UN Digital Transformation Group for Europe and Central Asia

• 'Cross-Cutting Session on Digitalization: Digital Transformation in the Wake of Covid-19’, RFSD | 15 March 2021

This session aimed to promote the coordinated approach of UN agencies to support the Member States in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda through ICTs. It focused on the urgent needs of accelerating digital transformation across different sectors as an immediate response to COVID-19. Co-led by ITU and UNECE, it was organized in collaboration with the UN Digital Transformation Group for Europe and Central Asia. During the session, the role of adopting a multi-agency and multi-stakeholder approach was reaffirmed, which would help achieve the 2030 Agenda through ICTs, and act as an urgent cross-cutting priority to enhance the use of digital solutions, in turn become enablers for building back better after COVID-19, as well as ensuring economic and social development at national and regional levels. More information can be found here.

• ‘Driving the WSIS Action lines to foster digital transformation in Europe and Central Asia’, WSIS Forum | 26 April 2021 
  

This thematic workshop held within the framework of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum built upon the Cross-Cutting Session on Digitalization held in the RFSD 2021. Through interactive panel discussions and the participation of multiple representatives of UN agencies, the workshop drew attention to projects, initiatives, and efforts aiming at advancing the implementation of the WSIS Actions Lines. This workshop also provided a platform for multi-stakeholder discussion on challenges and opportunities identified at the national/regional level. Each UN agency had the opportunity to draw attention to their flagship initiatives. More information can be found here. ​

• Questionnaire to Resident coordinators and UN Country Teams across Europe and Central Asia | May 2021 ​

To provide appropriate support to the UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) objectives, the UNDTG4ECA developed and circulated a questionnaire seeking inputs from the UNCTs members and RCs representatives in Europe and Central Asia. This questionnaire enabled to build a detailed mapping of country priorities vs. the work of the UNDTG4ECA and identify country-specific support to be provided.

• 'Data Protection Executive Trainings for Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams in Europe and Central Asia' | October-November 2021

Upon the direct request from UNCTs and RCs across the regions, a set of Data Protection Executive Trainings for Resident Coordinators (RCs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in Europe and Central Asia were organized by the ITU, with the support of the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UN DCO). Overall, more than 60 UN Resident Coordinators, UN Resident Coordinators Staff Office, UN Country Teams members as well as UN System Staff at the regional level participated in the training sessions. Among others, countries covered included: Albania, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan , Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. More information can be found here.

• ‘Approaches of the UN System to support digital transformation’,  | 15 December 2021
  

This special session was held in the context of the event "Digital transformation based on ICT innovations for the development of the digital economy", co-organized by ITU and the State University of Telecommunication of Ukraine. The session emphasized the accomplishments of the group's core initiatives and identified major regional and national concerns that must be addressed in relations to advancing information and communication technologies and digital transformation processes in order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. It also generated interactions with diverse parties interested in deepening their commitment to sustainable digital transformation. More information can be found here.​

• ‘Cross-Cutting Session on Digitalization: Digital Transformation in the Wake of COVID-19’, RFSD 2022 | 1 April 2022

The event was held within the framework of the 2022 RFSD for the UNECE region. This session provided platform to stakeholders across Europe and Centrals Asia to discuss challenges, opportunities, and required policy actions related to the digital dimensions of each Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of focus during the 2022 RFSD. Namely: SDG 4 “Quality of Education", SDG 5 “Gender Equality", SDG14 “Life below water", and SDG 15 “Life on land". All while highlighting the importance of partnerships as per necessities to take a multistakeholder approach to address digital transformation. It also provided a platform to identify they steps to be undertaken at the national level to capitalize on ICT and digital in the recovery from the COVID-19. More information can be found here.

• Accelerating digital development through Multistakeholder Partnerships, RFSD 2022 | 6 April 2022

This high-level roundtable was held within the framewok of the RFSD 2022. This session aimed to review the achievement of the SDG 17 targets related to technologies (including ICTs) and connectivity. It provided an opportunity for UN Agencies, Member States, the private sectors, the academia sector, NGOs, and additional stakeholders to discuss collaborative actions, initiatives, and partnerships that advance digitalization and digitization processes alongside encouraging global partnerships for SDG focused digital development. In particular, it focused on four pillars: connecting people everywhere, empowering communities, building digital ecosystems, and incentivizing investments. More information can be found here.