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Together with the UN Secretary-General, the Prime Ministers of Canada and Jamaica convened to facilitate discussions with national leaders, international organizations and other stakeholders on developing financing solutions that will support countries in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its negative impacts on development initiatives worldwide, particularly in relation to progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 33rd UN-Water Meeting offered a brief chance for the Members, Partners, and observers of this UN interagency coordination mechanism to discuss the role of water and sanitation in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and to receive updates on upcoming opportunities to engage at the global level to build momentum for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on clean water and sanitation.

The third day of the UN Development Programme’s Nature for Life events convened global leaders and stakeholders in a “whole-of-society approach,” showcasing their commitment to urgent and transformational actions to promote a nature-based planetary safety net in response to planetary emergencies. It included sessions on the “what,” the “why” and the “how” of constructing a nature-based safety net.

The Nature for Life: Business and Finance Day focused on how to better align goals to protect, restore and sustainably manage nature with goals for sustainable economic development and financial investment. Different sessions considered various elements of the topic, with a key theme being the need to disrupt business-as-usual by placing nature at the center of decision-making, and by launching new initiatives that focus on improved reporting, data, and risk management.

In a moderated roundtable event that included remarks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, global climate leaders highlighted the "boldest actions" on the Secretary-General’s “6 climate-positive actions”, which were launched on Earth Day.

The Nature for Life Hub’s first day was organized under the theme of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sessions held during the day explored ways in which protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing nature can support achieving the SDGs, in particular relating to climate change, health, security, water, jobs and livelihoods.

During the third day of the SDG Action Zone, the focus was on partnerships, with participants examining what the world really wants, what policies are needed to turn unwise practices into robust, lasting actions, and where both data and young people might help catalyze healthy solutions for change. Master of Ceremony Nadira Hira opened the third day’s session, declaring that the urgency, optimism and incredible stories of the previous days had inspired new and different partners through a unique virtual platform. She invited everyone to “smash the silos” and join hands to achieve the SDGs during the coming decade.

What do migrants’ access to healthcare during COVID-19, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocates, resilient food systems, urban mobility, and circular economies have in common? These and other diverse topics were unpacked during the second day of the SDG Action Zone, which focused on ‘the planet’. The main thread of our planet’s survival in the face of unsustainable practices by consumerist societies weaved through all sessions, with Nadira Hira, Master of Ceremony, opening the day and encouraging participants and the audience to “keep up the amazing energy” to drive the exponential change needed for the people and planet.

Tackling societal inequalities and committing to transformative change that helps everyone—including minorities and marginalized people—were major themes on the first day of the SDG Action Zone. With sessions on issues ranging from how to address systemic inequalities to how to protect jobs and bridge the digital divide, speakers set out the challenges and potential solutions for achieving the “people” part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The day concluded with forward-looking sessions on the future of leadership, society, and work. It ended with a passionate call for “parity” in order to create a healthy global society.