Book excerpt: This report describes meeting proceedings and key highlights of the United General Assembly Side Event on sustainable preparedness for health security and resilience, held on 1 October 2020, and co-hosted by the Governments of France, Finland, Indonesia and WHO. The objectives of the meeting were to highlight experiences and lessons learnt before and during the pandemic, advocate for long-term sustainable emergency preparedness, and the need to apply a whole-of-society approach through multisectoral collaboration and community engagement. The report provides leaders and policymakers of Member States, international organizations and partners with recommendations on breaking the panic-then-forget cycle.