The Pacific is expected to recover with moderate growth of 1.4% in 2021 and 3.8% in 2022, with tourism and widespread vaccination playing key roles. This issue of the Pacific Economic Monitor provides insights on experiences and lessons of Pacific island countries in striking a delicate balance between health and economic concerns. It also outlines ADB's new development strategy to help the region address the impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This issue of the Pacific Economic Monitor explores how the region can reopen and rebuild. Besides safely resuming travel and protecting health, a resilient recovery will depend on promoting fiscal sustainability and strengthening economic management, including regional cooperation to revitalize tourism.

The world economy is experiencing a very strong but uneven recovery, with many emerging market and developing economies facing obstacles to vaccination. The global outlook remains uncertain, with major risks around the path of the pandemic and the possibility of financial stress amid large debt loads. Policy makers face a difficult balancing act as they seek to nurture the recovery while safeguarding price stability and fiscal sustainability. A comprehensive set of policies will be required to promote a strong recovery that mitigates inequality and enhances environmental sustainability, ultimately putting economies on a path of green, resilient, and inclusive development. Prominent among the necessary policies are efforts to lower trade costs so that trade can once again become a robust engine of growth. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Global Economic Prospects. The Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.

This edition of the Pacific Economic Monitor discusses the impacts of COVID-19 and provides an overview of other current economic and development issues in Pacific developing member countries of ADB.

The Pacific region is expected to grow by 4.7% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 as most economies emerge from the worst of the pandemic-induced downturn. This issue of the Pacific Economic Monitor focuses on building and financing resilience to climate change and disasters. It also explores the impacts on the region of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such as higher commodity prices.

The Pacific's economic outlook remains solid despite the global slowdown. While social development gains in the region have been steady, some big challenges remain. This issue of the Pacific Economic Monitor begins with an overview of international and regional economic developments. It features 13 articles and policy briefs that explore socioeconomic development in the Pacific, particularly on social protection, education, elderly care, health care and health financing, pension schemes, water and sanitation, nutrition, employment, and financial inclusion.

To help overcome remoteness, Pacific economies are looking to improve economic integration not only through ICT and transport network investments, but also by promoting greater competition and private investment. Enhancing connectivity is crucial to the Pacific and its people, who constantly contend with the challenges of geographic isolation and remoteness. Physical connectivity through air and maritime links brings people, goods, and services to and from the Pacific while digital connectivity through information and communication technology (ICT) integrates the region with the rest of the world. This section tackles Pacific developing member countries' efforts to enhance connectivity by expanding internet and other ICT connections, improving and maintaining transport networks, and strengthening investment facilitation. Ultimately, the goal of connectivity is to link Pacific peoples with each other, and enable them to access goods and important social services, as well as economic opportunities, locally and globally.