Building forward better : enhancing resilience of Asia and Pacific economies in a post-Covid-19 world

The COVID-19 pandemic is imposing economic and broader development challenges as never before. Policy lessons from Asia and the Pacific's past experience in dealing with shocks show that focusing on economic growth alone is not enough. Rising inequality and environmental challenges increased the region's vulnerabilities. The post-pandemic recovery in Asia and the Pacific should place the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the center. In addition to using the traditional macroeconomic policies, governments should deliberately increase public investments in the Sustainable Development Goals, reduce inequalities, provide decent work, and green the economic activities and financial systems. New technologies and sustainable financing could facilitate the process. All stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and the general public, need to play their integral role to "build forward better".