By any standard, 2021 was a challenging year. We miss in-person gatherings, travels, and the sense of normality. We know that we are in a “new abnormal,” a period of disruption of old practices and old thinking. In the past year, the pandemic persisted, politics and geopolitics remained fractious, and the countless world meetings on climate, food, and biodiversity left us aware of how much the world is still held back by old ways. Yet we also detected many glimmers of hope for a better way forward.
Governments around the world committed to decarbonization, even when they did not quite have plans or even a deep understanding of what they meant by their promises. The improvisations we have used to dodge COVID-19 have created new ways of work and living that look promising for the post-pandemic times ahead. There is a lot of improvisation and experimentation underway.
We close 2021 with the determination to enjoy a festive holiday season and to re-energize for a big year ahead. The coming year offers many important opportunities for SDG breakthroughs, and CCDI plans on doing its part to help bring those breakthroughs to fruition. The 2022 G20 will be hosted by Indonesia and we can be confident that CCDI will be at the top of the G20 agenda. CCDI will be well-represented among the think-tank and UN processes contributing to the G20.
Dear friends and colleagues, please accept my gratitude for all that you do. The challenges of sustainable development are neither small, nor easy. The victories are hard won. Yet step by step the world is learning new ways of doing things, ways that are fair, sustainable and inclusive. To our colleagues and entire members of staff of United Nations, we look forward working side by side with all of you in 2022 to continue working together on our ever-more important efforts!
A Happy, Healthy, and Peaceful New Year to All,
Olufemi Aduwo
President,
CENTRE FOR CONVENTION ON DEMOCRATIC INTEGRITY
CCDI (Nigeria & United States)
Permanent Representative of CCDI to UNITED NATIONS(CCDI )IS A NON PROFIT ORGANISATION REGISTERED IN NIGERIA AND IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND,UNITED STATES AS A 501[C][3],WITH UNITED NATIONS CONSULTATIVE STATUS .
