UN officials have warned that as the digital world continues to transform, developing regions are at risk of being left behind. Although he hailed the progress made in digital government advances, the UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, Navid Hanif, said there are still disparities between regions.
“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”, Hanif said. But, he added, ”still, 1.37 billion people remain on the wrong side of the digital divide, with no access.”
UN officials also showed data on the world’s top digital performers, with Denmark topping the list. Vincenzo Aquaro, Chief of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Digital Government Branch, said that also among the 18 leading countries are Germany, Spain and Saudi Arabia.
The UN is calling for more support to developing nations, especially in Africa, to reduce digital inequalities.