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UN-DESA Webinar- “Strengthening Science and Technology and Addressing Inequalities in the COVID-19 era”, ECOSF also participated

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UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) organized a webinar on “Strengthening Science and Technology and Addressing Inequalities in the COVID-19 era” on May 06, 2020. The webinar discussed as to how effective scientific partnerships and collaborations could be catalysed and scaled up in the COVID-19 era to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar was moderated from New York- USA and participated by a number of scientists, researchers, government officials, private sector and development practitioners across the world.

The wide range of speakers and experts laid out new and innovative partnership opportunities to curb the pandemic, safeguard business, and accelerate global research and innovation. On behalf of ECOSF, President Prof. Manzoor Hussain Soomro and Scientific Officer Engr. Khalil Raza participated in the webinar. 

Ms. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA made her welcoming remarks. H.E. Ms. Spatolisano called for practical joint efforts by international development partners and the governments around the world to deliver on the ground solutions to suppress COVID19 transmission and save lives. Ms. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano was later joined by Mr. Fabrizio Hochschild-Drummond, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary- General on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary. Mr. Hochschild-Drummond emphasized over the need to increase the internet and broadband connectivity in the marginalized communities during the pandemic.

Later, Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Chief, Integrated Policy Analysis Branch, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA, and Mr. Deniz Susar, Governance and Public Administration Officer, Digital Government Branch, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government, UN DESA delivered their talks. The webinar presented a set of recommendations, drawing upon the emerging response to the pandemic. Each of these recommendations is critical to recovery from the pandemic, as also strengthening the contributions of science towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The recommendations are listed below:

  1. Strengthen national capacities for science-based decision making across all countries
  2. Enhance public trust in science
  3. Share knowledge and data to promote collaborative research
  4. Ensure universal access to solutions
  5. Act with greater urgency on global scientific assessments

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