Setting the Scene:

The Role of South-South Cooperation in

Building Back Better from COVID-19

Pandemic in Asia and the Pacific

Mr. Adnan AlianiDirector, Strategy and Programme Management Division

OUTLINE

1. COVID-19 Where we stand

2. Building back better from the COVID-19

2.1 United Nations and other multilateral institutions

2.2 Actions by countries

2.3 Actions by sub-regional intergovernmental organizations

3. Recovery and resilience for all

3.1 Recommendations for follow-up actions

3.2 Conclusions

COVID-19: Where We Currently Stand

Global:

• 58 million global cases

• Over 1.38 million deaths

Asia and the Pacific:

• 2/3rd of global population

• 11.64 million cases

• Over 180,000 deaths

Impact of COVID-19 Containment

Measures

“By addressing the initial health crisis, we have inadvertently created an economic crisis, a humanitarian crisis, and a security crisis.” - Secretary-General of the United Nations

António Guterres

Role of United Nations and Multilateral Institutions

• Secretary-General’s report, “United Nations Comprehensive Response to COVID-19: Saving Lives, Protecting Societies, Recovering Better”

oHealth Response

oSafeguarding Lives and Livelihoods

oA Better Post-COVID-19 World

• Recovery strategies should accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

• Recovery requires a “whole-of-society, whole of-government and whole-of-the-world approach” fueled by compassion and solidarity.

ESCAP’s Framework: Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19

1. Strengthening social protection by improving access to health and basic services and enhancing resilience and emergency preparedness.

2. Supporting sustainable economic recovery through fiscal and monetary stimuli in line with the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.

3. Restoring and building resilient supply chains and supporting SMEs, through regional and sub-regional coordination on trade and investment, transport, and digital connectivity.

4. Building back better by embedding resilience, inclusiveness, and environmental sustainability into policy responses.

ESCAP COVID-19 Tools

• COVID-19 Policy Tracker

• Six Regional Conversations on Building Back Better

• Macroeconomic Model to Build Back Better

• Several regional analytical reports, guidelines and knowledge products on COVID-19 response and building-back better

• Several EGMs, webinars, workshops on COVID-19 response and building-back better

United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC)• Main entity of the UN to promote, coordinate and support

South-South and triangular cooperation

o Facilitated SSC for transfer of medical equipment and supplies through Cities Alliance Project

o Financed South-South exchanges to COVID-19 Response and recovery through the India-UNDPF and the India, Brazil and South Africa funds

oUndertook the regional COVID-19 Response Survey

oAdded COVID-19 best practices in South-South Galaxy

o Implemented a regional Webinar Series Supporting SME’s

United Nations Asia-Pacific Regional Collaborative Platform

• Support coherence and effectiveness of the UN’s work carried out at the regional level.

• Structured around Issue Based Coalitions (IBCs) that bring together multiple agencies to coordinate the UN response

• IBCs undertook various initiatives to help member States in addressing response and recovery from COVID-19

Multilateral Institutions• Asian Development Bank

oUS$20 billion dedicated to numerous regional and country-specific initiatives; secured more diversified value and supply chains; strengthened investments in health, education, social protection, ICTs, international tax cooperation, and in securing vaccines and striven for equitable delivery.

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

oCrisis Recovery Facility – US$13 billion of financing for public and private sector entities to mitigate health, social, and economic impacts of COVID-19

Actions by countries

• Almost all countries of the region instituted measures to support vulnerable population groups

• Some countries, initiated policies focused on building-back-better by increasing health coverage, reducing digital divide, protecting the environment and retraining youth for future employment.

• Many countries including China, India, Indonesia, Japan Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Republic of Korea, among others, reached out to provide assistance to others.

• We will hear more about some of these initiatives in Session 2.

• Country-level experiences provide an opportunity for South-South exchanges and cooperation.

Actions taken by Sub-regional Intergovernmental Organizations

Recommendations

1. Strengthen health emergency response systems,

resources and cooperation on social protection at the

sub-regional levels

• Information on future pandemics needs to be shared as quickly as possible.

• Existing systems need to be strengthened. Capacities of developing countries to track and report on public health emergencies needs to be strengthened through South-South cooperation.

Recommendations

1. Strengthen health emergency response systems,

resources and cooperation on social protection at the

sub-regional levels (continued)

• Not all countries have the financial and human resources to manage health emergencies and will need help from other countries.

oWHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund

oExpand coverage of subregional public health emergency funds learning lessons from the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund and SAARC Coronavirus Emergency Fund

• Need for stronger subregional cooperation on social protection, including experience exchanges

Recommendations

2. Strengthen cooperation on increasing resources for

fiscal and monetary stimuli

• Pandemic responses require flexibility in raising resources to respond to and build back better from the pandemic.

• Regional coordination in this area could provide considerable relief to countries with higher levels of debt.

oExpansion of bilateral currency swaps among central banks of the region can provide much needed liquidity.

oCan be coordinated with IMF and regional multilateral banks such as ADB and AIIB.

Recommendations

3. Support intergovernmental agreements that ensure

trade and investment, transport and ICT connectivity

and resilience and supply chains

• Add resilience in existing regional agreements on supply chains, transport and connectivity systems

o Transport agreements such as Asian Highway; Trans-Asian Railway; Dry Ports Agreement

o Fast track accession to trade agreements that promote resilience such as Paperless Trade Agreement;

o ICT related initiatives such as APIS

• Regional and sub-regional trade pacts need to avoid trade bans on key products

Recommendations

4. Build partnerships to address transboundary

environmental issues

• Building-back-better means ensuring that the economic, social and environmental dimensions are incorporated in recovery policies and action plans

o Focus on accelerating achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• Countries of Asia and the Pacific need to work together to address transboundary issues in their efforts to build back better

oAir pollution, protection of marine environments and other shared eco-systems.

Recommendations

5. Enhance South-South Cooperation among countries of

Asia and the Pacific by strengthening mechanisms for

sharing experiences among state and non-state actors

in building back better

• Strengthen existing networks, communities of practices, and knowledge platforms and create new ones as needed

• Analysis and sharing of good practices to ensure transferability of lessons learnt.

o Further update, expand, and strengthen ESCAP’s COVID-19 Policy Tracker and UNOSSC’s Galaxy platform

oSynergies and links between the two need to be further enhanced.

Conclusions

• Covid-19 has provided an opportunity to:

oAccelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

oStrengthen South-South and triangular cooperation

• Member States need to work together to build upon their achievements in realizing productive, environmentally sustainable and equitable economies and societies that protect the health and well-being of all and build resilience to future crises

• We need to take the time from now until the Fourth DG Forum, to be held in conjunction with the SSC Global Expo in late 2021, to further discuss these recommendations and further strengthen South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific

THANK YOU

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