THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA MAURITANIA COVID-19 STRATEGIC PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PROJECT (SPRP)(P173837) [Draft/Version for Negotiations] ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) March 25,2020 1|Page THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN 1. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania (the Recipient) will implement the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (the Project), with the involvement of the Recipient’s Ministry of Health. The International Development Association (the Association) has agreed to provide financing for the Project. 2. The Recipient will implement material measures and actions so that the Project is implemented in accordance with the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs). This Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) sets out material measures and actions, any specific documents or plans, as well as the timing for each of these. 3. The Recipient is responsible for compliance with all requirements of the ESCP even when implementation of specific measures and actions is conducted by the Ministry referenced in 1. above. 4. Implementation of the material measures and actions set out in this ESCP will be monitored and reported to the Association by the Recipient as required by the ESCP and the conditions of the legal agreement, and the Association will monitor and assess progress and completion of the material measures and actions throughout implementation of the Project. 5. 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 will agree to the changes with the Association and will update the ESCP to reflect such changes. Agreement on changes to the ESCP will be documented through the exchange of letters signed between the Association and the Recipient. The Recipient will promptly disclose the updated ESCP. 6. 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 THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY MONITORING AND REPORTING A REGULAR REPORTING: Prepare and submit to the Association regular monitoring Quarterly throughout the Project Recipient’s Ministry of Health. reports on the environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) performance of implementation period. the Project, including but not limited to, stakeholder engagement activities and grievances log. ESS 1: ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISKS AND IMPACTS 1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: The Recipient’s Ministry of Health will Health and safety specialist appointed Recipient’s Ministry of Health. maintain the Secretary General of the Ministry with qualified staff and before the carrying out of Project resources to support management of environmental and social risks and activities and no later than one month of impacts of the Project including environmental and social risk project effectiveness. [PIU/PMU/PCU] maintained throughout Project management specialists. The Department of Public Hygiene of the implementation] Ministry of Health has been responsible for environmental and social safeguards implementation of the INAYA project (P156165) and its Additional Finance operation (P170585) and will continue with the COVID-19 activities. To this end, the INAYA project environmental and social safeguards specialist will support the implementation of the Mauritania COVID-19 project. 3|Page THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT/MANAGEMENT PLANS AND a. ESMF to be prepared within one Recipient’s Ministry of Health. INSTRUMENTS/ CONTRACTORS month of project effectiveness. a. Assess the environmental and social risks and impacts of proposed Assessment conducted before the Project activities in accordance with the Environmental and Social carrying out of the respective Management Framework (ESMF) to be prepared for the Project, Project activity. including to ensure that individuals or groups who, because of their particular circumstances, may be disadvantaged or vulnerable, have access to the development benefits resulting from the Project. b. Plans or instruments prepared b. Prepare, disclose, adopt, and implement any environmental and social before the carrying out of the management plans or other instruments required for the respective relevant Project activities. Project activities based on the assessment process, in accordance with the ESSs, the ESMF, the EHSGs, and other relevant Good International c. Before launching the Industry Practice (GIIP) in a manner acceptable to the Association. procurement process for the relevant Project activities and c. Incorporate the relevant aspects of this ESCP, including, inter alia, any thereafter throughout the environmental and social management plans or other instruments, carrying out of such activities. ESS2 requirements, and any other required ESHS measures, into the ESHS specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with contractors and supervising firms. Thereafter ensure that the contractors and supervising firms comply with the ESHS specifications d. Throughout project of their respective contracts. implementation. d. Update environmental and social management plans or other instruments based on updated guidance by WHO on COVID19, in a manner acceptable to the Association. 4|Page THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY 1.3 EXCLUSIONS: Exclude the following type of activities as ineligible These exclusions shall be applied as Recipient’s Ministry of Health. for financing under the Project: part of the assessment process conducted under action 1.2.a. above. • Activities that may cause long term, permanent and/or irreversible (e.g. loss of major natural habitat) adverse impacts • Activities that have high probability of causing serious adverse effects to human health and/or the environment not related to 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 any vulnerable communities, • Activities that may involve permanent resettlement or land acquisition or adverse impacts on cultural heritage All the other excluded activities set out in the ESMP of the Project. ESS 2: LABOR AND WORKING CONDITIONS 2.1 LABOR MANAGEMENT: The Project shall be carried out in accordance Throughout Project implementation. Recipient’s Ministry of Health. with the applicable requirements of ESS2, in a manner acceptable to the Association, including through, inter alia, implementing adequate occupational health and safety measures (including emergency preparedness and response measures), setting out grievance arrangements for Project workers, and incorporating labor requirements into the ESHS specifications of the procurement documents and contracts with contractors and supervising firms. The ESMF will include Labor Management Procedures (LMPs) which will set out the way in which project workers will be managed in accordance with the requirements of national law and the ESS2, and these will build on WHO guidelines on the best approach to managing OHS risk during a global pandemic. ESS 3: RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND POLLUTION PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT Relevant aspects of this standard shall be considered, as needed, under action 1.2 above, including, inter alia, measures to: manage health care wastes, and other types of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. 5|Page THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY ESS 4: COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY 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; ensure that individuals or groups who, because of their particular circumstances, may be disadvantaged or vulnerable have access to the development benefits resulting from the Project; 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. ESS 5: LAND ACQUISITION, RESTRICTIONS ON LAND USE AND INVOLUNTARY RESETTLEMENT 5.1 Relevant aspects of this standard shall be considered, as needed, Throughout Project implementation. Recipient’s Ministry of Health. under action 1.2 above. 5.2 All eventual construction will be undertaken within existing Prior to the commencement of any civil Recipient’s Ministry of Health. facilities and thus at this point ESS5 is not considered relevant. In works/construction. case land acquisition leading to economic or physical displacement would be necessary, resettlement action plans would be developed, adopted and implemented, in accordance with ESS 5, and disclosed prior to commencement of any civil works/construction, in a manner acceptable of the Association ESS 6: BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF LIVING NATURAL RESOURCES Relevant aspects of this standard shall be considered, as needed, under action 1.2 above. ESS 7: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES/SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED TRADITIONAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES Not relevant, as there are no IP/SSAHUTLCs in the Project area. ESS 8: CULTURAL HERITAGE Relevant aspects of this standard shall be considered, as needed, under action 1.2 above. The ESMF shall include measures for “Chance Finds� of archaeological or other cultural heritage. ESS 9: FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES Not relevant. ESS 10: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 10.1 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN: Prepare, disclose, adopt, and A draft SEP was already prepared and Recipient’s Ministry of Health. implement a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) consistent with disclosed and shall be updated within 2 ESS10, in a manner acceptable to the Association. months after the Effective Date. 6|Page THE WORLD BANK - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT PLAN (ESCP) FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS MATERIAL MEASURES AND ACTIONS TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBLE ENTITY/AUTHORITY 10.2 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM: Accessible grievance arrangements shall Throughout Project implementation. Recipient’s Ministry of Health. be made publicly available to receive and facilitate resolution of concerns and grievances in relation to the Project, consistent with ESS10, in a manner acceptable to the Association. CAPACITY SUPPORT (TRAINING) Training topics for personnel involved in Project implementation Throughout Project implementation. Recipient’s Ministry of Health. will among others include: • 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 • Risk gender-based violence, including the mechanism for submitting GBV/SEA complaints WHO and Africa CDC guidelines on quarantine including case management 7|Page