A virtual United Nations event hosted by Riyadh on Monday discussed how the world can best recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – July 15, 2021 – Forums and Conferences<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Speakers covered topics including preserving natural resources and ensuring social inclusion and equal participation in a post-COVID-19 world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event was hosted by the Saudi Green Building Forum, a Saudi non-governmental organization, along with the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which took place from 6-15 July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Forum works to raise awareness and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and is one of the few Saudi NGOs to have consultative status with the United Nations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event sparked a debate about how to bridge the gap between the roles of the public and private sectors to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Secretary-General of the Saudi Green Building Forum, Faisal Al-Fadl, told Arab News: \u201cHolding this meeting from the Saudi capital as part of this prestigious event is an outstanding achievement, and represents a statement for Saudi civil society towards the sustainable development goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts, academics, youth, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the world volunteered to participate in the discussion titled \u201cHonest Voice, Bridging the Gap: Climate, Sustainability and Resource Efficiency; ensuring the health, safety, and the environment<\/a>; A sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The COVID-19 crisis has made clear the relationship between human health and the health of our natural ecosystems,” Clara Rowe, CEO of Restore – an open data platform that supports the global restoration movement – told the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her speech during the first session on Climate, Sustainability and Resource Efficiency, Rowe added: \u201cJune 5th marked the launch of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, a critical moment to focus collaboration across sectors and between nations, to restore our planet. For local resilience and for our collective fight against global climate change. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For his part, Kehkashan Basu, the UN human rights champion, said the recovery process provides a unique opportunity to rebuild a better environment and restore the balance between humanity and \u201cMother Earth\u201d, to help promote a \u201cculture of peace\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also among the speakers was the former Secretary-General of the Riyadh-based International Energy Forum, Aldo Flores Quiroga, who spoke on the circular carbon economy and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Omani Ambre Naija, Writer, and Founder of Sparkling Agency – who specializes in designing sustainable business models – said: \u201cCOVID-19 is an unprecedented crisis that is hitting the entire world and fundamentally changing the way we live, work together and do business. It is now necessary to adopt the paradigm shift towards a new reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magda El-Kady, Consultant, and Human Development Planning Specialist said during the discussion that there should be more support for civil societies to enhance their participation in economic growth and national transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speakers’ closing recommendations highlighted some of the long-term priorities for the future, including drawing attention to natural resources, providing infrastructure for an inclusive society<\/a>, strengthening the link between politics and science, and building civil society resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speakers said these goals must be achieved by enabling independent learning, ensuring health and safety, supporting local communities, and enabling equitable systems supported by multisectoral and multidisciplinary actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n