By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African
Telecommunications Union (ATU) has called for stronger policy and institutional
coordination to support interoperability, resilience, trust and appropriate
safeguards as African countries deepen their digital transformation.
ATU Secretary-General John
Omo made the contribution during a side event on Digital Public Infrastructure
(DPI) held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General
Assembly in New York.
The session, titled
“Advancing DPI with Safeguards,” was organised by the United Nations Office for
Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN-ODET) and focused on national
harmonisation and cross-border interoperability.
Discussions examined how
countries can develop digital public infrastructure that responds to national
needs while also working effectively with digital systems beyond their borders.
Omo shared ATU’s perspective
on the policy and institutional coordination required to strengthen
interoperability as African countries expand their digital public
infrastructure.
The discussions also
highlighted the importance of building resilient and trusted digital systems
with appropriate safeguards, particularly as countries seek to connect digital
infrastructure and services across national boundaries.
