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President,
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues,
Access to digital technologies is a means to securing opportunities for all. Digital cooperation is absolutely crucial to ensure that all individuals, businesses and civil society benefit from the development of joint solutions to shared challenges.
Among such challenges are climate change and global health crises. Digital public goods are essential tools in tackling these and other risks.
I am glad these are key elements in the Global Digital Compact.
Norway promotes and provides financing for digital public goods in sectors such as climate and weather forecasting, agriculture, and health systems.
We also support digital public goods that help countries build essential platforms across all sectors, including digital identity and civil registration systems.
These systems are critical for financial inclusion and economic empowerment, particularly of women and other groups that risk exclusion. Building safe, trusted, and inclusive digital infrastructure for all is absolutely central to leaving no one behind.
Excellencies,
Multistakeholder collaboration and partnerships are essential if we are to close the digital divide, including the gender digital divide.
The Digital Public Goods Alliance is a great example. With more than 40 members from countries, UN institutions, civil society, and the private sector, the Alliance facilitates the discovery and deployment of open-source technology, with the aim to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
It is inspiring to see that a digital public good developed in Sierra Leone to pay health workers during the Ebola crisis, is now being used in the Philippines. Closer to home, I am grateful that a COVID tracking tool first developed in Sri Lanka proved useful for Norwegian municipalities.
Excellencies,
We must remember that all human rights fully apply in the digital space.
Digital technologies should be designed to minimise the risk of violating rights and doing harm. They must be safe to use and meet the needs of all users.
Transparency and user involvement in technology development and implementation can help achieve these aims.
It is more important than ever that we come together, co-create and share the best solutions. Norway is doing its part. We look forward to putting The Global Digital Compact into action.
Thank you.