📅 03 – 05 September 2024
Astana, Kazakhstan
In April 2024, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) adopted Resolution 80/1 on “Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, in which the Commission expressed its appreciation to the Government of Kazakhstan for offering to host the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation and encouraged all members and associate members to participate at the senior level to strengthen regional digital cooperation with the aim of promoting digital inclusion and sustainable development.
In ESCAP Resolution 79/10 on “Promoting digital cooperation and inclusion through the Action Plan for Implementing the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Initiative, 2022–2026” adopted in May 2023, the Commission decided to convene a ministerial conference on digital inclusion and transformation to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and regional technology initiatives, including the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Initiative.
The ministerial conference will consider a blueprint for regional cooperation, which is imperative to accelerate digital innovation for sustainable development. It will bring together government leaders and ministers from across Asia and the Pacific, as well as other key stakeholders, to discuss how digital inclusion and transformation can accelerate sustainable development in the region.
The ministerial conference will also aim to foster digital cooperation among members and associate members to bridge the digital divide, ensure the provision of digital skills training, strengthen digital connectivity, address and enhance digital trust and security, share good policies, practices and lessons learned, and promote inclusive digital economies and societies.
The ministerial conference will provide space for engagement, dialogue, and exchange with a broad range of partners and stakeholders showcasing digital innovations that are already contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across the region.
