First webinar for Parliamentarians on COVID-19 response

Dear Hon. Member of Parliament,
We are writing to invite you to the first of a series of webinars for Parliamentarians on COVID-19
response and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN),
and Parliamentarians for the Global Goals, will convene an unprecedented global online session to
connect parliamentarians from all regions of the world with global experts in public health,
economics, and other fields. The online event will take place:
June 9, 2020, from 8 am EDT to 10 am EDT
(click for help converting to other time zones)
Our focus will be on best practices to suppress the epidemic and to restart the global economy in a
sustainable and inclusive manner guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris
Climate Agreement. See the attached concept note for further background.
We have asked a number of world-leading experts to join our session, and prior to the event we will
share their written materials or brief taped messages as preparatory materials in order to leave as
much time as possible for the dialogue with and between members of parliament.
We very much hope that you will join the event. It will be an extraordinary opportunity to hear from
experts and from your peers around the world how they are thinking about the pre-pandemic
economic recovery in a sustainability lens.
Please confirm your participation by filling in this short RSVP form. Connection details and
preparatory materials will be sent to confirmed participants a couple days in advance of the event.
Should you have any questions, you may contact Ms. Lauren Barredo
at Lauren.Barredo@unsdsn.org.
With our warm regards and gratitude,
Gabriela Cuevas, President, IPU
Jeffrey Sachs, President, SDSN
Kirsten Brosbøl, Founder, Parliamentarians for the Global Goals
About the organizers:
The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. The mission of the IPU is to empower
parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development. The
SDSN is a network of over 1,200 universities in about 130 countries working to support the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Parliamentarians for the Global Goals is a new initiative
by and for parliamentarians to promote the SDGs through parliamentary actions around the world.
Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2019-20
IPU Alm.del - Bilag 15
Offentligt


Draft Concept Note & Agenda
Webinar for Parliamentarians:
COVID-19 response and SDGs
June 9, 2020 | 8:00 am to 10:00 am EDT | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm CEST | Other Time Zones
The COVID-19 pandemic represents the greatest threat to humanity since World War II. Despite the far-
reaching impacts of this crisis, many governments have struggled for access for science-based
recommendations to support an effective response, and governance challenges have also led to
uncoordinated activities in a number of countries. As the emergency-phase of the epidemic wanes in
many regions, with the numbers of new cases and deaths falling, policymakers are looking forward to
solutions to reopen economies and begin transitions out of lockdown. Now, more than ever, science-
based recommendations are needed alongside effective collaboration, to ensure that additional
outbreaks are contained and the economic impacts are minimized.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all countries in 2015 offer a useful framework
for considering these challenges. They can help countries balance social goals, such as protecting public
health and reducing inequality, with economic ones, such as ensuring decent work for all and
eradicating extreme poverty. Further, they place environmental objectives on equal footing, and ask
policymakers to consider how economic stimulus packages can not only support strong economic
growth, but sustainable growth, such as fostering the transition to clean energy. While on lockdown,
many cities experienced record-setting improvements in air quality and associated health problems; this
is a clear demonstration of the rapidity with which ecosystem services can recover, and the improved
quality of life which results. As economies reopen, we must preserve these gains while enabling people
to return to work and economic growth to resume.
Fortunately, a number of Parliamentarians have shown leadership on these critical issues, and there is a
growing body of policy evidence on effective responses. To ensure that good practices from leading
countries as well as experts are shared with a wide array of policy makers, the Sustainable Development
Solutions Network, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Parliamentarians for the Global Goals have
come together to organize a high-level dialogue on re-opening the economy and achieving the SDGs
during the Decade of Action. We invite all Parliamentarians from around the world to participate, and
learn about effective solutions that can be adapted to their own national contexts.
This is the first in a series of webinars on COVID-19 response and SDGs designed for and with
Parliamentarians around the world. They are meant as a forum for peer-to-peer learning, mutual
inspiration and exchange of best practices that can inspire more political action on SDGs.
For this first webinar, a number of leading academics will record lightning talks or share articles on
effective recovery measures. These materials will be made available to participants in advance, and will
inform the discussion.
Dansk Interparlamentarisk Gruppes bestyrelse 2019-20
IPU Alm.del - Bilag 15
Offentligt
The event itself will be discussion-focused, and feature interactions between the experts and
Parliamentarians. Speakers are currently being invited and a more detailed agenda will be available
shortly.
Draft Agenda
7:30 am ETD Virtual meeting room opens
8:00 am EDT Opening Remarks
• Jeffrey D. Sachs, President, Sustainable Development Solutions Network
• Gabriela Cuevas, President, IPU
• Kirsten Brosbøl, Founder, Parliamentarians for SDGs
8:20 am EDT Discussion I: A New Economic System for Prosperity & SDG Achievement
9:10 am EDT Discussion II: How do we get SDGs at the center of decision making in COVID-19
response?
9:50 am EDT Closing Remarks
• Jeffrey D. Sachs, President, Sustainable Development Solutions Network
• Gabriela Cuevas, President, IPU
• Kirsten Brosbøl, Founder, Parliamentarians for SDGs
10:00 am EDT Adjourn