Introduction: Regional Catalysts for the Realisation of the SDGs in the Post Pandemic Era

Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals remains a major challenge amidst the Pandemic. Despite signs of progress in several SDGs, from 2015 to 2019. investments that is critical to achieving the 2030 agenda remain underfunded. The three main propositions of the of efficiency based regional approach are elaborated in this chapter: First, translating the sustainable development goals (SDGs) into regional economic integration strategies can enhance the link between global objectives and the multifaceted reality of an ASEAN community, improving policy coherence, and providing a strategic option to strengthen regional’s bargaining power internationally. Secondly, a regional approach on complementarities to SDGs can facilitate the definition of relevant targets and indicators and enhance the monitoring and evaluation framework. In so doing it could also offer the scope to integrate more closely ASEAN communities social and environmental concerns into existing economic and political frameworks. Thirdly, focusing just on the geo-economic sphere – the area where ASEAN and East s integration is relatively more advanced – will prove the hypothesis that effective regional integration through such initiatives as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) can support the Asia’s transformation agenda and foster more inclusive and sustainable growth. The international community should make use of this opportunity to reshape both national and regional economic systems in line with sustainable development goals. If countries fail to do so, they will fail to deliver the 2030 agenda.