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.