IAP 2020 Report – COVID-19 and Accountability
CAUGHT IN THE COVID-19 STORM
Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health in the Context of UHC and the SDGs
REPORT LAUNCH
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel (IAP) for Every Woman Every Child released its 2020 report at a High-Level Political Forum side event on 13 July 2020.
CONTEXT
Even before COVID-19, global progress toward the 2030 targets for saving the lives of women and children was already lagging by approximately 20%.
The pandemic has significantly worsened this situation, placing additional pressure on health systems and reversing gains in many countries.
WHAT THE 2020 REPORT COVERS
The 2020 IAP report:
- Reviews key indicators under the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) initiative
- Assesses the impact of COVID-19 on health and human rights
- Presents country scorecards and case studies
- Identifies critical challenges and success factors
- Introduces a strengthened accountability framework
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
The report highlights three priority actions:
- Invest in data systems
Strengthen data collection, quality and use for decision-making - Institutionalize accountability
Embed accountability mechanisms within governance systems - Act on people’s voices
Ensure meaningful participation of communities and stakeholders
ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK (2020)
The IAP defines accountability as:
Connecting commitments to progress in a justifiable and constructive way.
The framework is built on four pillars:
1. Commit
All stakeholders must clearly define their roles, responsibilities and obligations toward achieving agreed goals and realizing rights.
2. Justify
Decisions and actions must be supported by evidence, grounded in human rights and aligned with the rule of law.
3. Implement
Core accountability functions must be institutionalized:
- Monitor
- Review
- Remedy
- Act
These should be applied in a constructive way to support learning and progress.
4. Progress
Continuous progress toward goals must be ensured, with transparent justification for any setbacks.
This reflects the human rights principle of progressive realization.
REPORT MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
- Full Report and Annexes
👉 Download - Executive Summary (available in 6 UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian)
👉 Download - Country Case Studies
👉 Download - Accountability Framework (graphic, video, checklist)
👉 Access materials - Commentary in The Lancet
👉 Read article - Report videos, stories and launch event materials
👉 View resources - Social media and media coverage
👉 Explore
ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK TOOLS
Graphic
👉 Download one-pager
👉 Download image
Video
👉 Download (with subtitles available)
Checklist
👉 Download
👉 Video of the accountability checklist
FINAL NOTE
For full details, analysis and evidence, please refer to the official IAP 2020 report and supporting materials.
ARCHIVE NOTE
This page presents archived content from the 2020 Independent Accountability Panel report and is preserved for public health knowledge, research and accountability purposes.