join Prof. Phoebe Koundouri on 23/9 @ 15:00- 17:00 (EEST), for a discussion on “SDG Challenges in Post COVID-19 Era” at the web- conference “The changing world order & its implications for multilateralism & its stakeholders, Exclusive High-Level Side Event to UN General Assembly”, organised by Nizami Ganjavi International Center
Web-conference THE CHANGING WORLD ORDER & ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR MULTILATERALISM & ITS STAKEHOLDERS Exclusive High-Level Side Event to UN General Assembly 22-23 September 2020
Thematic (Global) Session 4: SDG Challenges in Post COVID-19 Era (15:00- 17:00 EEST)
Chair/Moderator: Zlatko Lagumdzija, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2001-2002; Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs 2012-2015
Jeffrey Sachs, University Professor at Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary General on SDG
Phoebe Koundouri, Professor, Athens University of Economics and Business; President, European AERE; Co-chair, SDSN Greece; Director, EIT Climate KIC Greece
Gila Gamliel, Minister of Environmental Protection of Israel
Nathalie De Gaulle, Partner and Co-founder, Societer
Igor Luksic, Prime Minister of Montenegro 2010-2012; PwC Public Sector Director South East Europe; Minister of Finance of Montenegro 2004-2010
Ulrika Modeer, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relation and Advocacy (video message)
Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs; however, the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed fundamental weaknesses in our global systems and highlighted the need to respond with urgency and determination.
Climate change and the disaster risks it portends has not gone away, even if it has been crowded out of the media headlines by the COVID-19 crisis. But the lockdowns that accompanied the COVID- 19 pandemic have demonstrated the profound impact that human activities have on our environment. Greenhouse gas emissions are declining; water and air quality are improving; birds and wildlife are returning to forsaken habitats.
But we recognize that the economic and social costs of the abrupt economic shutdown are not acceptable. We will need to rebuild better in terms of energy, infrastructure and resilient systems of agriculture that conserve natural resources and biodiversity, while increasing carbon sequestration, improving soil health and water quality, generation of renewable energy, scientific eco-regional planning, etc. In short, a paradigm shift in national priorities.
The approach of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center to the sustainable development goals is formed in a different sense to find local solutions for global problems. Taking into consideration the causes of the problems that are facing today based on our past, we should benefit from the ideas of historical writers in the search for solutions. Thus, the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi noted global problems in his works 8 centuries ago such as the gender issues, protection of biodiversity, the essence of human dialogue, water scarcity and etc. Despite the fact that the water problem was not widespread at that time, and the anthropogenic impact was small, Nizami underlined the value of water and recommended to protect it from negative effects and prevent its waste.
In view of the current pandemic, the fate of SDG 6, “Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All” becomes more critical. Lack of access to clean water affects vulnerability to 8 increase the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases that harm health. Handwashing and good hygiene practices unlock the benefits of water and sanitation services. One of the main distinguishing features of Nizami is the strong and perfect creation of all female images, emphasizing the well-being, justice, happiness and beauty of women in his works, especially in Khamsa. Currently, the UN has described the worldwide increase in domestic abuse as a “shadow pandemic” alongside COVID-19. It’s thought cases have increased by 20% during the lockdown, as many people are trapped at home with their abuser.
watch live: https://www.facebook.com/NizamiGanjaviIC/videos/3492667710779743
