This Global Happiness Council Policy Report, which has been long delayed by the pandemic, uses a well-being lens to assess COVID-19 effects and policies, with the goal of sharing some lessons for future policies.
In the three years since the last Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Report, governments have faced a cascade of challenges to the well-being of their populations. Two of the three most important preceded COVID-19. First, governments have witnessed growing demands to recognize and redress long-standing and, in many places, growing inequalities of incomes, basic human rights, parity of esteem, and access to public services, both within and among nations. Second, the need for rapid and coordinated actions to limit and mitigate the effects of climate change has become increasingly urgent, with the escalating pace and severity of extreme climate events. The third challenge has, of course, been COVID-19.
The second batch of policy briefs from the Happiness Council is on resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a demand for mental health services worldwide. Governments can help citizens with treatment and strategy through policies and help deliver options to all population levels, including the vulnerable. Technology also has a crucial role in improving resilience, but only when cooperating with organizations, regulations, structures, and other stakeholders. The briefs explore vulnerabilities and sources of stability that may have served to exacerbate or attenuate labor market shocks. We also investigate the difference in the strategy to cope with the pandemic. The outcomes of the pandemic control across countries and regions may help explain the difference in happiness resilience.
The Global Happiness and Well-Being Policy Briefs are produced by the Global Happiness Council (GHC) and expert working groups on happiness for good governance. These briefs are aimed at government policymakers and others who are interested in formulating or influencing well-being policy.
Three sets of policy briefs will be released. “Surviving COVID-19” in Spring, “Resilience in turbulent times” in Summer, and “Building forward happier” in the Fall of 2021.
The second volume of the Global Happiness and Well-being Policy Report was presented at World Government Summit held in Dubai on February 10, 2019. Watch videos of the launch event and talks by the authors of the report.
The Global Council for Happiness and Well-being launched the 2nd edition of the Global Happiness and Well-being Policy Report at the 7th annual gathering of the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 10. It is produced annually under the auspices of the Global Happiness and Well-being Council, chaired by Professor Jeffrey Sachs and supported by the Prime Minister’s Office of the United Arab Emirates.
The first volume of the Global Happiness Policy Report was presented at World Government Summit held in Dubai on February 10, 2018. Watch videos of the launch event and talks by the authors of the report.
The first volume of the Global Happiness Policy Report contains the first endeavors by the Global Happiness Council, chaired by the SDSN’s Jeffrey Sachs to assemble best practices for happiness policy. A companion to the World Happiness Report (WHR) - reporting the who and why countries are happy - the Global Happiness Policy Report helps to fill the gap on the how to help countries in well-being with the science of happiness and policy applications.
