Today, digitalization is one of the most important aspects of rapid adaptation to the modern world. With the growth of urbanization, the issues of comfort and safety of the urban population, as well as the conditions for business development, are of key importance. A smart city plays a significant role in this, the key aspects of which are the optimization of the transport system, energy efficiency and saving the resources used, improving security and improving comfort and living standards.
Belarus has adopted and is implementing the State Program "Digital Development of Belarus" for 2021-2025, one of the tasks of which is to create a model regional state digital platform "Smart City", as well as its implementation by 2025 in 17 cities of Belarus. To help implement the development of smart cities, ITU is collaborating with the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian State Academy of Communications (BSAC).
In 2022, with the support of ITU, two seminars were held in Belarus for the Brest and Minsk regions, which were held in Pinsk and Molodechno. The seminars were attended by more than 200 specialists from two areas. They were shown the technical solutions proposed for implementation in a smart city, as well as the opportunities they provide to the population and business.
The Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus
noted that at the moment the country already has the necessary infrastructure to help overcome the digital divide. In particular, the scaling of the regional digital platform "Smart City", the creation of a national geoportal, and the development of a regional info-communication infrastructure in various areas of urban life.
The practice of holding such events on the topic of regional digital development finds a wide response among the participants and provides a practical understanding of smart city solutions and approaches to their implementation. ITU will continue cooperation with the Republic of Belarus in this direction. Already in March 2023, a Regional Forum on Smart and Sustainable Cities is planned to be held in Minsk, that will bring together experts in the field of digitalization from the CIS region.
It should be noted that the direction of smart cities is one of the WTDC-22
Regional Initiatives for the CIS Region, namely Regional Initiative 5, the task of which is to assist the ITU Member States in developing a regulatory framework, creating the necessary infrastructure, introducing modern services and applications in various areas of smart cities and communities.
