With more than 3 million confirmed cases worldwide, COVID-19’s direct effects have been devastating. The pandemic and its responses have also triggered a broad range of social, economic and political effects whose scope and magnitude are not yet fully understood. While individual countries try to contain the pandemic within their national borders, the multilateral system is developing coordinated responses to help states respond to and recover from its humanitarian and developmental consequences.
In the short and long term, what is the role of the United Nations in tackling global crises such as COVID-19? As COVID-19 impacts countries differently, with developing and conflict-affected countries being especially vulnerable, how can the UN tailor its response to ensure that recovery efforts benefit those at most risk?
This seminar examined the role of the UN in tackling the health, humanitarian, and development crisis of COVID-19. Focus was given to how the UN coordinates its interventions across agencies, funds and programmes, and tailors them to address the unique contexts of its respective Member States. This was the first webinar within the UN Talks series, which was facilitated using the platform Zoom.
