United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a new policy to help Southeast Asia to recover from the impact of the global pandemic COVID-19. Secretary-General Guterres said that gender equality has to be laid at the foundation of retaliation against COVID-19. He stated that as in other parts of the world, the health, economic and political impact of COVID-19 has been significant across South-East Asia, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. Southeast Asia comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
This policy examines the impact of the Coronavirus crisis on 11 countries located in the region and presents recommendations to overcome the pandemic. Before the pandemic, countries were lagging behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline. The report released for this sector shows that despite strong economic growth, the sector is facing various challenges, including, high inequality, low social protection, a large informal sector, and regression in peace, justice and robust institutions. Apart from damage to ecological systems, disappearance of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions and air quality levels also remain alarming.
The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and the pandemic was declared in March. Globally, there have been more than 16.5 million cases, with nearly 657,000 deaths. The disease arrived in Southeast Asia earlier than in the rest of the globe and on average and they took 17 days to declare a state of emergency or lockdown after 50 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, according to the policy brief. “Containment measures have spared Southeast Asia the degree of suffering and upheaval seen elsewhere,” said Guterres, who also praised the cooperation among the countries.
The UN chief outlined four key areas for restructuring that would pave the way for a sustainable, strong and inclusive Southeast Asia. The four areas which will be critical in the region’s plans for recovery: tackling inequality, bridging the digital divide, greening the economy, and upholding human rights and good governance.
The policy stresses the need to advance gender equality, address upsurges in gender-based violence, and target women in all aspects of economic recovery and stimulus plans.
