Urgent call for Digital Transformation to foster resilience in Caribbean SIDS

St. John’s , May 29, 2024: The United Nations and key partners today made a  strong call for digital transformation in the Eastern Caribbean, to strengthen resilience, foster prosperity and accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The opportunity came as the UN Barbados and Eastern Caribbean  and the Government of Antigua, hosted a High-level Side Event themed: Digital Transformation for Resilience in the Eastern Caribbean: From Crises to Opportunities, on the sidelines of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) Conference currently underway in the Caribbean nation.

The Side-Event , which had participation from top UN officials, representatives of Government and the private sector,  explored digitalization as an entry point for improving public service delivery; navigating climate change and risk management; harnessing artificial intelligence for resilience; and fostering digital services for financial inclusion. 

In delivering welcome remarks, UN Resident Coordinator, Didier Trebucq,  underscored the need to raise the bar for prosperity and social cohesion for SIDS.  

“As we get closer to 2030, it has become apparent that the role of digital technologies is key to accelerate the SDGs and impact social protection , inequality, and access to the most  vulnerable,” he said, noting that both the UN and  development partners  had been working tirelessly to close the gap , and ensure the region  has the resources and capacities to implement."

“Going forward , partnerships will be in focus. The Early Warning for All (EW4All) Initiative is expected to be transformative for the region. We will continue to roll out key digital initiatives and digital readiness assessments, to ensure that SIDS can be global citizens equipped with the tools needed to  enhance their future and well-being.”

In his Keynote Address, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, the Hon. E.P. Chet Greene, told the gathering: 

“ Digitalization is at the heart of development and has an impact on all of us, government, business, citizens. The global pandemic demonstrated this and has accelerated the shift towards digitalization.”

Despite advances, Minister Greene stressed , however, that as noted in key studies, the Caribbean region continued to face many challenges, including lack of digital skills for the digital world, gaps in digitization, policy, regulatory and institutional challenges, as well as significant gaps in the digital trust  environment, which is essential for fostering confidence and security in online transactions. Nonetheless, the Antigua and Barbudan official  said his government was aiming for full digitalization of its public services by 2030, to position the nation as an e-commerce and e-business hub.

A highlight of the morning’s session was a panel discussion, which featured key UN and public and private sector experts, and aimed to generate innovative , concrete, ideas on how SIDS could be better supported in their digitalization thrust.  

Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in his contribution to the panel explained: “Technology is not just a tool. What we want to do is open the door of choice and opportunity.”  

Similar sentiments were expressed by Michelle Muschett, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who told the gathering that: “Digitalization is a powerful force and needs to be a deliberate effort.”

Natalie Abrahams, Chief Executive Officer, Digicel (Barbados), made it clear that  people should be the focus of all digitalization efforts. "It is about the people, the needs of our people need to drive the digital transformation," she said, while highlighting the need for “educating, training and building expertise  to ensure that talent is localized.”

Director and Representative of UNESCO Caribbean, Dr. Anna Paolini, moderated the event. She told members of the audience that the universal right to information, which is part of UNESCO’s mandate, was critical to ensure that there was no increase in the digital divide, and that no one was left behind. 
 

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This story was first published by The United Nations Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.