Click here to visit the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub knowledgebase.  SDG UPDATE A compilation of items recently posted to the SDG Knowledge Hub Tuesday, 5 May 2020 GUEST ARTICLES Three Lessons to Help Navigate the Uncharted Waters of COVID-19 Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs The COVID-19 pandemic has become an all-consuming international crisis, bringing challenges to humankind not seen since WWII. Every day, the crisis forces leaders of cities, businesses, regions and nations to take decisions that not only affect people’s lives and livelihoods today, but are also shaping the world that will emerge from the COVID-19 lockdown. NEWS Countries in Special Situations Bear Unique Pandemic Impacts: Expert Policy Briefs To help decision makers facing difficult choices during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has been producing expert policy briefs. The briefs focus on economic and social impacts of the pandemic crisis, and the countries and groups of people most affected. UN, Governments, Civil Society Generating Ideas for UN75 Declaration The Baha’i International Community in collaboration with the Together First and UN2020 campaigns are holding a series of dialogues to generate ideas for the UN’s 75th anniversary declaration. The dialogues gather UN Member States, civil society, and UN representatives for off-the-record discussions, in parallel to the ongoing intergovernmental consultations on the declaration. UN Launches Socio-Economic Response Plan for 162 Country Teams In late April 2020, the UN launched an operational framework to implement its recommendations on responding urgently to the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) will coordinate the UN teams in 162 countries and territories. The teams will activate the recovery plan over 12-18 months. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » 15th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF 15) 4-8 May 2020 | virtual UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference [Postponed] 5 May 2020 | Beijing, China World Migratory Bird Day 2020 9 May 2020 | worldwide 106th Meeting of the CDM Executive Board (EB 106) 11-13 May 2020 | virtual Fifth UN Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) [Can... 12 May 2020 | New York City, US Leveraging Public Governance and Spearheading Innovative Solutions to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic ... 12 May 2020 | virtual 19th Session of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration 13-28 May 2020 | virtual UN Development Cooperation Forum 2020 [Cancelled] 14 May 2020 | New York City, US 73rd World Health Assembly [Virtual] 18-19 May 2020 | virtual COVID-19 Impacts on the Global Environmental Agenda: SAICM and ICCM5 [Virtual] 19 May 2020 | virtual 7th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development [Virtual] 20 May 2020 | virtual World Bee Day 2020 20 May 2020 | worldwide World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development 21 May 2020 | worldwide International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 22 May 2020 | worldwide Parliaments’ Role in Linking Good Security Sector Governance to SDG16 Amid COVID-19 [Virtual] 22 May 2020 | virtual 3rd Pacific Climate Change Conference [Postponed] 27 May 2020 | Apia, Tuamasaga, Samoa Funding for the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub has been provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) The IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub is a knowledgebase tracking implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Click here for further information on the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub .