New global dialogue series to help navigate options to recover better

Life as we know it has been turned upside down. Societies have been virus-stricken, with hundreds of thousands losing their lives. Health care systems are under pressure, the global economy is in decline and vulnerable groups are seriously affected. The ravage of COVID-19 is extensive. To help the world navigate towards a sustainable recovery, UN DESA’s experts have closely monitored the situation and shared policy recommendations. These will now be shared globally through a series of online dialogue events.

Throughout the crisis, to support the Secretary-General’s effort and initiatives, UN DESA has generated timely analytical work and the policy advice through a series of policy briefs. Policymakers have been able to learn about the impacts of the virus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global economy and on particular groups of society. To highlight the findings of these policy briefs and other reports, UN DESA has just launched a new ‘Global Online Dialogue Series’.

The series kicked off in July, after the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, with the launch of a new volume, “Recover Better: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities,” from the High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (HLAB).

The upcoming session in September will focus on youth. The event, “Navigating uncertainties: An intergenerational dialogue on the impact of COVID-19 on youth employment,” offers young people an opportunity to discuss the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic during a period of their lives when many things are already in flux. Members of older generations will also share their experiences of making the school-to-work transition.

The discussions will draw from the 2020 UN World Youth Report, the Secretary-General’s recent policy brief “Education during COVID-19 and beyond,” and the work of the HLAB. Online participants are welcome to share questions during the event and ahead of time on social media. The results of this dialogue —and future sessions on digital governance, climate action and demographic change—will inform UN DESA’s future policy briefs on the economic and social effects of the pandemic.

All sessions in the online dialogue series will be open to the public. Information about future events and registration will be available on UN DESA’s website.