Saudi Arabia’s T20 vision for inclusivity was key to summit success
The second day of the Think20 ( T20) summit ended with T20 Sherpa Dr. Hossa Almutairi reflecting on how the COVID-19 pandemic had generated a set of urgent issues even as long-term challenges remained present.
She said that the T20 had been proposing remedies for the current issues as well as solutions to longterm problems. “One of the lessons learned (is that) think tanks need to be agile,” she told the summit. Almutairi added that innovative ideas and solutions were required urgently because COVID-19 had presented a new set of global challenges and the implications of these were evident from early on. She said the summit had heard about challenges and missed opportunities, but also about achievements and potential for meaningful action. “We should reflect on the ideas and insights discussed during the summit to build collectively a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future,” she told participants.
During a session
called
“Promoting Inclusivity to Empower Women and Youth,” former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schemidt said that lessons were learned during the crises of COVID-19, mainly that governments must produce successful strategies and approaches through diverse thought and opinion as “group thinking has proven itself to be a very bad thing,” a reference to developed countries that had failed at managing the crisis.
The lack of a multilateral approach to the pandemic had proven there was insufficient cooperation between countries, she said, noting that with different countries developing vaccines, she was calling for a plan to equally expedite distribution and delivery. She emphasized the importance and guarantee of vaccines being distributed equitably and ethically. During the communique handover, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan said the presidency of the G20 this year led international collective efforts to seek solutions to the COVID-19 crisis, as the presidency programs and engagement groups’ meetings had continued and adapted to a new normal with “courage and creativity, hoping for a better world that enjoys stability health resilience and food security.”
He said that think tanks and research centers played an important role in supporting policymaking, reinforcing the concept of international action and multilateral cooperation, and uniting international efforts to address a variety of challenges.
“The T20 has presented its perspectives and vision on several topics affecting humanity, health, and economic prosperity. T20 has also emphasized that education in the era of digital innovation must include everyone, without discrimination.”