Page 52 - Building digital public infrastructure for cities and communities

roles and remedies to ensure that DPI protects rights, provides recourse when problems arise and
remains subject to meaningful oversight. The following mechanisms offer practical entry points for
institutionalizing trust in DPI and ensuring it delivers long-term public value.

Institutional trust enablers include:

Mechanism Purpose
Digital ombudspersons Independent redress body to investigate user complaints.
Data stewardship councils Multistakeholder bodies that oversee ethical data use.
Algorithmic transparency laws Require disclosure of automated decision-making logic.
Independent audits Verify DPI performance, equity and rights compliance.
Codes of digital conduct Ethical charters signed by DPI operators and vendors.

7 The role of international standards and cooperation

As cities expand their digital infrastructure, they must proactively address the ethical implications
and security risks associated with emerging technologies. This section delves into frameworks
for PbD, ethics in AI and blockchain deployment, and building trust through security measures
and safeguards against misuse, by adopting international standards and engaging in partnership
initiatives and sustainable people-centred cooperation models. Ensuring ethical use of technology
is not a mere add-on but a core component of responsible DPI governance, directly impacting
public trust and safety.

7.1 Interoperability and open standards

Interoperability constitutes a foundational pillar of DPI, enabling seamless integration across
diverse systems, platforms and jurisdictions. By adopting open standards such as those developed
by the W3C, APIs, ITU and ISO/IEC data exchange protocols, ITU IoT and digital twins and smart
sustainable cities Recommendations, cities can avoid the pitfalls of technical silos and vendor lock-
in. This ensures that core DPI components, including digital identity systems, payment platforms
and data registries, can interact without proprietary constraints (Chakraborty, 2024).

One example is India’s UPI, which demonstrates the transformative potential of open API standards
in fostering financial inclusion and cross-border interoperability. By leveraging QR-based protocols
and eliminating transaction fees for merchants and consumers, UPI facilitates frictionless digital
payments at scale (Bandura et al., 2024). Such open architectures not only enhance user accessibility
but also catalyse a dynamic and competitive ecosystem in which third-party developers can build
value-added services on top of shared APIs and standardized data schemas.

The adoption of open standards significantly reduces integration costs and development timelines,
making DPI more adaptable and sustainable (UNDP, 2023). Policymakers must, therefore, prioritize

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