Name: Rosann G.

Cabante

Course and Section: Bachelor Of Arts in Foreign Service (FS201)

Full name of Course: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Professor: Prof. JUMEL G. ESTRAÑERO

Digital Green Certificate : A Covid-19 Vaccine Passport As a New Requirement for Enable
Seamless Border-Crossing

Introduction:

Today, in a world of covid-19 pandemic the vaccine will be the new primary requirement for
some of your dream destinations. You are now required to present your proof of vaccination for
you to skip swabbing tests or quarantine. The international government have concluded that this
will happened worldwide. European Commission (2021), A Digital Green Certificate, which can
be used in all EU Member States, will constitute proof that a person has been vaccinated
against COVID-19, has had a negative test result, or has recovered from COVID-19. During the
COVID-19 epidemic, the "Digital Green Certificate" will allow for safe and unrestricted mobility
throughout the EU. It's also possible to implement it in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and
Switzerland. The Digital Green Certificate will be available to initiatives all around the world.

According to Markovitz, G. (2021) To allow for seamless border passage, a "vaccine passport"
or "e-vaccination certification of conformity for border crossing requirements" may be necessary.
To ensure that any framework put in place is ethical and equitable, it will need to be harmonized
by a normative authority like the WHO. Official standards have already been developed by the
European Union and other nations such as Israel. Despite these obstacles, there is rising
optimism that COVID-19 immunity will be achieved in time, and there are hopeful evidence that
the vaccinations are highly efficacious. A research published this week in Israel found that two
doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are 95 percent effective in preventing infection,
hospitalization, and mortality from COVID-19.

Body:

As the pandemic continue to rise, a lot of people hesitate to travel abroad due to lots of
requirements, swab tests and you might end up being quarantine for weeks before you can go
to your destinations. For OFWs after they go back to their home country, it will be difficult for
them to go back. For now, the EU agreed that what if we only have one requirements to be able
to go abroad, and that is the Vaccine Passport. In fact, the EU even propose some key
elements of regulation, and these are the following;

a.) Accessible and secure certificates for all EU citizens

- Vaccination certificates, test certificates (NAAT/RT-PCR test or fast antigen test), and
certifications for people who have recovered from COVID-19 will all be covered by the Digital
Green Certificate.

- The certificates will be available in both digital and physical formats. Both will have a QR code
with critical information as well as a digital signature to ensure that the certificate is genuine.

- The certificates will be available for free in the issuing Member State's official language or
languages, as well as English.

b.) Non-discrimination

- When traveling in the EU, all people – vaccinated and non-vaccinated – should have access to
a Digital Green Certificate. The Commission proposes to produce an interoperable vaccination
certificate, as well as COVID-19 test certificates and certificates for people who have recovered
from COVID-19, to prevent discrimination against people who have not been vaccinated.

c.) Only essential information and secure personal data

- Name, date of birth, date of issuance, essential information about vaccine/test/recovery, and a
unique identification for the certificate will be included on the certificates. Only the legitimacy
and validity of certificates can be confirmed and verified using this information.

Travelers in the EU have been asked to present various documents, such as medical
certificates, test results, or statements, in order to comply with steps to restrict the spread of the
coronavirus. Due to the lack of agreed formats, travelers moving inside the EU have
encountered difficulties. Fraudulent or falsified documents have also been reported. (European
Commission 2021).

Analysis:

Given the Premises above, These are the countries using Vaccine Passport for travel aside
from EU. According to Walker V. (2021) Vaccine passports are viewed as a critical component
in reviving the sector after the epidemic since they will streamline the travel experience. These
are countries, on the other hand, are utilizing (or planning to adopt) digital vaccine passports.
Here's everything you need to know about it;

1.) African Union

According to a report by the World Health Organization, Africa has received less than 2% of the
world's vaccination supply. North America and Europe, on the other hand, have received
approximately 80% of the world's immunizations. Vaccines have been distributed to only 45
African countries. “We are already without vaccines, and it will be exceedingly regrettable if
governments enforce immunization certificates as a travel requirement while the rest of the
globe has not had the opportunity to receive vaccines,” said Dr. John Nkengasong.

2.) Denmark

Denmark has introduced Coronapas, a vaccine passport for its nationals. The permit can be
used to show that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and is available as an app
or on paper.

3.) Estonia

On April 30, the Estonian government introduced the VaccineGuard vaccine passport. It is
expected to comply with the Digital Green Certificate of the European Union, allowing Estonians
to cross borders with confirmation of vaccination status. In a statement, Estonian President
Kersti Kaljulaid said, "As one of the world's most digitally sophisticated nations, we are very
delighted to provide our citizens a trustworthy COVID-19 immunization certificate, offering
another key step on our road back to normality." “Online-only meetings are insufficient to
achieve true connectedness; people also require the ability to travel for both business and
pleasure.” she added.

4. European Union

The European Union is apparently intending to reopen to fully vaccinated American tourists this
summer, which is great news for travelers. While details are still scarce, it's a positive indication
for Americans wanting to travel overseas and revisit some of their favorite European sites. The
EU's planned Digital Green Certificate, which will allow people of EU member states to move
freely within their own country and travel freely within the EU, is attracting a lot of attention. The
Green Certificate will be accessible in digital (with QR code) and paper formats for free. Green
Certi will also be used by non-EU member states such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and
Switzerland.
5. Israel

With the exception of Gibraltar, Israel is the world leader in vaccinating its citizens against
COVID-19. More than 55 percent of Israelis have been properly vaccinated, according to a
Johns Hopkins University tracker. The Green Pass scheme allows fully vaccinated Israelis to
enter venues such as concerts and restaurants. A Green Pass can only be used by Israelis who
have been vaccinated, however persons who have had a second dosage can request for a
vaccination certificate, which is an official document.

6. Japan

According to the Japan Times, Japan aims to roll out a vaccine passport using a smartphone
app to make foreign travel easier for persons who have been immunized. According to sources,
the app will also save COVID-19 test results. “Other nations are doing it, so Japan will have to
think about it as well,” said Taro Kono, Japan's Minister of Defense.

7. Panama

Panama and Copa Airlines, the country's official carrier, have joined the International Air
Transport Association's (IATA) Travel Pass program.

Passengers will be able to generate a "digital passport" that will allow them to check that their
travel plans meet the COVID-19 standards for their destination. The Travel Pass will also
include information on where to go for testing and vaccinations.

8. Singapore

Singapore, like Panama, is working with IATA Travel Pass to reopen its economy. Pre-
departure COVID-19 PCR test results will be accepted on the app in the near future.

According to IATA, Singapore-bound travelers can now utilize the Travel Pass to exchange their
pre-departure COVID-19 test results with their airline at check-in. They can also give this
information when they arrive at immigration checks.

9. Thailand

Preventative measures against COVID-19 have dealt a significant hit to Thailand's tourism
industry, which is one of the country's main GDP drivers. By making it simpler for tourists to
travel, the country seeks to mitigate some of the effects of the pandemic. Foreign visitors to
Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya will be allowed to enter if they have a
vaccination certificate and are willing to stay in a hotel for seven days.

Recommendations:

This paper recommends for those countries that will sooner required the Vaccine Passport for
their citizens to be able to travel abroad;

1. It must protect the personal information of all persons with a vaccine passport holders, to
prevent identity theft.

2. Vaccine Passport should be not only for online application or digital apps but also in paper. A
person should have a copy both.

3. It must not contain complicated process since we have a lot of seniors as well.

Conclusion:

Vaccine Passport or known as the Digital Green Certificate will sooner be required for you to
enable seamless border-crossing. This would serve as your immunization record. We have now
the well known countries that are working on it to have a digital vaccination certificates for cross-
border travel like China, Japan and European Union. They have now concluded that sooner it
will be a requirement worldwide. Governments aren’t just the one who proposed the plan but
also the airlines and International Air Transport Association so that they can monitor the
passengers for their travel plans with documentation as a proof that they had been vaccinated
for the safety of everyone. In Denmark, their government have stated last February that four
months from now, they will sooner begin a digital passport that serve as a proof that their
citizens have been vaccinated.

Way Ahead:

Vaccine Passport may be the step for having a safe travel but we can still see the future that
this will undergo through a lot of process and complicated step but for the result, this is the most
convenient. We have now to keep in mind that this will be a new way for the future of our travel.
These digital green certificate have been seen as the key to open what have been closed. This
will serve as your opening quarantine-free vacations. Again for the future, this is just a
mandatory vaccine passport usage and hopefully they will take it down if the Covid-19 will no
longer be a public health concern.
References:

European Commission (2021) Coronavirus: Commission proposes a Digital Green Certificate.

Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/

European Commission (2021), Questions and Answers – Digital Green Certificate.

Retrieved From: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda

Markovitz, G. (2021) What is A ‘Vaccine Passport’ and Will You Need One the Next Time You
Travel?

Retrieved From: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/what-is-a-vaccine-passport-and-will-

you-need-one-the-next-time-you-travel

McDonagh, S. (2021) Here is What Every Country’s Vaccine Passport Should Have, According
to the UN.

Retrieved from: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021/05/14/here-is-what-every-country-s-

vaccine-passport-should-have-according-to-the-un

Mclnnies, K. (2021) France Has Just Become The First Country To Launch A Digital Vaccine
Passport.

Retrieved from: https://hk.asiatatler.com/life/france-digital-vaccine-passport?fbclid

Stevis, M. (2021) E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer.

Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/25/world/europe/american-travel-to-

europe.html

Walker V. (2021) Want to Travel Abroad? These Are the Countries Using Vaccine Passports for
Travel.

Retrieved from: https://thepointsguy.com/news/digital-health-passports-worldwide/

Welch, A. (2021) Vaccine Passports: What They Are and Why You May Need One Soon.

Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/vaccine-passports-what-they-are-and-

why-you-may-need-one-soon?fbclid