Dhaka Forum hosted a virtual conference titled “Post Covid-19 Emergence” on August 8-9, the biggest such conference of the Global South. The event was organised by Leadership Council for Policy & Research (LCPR) in collaboration with Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme of the ICT Division and Cabinet Division, with support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNDP Bangladesh and Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) Academy.

The conference brought together thought leaders, policymakers, and high officials from across the globe in eight panels to discuss the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic on multiple areas including education, governance, healthcare, economy, global inclusion, and climate. 

Planning Minister MA Mannan said, “Our interventions need reorganising of health systems as well as supporting and amplifying the social safety net for the informal sector... with support of the global community because this needs a dual approach. Domestically we have to regroup, reshape and recover ourselves and reestablish our previous trade links to revive exports.”

Salman F Rahman, Private Sector Industry & Investment Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh highlighted the importance of digitisation. “Digital structuring is very important for rejuvenating the economy and it's necessary to have the proper digital infrastructure,” he said. 

Education Minister Dipu Moni, during the panel session on Reviving Education and Intellectualism, mentioned how the COVID crisis has provided an opportunity to overcome the traditional mindset and transition to online education. “Whether it's at the primary, secondary, higher secondary or at the tertiary level, everyone is now on board with remote learning and I believe that this mode of learning and teaching will remain even after the crisis, where we will have a blended education system,” she expressed. 

Speaking at the “Renewing Governance and Peace” session about the existing perils of Covid-19 in Bangladesh and the right steps to combat it, UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee stated, “We need to reinvest in community engagement, listen and understand to rebuild public confidence; we cannot err on the side of exclusion. Many people are outside the umbrella of social protection and need to be brought into the net; we have to take on the crisis with a whole-of-society approach and disburse timely and credible information. Lastly, we have to see beyond GDP growth, seize the moment and invest in sustainability to ensure development which leaves no one behind.”

Addressing the necessity of data sharing as a tool for analysing the situation of the pandemic and proposing recovery mechanisms during the “Data Intelligence in Covid-19 Response” session, Anir Chowdhury, Policy Advisor of a2i said, “We need to apply human judgment in the modeling of data intelligence and in the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning. There have to be some ideal standards so that data can truly be interoperable for rapid response during a crisis like COVID.”

Dr Murad Hassan, State Minister of Information; Paulo Casaca, Founder of The South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF) & Former MP of European Parliament; Royal Majesty Muedzul Karim, Sultan of Sulu & North Borneo; Denise Lama, Advisor to the Government of Chile; Chad Blackman, Chair of Trade at World Trade Organization (WTO); Geoff Mulgan, former Strategic Advisor to the British Prime Minister and other high-level representatives from governments, UN bodies and academia were among the 40+ distinguished panelists who participated and spoke in the symposium.