الزراعة والتنمية الريفية والغابات

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unparalleled global health crisis and disrupted every aspect of society and business, putting the world’s economic activity under stress.

For decades, business leaders have cultivated ecosystems centered on the potential to do business. Taking the form of social clubs, networking events, industry conferences and professional networks, these ecosystems create a hub of powerful investors, influential partners and top talent. However, barriers such as revenue thresholds, geographic location or lack of personal connections often keep small businesses from accessing these ecosystems, making it difficult for them to seek growth opportunities.

Myanmar reported its first case of COVID-19 on 23 March. The government responded with restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading: banning mass gatherings, suspending visas, issuing stay-at-home orders, quarantining, promoting social distancing and imposing legal actions against those who broke the new laws. It seems that thanks to these prompt actions, the case numbers remained low. But the economic impact for businesses, especially for restaurants and hotels, was devastating.

A century ago, when pandemic influenza struck a war-torn world, few multilateral institutions existed. Countries fought their common microbial enemy alone. Today, an array of multilateral mechanisms exists to confront global public health emergencies and address their economic, social, and political effects. The global nature of the current pandemic requires a global response. Let us make sure we leverage existing multilateral mechanisms to help fight the virus and overcome the current crisis.