The start of the last decade (2020-2030) of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) faced the biggest global health challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic is a significant setback for the world’s ambition to achieve the SDGs, in particular for poor countries. While the reduction in carbon emissions due to the global lockdown and social distancing restrictions, are seen as a positive environmental impacts, the goal should be to restore economic activity without environmental degradation. Today, the global economy is still crippled by the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, amidst progress made towards the vaccine rollout in various parts of the world. While progress has been made in various SDG aspects including policy, the SDR2020 acknowledges, that “no country is currently on track to achieve all the SDGs”, with developing countries most affected. At this point, the long-term consequences of the pandemic remain uncertain and countries need to adapt to the new norm. In view of this, the African Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AFAERE) is bringing together experts on policy to share their experience on the complex issue of driving the SDGs under the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to existing global challenges of climate change, poverty and inequalities.
Speakers will address (i) The impact of COVID-19 on the SDGs (https://sdgintegration.undp.org/), (ii) How to respond to COVID-19 and climate emergency (https://www.uneca.org/), (iii) National Monitoring and Reporting System for the SDGs (https://sdgcafrica.org/), and (iv) The role of academic institutions in the SDGs under the Covid-19 pandemic.
14h00 – 14h15:
- Welcome and Introduction of AFAERE
Selma Karuaihe,
- President, AFAERE
14h15 – 14h30:
- Introduction of Panelists
14h30 – 15h50:
- Panel on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Covid-19
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- Moderator:
Selma Karuaihe,
- President, AFAERE
14h30 – 14h50:
- UNDP SDG Integration: Impact of COVID-19 on the SDGs
Babatunde Abidoye,
- Global Policy Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York, USA, https://sdgintegration.undp.org/
14h50 – 15h10:
- A Green recovery for Africa: How to respond to COVID-19 and climate emergency
Jean-Paul ADAM,
- Director, Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, https://www.uneca.org/
15h10 – 15h30:
- National Monitoring and Reporting System for the SDGs
Olive Dushime,
- SDG Advisor, The Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A), Kigali, Rwanda, https://sdgcafrica.org/
15h30 – 15h50:
- Concluding remarks and the role of academia in the SDGs
Selma Karuaihe,
- President, AFAERE
15h50 – 16h00:
- Vote of Thanks
Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu,
- Deputy President, AFAERE
Panel Format
- 15-20 Minutes presentations by the panelists.
- 5 minutes of Q&A after each presenter
ZOOM MEETING LINK: https://gu-se.zoom.us/j/68767561927
Get the slides
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xLrRMJX0i7EwYTH_HGzI4LaClFqf31F7/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ms6XhLUgY3Aj–cIpDB4CthfEreR3WmD/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vkO5zcuERKu_jwUMNhzfnaDR-b8EOnhT/view?usp=sharing
Couldn’t take part in the event? You can watch the video