IGF 2023 Launch / Award Event #147 Report South-South Cooperation for Harnessing Digitalization

Time
Thursday, 12th October, 2023 (05:00 UTC) - Thursday, 12th October, 2023 (06:00 UTC)
Room
WS 7 – Room K
Subtheme

Global Digital Governance & Cooperation
Governing Digital Economy

UN ECA - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
UNOSSC -  United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation

Speakers

Presenter:

  Hany Beseda, Senior Research and Programme Advisor - UNOSSC

Discussants:

   Hon. Susan Dossi, Parliamentarian, The government of Malawi

 Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector, United Nations University

Atsushi Yamanaka, Senior Advisor of Digital Transformation – Japan International Cooperation  Agency (JICA) 

Tefsi Golla, Arden Strategies

Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina-Greensboro and research fellow at Kobe University, Japan 

Onsite Moderator

• Mactar Seck, Chief of Section - Innovation and Technology- UNECA

Online Moderator

• Hilda Mwakatumbula, Digital Development Expert - UNECA

Rapporteur

• Sorene Assefa – Internet Governance and Cybersecurity Expert -UNECA

SDGs

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
10. Reduced Inequalities
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Targets: Decent Work and Economic Growth - The report will help African countries to leverage digital technologies for economic growth. Reduce inequalities - Report shows that it is important for countries in the Global South to harness technology to reduce inequalities Partnership for the Goals - Reports shows the need for South -South cooperation for economic prosperity

Format

Presentation and Panel Discussions

Duration (minutes)
60
Language
English
Description

The draft report is inspired by the fact that industrialization is a recognized development priority for the African continent, in light of persistently weak economic diversification, lack of structural transformation processes, the necessity to create decent jobs for Africa’s bulging young workforce and, at the same time, the opportunities available to harness emerging technologies, including digital technologies to improve on the continent’s industrial competitiveness, address its industrial development challenges and enhance the value-added of industrialization to the continent’s economies.

The imperative to industrialize in Africa has been highlighted in many African policy documents, including Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and the UN Economic Commission for Africa Economic Reports on Africa as well as in the strategic policy frameworks of several Regional Economic Communities (RECs) such as the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Road Map (2015-2063), COMESA Industrialization Strategy (2017-2026) and various National Industrial Policies of many African countries.

The hybrid session is expected to bring in various stakeholders from development organizations that collaborate with UNECA and UNOSSC on the field, academia, researchers, end users, mostly youth and women and other participants from the global Internet governance ecosystem.