While containment of the global Covid-19 pandemic remains an uppermost priority for countries around the world, policymakers are simultaneously pursuing ways to actively promote economic recovery and a transition to a new normal. In these efforts, Governments are exploring opportunities to strengthen intra-regional and interregional economic ties; and to share important lessons for achieving greater development progress. Alongside these public sector efforts, multi-national companies, investors and private sector actors are equally interested in finding ways to rebound and recover from the worst global recession in over seventy years.
The idea of the proposed East Asia - Africa Policy Dialogue is to provide an effective platform for policymakers, private sector representatives and development stakeholders to share experiences, perspectives, ideas and lessons on how to enhance economic ties within and between regions; and how to increase the pace of economic recovery and development progress in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic. This initiative is well-aligned with the mandate of the World Bank Group Hub in Malaysia which includes the promotion of South-South knowledge-sharing and peer-learning activities.