Digital Transformation as Sustainable Development Pathway

New technologies are transforming economies and societies across the globe, shaping a future that is irrevocably digital, increasingly connected and on constant hyperdrive. The evolution, diffusion, and convergence of technologies continue --- rapidly in some parts, slowly in others, but everywhere disrupting the way we do business, shifting whole industries, redefining institutions and people’s engagement with them, and changing how we live overall.

The prospects of many, of whole economies and societies, will depend on how effectively governments, stakeholders and development partners respond to technological trends, and to the interplay of these trends with other major trends (such as urbanization, changing nature of work, demographic swings, climate change, increasing magnitude of disasters, environmental challenges, among others). The prospects particularly of humanity aspiring for a future of shared prosperity, durable peace and sustainable planet will depend on how tactical these responses are in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

For developing countries that deal with concurrent priorities in the midst of significant constraints, embarking on digital transformation as a sustainable development pathway is a serious challenge. There is need for 1) models that speak to their local and national contexts; 2) tools that assist assessment of unique needs and development of relevant solutions; 3) partners able to not only impart but to collaborate on strategic application of knowledge and expertise; and, 4) support in ensuring that efforts link to priorities on the ground and advance the SDGs. It is in this context that the Government of Estonia and UNDP agreed to collaborate on efforts that support digital transformation as a development pathway.

This  session is designed to explore the key trends and issues on new technologies and sustainable development, introduce the Estonia-UNDP cooperation and its objectives, engage experts and the ICT community on the development of digital transformation tool that can assist the development of digital transformation roadmaps for SDG achievement, and provide a space for stakeholders and potential partners to connect and explore collaboration . The session is in three segments, with the first focused on exploring key trends and issues; the second focused on engaging the WSIS community on the approach, encouraging discussions to guide and inform its development; the third as a space for exploring collaboration.