DIGITAL

Digital transformation. On January 19, the XII Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean was held, carried out by UNDP with the presence of UN Organizations such as ECLAC and more than 35 governments from Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the topics addressed at the summit, the inclusive digital transformation stands out as a mechanism for productivity, inclusion and resilience for the region. The event concluded that the current context presents an opportunity for digital inclusion to boost economic dynamism in the region. It is expected that the organization will promote an advocacy agenda so that, through public-private partnerships, a better use of digital resources and access to technologies will be fostered in the course of 2021.

UNDP argues that digital innovations taking place around the world, such as the rise of information, offer new ways to address global challenges such as inequality and the automation of work, with the potential to unlock long-term sustainable prosperity for people and the planet. The agency urges both states and the private sector to take action in the direction of technological innovations as part of the commitment to the 2030 agenda.

It is within the framework of this agenda that the meeting discussed how the current crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic presents the region with an opportunity for digital inclusion to drive economic dynamism in the region and, in turn, to close the inequality gaps between those who can access digital services and those who cannot.

Next steps

UN agencies developed in mid-January a Ministerial Forum for the Development of Latin America and the Caribbean in which they discussed, together with ministers and members of the private sector, measures to mitigate the economic and social impact of the resulting health crisis of the Covid. Of the topics discussed, the inclusive digital transformation stands out, which is part of the UNDP agenda. The governments of Latin American countries and private sector companies are expected to take actions to promote digital inclusion throughout 2021.