"This white paper discusses how digital technologies are building COVID resilience, shaping and accelerating the recovery, and diffusing within Asia Pacific region (APAC) in ways that are likely to persist in a post-COVID world. Section 1 presents the role of digital technologies in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examines the digital divide during COVID-19, and how APAC economies have been affected by the crisis. Section 2 presents six cases of resilience, providing examples of how digital technologies can help solve immediate, pressing problems. Hien, a business owner in Vietnam, demonstrates how MSMEs can go digital when entrepreneurs have the appropriate training. Miss Thanchanok Kamwinit, a teacher in Thailand, describes her work educating a new generation of digital citizens about online risks. Irfani recalls her journey to becoming a data scientist in Jakarta, where digital skills are in high demand. Sokneang, a co-founder and CEO of a fair trade startup in Cambodia, describes how digital platforms have been used in the agri-food sector during the pandemic. Gulshan, a Google Research Scientist, performs clinical trials in India to apply AI-based technologies in healthcare. Finally, Teh, a Malaysian citizen, volunteers in a vaccination center thanks to a digital platform that facilitates his civic engagement. Section 3 describes how digital technologies can drive the near future - the “new normal,” including the future of work as impacted by automation, and the need to transition to a low carbon economy. Section 4 discusses lessons and guidelines for a policy response." (Executive summary, page 5)