MEDIA ADVISORY
Responding to COVID-19: What will it take to recover better?
WHAT A Virtual United Nations Press Briefing, “Face to Face”
COVID-19 is the most severe health and economic crisis the world has faced in a century. It has profoundly altered economic, social and political conditions, reversing years of development gains and progress towards SDGs. The pandemic has exposed the inherent inequalities embedded in the global financial and economic system and pushed millions into poverty and hunger. The complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic impacts require a strong collective action, that can only be achieved through global solidarity and strengthened multilateralism.
Scope of discussions: How do we contain and respond effectively and sustainably to COVID-19? What are our priorities in response to the pandemic, in particular in poorer communities? Where do we stand on the COVID-19 vaccine and its equitable distribution? How can we mobilize the most powerful countries in the world to contribute to success of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator? And how can we ensure that efforts to accelerate achievements of the SDGs during the decade of action for sustainable development remain on track?
WHO
The President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), H.E. Ambassador Munir Akram, will hold an end-of-year press briefing, “Face to Face”, and will respond to questions from the press around the world. The President of ECOSOC will present his views and vision on how ECOSOC as one of the Charter organs of the United Nations can respond to the pandemic. He will also announce the launch of an initiative towards a sustainable, resilient recovery.
WHEN 16 December 2020, 10.30 A.M. EST
WHERE Live on Cisco WebEx: Event address for press representatives: https://unvc.webex.com/unvc/onstage/g.php?MTID=e6caff1f3cf076354e56e0917043810c3 Event number: 1790177020
Event password: ecosoc_brfg
Webcasting: Live on UN Web TV: http://webtv.un.org
Social Media: Live on UN YouTube, @UNECOSOC, @PakistanUN_NY
ABOUT ECOSOC
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the Charter organs of the United Nations created in 1945. ECOSOC promotes solutions to international economic, social, health and related problems. It coordinates the work of the United Nations Funds, Programmes and specialized agencies, such as UNICEF, UNDP, UN-Women, UNFPA. This includes humanitarian activities. It has oversight of their operational activities in support of developing countries. It is the place where Member States hold the UN development system accountable for its support to developing countries on achieving the SDGs. Therefore, ECOSOC is uniquely placed to strengthen multilateralism, which is vital for effective response to pandemic such as COVID-19, and other global crisis (i.e. Climate change).