The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), a global multilateral body working to strengthen collaboration towards the sustainable and inclusive growth of the global digital economy, held on Thursday a high-level side event as part of the ongoing 76th UN General Assembly. The Sultanate was represented at the virtual event by Eng Said bin Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.
DCO is a global multilateral body that aims to increase digital prosperity for all by accelerating the inclusive growth of the digital economy. DCO brings together governments, the private sector, international organisations, NGOs and civil society to strengthen collaboration for more inclusive digital transformation and growth of digital industries. Its current membership includes Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
Speakers at the virtual event included the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, DCO Chairperson Eng Abdullah Alswaha, ministers from the DCO’s member states and the DCO’s Secretary-General, Deemah al Yahya.
The event, titled ‘Shaping an Inclusive Digital Age’, held by the DCO — which comprises seven member states — highlighted how this recently-established organisation is bringing together private and public sector actors, academia and civil society to spur digital economic growth across member states, advance DCO members’ digital transformation, and address challenges related to a growing digital divide within and between countries.
The UN Secretary General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation recognises the importance of the digital economy to humanity’s future, particularly access for everyone to communicate, work and learn using the Internet and online technologies. People who lack access to these technologies will be further marginalised as the digital economy grows, particularly women, the elderly, those with disabilities, indigenous groups, or those who live in poor, remote or rural areas. Accordingly, the Roadmap’s first action is that every adult should have affordable access to digital networks by 2030.
Assistant Secretary-General Spatolisano delivered the opening address, representing the Envoy on Technology’s office which promotes inclusive and multi-stakeholder approaches in areas such as universal connectivity, digital inclusion and digital capacity-building.
The Assistant Secretary-General noted that the goals of DCO align to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and can help support implementing the Roadmap to achieve the Secretary General’s vision of a more open, free and secure digital future for all. She encouraged continuing and expanded cooperation of this nature between and among stakeholders from both developed and developing countries, stating: “I welcome the Digital Cooperation Organization’s efforts to create an inclusive digital future for all, and efforts by member states Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to prioritise the digital economy in their countries’ agendas.”
As part of its mission to facilitate international collaboration among governments, the private and public sectors, civil society and beyond, the DCO’s event enabled ministers for communication and technology from its member states to give their expert insight on the policies and programmes that are needed to resolve the key challenges around inclusive digital growth and the digital economy more broadly, thereby helping shape the international policy debate with a focus on actionable outcomes for DCO members and beyond.
Oman and other officials attending from around the world provided their perspectives on a range of topics, including initiatives that are driving digital growth; effective public-private digital transformation models; and empowering women and youth by accelerating the promotion of technological development.
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