What the pandemic taught the world: Al Gergawi explores

World governments need to make note of the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to overcome future challenges and identify growth opportunities.

That's according to Mohammad Al Gergawi, UAE’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs, who spoke at this year’s World Government Summit (WGS) about how the pandemic is a turning point in the development of world economies and is an opportunity to design new mechanisms to provide services for their citizens.

"The pandemic served as a great equalizer and highlighted that we are all linked and inter-dependent – to each other and to nature – regardless of classes and ethnicities. It has deepened our social fabric and cohesion," Gergawi highlighted in his keynote address.

The world, he explained, is now facing a parallel pandemic, which involves Generation Z individuals experiencing physical or mental traumas as a result of the pandemic. "The generation that lived through this pandemic will have the same issues as the one that came out of World War II. With a set of mental health challenges but a new wave of motivation," he explained.

Gergawi added that the healthcare industry, educational systems and governments were tested during this period on their agility and now on their recovery.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs commended the hard work of scientists, private and government sectors, for developing a COVID-19 vaccine in eight months. "This was a bold achievement for humanity and a cause for hope and celebration. We must fan this great spirit of global cooperation to ensure a fair distribution of vaccines worldwide. We must remember that no meaningful recovery is possible, and no one is safe until everyone is safe," he added.