Communications were lost throughout the whole country, but as the day wore on, I would learn that at least 108 people were killed or missing in the Maldives, with entire islands wiped away, and damages amounting to some 60 percent of our gross domestic product.

The tsunami killed more than 225,000 people across a dozen countries in the region. In the aftermath, the international community extended emergency humanitarian aid and supported long-term projects to foster adaptation and prevent similar threats in the future. The international community helped the affected countries build back better.

Today, we are amid another global disaster. On March 15, 2020, the United Nations in New York, physically shut down due to a global pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of some 15 million people, left large segments of the world population vulnerable to hunger and isolation, and wiped-out years of growth and development.

As we contemplate about the kind of world that we want post-COVID, we have to radically transform our thinking and work together on making the world stronger, more sustainable, and benefitting those most vulnerable, including women, indigenous persons, young people and children.   

It is against this backdrop that I have the honor of visiting Bali, Indonesia, from May 24 to May 27, as the president of the UN General Assembly, to take part in the seventh session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction co-chaired by the government of Indonesia and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. 

This year’s theme is “From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World”.

This theme aligns with the five priorities that I have been working toward during my presidency of hope – recovering from the pandemic, rebuilding sustainably, responding to the needs of the planet, respecting the rights of all, and revitalizing the UN. 

The reason that I chose “hope” as the theme for my year’s work, is because I believe that for every major challenge confronting our world, there is a multilateral solution. International cooperation brings results, and the UN should be at the forefront of advocating for collective action and making sure that no one is left behind.

This is vital, because on the current trajectory, geophysical disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, climate- and weather-related disasters, and outbreaks of biological hazards, including crop pests and epidemics, are expected to dramatically increase in frequency and intensity. The Global Assessment Report (GAR2022), released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction ahead of this month’s forum, shows that the number of medium- and large-scale disasters averaged around 350 to 500 per year, in the past two decades. They are predicted to reach 560 per year by 2030. That’s roughly 1.5 disasters per day.

Indonesia, given its proximity to the “Ring of Fire”, is already in a precarious location. The good news is that human decisions can combat disaster risk and stop the spiral of increasing disasters.

We – as political leaders – can put a greater emphasis on perceiving and addressing risk. What this means is that the international community has to work together to help communities better prepare to withstand and recover from disasters. If we do not reduce exposure and vulnerability of those most vulnerable or build resilient, sustainable infrastructure, then we will never accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals, which are our blueprint for preserving the world and ourselves.

Indonesia offers many lessons to replicate. Some 3,000 natural disasters are recorded across the country each year. But since 2004, the government has reformed its laws, policies and institutions to better manage disaster risk and management. During my stay in Bali, I look forward to hearing more about how these efforts are protecting Indonesians, and how these efforts can be replicated elsewhere.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced calls for the international community to work together across the sectors to battle global challenges. Many regions of the world made gains against COVID-19 thanks to international collaborations on sharing medical and financial resources, creating, and sharing vaccines and other critical medical information.

This past January, I convened a high-level event at UN Headquarters in New York where all 193 member states recommitted to vaccine equity. Participants agreed that unless every person is fully vaccinated, new variants will forestall recovery. I was pleased to learn of the Merah Putih vaccine that is expected to be available soon. Access to the COVID-19 vaccines is critical for the world to return to work and school.

Earlier, this month, I convened the General Assembly for its first ever debate on tourism, working in collaboration with UN World Tourism Organization (WTO) and other UN partners. The aim was to create political will and build momentum to reboot the tourism industry, to bring it back stronger and in a more sustainable way after COVID-19. The tourism sector accounts for a large percentage of jobs in developing countries, and its rejuvenation is essential for rebuilding after the pandemic.

What COVID-19 has shown us is that no country is immune to global challenges. As we contemplate a post-COVID world, we must take action to change the trajectory that has led us here. The lesson that we should take away is that multilateral action that favors sustainable development can help us overcome the interconnected risks posed by global challenges and is the only way to stop the spiral of increasing risks.

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The writer is president of the 76^th session of the United Nations General Assembly.