During his visit to the Republic of Korea, Mr. Haoliang Xu, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Adminstrator and Director of Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), led a Joint Discussion with Korea University (KU) Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), organized by USPC on 24 May under the theme ‘Our Common Agenda, Consequences of COVID-19 & Impact of Ukraine Crisis on SDGs.’ The event constituted a key programme element of the KU GSIS Brain Korea 21 programme titled ‘Glocal Conflict Management for an Inclusive Society’. This event was a timely opportunity to present UNDP’s work in crises and special development settings as well as receive critical input from youth representatives on the future of global development. Through a lively exchange of voices among more than 50 students and faculty members of KU College of International Studies and GSIS, the joint discussion highlighted the shared focus of KU and UNDP to contribute to a more resilient and inclusive society.

In his keynote address, Mr. Xu elaborated on global crises further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, including food insecurity, climate emergency, financial distress and inequalities. The impact of these crises is observable through trends such as spikes in food and energy prices, the significant increase in global debt from $226 trillion to a record $303 trillion in 2021, and divergence along many dimensions of well-being and sustainability observed in emerging and developing economies. While discussing ‘Our Common Agenda’, a vision to overcome the ongoing crises through 12 commitments addressing broader concerns of humanity, Mr. Xu emphasized the need to work toward convergence around human well-being within planetary boundaries and strategize the fiscal and financial means to reboot the global economy.