By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) has emphasised the need to keep people at the
centre of digital transformation as governments, businesses and civil society
navigate the rapid pace of artificial intelligence and technological change.
Speaking after Digital@UNGA,
organised by UNDP and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNDP
Chief Digital Officer, Robert Opp said the event brought together leaders from
government, the United Nations, business and civil society to consider how
technological change can advance while ensuring people remain central to the
transformation.
Opp said the event
demonstrated the importance of technology in making participation more
accessible and inclusive, highlighting the performance of Big Ocean, a deaf and
hard-of-hearing K-pop group that uses technology as part of its performances.
He said Big Ocean
represented the intersection of talent and ambition with technology that can
help expand participation and inclusion.
The Digit’all Voices
campaign also showcased how people around the world are using technology to
address challenges within their communities. According to Opp, the stories
reflected different contexts and experiences while demonstrating that digital
transformation is already being shaped by people developing solutions to
problems that matter to them.
He said the responsibility
of those working in digital transformation extends beyond keeping pace with
technological developments to creating the conditions that enable more people
to influence how technology develops and where it takes society.
At UNDP, this approach is
reflected in a new publication, Turning Digital into Impact: 10 UNDP Country
Stories, which examines how digital solutions are producing tangible
results across different countries.
The compendium covers
applications of digital technology in areas including justice, health, climate
action, public services and crisis response.
