World Agenda on Sustainable Recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic: Recover Together, Recover Stronger

For the first time, Indonesia will host the G20 Presidency in 2022 with the theme of "Recover Together, Recover Stronger", which reflects the spirit of collective global recovery needed after the world has struggled to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic since early 2020. The theme sets out the vision that no one is left behind and, with this collective recovery process, G20 must be present inclusively to promote and act on the spirit of a sustainable global recovery.

As a result of the pandemic, many governments require prompt actions in supporting their country’s health and economic resilience, including conducting vaccination, protecting workers and businesses, and empowering the vulnerable through adequate social protection. Thus, an international commitment to ensure adequate financing to contain the pandemic and protect people, exchange clinical data, and share medical supplies and vaccines is important for strengthening global health systems. On the other hand, global solidarity on supporting economic resilience is conducted through enhancing fiscal and debt management capacity, fair investment support, and social protection to overcome the pandemic crisis.

Future Global Agenda

Global cooperation is required in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, to enhance an inclusive and sustainable economy recovery, and to protect and regenerate nature.

I would like to highlight some recommendations for G20 agenda discussion, particularly in the role of science and technology in sustainable development and a need to strengthen international collaboration and cooperation.

Science and technology development plays a significant role in achieving sustainable development by improving the efficiency and efficacy of new and more sustainable approaches to development. Investments in green technology, efficient and effective processes, safer materials, and improved performances and outcomes are some results of such development. Technological development in utilizing renewable energy resources, building urban water systems and sustainable public infrastructure, increasing food production, and producing environmentally friendly materials and products are among the pathways by which technology will significantly contribute to achieving sustainable development targets.

Science and technology will assist us in tackling the pandemic by producing a suitable strategy for monitoring, treating, mitigating, and recovering from its impact. To anticipate such impact, a comprehensive plan is required for increasing the capacity for disruptions and surges in demand, especially for basic needs such as health and medicine, food, water, and energy. The COVID-19 pandemic suggests the need to rethink the role of resilience knowledge and practices in order to ensure the performance of the built environment to meet the health-related criteria.

Advancements in the science and technology revolution need to play a significant role in shaping and regenerating nature (Nature 5.0). The environmental changes have altered the evolution of life, and with the advancement of technology, changes have fed back to alter the environment. Thus, there is a need to utilize the industrial revolution 4.0 and society 5.0 towards nature 5.0.

For international collaboration and cooperation, I would like to highlight a need to carefully manage the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of this crisis in order to enhance societies' and countries' resilience.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established actions to end poverty, improve health and education, and promote prosperity and well-being by considering environmental sustainability, which requires value changes, institutional changes, and cultural adjustment.

Managing cross-sectoral interests with coordinated aims, strategies, and instruments is essential to overcoming complex problems and developing more comprehensive solutions in accelerating SDG programs. Creating a more integrative manner to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies is key for optimizing the benefits and impact of development outcomes. This policy integration and coordination is crucial to enhancing sustainable development programs, which balance economic advancement, sustainable ecosystem management, and environmental protection; therefore, it requires an inter-sector approach and coordinating mechanisms for all programs and projects.

Responses to COVID-19 have also prompted a strong drive to reduce inequal access to, and the quality of, public education and health facilities supported by government policies in order to increase the country’s resilience. Furthermore, this drive will prompt stronger support for small and medium enterprises through business incubators and start-up companies to ensure urban economic resilience. The future development is a model with an emphasis on innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability. The world development agenda can be boosted by strengthened knowledge-sharing and collaboration amongst stakeholders in international contexts.

Therefore, G20 members need to commit to supporting the science and technology process and expanding access across countries members. G20 needs to strengthen cooperation in order to overcome the pandemic and enhance fiscal and debt management capacity towards science and technology development.