From Dialogue to Action: The Power of Believing in Change (SDG 9 & SDG 16)

Cristino Pedraza, Chief Technical Advisor of the Decentralization Programme and focal point for the Italy Flagship Initiative for Africa at UNDP. The retreat offered intensive moments of collaborative work. Thematic sessions and working groups were organized to address topics such as digital regulation, system interoperability, cybersecurity, digital identity, and equitable access to digital public services. Contributions from cooperation partners reflected a strong commitment to strengthening public institutions (SDG 16) and creating resilient, sustainable digital infrastructure (SDG 9).

Key proposals that emerged from the working groups included:

• Strengthening the Government Network (GovNet), with extended coverage to the country’s most remote areas;
• Creation of digital plazas and expansion of satellite internet in administrative posts;
• Implementation of secure and universal Digital Identity;
• Development of the Citizen Portal and Digital Municipality as integrated platforms for public service access;
• Selection of three major projects for implementation: E-Payment, E-Procurement, and E-Taxation.

These initiatives converge on the need for a more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centered state. They also contribute directly to SDG 16 by promoting more open, digital, and accountable institutions. The creation of a Governmental Working Group for Digitalization represents not just a concrete result but also the beginning of a robust structure with the potential to become a national reference for harmonizing and coordinating digital initiatives across the country.

One of the most significant outcomes of the retreat was the formal establishment of this working group, bringing together all public institutions involved in digitalization, while also promoting dialogue with the private sector and development partners supporting this agenda, such as the World Bank, UNDP, the European Union, GIZ, UNICEF, and the Government of Italy. This group reflects a new approach to tackling digital transformation challenges, moving away from siloed and fragmented visions to embrace a horizontal, systemic, and interconnected perspective. Here, digitalization is seen as a means to solve real problems that directly affect people’s quality of life, especially the most vulnerable.

With this in mind, the digitalization program was designed to deliver fast and tangible impact, ensuring institutional and social ownership from the outset, and promoting digital solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and oriented toward the common good. “We discussed strategies, but we also shared stories. We talked about how digitalization can make a difference in a rural hospital, a primary school, or a local administrative post. That’s when we realized we were talking about people—not just systems,” emphasized Danilo Jone from UNDP’s Governance Unit.