Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to address you today as we launch the United Nations E-Government Survey. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs has been publishing the Survey since 2001.
This is now its tenth edition.
The Survey is the only global report that assesses the e-government development status of all Member States of the United Nations.
This year’s report is especially timely for two reasons. First, in synchrony with the High-level Political Forum, it examines how governments can use e-government and information technologies to build sustainable and resilient societies to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
And second, as you may already know, the Secretary General has recently launched a High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
This Panel is tasked to map trends in digital technologies, identify gaps and opportunities, and outline proposals for strengthening international cooperation. Such work is important to ensure a safe and inclusive digital future for all.
The 2018 E-Government Survey is an important analytical resource for both the High Level Political Forum and the High-Level Forum on Digital Cooperation. We believe its findings will inform the Member States, policy makers, and academia alike.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is well established by now that to fulfil the far-reaching potential of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, technologies must be used innovatively. Indeed, they are necessary to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are met on time.
At the same time, however, we are in the middle of a digital revolution that is not just about technologies, but also about the centrality of people and the planet.
We are witnessing the simultaneous proliferation of big data, artificial intelligence, data science, blockchain, robotics and other frontier and fast-emerging technologies. These frontier technologies are building on and amplifying one another, affecting everything from our food systems, energy, water and sanitation, to education, health care and social services.
The digital government has ushered in significant and enduring changes in the way people live and interact with each other, their environment, and public services.
In line with these developments, the 2018 Survey highlights a persistent positive global trend towards higher levels of e-government development. The Report examines how digital technologies and innovations are impacting the public sector and changing people’s everyday lives.
In fact, almost two thirds of the 193 UN Member States have already reached a rather high level of e-government development. The share of countries lagging behind in adopting technology for public service delivery is decreasing.
As evidenced by the Survey, exploiting the opportunities offered by digital government has far-reaching potential for countries.
This is not just about improving institutional processes and workflows for greater effectiveness of public service delivery. It is also about ensuring inclusion, participation and accountability to leave no one behind. To this end, the Survey notes a steady increase in the number of countries with specific programmes benefiting women and children, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous people, and people living in poverty.
I am also pleased to highlight that today – not only is the trend of improving provision of online public services positive and strong – but 140 countries provide at least one transactional service online.
Nevertheless, connectivity and access to new technologies remain elusive for some regions and countries, in particular the African countries, the least developed countries, small island developing States and the landlocked developing countries.
As the Survey reports, despite impressive gains and major investments in e-government development made by many countries, the digital divide between and within the countries persists. There is, moreover, considerable risk that it could deepen between people who have access to Internet and online services and those who do not.
In Africa, fourteen out of sixteen countries with low e-government development are among the least developed countries in Africa. The regional average E-Government Development Index cores for countries in Africa and Oceania are also significantly lower than the world average of 0.55, comprising 0.34 for Africa and 0.46 for Oceania.
This divide can seriously compromise the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Much more should be done by governments to invest in their digital transformation, starting from the telecommunication infrastructure but also human capital development.
Such efforts can minimize the risks of deepened or new digital divides that lead to greater inequality.
In addition, there is a need to consider the unprecedented challenges introduced by new frontier technologies.
Without careful planning and design, for example, artificial intelligence has the potential to harm vulnerable populations, reinforce existing inequalities, widen digital divides and adversely affect jobs and economies.
The impact of artificial intelligence and other frontier issues are further explored in the 2018 Survey. I encourage you to examine its insights and key lessons learned.
This brings me to the importance of strengthening human capacities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Many new professions – such as data scientists and experts on science and ethics – are in high demand.
Countries need to strengthen capacities of their public institutions to successfully deploy digital government and mitigate the risks of technological innovation.
This Survey can provide greater awareness of how this is done globally, and what should be taken into account.
On this note, I encourage you to use this important publication as a source of insight on the state and progress of e-government development worldwide.
Thank you.
I am pleased to address you today as we launch the United Nations E-Government Survey. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs has been publishing the Survey since 2001.
This is now its tenth edition.
The Survey is the only global report that assesses the e-government development status of all Member States of the United Nations.
This year’s report is especially timely for two reasons. First, in synchrony with the High-level Political Forum, it examines how governments can use e-government and information technologies to build sustainable and resilient societies to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
And second, as you may already know, the Secretary General has recently launched a High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
This Panel is tasked to map trends in digital technologies, identify gaps and opportunities, and outline proposals for strengthening international cooperation. Such work is important to ensure a safe and inclusive digital future for all.
The 2018 E-Government Survey is an important analytical resource for both the High Level Political Forum and the High-Level Forum on Digital Cooperation. We believe its findings will inform the Member States, policy makers, and academia alike.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is well established by now that to fulfil the far-reaching potential of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, technologies must be used innovatively. Indeed, they are necessary to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are met on time.
At the same time, however, we are in the middle of a digital revolution that is not just about technologies, but also about the centrality of people and the planet.
We are witnessing the simultaneous proliferation of big data, artificial intelligence, data science, blockchain, robotics and other frontier and fast-emerging technologies. These frontier technologies are building on and amplifying one another, affecting everything from our food systems, energy, water and sanitation, to education, health care and social services.
The digital government has ushered in significant and enduring changes in the way people live and interact with each other, their environment, and public services.
In line with these developments, the 2018 Survey highlights a persistent positive global trend towards higher levels of e-government development. The Report examines how digital technologies and innovations are impacting the public sector and changing people’s everyday lives.
In fact, almost two thirds of the 193 UN Member States have already reached a rather high level of e-government development. The share of countries lagging behind in adopting technology for public service delivery is decreasing.
As evidenced by the Survey, exploiting the opportunities offered by digital government has far-reaching potential for countries.
This is not just about improving institutional processes and workflows for greater effectiveness of public service delivery. It is also about ensuring inclusion, participation and accountability to leave no one behind. To this end, the Survey notes a steady increase in the number of countries with specific programmes benefiting women and children, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous people, and people living in poverty.
I am also pleased to highlight that today – not only is the trend of improving provision of online public services positive and strong – but 140 countries provide at least one transactional service online.
Nevertheless, connectivity and access to new technologies remain elusive for some regions and countries, in particular the African countries, the least developed countries, small island developing States and the landlocked developing countries.
As the Survey reports, despite impressive gains and major investments in e-government development made by many countries, the digital divide between and within the countries persists. There is, moreover, considerable risk that it could deepen between people who have access to Internet and online services and those who do not.
In Africa, fourteen out of sixteen countries with low e-government development are among the least developed countries in Africa. The regional average E-Government Development Index cores for countries in Africa and Oceania are also significantly lower than the world average of 0.55, comprising 0.34 for Africa and 0.46 for Oceania.
This divide can seriously compromise the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Much more should be done by governments to invest in their digital transformation, starting from the telecommunication infrastructure but also human capital development.
Such efforts can minimize the risks of deepened or new digital divides that lead to greater inequality.
In addition, there is a need to consider the unprecedented challenges introduced by new frontier technologies.
Without careful planning and design, for example, artificial intelligence has the potential to harm vulnerable populations, reinforce existing inequalities, widen digital divides and adversely affect jobs and economies.
The impact of artificial intelligence and other frontier issues are further explored in the 2018 Survey. I encourage you to examine its insights and key lessons learned.
This brings me to the importance of strengthening human capacities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Many new professions – such as data scientists and experts on science and ethics – are in high demand.
Countries need to strengthen capacities of their public institutions to successfully deploy digital government and mitigate the risks of technological innovation.
This Survey can provide greater awareness of how this is done globally, and what should be taken into account.
On this note, I encourage you to use this important publication as a source of insight on the state and progress of e-government development worldwide.
Thank you.
File date:
Thursday, Julio 19, 2018