Press Conference by Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, UN DESA and Vincenzo Aquaro, Chief of Digital Government Branch, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government, UN DESA, on the 2024 edition of the United Nations E-Government Survey – Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development.

The Survey explores key trends and innovations that are shaping the future of public administration, with a focus on building resilience and inclusive digital infrastructures among the 193 United Nations Member States and the most populous city in each country.

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UN experts highlighted the uneven progress in digital transformation globally, urging accelerated efforts to bridge the digital divide, especially in developing regions.

Navid Hanif, UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, stressed that while digital government advancements have accelerated post-pandemic, disparities remain across regions.

Briefing reporters on Tuesday (17 Sep) at UN Headquarters, Hanif said, "The development of digital government has seen a significant upward trend. That's good news, and it's worldwide, with all regions leveraging technology to enhance government services and improve people's engagement." However, he added, "the pace of development has been uneven, and regional disparities in digital development persist. Still, 1.37 billion people remain on the wrong side of the digital divide, with no access."

Vincenzo Aquaro, Chief of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Digital Government Branch presented data on the world's top digital performers. He highlighted that 18 countries are currently classified in the highest digital government rating class, with Denmark leading globally.

Aquaro said, "this rating class includes 18 countries, 10 from Europe, six from Asia, and two from Oceania, making a net increase of three countries from the previous editions. Denmark remains the top global performer, followed by Estonia and Singapore.” He added that new entrants to the list include Germany, Norway, and Spain, alongside advances in Asia by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The briefing also shed light on the regulatory progress in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). Aquaro pointed out that 90 countries have some form of AI legislation, though gaps remain.

Emphasizing the need for broader global cooperation in AI governance, he said, "while this progress is encouraging, it's important to note that the number of countries with AI legislation still falls significantly short of those with well-established digital government strategies."

Aquaro further called for increased support to developing nations, particularly in Africa, to ensure they are not left behind in the digital era. He said, "we don't want to see the world divided by the richest and the poorest. Now it's important to share with other countries and support as much as possible developing countries."

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