GABORONE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana on Tuesday said the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the depth of interconnectivity and interdependency of the global community.
In his opening remarks during the United Nations (UN) Global Compact Leaders virtual summit, Masisi said it is clear that there is need to work together as the international community, governments, private sector and the civil society through innovative partnerships.
"The pandemic has revealed the extent and depth of interconnectivity and interdependedness of our global village. It is clear that we need to work together as the international community to effectively respond to this pandemic because no country can do it alone," he said.
In Botswana, Masisi said the southern African country's government is taking decisive action to contain the crisis while at the same time enacting policies to support local businesses in particular small and medium-sized enterprises.
Despite the enormity of this pandemic, Masisi said the international community had been tested before by other major calamities and global economic downturns from which "we can draw lessons from."
Masisi said the international community already boasts of a global blueprint in the form of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was unanimously embraced by all UN member states in 2015.
At its heart, the 2030 Agenda has 17 Sustainable Development Goals which are an urgent call for action by all countries across the globe, both developed and developing, in a global partnership. Enditem
