UN Plan to save lives, protect societies and recover better

About the author

António Guterres

António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, who took office on 1st January 2017.

"COVID-19 is a human tragedy. But it has also created a generational opportunity. An opportunity to build back a more equal and sustainable world. The response to the pandemic, and to the widespread discontent that preceded it, must be based on a New Social Contract and a New Global Deal that create equal opportunities for all and respect the rights and freedoms of all."

- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Nelson Mandela Lecture: “Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era

Over the course of 2020, COVID-19, has taken more than 900,000 lives, infected more than 27 million people. This updated UN Comprehensive Response to COVID-19 report provides an overview of the data, analysis, policy recommendations and concrete support that the UN has made available to states and communities to cope with the health, socio-economic, humanitarian and human rights impacts of COVID-19.

The update includes new data on how the virus has affected economies and societies, and summaries of the twenty policy briefs the SG has issued with analysis of their impact. It outlines the steps needed to save lives, protect societies and recover better, leaving no one behind and addressing the fragilities and gaps that made us so vulnerable in the first place. It points the way towards addressing future shocks – above all from climate change – and overcoming the systemic inequalities that have been exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.

More information on the report, including the Secretary-General's policy briefs, visit UN response to COVID-19. Additionally, UN News covered the Secretary-General's presentation of the report.

Melissa Fleming

S7-Episode 2: Bringing Health to the World

“You see, we're not doing this work to make ourselves feel better. That sort of conventional notion of what a do-gooder is. We're doing this work because we are totally convinced that it's not necessary in today's wealthy world for so many people to be experiencing discomfort, for so many people to be experiencing hardship, for so many people to have their lives and their livelihoods imperiled.”

Dr. David Nabarro has dedicated his life to global health. After a long career that’s taken him from the horrors of war torn Iraq, to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he is still spurred to action by the tremendous inequalities in global access to medical care.

“The thing that keeps me awake most at night is the rampant inequities in our world…We see an awful lot of needless suffering.”

:: David Nabarro interviewed by Melissa Fleming

Ballet Manguinhos resumes performing after a COVID-19 hiatus with “Woman: Power and Resistance”. Photo courtesy Ana Silva/Ballet Manguinhos

UNIC Rio

Brazilian ballet pirouettes during pandemic

Ballet Manguinhos, named for its favela in Rio de Janeiro, returns to the stage after a long absence during the COVID-19 pandemic. It counts 250 children and teenagers from the favela as its performers. The ballet group provides social support in a community where poverty, hunger and teen pregnancy are constant issues.

Nazira Inoyatova is a radio host and the creative/programme director at Avtoradio FM 102.0 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Photo courtesy Azamat Abbasov

UNO Tashkent

Radio journalist gives the facts on COVID-19 in Uzbekistan

The pandemic has put many people to the test, and journalists are no exception. Coronavirus has waged war not only against people's lives and well-being but has also spawned countless hoaxes and scientific falsehoods.

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