Digital public infrastructure, if designed and implemented properly, holds promise to promote an inclusive digital economy that is resilient to crises, though the current forms of funding public digital infrastructure are inadequate.

According to Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), global interest in foundational digital public infrastructure has spiked since the Covid pandemic, but the current forms of financing public digital infrastructure at scale are inadequate, marked by a lack of coordination, short-term funding cycles, and fragmentation of resources.

Digital co-operation

To level the digital playing field so that countries can compete fairly in the digital economy, digital co-operation is important, and this calls for countries to share their experiences on digital public infrastructure to help shorten the learning and adoption curves, he added at the recent Digital Economy Working Group meeting held as part of the G20 summit.

Through coordination and knowledge sharing, more countries can benefit not only from available open-source technologies but also from the regulatory guidance and technical capacity needed to design, scale, and govern highly impactful digital public infrastructure, he added.

UNDP champions an inclusive, rights-based, and people-centered approach to digital transformation, which can be broadened through co-operation and well-coordinated financing, said Opp.

From enabling access to real-time digital payments to addressing sector-specific needs, digital public infrastructure has emerged as a critical accelerator of human and economic development.

Critically, countries must consider inclusivity and safeguards upfront when designing and implementing such digital infrastructure. The existing challenges related to fragmentation and duplication of systems, a lack of common standards, and scattered financing need to be addressed to ensure sustainability, said the Working Group.

As a leader in the digital space, India is seizing the opportunity of its G20 Presidency to share its experiential learnings with the world while partnering with international development organizations such as UNDP to galvanize collective action for the digital public infrastructure agenda.

This year’s G20 coincides with the midpoint check-in of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Weighing the impact of Covid on national and global development priorities, there was a sense of consensus at the Digital Economy Working Group meeting that the global community needs a boost to get back on track.