Invitation to Webinar
 

Wednesday, 10 June 2020
(8:00 am New York - 9:30 pm Seoul)
To join the webinar please click on the Zoom link here. 

Cities and local authorities often find themselves at the forefront of combating the COVID-19 pandemic and dealing with related economic challenges. Hosting majority of the world population, cities are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19; at the same time, they also become the centres of action and laboratories for innovation. Besides management of the wide range of health-related operations, cities and local administrations undertake measures to protect the most vulnerable populations, support local economies and ensure the continuity of public services in the new context.
 

In 2019, the BAPA+40 Outcome Document recognized the importance of rapid urbanization in developing countries and called for “greater South-South and triangular cooperation aimed at eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions in urban and rural areas through more coordinated policies and sharing of knowledge, solutions and experience, by raising the productivity, resilience and sustainability at the local level”. This was an important acknowledgment of the cities as actors in South-South and triangular cooperation. The outbreak of the COVID-19 gave this process a renewed sense of urgency. There are numerous similarities in the way COVID-19 spread across different cities around the world, although affecting each city at different time. Sharing knowledge and solutions across cities can not only help to avoid past mistakes but also identify what works in different contexts.
 
The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) initiated the 

South-South and Triangular Cooperation among Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities for Sustainable Development Project (Cities Project) 

in partnership with the Government of China to advocate, promote and support South-South cooperation at the city level, by leveraging the opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative. Specifically, since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Cities Project has been working to: 1) support sourcing, mobilization of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) donations of partner cities; 2) advocate for expression of solidarity among cities; 3) facilitate exchanges among medical professionals and relevant local government officials on COVID-19 response practices and learnings through online platforms; and 4) support documentation and dissemination of cities good practices in COVID-19 containment and risk mitigation.
 
The discussion will address the following questions: 1) role of cities in responding to COVID-19 in different countries 2) health and socio-economic measures that have been put in place by the city of the local government, and 3) role and the potential of South-South and triangular cooperation in exchanging practices; preparedness of the cities to document and share solutions. The aim of this webinar is to contribute to a global exchange of experiences that could increase understanding of the challenges and solutions, improve the effectiveness of cross-disciplinary responses, and leverage cooperation amongst countries, including through South-South
 and triangular cooperation.
 

For more details, visit South-South Galaxy.
 

 

Speakers
 

Following the presentations from the panelists, there will be a Q&A session during which it will be
 possible to ask questions and further discuss lessons learned.
 

Moderator: Mr. Artemy Izmestiev, Policy Specialist, UNDP Seoul Policy Centre
 

Opening Remarks

Panelists

Concluding Remarks