Under the overall HLPF theme of 2021 "Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development", ICAO’s side event aims to showcase the importance of sustainable and resilient restart and recovery of civil aviation for the global economic upswing and the expansion of trade and tourism. As we operate in a highly interconnected world with complex industries, the post-COVID-19 recovery of many sectors of the economy will rely heavily on air connectivity restoration. Through the side event, ICAO aims to showcase how common goals can be achieved through the leveraging of synergies and coordination of efforts across sectors, whereby vulnerabilities are identified, opportunities for developing resilience recognized, and challenges in reconnecting the world and “building back better” in the Decade of Action addressed.