ACFID, together with PIANGO and CID, are delighted to announce that world-renowned economist and leader in sustainable development, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, will deliver a keynote speech at the Oceania Connect 2020 Regional Conference this October.

Professor Sachs is considered a global expert on inclusive economic development and trade, with the New York Times calling him “probably the most important economist in the world.”

The former Director of The Earth Institute is widely recognised for his bold and effective strategies to address complex challenges including fighting hunger and disease, overcoming extreme poverty, and the battle against human-induced climate change, along with debt crises, hyperinflations, and the transition from central planning to market economies.

“Professor Sachs has advised countries throughout the world in economic reform and is a phenomenally dedicated advocate of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” says Marc Purcell, CEO of the Australian Council for International Development.

“On a global scale he has been instrumental in developing initiatives aimed at eradicating poverty and is now playing an active role in the path to COVID-19 recovery. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him as a speaker at Oceania Connect.”

Professor Sachs currently serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he is also a University Professor, Columbia’s highest academic rank. He is the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the SDG Advocate for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and a bestselling author of various titles.

Most recently, he has been appointed to head The Lancet COVID-19 Commission and economic recovery, where the role of trade, aid and the Sustainable Development Goals in the COVID-19 recovery will be central.

Professor Sachs’ address will be followed by a panel on the COVID-19 implications for development across the region. The panel will be chaired by Shamal Dass (Head of Philanthropic Services, JB WERE), and will comprise of:

• Emeline Siale Ilolahia (Executive Director, PIANGO)
• Jeffrey Sachs (Economist, Professor & Director, Columbia University)
• Craig Fisher (Chair, Fred Hollows Foundation NZ)

To find out more and to register for the conference, visit the website at https://oceaniaconnect.delegateconnect.co