This year marks the start of the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
It is a critical period to advance a shared vision and accelerate responses to the world's gravest challenges - from eliminating poverty and hunger to reversing climate change.
Yet, in only a brief period of time, the precipitous spread of the novel coronavirus turned a public health emergency into one of the worst international crises of our lifetimes, changing the world as we know it.
Now, due to COVID-19, an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis is threatening lives and livelihoods, making the achievement of Goals even more challenging.