South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries have been severely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, affecting lives and livelihoods of millions of people, according to Mr. Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, Secretary General, SAARC. He said that facing the challenges brought about by the pandemic requires collective action at national, subregional, and regional levels.

The global fight against COVID-19 will not succeed unless vaccines become available to all, Mr. Weerakoon said. Mr. Weerakoon was speaking at the Subregional Dialogue on Building Back Better from Crises through Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) on 28 April 2021. The event was held at the sidelines of the Seventy-seventh Session of UNESCAP.

South Asia is one of the worst-hit regions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from bringing unprecedented socioeconomic challenges to the South Asian region, the pandemic has also hindered progress toward achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). A "business as usual" approach will not help South Asia attain the SDGs, said Mr. Weerakoon. "I wish to emphasize that regional cooperation is not only desirable but indispensable to overcome the challenges posed to the Asia-Pacific subregions," he said.