang, DrPH, Founder and CEO - Pinetree Care Group (China)
- Aneesh Chopra, President - CareJourney and former U.S. Chief Technology Officer
- Arturo Condo, President - EARTH University (Costa Rica)
- Muna AbuSulayman, Partner - Arabic Digital Reform Institute (Saudi Arabia)
- Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Netherlands)

businesswire.com/news/home/20200708005316/en/The-Commons-Project-Establishes-Global-Board-of-Trustees

(April 14, 2021) CommonTrust Network Expands to Cover 32 Countries, Enabling Trusted Health Data for Global Travel
The Commons Project Foundation and the World Economic Forum today announced the global expansion of the CommonTrust Network
(commontrustnetwork.org) to cover 32 countries spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas.

Testing and vaccination partners include: Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, BioReference, Centogene, Cerballiance, Eurofins, Flow Health, Screen4, Vault Health and XpresCheck.

Technology partners include: Aceso Health, Affinidi, Accredify, bSmart, Allm, Dimagi, GetReal Health, Globant, IBM, MagnaCerta, Mastercard, NAS, Oracle and Trip.com.

App partners include: CommonPass, CLEAR, Econet TravelPass, EAC Pass and Yoti.

Travel partners include: Allianz Partners, Amadeus, ANA, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, SITA, Swiss and United Airlines.

Collaborating partners include: Airports Council International (ACI World), CARIN Alliance, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

businesswire.com/news/home/20210414005284/en/CommonTrust-Network-Expands-to-Cover-32-Countries-Enabling-Trusted-Health-Data-for-Global-Travel

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(May 4, 2021) Cassava partners with Tony Blair Institute to help Africa open borders
In an effort to help Africa reopen borders in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Cassava Fintech International has partnered up with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).
The partnership between the two will see Cassava Fintech as the latest member of the Commons Trust Network.
techzim.co.zw/2021/05/cassava-partners-with-tony-blair-institute-to-help-africa-open-borders/

(May 7, 2021) Econet Group, Mastercard to collaborate on fintech solutions for Covid-19 response in Africa
The Econet Group through its subsidiary Cassava Fintech International (Cassava Fintech) and Mastercard
have entered into a strategic partnership to advance digital inclusion across Africa
and collaborate on a range of initiatives including expansion of the Africa CDC TravelPass.

TravelPass is a digital health pass developed by Cassava Fintech
and offered in conjunction with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Mastercard is partnering with Cassava Fintech to enhance the security of TravelPass through Mastercard’s Community Pass platform.

Mastercard Community Pass is an interoperable digital platform facilitating service delivery
for marginalised individuals and communities, including access to critical health services
like patient care plan tracking for Covid-19.
capitalfm.co.ke/business/2021/05/econet-group-mastercard-to-collaborate-on-fintech-solutions-for-covid-19-response-in-africa/

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(January 24, 2019) Scientists present vaccine revolution to world leaders at WEF in Davos
Three Imperial scientists presented their ideas on next generation vaccines to global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The Imperial group lead an IdeasLab session titled ‘Developing a Vaccine Revolution’.

President Alice Gast, who introduced the vaccine experts, wrote for the World Economic Forum
this week about how they are ’working to reverse the inverse care law as they advance vaccine technology’.

President Gast also chaired the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) and spoke on a panel with President of Colombia Iván Duque Márquez
and global CEOs , including Marc Benioff of Salesforce to update on the Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network.
President Gast said: “We really do need global multi stakeholder collaboration to make a difference and that is what the centre for the 4ID brings.

The President of Colombia announced that Medellín will host a centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, focusing on AI, Internet of Things, and Blockchain, in 2019.
Professor Robin Shattock, Head of Mucosal Infection and Immunity within the Department of Medicine, is working on the manufacturing of RNA vaccines
to create quicker and more accessible responsiveness to outbreaks of known pathogens - such as flu, and unknown pathogens, called Disease X.
myscience.org/news/wire/scientists_present_vaccine_revolution_to_world_leaders_at_wef_in_davos-2019-imperial

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(September 14, 2017) Mark of the Beast: Digital Identity and the Cashless Cartel
On June 19th, 2017, approximately 300 people gathered at the United Nations for the second annual ID2020 Summit.
The ID2020 Alliance, a consortium of public and private organisations, was launched there.
The summit was attended by representatives of UN organisations such as UNDP (United Nations Development Programme);
UNECLAC (United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean);
UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees),
and UN OICT (United Nations Office of Information and Communication Technologies).
Participating organsiations included: Accenture; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Biometrics Institute; Gavi (the vaccine alliance);
General Electric; IBM; IrisGuard; MasterCard; Microsoft; One World Identity; Open Society Foundation (George Soros); PwC; Rockefeller Foundation; Standard Chartered Bank; Unique Identity Authority of India; Verizon; the World Economic Forum, and HSBC bank.
ukcolumn.org/article/mark-beast-digital-identity-and-cashless-cartel

(December 21, 2020) IBM links with Salesforce to offer digital COVID-19 vaccine passports
"At the start of the pandemic, many organizations deployed simple COVID-19 screenings, such as self-reported health surveys,
to support re-entry to workplaces and other institutions," said Paul Roma, general manager of IBM Watson Health.
"Now, as testing becomes more widespread and vaccine distribution gets underway, we are expanding the availability of IBM Digital Health Pass with Salesforce
to help organizations verify an individual's vaccine status and any other relevant health credentials," Roma said.
Big Blue’s health pass app, which debuted earlier this year, aims to provide individual, sharable health credentials following test results, vaccinations
and temperature checks through an encrypted digital wallet on a smartphone. This could also help allow passengers to board airplanes,
concertgoers to enter venues or spectators to attend sporting events. Salesforce also recently introduced a version of Work.com for managing vaccine programs
aimed at governments and healthcare organizations. The company is also working with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
to help distribute about 2 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines across 190 countries before the end of next year.
fiercebiotech.com/medtech/ibm-links-salesforce-to-offer-digital-covid-19-vaccine-passports

(February 10, 2021) ICC, Mastercard, IBM join ID2020 Good Health Pass initiative
Yesterday ID2020 launched the Good Health Pass Collaborative to encourage interoperability
between the COVID-19 health credentialing solutions being developed by numerous organizations.
Members of the new initiative include the Airports Council International (ACI), Hyperledger,
COVID-19 Credentials Initiative, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC),
Mastercard and numerous others (full list below).
“Fragmentation is a risk we simply cannot ignore,” said ID2020 Executive Director Dakota Gruener.
“To be valuable to users, credentials need to be accepted at check-in,
upon arrival by border control agencies, and more.”
“We can get there — even with multiple systems — as long as solutions adhere
to open standards and participate in a common governance framework.

(March 3, 2021) New York State trialing IBM Covid-19 blockchain app
This week, the State of New York announced it is piloting a blockchain health certificate app with IBM
to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or negative test results. Named the Excelsior Pass,
the tool confirms vaccine and testing information via confidential data transfer. It is hoped
the app can help with the swift re-opening of venues and businesses.
Like a mobile airline boarding pass, the Pass provides participants with a QR code,
which venues can scan to confirm health status. First trialed at a Brooklyn Nets basketball game
at the Barclays Center in New York City, the Excelsior Pass was again piloted
at Madison Square Garden for the New York Rangers ice hockey game yesterday.
The results will be used to develop the user experience before being submitted to the Apple and Google app stores.
ledgerinsights.com/new-york-state-ibm-blockchain-covid-19-app-excelsior-pass/

(March 5, 2021) Moderna to explore blockchain vaccine traceability with IBM
Yesterday Moderna and IBM said they plan to explore using blockchain, AI, and other technologies for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
The pharmaceutical company is planning a blockchain pilot to provide vaccine traceability
so that government and healthcare providers can see the current status of specific vaccine
batches as they go through the supply chain from the manufacturer to the destination.

One of IBM’s in-house enterprise blockchain offerings is IBM Food Trust
which provides similar results in a different sector. IBM also previously participated in an FDA pharmaceutical pilot
and launched a blockchain consortium, the Pharmaceutical Utility Network (PhUN), with Walmart, Merck, and KPMG.

Another collaboration area between Moderna and IBM is for the Digital Health Pass,
an IBM solution that leverages blockchain to enable vaccine or test credentials to be verified.
It recently unveiled a pilot with the State of New York, including for events at Madison Square Garden.
ledgerinsights.com/moderna-to-explore-blockchain-vaccine-traceability-with-ibm/
...

‘IBM and the Holocaust’: Twenty Years of Corporate Denial
Twenty years ago, IBM and the Holocaust exposed with crystal clarity—backed up with a literal tower of physical documentation
—that IBM knowingly organized all six phases of the Holocaust: identification, exclusion, confiscation, ghettoization, deportation, and even extermination,
all under the micromanagement of its celebrated CEO, Thomas J. Watson, Sr.,
operating from his New York office on Madison Avenue, and later through European subsidiaries.

To peer into our perilous future, we need only look back
and see what IBM helped Hitler do during the Holocaust,
in the era before computers existed. Now is the time to ask what could a Hitler-type regime do today
and how quickly with today’s high-speed hand-held technology?

jns.org/spotlight/ibm-and-the-holocaust-twenty-years-of-corporate-denial/

[Abacus]

(May 12, 2021) French MPs back Macron’s Covid-19 'health pass' despite discrimination fears
France's parliament on Wednesday backed President Emmanuel Macron's plan to introduce a Covid "health pass",
after deputies pushed back against the move arguing it was discriminatory for those not yet vaccinated.

Opposition parties have criticised the bill for posing a discrimination risk, not least because millions of people have yet to be inoculated.
Even some deputies usually loyal to Macron balked at what they said was a lack of details on how the pass would be used,
saying the government was basically asking for a blank cheque.

The disagreement led to an initial defeat of the bill by 108 votes to 103
in the lower-house National Assembly, with a high number of abstentions.
But in the early hours of Wednesday it passed 208 to 85.
france24.com/en/france/20210512-french-mps-back-macron-s-covid-19-health-pass-despite-discrimination-fears

[Abacus]

(June 5, 2021) G7 countries prioritise global Covid passport for inoculated
Agreement was reached on so-called vaccine passports following a meeting in Oxford of health ministers from G7 countries.
Following the two-day summit, the politicians concluded that international standards and recommended practices must be set
“for the creation, use and mutual recognition of testing and vaccination certificates…

Health ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA
also agreed on a new charter which it is hoped will bring about standardised evidence and data from international trials,
in a bid to speed up access to approved treatments and vaccines, as well as agreed minimum standards of health data to be shared internationally.

The ministers are also considering how best to incentivise the development and supply of new and existing antimicrobial treatments, including new antibiotics, in their countries.
express.co.uk/news/world/1445819/g7-coronavirus-passport-vaccine-certificates-health-ministers

[Abacus]

(June 6, 2021) Tony Blair calls for health passes to show who’s been vaccinated
The NHS app is “inadequate” as proof of vaccination, says Tony Blair,
adding that it makes “no sense at all to treat those who have had vaccination as the same as those who haven’t.”
He said “for the purposes of freedom” we need to easily be able to distinguish who has had the jab.
“It therefore makes no sense at all to treat those who have had vaccination as the same as those who haven’t.”
He pointed to the report which says “why the current NHS app for proving vaccination is inadequate
and should be changed to be simpler and more effective” and later went on: “Of course we are discriminating between vaccinated and unvaccinated.
inews.co.uk/news/tony-blair-health-passes-to-show-whos-been-vaccinated-1037509

[Abacus]

(June 7, 2021) Good Health Pass publishes Blueprint for health credential interoperability
Today the Good Health Pass Collaborative (GHPC) unveiled its Blueprint to enable interoperability
between the various COVID-19 digital health certificates and credentials being issued to enable travel.
The GHPC was founded in February by ID2020 and is a collaborative of more than 125 organizations,
including IBM, Hyperledger, The International Chamber of Commerce, Mastercard, and SITA.
ledgerinsights.com/good-health-pass-publishes-blueprint-for-health-credential-interoperability/

(June 8, 2021)Global COVID Certificate Network to enable interoperable COVID-19 health passes
Today the Linux Foundation Public Health (LFPH) unveiled the Global COVID Certificate Network (GCCN).
While many COVID-19 initiatives target digital health credentials,
most are regional, presenting a challenge for international travel.
GCCN aims to address this interoperability issue by creating a global trust registry network.

GCCN’s initial members are Affinidi, AOKPass, Blockchain Labs, Evernym, IBM,
Indicio.Tech, Lumedic, and ThoughtWorks, which have all developed COVID-19 solutions for governments and industries.

This latest initiative helps implement the draft Blueprint from the Good Health Pass Collaborative published yesterday.
The initial focus of the network will be to enable interoperability between EU and non-EU countries,
with the technical launch of the EU Digital COVID Certificate last week.

In addition to this project, the Linux Foundation is also home to the COVID Credentials Initiative
and Trust over IP Foundation, which both provide help for developing COVID solutions.

ledgerinsights.com/global-covid-certificate-network-interoperable-covid-19-health-passes/