From Open Software to Open Society - Digital Public…

As the COVID-19 pandemic threatened global development and accelerated the digitization of government, we have witnessed the power as well as the challenges of digital public goods (DPGs) and digital public infrastructure (DPIs) in response to the crisis.  DPIs, colloquially referred to as digital highways are critical tech-led infrastructure built to scale digital service delivery.  When built with open standards that are interoperable with principals of privacy defined as Digital Public Goods (DPGs), DPIs can maximize inclusion.  However, in order to deploy at scale and advance the sustainable development goals in tangible ways, digital solutions need to move beyond the tech stack debate to increasingly focus on the platform design for inclusion, community engagement and the governance frameworks.  This holds the greatest potential to accelerate the SDGs. 

This session will explore the practical strategies Member States are using to leverage the potential of open source and DPGs to accelerate inclusive digital and social transformation especially in the context of COVID-19 adaptation and recovery.

The session will provide an opportunity for Member States to:

• Showcase results achieved through national policies, programmes and platforms that leverage digital public goods for successful digitization of public and social services and infrastructure, especially for women;
• Share strategies and resources for inclusive digital transformation and specific recommendations on strengthening local capacity and supporting local economic development; and
• Share specific proposals for the role of the different stakeholders including the UN in supporting Member States' efforts in accelerating the development and use of DPGs at country level.