Session 4 SDG 17 (II): Accelerating digital development through multistakeholder partnerships

About the event

Access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), meaningful and universal internet connectivity, capacity building, financing mechanisms, and financial inclusion are crucial for an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient digital transformation. In addition, and as highlighted by SDG 17, digital development can only be achieved through a multistakeholder and partnership-based approach involving governments, practitioners, regulators, and businesses.    

In light of the above, and with the aim to review the achievement of the SDG17, in particular targets related to internet connectivity (17.6) and technology, including ICTs (17.7 and 17.8), this session seeked to strengthen and promote the development of digital society and economy through multistakeholder partnerships.    

In particular, the session addressed four pillars: connecting people everywhere, empowering communities, building digital ecosystems, and incentivizing investments. It provided an opportunity for highlighting a series of strategic multistakeholder partnerships aiming at providing concrete support to the countries in their endeavours of accelerating digital transformation, ensuring that no one is left behind. It included and is not limited to the following:

• Partner2connect Digital Coalition, an alliance gathering actors from the private sectors, UN sister agencies, Governments, and Youth organizations, aiming to foster digital transformation and meaningful connectivity; 

• Giga initiative, which aims to grasp the power of meaningful connectivity to fast track young people’s access to educational resources and opportunities, and works with partner countries to systematically help governments connect every school to the internet through a four pillars approach: mapping, connecting, financing and empowering. 

• GovStack Initiative: The GovStack initiative aims to build a common understanding and technical practice on fundamental reusable and interoperable digital components, which we collectively refer to as Building Blocks. It aims to enable countries to kickstart their digital transformation journey by adopting, deploying, and scaling digital government services.

Partnerships among member states and regional actors of development are also prominent. The session represented the occasion to update and exchange on the European Commission’s recently launched ‘Global Gateway’, a ‘Team Europe’ (EU-Members States- Financial institutions) commitment unveiled by Commission President Von der Leyen; or to explore different investment models with the EBRD’s “Approach to accelerating the digital transition, 2021-25”.

The discussion and key policy actions put forward by panellists were channelled to the ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2022, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2022, and the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.