BDT Director Doreen Bogdan Martin gave opening remarks at a briefing jointly organized by ITU, UNOPS and OHRLLS for Ambassadors of Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) and UN agencies, on the promises of Smart Islands to drive digital transformation and inclusive development.
Ms Bogdan-Martin emphasised the need to shift from traditional siloed approaches to a more holistic approach, and noted that that the Smart Islands draw inspiration from ITU's Smart Villages model, ''taking an integrated approach to realize the benefits of digital transformation at the community level."
Digital technology has served not only as a prime risk mitigation tool during the COVID pandemic, but also as a springboard for socio-economic transformation. However, barriers to connectivity remain, including the development of digital infrastructure, digital skills and literacy, trust and online safety, and digital services that offer relevant local content.
Ms Bogdan-Martin described that such barriers to connectivity could be tackled through a whole-of-government approach, to unlock digital transformation that positively impacts communities in the Pacific islands.
