Intergovernmental platform - expert group meetings - capacity-building meetings - celebratory events

As COVID-19 continues to cause untold damage across the world, it is increasingly apparent that older persons are severely affected. Those aged 60 years and above infected with Covid-19 have a substantially greater risk of dying of the disease, and those over 80 are dying at five times the average rate. In addition, approximately 66 per cent of individuals aged 70 years and over suffer from at least one underlying condition, which raises their overall risk of developing severe symptoms.

Recognising the potential for migration to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the special vulnerabilities of migrants, member States adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in December 2018. This ground-breaking agreement committed member States to cooperate to achieve 23 objectives to ensure that migration was beneficial for all – countries of origin, countries of destination and migrants themselves.

The Asia Pacific Youth Forum on SDGs - as part of a series of youth exchange activities involving collaboration between ESCAP, UNDP and Urban Youth Academy - took place over the period 5 to 15 August 2019.The Thai National Innovation Agency and the LINC Plus Foundation were partners in the event, which was initiated at the UNCC. It continued with the almost 190 youth participants from countries across Asia and the Pacific spending time working on sustainable development with grassroots communities across Thailand and following up with presentations on their experiences at the end of the Forum.