GLOBAL TOWN HALL

Mayapada Tower 1 lantai 19 Unit 02, Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 28 Jakarta Selatan 12920,
email: contact@gth2020.com
web: www.gth2020.com

Jakarta, 5 November 2020

Ref. No : 0143/20
Subject : Invitation to give pre-recorded address at the Global Town Hall on "Re-
building from the Covid-19 World," Friday, 20 November 2020

Her Excellency Vivian Balakrishnan

Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Republic of Singapore

Excellency,

We trust this letter finds Your Excellency well and healthy. First of all, we would like to com-
mend the Republic of Singapore’s laudable management of the COVID-19 challenge in flatten-
ing the curve of the pandemic, even when the rest of the world is struggling to do so.

Your Excellency, we are writing as a group of think tanks organizing the virtual conference –
Global Town Hall 2020: Around the World, Around the Clock – with the theme of “REBUILD-
ING FROM THE COVID-19 WORLD.”

Initiated by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, this virtual conference is a collabora-
tion of 14 think tanks around the world, namely: Australia Strategic Policy Institute (Australia),
Center for Strategic International Studies (United States), Center for Strategic Studies of Victo-
ria University of Wellington (New Zealand), Chatham House (United Kingdom), Consejo
Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales (Mexico), Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia
(Indonesia), International Republican Institute (United States), ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute
(Singapore), Milken Institute (United States), Observer Research Foundation (India), Paris
Peace Forum (France), Perth USAsia Centre (Australia), Valdai Discussion Club (Russia), and
World Resources Institute (United States). Additionally, we are also partnering with universities
in countries where our think tank partners reside.

The purpose of the Global Town Hall is to facilitate high quality international discussions and
debate by leading minds on the state of the world amidst the COVID-19 crisis, evaluate policy
challenges and lessons learned, and gather ideas for future direction, especially in terms of how
to rebuild the world economically, socially, environmentally, diplomatically and even geopoliti-
cally.

The Global Town Hall will be a marathon of discussions from 09.00 until 24.00 (GMT+7) — in
a total of 15 hours, one full day virtual conference. We hope that the global discussion will be
viewed by participants from different time zones from LA, Washington DC, London, Berlin,
Cape Town, Moscow, New Delhi, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, Canberra, and
Wellington, among others – hence “Around the World.” The technical operation and logistical
organization for the Global Town Hall will be conducted from Jakarta.
There will be eleven sessions to be featured, which are (not in order of timeline):
 GLOBAL TOWN HALL
Mayapada Tower 1 lantai 19 Unit 02, Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 28 Jakarta Selatan 12920,
email: contact@gth2020.com
web: www.gth2020.com

1. State of the COVID-19 World in 2020

2. Geopolitical Reset: Is a world of more cooperation, less rivalry possible?
3. Catching up with Climate Agenda: Small window, huge challenges
4. The Great Social Reset: Another chance to build a just, equitable, harmonious societies
5. At the edge of a cliff: How to overcome the worst economic recession of our time
6. Vaccine for All: Utopia or a possibility?
7. Rebuilding Better: Anticipating and shaping the post-COVID-19 world order & development
8. Light at the end of the tunnel: What Worries Me, What Gives Me Hope (a session featuring
celebrities)
9. Emerging Leaders Dialogue: A discussion on the future of democracy, reforms and globaliza-
tion after Covid-19
10. The Indo-Pacific and the Covid-19 Crisis: What are the next moves?
11. Welcome back America?

Through this letter, we would like to invite Your Excellency to deliver a live virtual 10 to 15
minutes pre-recorded address for the Global Town Hall. We request that Your Excellency’s mes-
sage touch on the theme of

For Your Excellency’s information, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has agreed to
give a virtual address to the Global Town Hall, and so has Australian Foreign Minister Marise
Payne. We are also inviting South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

We believe the virtual Global Town Hall would further provide yet another valuable platform
and opportunity for Your Excellency to canvass South Africa's view to the officials, strategic
thinkers, corporate community, analysts, journalists, lecturers and students and the general public
in various countries. Given Your Excellency’s proven track record in alleviating poverty, pro-
moting digitalisation, and tireless work to achieve a just, equitable and harmonious society, ad-
vocating generation, gender, racial, social, and economic equality and tireless work to achieve a
just, equitable, and harmonious society, we are certain that Your Excellency's message to the ses-
sion on the Rebuilding from the COVID-19 will echo in the hearts and minds of the conference
audience.

For technical coordination, Your Excellency’s office may contact FPCI staff Esther N.S. Tamara
(Email: esthernstamara@gmail.com; WhatsApp: +1 9785699277) to coordinate on logistical is-
sues, and to answer any questions Your Excellency’s office might have.

We sincerely hope that Your Excellency will accept this invitation to join this virtual Global
Town Hall and are looking forward to hearing from your office regarding this invitation. We also
kindly request for an early notice regarding Your Excellency’s decision, so in the event that Your
Excellency are able to give an address, we can start promoting it immediately.

The Global Town Hall community sends our best regards to Your Excellency and our best
wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the Republic of Singapore.

We thank you, Your Excellency, for your kind attention and consideration.
 GLOBAL TOWN HALL
Mayapada Tower 1 lantai 19 Unit 02, Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav. 28 Jakarta Selatan 12920,
email: contact@gth2020.com
web: www.gth2020.com

Sincerely yours,