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Proposed Arab Digital Agenda: Preliminary Framework for the Arab Information and Communication Technology Strategy for Sustainable Development

Symbol: 
E/ESCWA/TDD/2019/TP.4
Issued in: 
2021

The integration of ICT into the various sectors has led to improve the effectiveness of activities and to develop these sectors. Regional and national digital Agendas are documents that provide a set of goals and objectives in the field of ICT at the regional or national levels. This document entitled “Proposed Arab Digital Agenda: Preliminary Framework for the Arab ICT Strategy for Sustainable Development” presents ESCWA's proposal for a set of ICT objectives and targets to promote digital development and hence support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region. It presents an overview of existing similar regional digital agendas in the world and proposes an agenda revolving around five pillars, that meets the needs of the Arab region.

The proposed agenda consists of a set of actions grouped under five areas of work or pillars related to ICT: infrastructure, governance, economy, society and culture. These pillars have been selected as the most appropriate areas for action to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda requirements. A brief analysis is presented on the relevance of each of the five pillars in relation to the 2030 Agenda as a whole, followed by an assessment of each pillar-related indicators in the Arab region, and a set of proposed actions, which if implemented, would improve the indicators associated with these pillars and thus accelerate the attainment of the associated relevant developmental goals.