Covid-19 has shaken reality as we know it. The fast-paced life has been paused. Public transport is deserted, the streets are empty, school desks are gathering dust and grocery stores are filled with hysterical people emptying their shelves.
One question that I have been thinking about a lot during the current pandemic is: will the global goals be achieved? The global goals previously described as utopian will perhaps be even more difficult to achieve due to the corona pandemic.
The UN Department for Global Communication is still hopeful. In the article UN working to fight COVID-19 and achieve Global Goals they describe how the pandemic can lead states to act in solidarity and give each other strength to be able to achieve the global goals together. The article also states that the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has promised governments around the world that the UN will support them. The UN will ensure that the global economy and the people of the world become stronger as a result of the crisis, it says. Guterres also mentions that a vision will be presented for how the affected countries can be built stronger than before in order to achieve the global goals.
How the UN's 17 global goals can be achieved despite the pandemic is also mentioned in the article. One of those goals is goal 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies. In connection with this goal, it says that all armed conflicts around the world must introduce a ceasefire, so that international efforts can be carried out to stop the pandemic. The ceasefire that is introduced can lead to a reduction in conflicts.
According to the UN Development Program UNDP, there is already evidence that the corona pandemic may have a positive impact on conflicts. Competing states such as the United Arab Emirates and Iran, for example, have begun to act more in solidarity with each other. The United Arab Emirates sent 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Iran to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. Similar humanitarian gestures can be seen between the United States and North Korea, when President Trump wrote to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to help during the difficult times.
These human actions are a step in the right direction. If several countries drop the hatchet and assist each other with help, the global goals will not only be utopian but they will be achievable. The Corona pandemic can - despite the horrific circumstances - bring with it a sense of community that can increase global solidarity.
This is a chronicle. The author is responsible for analysis and opinions in the text.
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