Arab Horizon 2030: Digital Technologies for Development Update
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asian (ESCWA) released a study on Arab Horizon 2030: Digital Technologies for Development. The study examines digital technologies for development in the Arab region within the framework of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through the study, ESCWA aims to promote radical policy changes in utilising digital technologies for sustainable development in the Arab region. To this aim, it identifies proposals and recommendations for harnessing these technologies in social, economic, and human development opportunities. The research tackles seven thematic policy areas relevant to digital technologies and their impact on development goals: digital strategies, ICT sector, ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital divide, e-applications, and e-government. For each policy area, the study provides an in-depth analysis organised under four sections: a) contextualisation of the thematic issue with respect to its impact on the sustainable development goals (SDGs), b) analysis of local policies in Arab countries and the gap with developed countries, c) pinpointing the Horizon 2030 vision and policy change recommendations to fulfill SDGs, and d) outlining business-as-usual trajectory in line with the Horizon 2030 vision. At the end, the study provides a summary of the 2030 vision and the pertinent policy change recommendations for each of the seven areas.
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