Page 4 - Policy benchmarks for digital transformation of people-centred cities

Foreword

This publication was developed within the framework of the United for Smart Sustainable Cities
(U4SSC) initiative.

Acknowledgments

The development of this deliverable was led and coordinated by Bettina Tratz-Ryan (Gartner) and
Mythili Menon (ITU). The deliverable is based on the contribution, support and participation of
Dimitrios D. Vergados (Professor Department of Informatics, University of Pireaus, Greece, UNESCO
Chair Holder: “Creative Cities in Motion: Urban Sustainable Mobility and Utilization of Cultural
Resources”, Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) (Board Member),
Eleni Varvarousi, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Piraeus, Dep. of Informatics, Hellenic Authority
for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) (Head of the Dep. of Regulatory Framework,
Monitoring New Technologies and Applications), Adam Hassan Obeid (Independent Consultant
– Strategy, Innovation and Digital Transformation), Vasu Briquez (Independent Advisor, Business
Innovation and Digital Transformation), Shazade Jameson (Independent), Aisha Alfalasi (Senior
Officer Incubation ICT Fund, TDRA UAE), Katharine Willis (Professor Smart Cities and Communities
University of Plymouth), Diego Costa Fernandes (Planetary Collaboration), Md. Selim Reza (System
Analyst, Internal Resources Division, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh), Gustavo Giannattasio (IEEE
Smart Cities Education Vice-President), Abhik Chaudhuri (T&I DnA, Tata Consulting Services),
Jess Reia Ph.D (Assistant Professor of Data Science, University of Virginia), Jose Estaban Gabarda
(CEO OSICO Knowledge Society), Atty. Dulce Blanca Punzalan (UN Global Compact, Philipines),
Youssef Benzekri (International Trade Council), Xiaomi An, Professor of Data Management and
Standardization, Renmin University of China.

The authors wish to thank the U4SSC management team: Okan Geray (U4SSC Chair), Ramy Ahmed
Fathy, Giampiero Bambagioni, Paolo Gemma, Wendy Goico Campagna, Tania Marcos and Emily
Royall (U4SSC Vice-Chair) for their assistance and contributions.

The authors also extend their gratitude to the contributing organizations along with their
representatives: Oliver Hillel from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Lucy Winchester
and Vera Kiss from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Simone
Borelli from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Cristina Bueti from the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), Deniz Susar from United Nations Department of Economic and
Social Affairs (UNDESA), Iryna Usava from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
James Murombedzi from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Guilherme
Canela from the Regional Bureau for Sciences in Latin America and the Caribbean of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Gulnara Roll from United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Matthew Ulterino from the United Nations Environment
Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI), Motsomi Maletjane from the United Nations Framework
Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), Edlam Abera Yemeru and Roberta Maio from the
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Vahid Khatami and Tea Aulavuo from

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