The Party of European Socialists (PES) will hold the livestream – Progressive Answers to Global Challenges – with high-level speakers on Wednesday, 18.00 CET. The livestream will be broadcast on the PES Facebook page.
PES President Sergei Stanishev, who will introduce the event, said:
“Multilateralism is facing some serious headwinds at the moment from rising nationalism and protectionism around the world. But when we look at the challenges we face – the climate crisis, poverty, human and women’s rights abuses, attacks on democracy and now a pandemic – it is clear that cooperation must prevail. It is our best hope in these difficult times.
“At the same time progressives are acutely aware that COVID-19 has significantly slowed the advancement of gender equality. In fact, the social and economic toll of this crisis is disproportionately falling on the shoulders of women and girls. A shadow pandemic has emerged – a spike in domestic violence, the loss of employment for women in insecure work, and heightened risks for the predominantly female staff on the forefront of the virus response.
“That is why we have decided to bring high-level member of our political family together to discuss and debate the way forward, based on international solidarity and our joint values.”
Evin Incir MEP (Swedish Social Democratic Party) will moderate the discussion Promoting Peace and Democracy: Why Multilateralism Matters, which will feature Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, Jan Eliasson, Chairman of Sipri and former Deputy Secretary General of UN and Foreign Minister of Sweden and Kati Piri MEP, Vice president of the S&D Group.
This will followed by an intervention from S&D leader Iratxe García Pérez and the discussion Feminism Can Change the World: Equality and Foreign Policy in 2020, moderated by PES Women Vice-President Marja Bijl. Ann Linde, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Helena Dalli, EU Commissioner for Equality, Marina Sereni, Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Heléne Fritzon MEP and Vice-president of the S&D will all take part.
