In Latin America and the Caribbean, the promise of digital transformation is unfolding in real time. Across ministries, municipalities, and marketplaces, countries are beginning to connect the dots between technology, inclusion, and trust. At the heart of this evolution lies a foundational concept: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

DPI refers to the digital systems that enable societies to function and innovate via digital identity, data exchange, and digital payment platforms that, together, allow governments, citizens, and businesses to interact seamlessly. When built responsibly, DPI becomes an invisible yet powerful backbone that supports everything from social protection and health care to education and democratic participation.

This is the story of how Latin America and the Caribbean are accelerating the uptake of DPI not just to digitalize services, but to expand freedom and unlock human development.

DPI as a Catalyst to Bridge the Digital Divide

For decades, the region has faced a paradox. Despite remarkable progress in connectivity, its public services remain fragmented. Citizens often must navigate multiple agencies, redundant paperwork, and limited data sharing. Each transaction is a reminder of inefficiency, each delay, a missed opportunity for equity.

DPI changes this dynamic. By linking identity systems, enabling secure data exchange, and integrating digital payments, DPI creates the connective tissue that makes governance more efficient, transparent, and inclusive. When designed with openness, modularity, and interoperability in mind, DPI transforms public institutions from isolated silos into connected ecosystems.

The latest UNDP Regional Human Development Report 2025 – Under Pressure highlights how the region’s persistent inequality, climatic threats, polarization, and rapidly evolving technologies threaten to erode decades of progress. Yet, it also points to digital transformation as a unique opportunity to rebuild social cohesion and institutional legitimacy, if it is inclusive, rights-based, and human-centred.

DPI sits at the intersection of inclusion, transparency, and resilience. By extending access to essential services for those historically left behind, it reduces inequality; by giving citizens control over their data, it strengthens transparency; and by enabling governments to respond quickly to crises, it boosts resilience. Interoperability between social registries and digital payments allows real-time, secure support for vulnerable populations. Identity digital identity systems are trusted and inclusive, and citizens can engage with their governments without friction or fear.

But progress is uneven. Digital divides persist along lines of income, geography (urban vs rural), and gender. Without deliberate policies, digital transformation can exacerbate inequality rather than reduce it.

Strengthening Institutional Capacity for DPI Implementation

Designing and implementing DPI that leaves no one behind requires strong government and digital capacity. Governments must understand the importance of building digital systems that are inclusive and secure by design, embedding safeguards from day one. They should look to internationally recognised frameworks and adapt them to national contexts, ensuring protection and accessibility for all citizens.  

The Capacity Development for Digital Transformation project, a collaboration between UNDP and ITU, supported by the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, equips governments worldwide with these capabilities through in-person and online trainings. These sessions offer hands-on opportunities to address real-world challenges and foster cross-border knowledge exchange.  

By investing in digital skills and institutional readiness, the project helps translate DPI strategies from concepts into actionable, sustainable solutions.  

Building Capacity on the Ground: Digital Public Infrastructure in Practice  

A few weeks ago, 30 representatives from governments, the private sector, think tanks, and academics across Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Panama for the "Digital Public Infrastructure in Practice" training, part of the broader capacity development effort to strengthen countries’ digital capabilities. The three-day intensive brought together diverse stakeholders united by a common goal: learning how to design and deploy DPI responsibly to drive inclusion, efficiency, and trust.

Through lectures and interactive sessions, participants explored critical questions: How might we build digital identity systems that include marginalized populations? What governance frameworks prevent data misuse while enabling innovation? How can interoperability unlock value without compromising security?