 It is a pleasure to greet the academic community. Last January, when the United Nations launched a decade of action for the Sustainable Development Rules, and when your own institutions reconvened after the holiday break, none of us imagined that catastrophe would soon follow. But we have all found ways to persevere and perform our vital functions. The United Nations has fully mobilized to support the pandemic response. And universities have sought to pursue your mission of educating new generations of leaders and scholars. Today I am grateful that even as you deal with colossal logistical and other challenges, you remain strongly committed to the Sustainable Development Goals. COVID-19 has not only caused great suffering, but has also laid bare the world's inequalities and fragilities. We have reached the critical juncture, a moment of reckoning. Our work for the Sustainable Development Goals is more urgent than ever, and the role of universities absolutely crucial. We need rigorous science, data and analysis, your expertise. We need global citizenship, a cardinal element in your work. And we need new thinking, your stock in trade. We cannot simply return to the systems that gave rise to the current crisis. To recover better, we must reimagine the way nations cooperate. We need the networked multilateralism, with institutional cooperation among international and regional organizations. And we need the more inclusive multilateralism that can draw on the crucial contributions of civil society, the business community and others, including the academic community. In that context, I fully support your efforts to strengthen global university networks for sustainable development. Together, we can make multilateralism more effective and make our world more sustainable, equitable, climate-friendly and peaceful. I look forward to learning about the outcomes of your discussions. Thank you.