Digital technologies and innovations are disrupting the public sector and impacting people’s everyday lives.  The 2030 Agenda specifically recognized the vital role of these technologies as a catalyst for realizing its vision and stated that “the spread of information and communications technology (ICT) and global interconnectedness have great potential to  accelerate  human progress, to bridge the digital divide and to develop knowledge societies, as does scientific and technological innovation across areas as diverse as medicine and energy”.
 
Aware of these technologies, governments around the world are investing more and more on ICTs to deliver public services. According to the 2016 United Nations E-Government Survey, there has been a sharp rise in the number of countries that are using e-government to provide public services online through one stop-platforms – an approach that makes it easier to access public services.  Some countries like Denmark and the United Kingdom are aiming for ‘digital by default’, meaning that “digital services are so straightforward and convenient that all those who can use them will choose to do so whilst those who can’t are not excluded”.

The facilitation meeting will focus on how e-Government can help eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world by providing a platform for participants  to (i) exchange experiences and lessons on the role of digital government for eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity; (ii) identify priority areas for implementation within the Action Lines;  (iii)  exchange  ideas  in  particular  on  how  to maximize the role and impact of public authorities in putting ICT at the service of poor; (iv) how can the governments and global community better measure digital government development and (v) explore synergies among different stakeholders for more effective knowledge sharing and collaboration in the implementation process.

The event will consist of a few pointed presentations by governments and other representatives identifying good practices to be shared and challenges on which they would like advice or support.  This will be followed by responses by other speakers on the panel and by an interactive dialogue among all meeting participants.

The outcome of this meeting is expected to feed into the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2017, which is the United Nations central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. (see below table for more details about HLPF 2017).

Please scroll down to find the list of Speakers.