Today and into the future, technology will be used by good and bad actors, and the United Nations should be ahead of the technology curve.

We may not be able to gather to celebrate the ocean right now, but the global health crisis should sharpen our resolve to protect our blue planet.

Making our cities and rural areas more resilient and restoring degraded lands and forests will reduce our vulnerability to future zoonotic diseases and help mitigate climate change while maintaining our biodiversity, water supply and planetary health.

The world must prepare better for the next pandemic. COVID-19 should be an opportunity to strengthen the global health security system and enhance pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. The multilateral system needs to adapt and reform to “recover better”.

We need international cooperation to galvanize action and to harness the opportunities the future holds, whether that’s leveraging the benefits of new technologies or building a zero-carbon world.

The act of learning a second language transformed me, and for more than fifty years I have seen the same impact in thousands of students around the world. Investing thousands of hours in learning a language well is an act of faith and “conscience”.

Women and girls in sport have made important contributions to the shifts we see on and off the field. When we play, we challenge gender stereotypes and make people question the false idea that some activities are only for men.

Sport plays an important advocacy role in combating the spread of diseases and highlighting the importance of international solidarity. In times of crisis, fear and anxiety can consume us. Alone, it seems, we can do very little, but working together, we can do so much.

The International Day of Conscience (5 April) provides another opportunity to focus single-mindedly on the vision and mission of the United Nations.

Embracing adaptation and mitigation measures through water is a win-win-win proposal. It benefits sustainable water resources management and the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation.