Agenda

Digital transformation is constantly changing how people live, work and function in their societies. The development and use of digital technologies is also impacting how governments operate and function. Digital transformation, including artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, has become one of the highest priorities for public sector organisations. 

However, for digital transformation to succeed, governments need to change the way they function. Governments require a multistakeholder, inclusive approach. Leaders in the public sector also need to develop new competencies that equip them to address the complex challenges of digital era governance. 

There is growing evidence that the success of digital transformation projects in countries and in government rely heavily on the competencies of public sector officials – their capacity to develop enabling frameworks, to anticipate technology trends, to mitigate the ethical- and human rights–related risks, to understand the development of digital platforms, and to work effectively with chief technology officers (CTOs) and third-party vendors.  

The Working Group on AI Capacity Building of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development developed the AI and Digital Transformation Competency Framework for Civil Servants. This framework outlines key challenges, competency domains for civil servants and provides multistakeholder recommendations to countries to guide their digital transformation journeys. 

Objectives

• To move from commitments to  action, the speakers will discuss strategies for individual and institutional capacity building in the public sector to leverage the opportunities of AI and digital transformation. 
• High-Level Speakers to outline national, regional and international commitments with respect to digital governance and digital capacity building that will build up to the High-Level WSIS+20 Review Conference on Public Sector Capacity Building for Digital Transformation in February 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France.