New York (UNA/SPA) – The Digital Government Authority announced that it is holding talks with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs to establish a United Nations Digital Government Center, based in the capital, Riyadh, with the aim of enhancing international cooperation, transferring experiences and expertise, building partnerships to develop best practices, and enabling government capabilities in the fields of research and innovation.
This came during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Digital Government Authority and the United Nations on the sidelines of the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum, yesterday in New York City.
The Governor of the Digital Government Authority, Engineer Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwayan, explained that choosing Riyadh as the headquarters for the United Nations Digital Government Centre reflects the Kingdom's leadership and its regional and global role as a model to be emulated in building an integrated digital system that is based on human beings and anticipates the future. He pointed out that the center represents a pivotal station for developing digital government practices globally, supporting member states, enhancing knowledge exchange, and benefiting from artificial intelligence and modern technologies. He emphasized that this step comes as a result of the support and empowerment that digital government enjoys from the wise leadership, within the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
For her part, the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations, Björg Sandeker, indicated that the current discussions represent an extension of the joint cooperation between the Kingdom and the United Nations during the past period, and establish a long-term partnership aimed at supporting digital government and enhancing the capabilities of public institutions, and contributing to bridging the digital divide, as the center will work on developing frameworks, standards and best practices to help member states build comprehensive and sustainable digital strategies that contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing their inclusiveness at the global level.
It is worth noting that the Kingdom launched the “Riyadh Declaration” during the proceedings of the (19) session of the Internet Governance Forum, which is organized annually by the United Nations and brings together experts from around the world to discuss and formulate international trends and policies in Internet governance, which was hosted by the capital, Riyadh. This center comes as an extension of what the declaration included in terms of strengthening international cooperation, supporting digital inclusion through the use of artificial intelligence technologies in a way that contributes to increasing access and bridging the digital divide, supporting sustainable development by improving the quality of life, enhancing environmental protection, driving economic growth, in addition to enabling responsible innovation and raising productivity at the global level.
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