Economies in the Asia-Pacific region need to promote a “Building Forward Fairer” policy two years after the pandemic caused unprecedented economic devastation, said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, under-secretary-general of the United Nations and executive secretary of ESCAP.

She said the recovery remains fragile and uneven, amid continuing uncertainty compounded by the Ukraine crisis. Last year the loss of jobs and incomes had pushed nearly 90 million people in the region back into extreme poverty.

To solve the problems, she emphasized the importance of effective government actions, and the role of fiscal, monetary and structural policies.

“These measures would give countries a fighting chance to get back on track with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,”she said.