In Asia and the Pacific, the impact of COVID-19 has been tremendous due to the high concentration of people, economic activities and resource consumption. Coronavirus threatens economic, social and medical well-being of millions and we must act now to protect Asia's most vulnerable Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP’s Executive Secretary wrote in the Nikkei Asian Review on the 2nd of April.

Social media applications have been the subject of much study and analysis, yet the scope and impact remain difficult to understand. As part of a fast growing and quickly changing Internet ecosystem, these applications have been used by billions of people across the globe. With such high use rates, the potential for beneficial impact on economic growth and social development is significant.

This report’s findings suggest that the best way to measure the digital divide in the Asia-Pacific region is to use a multidimensional approach that captures the economic, social, political and cultural complexities of the digital divide, and reflects on their impact on individuals, businesses and governments.