Asia-Pacific nations pledge to build ‘visionary blueprint’ for inclusive digital world
The Statement by Minister Astananamed after conference host city in Kazakhstan, especially important for a region with large disparities in digital access and usage.
While an estimated 96 percent of the population in Asia and the Pacific live in areas with mobile broadband networks, only about a third use the Internet in ways that drive livelihoods and economic growth.
Even more worrying is that about 40 percent of the population lacks the basic digital skills needed to navigate the digital world safely and effectively, and nearly half of those living in rural areas are not connected to Internet services, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), conference organizer.
Digital by default
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, ESCAP Secretary General, highlighted the transformative impact of digital technology.
“Digital has become our norm. “It is reshaping our economies, offering new opportunities to create value and reshaping societies to help address some of our most persistent sustainability challenges,” she said.
However, these opportunities come with complex and uncertain economic, environmental and social risks.
“Our digital world is a divided one – it runs along income, age, education and geographic lines, with gender divisions at the foundation of it all,she added.
Overcoming these challenges is crucial to a sustainable and resilient future, she said, noting that digital technology can be used to accelerate action on climate change and improve early warning of disasters.
Commit
The statement highlights the urgent need to bridge the digital divide, build trust and address disparities in access, especially among vulnerable groups such as women, the elderly and those in remote areas.
It also highlights the importance of ensuring safe and affordable access to digital technologies, which is essential to reducing poverty and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals).
In addition, the Declaration calls for the continued engagement of United Nations agencies and other international organizations to support these efforts, particularly in providing technical assistance, policy analysis and capacity building.
The countries also agreed to consider the proposal to establish a Digital Solutions Center in Kazakhstan, under the auspices of ESCAP, to coordinate regional efforts in digital innovation and sustainable development.
A visionary design
Tiziana Bonapace, Director of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Section at ESCAP, highlighted the importance of the conference and its outcomes.
“Asia-Pacific [nations]First commitment to a visionary plan to strengthen cooperation towards digital transformation and inclusion“, she said United Nations News.
The Declaration will promote greater coherence and synergy around best practices in addressing digital connectivity, innovation and applications for sustainable development, as well as the responsible use of data, she added.
It will also provide much-needed impetus to the implementation of other important ICT initiatives in the region, including the action plan for Asia-Pacific Information Highway.
Side note
The forum schedule includes the Technology Solutions Day hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan, along with in-depth discussions on artificial intelligence (AI), digital public services and connectivity.
On Tuesday, ESCAP launched Asia Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2024Explore how digital transformation can change the trajectory of climate change.
The report also highlights more than two dozen case studies on digital technology applications, including infrastructure, governance, trade, disaster risk reduction, agriculture and biodiversity ecosystems.
