GENEVA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on Friday for building more equitable, sustainable and resilient societies through innovation, against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In his online speech at the opening of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Friday, Tedros called on all present to make a choice between "a world of haves and have-nots" and "more equitable, sustainable and resilient societies."

As COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on lives and livelihoods, individuals, communities, businesses and governments want to reopen their economies and societies, which also what WHO wants too, he said, but WHO wants to see it done as safely as possible.

Tedros suggested that events such as the fair should focus on not only economic growth, but also human development and creating opportunities to lift people out of poverty. He welcomes innovation such as big data and digital technology, but "innovation is of most value when it narrows inequalities, not widens them," he said, calling for building "a healthier, safer, fairer world for everyone everywhere."

The 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services opened in Beijing on Friday. It is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the six-day fair has one comprehensive exhibition area and eight special exhibition areas. A total of 18,000 enterprises and institutions from 148 countries and regions and about 100,000 people have registered for the fair.