Digital transformation, regional cooperation in Asia-Pacific can spur resilient recovery from COVID-19 pandemic: Report

Digital transformation and renewed regional cooperation in Asia-Pacific region can accelerate its sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic according to a new report titled ‘Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Leaving No Country Behind.’

Released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the report noted extreme inequalities and vulnerabilities in the region that have amplified the effects of the pandemic.

“The pandemic has provided us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make bold choices that put us on a path to green, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable recovery, in line with the ambition of the SDGs. Through strong and inclusive partnerships, we must work even harder to build a healthier, safer, fairer, and more prosperous Asia and the Pacific,” said ADB Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantono.

Launched at the 8th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, the report says regional cooperation efforts should focus on people-centric development, sustainability, and climate change, in order to address environmental vulnerabilities.