In this time of pandemic, I-House is contributing to reconnecting people around the world through a global initiative from The Commons Project (TCP) to harness the power of data and technology for a safe border crossing.
About The Commons Project
Founded with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and based in Switzerland, TCP is a nonprofit public trust building global digital services and platforms for the common good. In collaboration with the World Economic Forum and a broad coalition of public and private partners, it aims to launch CommonPass, a standard global framework enabling people to document and present their COVID-19 status to facilitate international travel while protecting individual data privacy.
TCP’s Japan secretariat office has been established within I-House, and I-House Director Hiroaki Miyata (Professor, Keio University) is serving as Chair of the TCP Japan Board. I-House Chairman James Kondo is also a Global Trustee of TCP.
About CommonPass
The CommonPass is a standard global framework enabling people to document and present their COVID-19 status to facilitate international travel while protecting individual data privacy. The framework will assess whether the individual’s lab test results or vaccination records (1) come from a trusted source, and (2) satisfy the health screening requirements of the country they want to enter. The framework delivers a simple yes/no answer as to whether the individual meets the current entry criteria, but the underlying health information stays in the individual’s control.
Why CommonPass?
・Neutrality
CommonPass is being developed by a nonprofit public trust, beholden to no one government. It is operated by The Commons Project on an open, independent, sustainable, not-for-profit basis.
・Flexible
CommonPass provides the flexibility for countries to update health screening entry requirements as the pandemic evolves and science progresses.
・Private
The CommonPass framework allows individuals to access their lab results and vaccination records, and consent to have that information used to validate their COVID status without revealing any other underlying personal health information.
・International Cooperation
In July 2020, The Commons Project, the World Economic Forum and the Rockefeller Foundation convened more than 350 public and private sector leaders from 52 countries to come together to design a common framework for safe border reopening.
*For details, please visit The Commons Project global website.
*To learn more about the activities and to receive updates for TCP Japan, please visit our Japanese webpage.
Dr. Miyata is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the School of Medicine, Keio University, and Director of the International House of Japan. Specializing in data science and healthcare policies, he has been involved in the developments of various health-related projects including the National Clinical Database, a clinical registry database involving 5,000 hospitals all over Japan, and more recently, nationwide COVID-related Line surveys led by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. He also works with the World Economic Forum and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) to create a new social vision, and is a Thematic Project Producer of World Expo 2025.Inquiries
The Commons Project Japan Secretariat
c/o Program Department, International House of Japan
5-11-16 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
TEL: 03-3470-3211 (Mon.-Fri., 9:00 am-5:00 pm)
FAX: 03-3470-3170