DiploFoundation – Digital Governance

The World Development Report 2016 on “Digital Dividends” argued that while the internet (and digital technologies, more widely) had the potential to enable growth and economic development, inequalities and gaps continued to exist and were even wider, both at the global level and within countries. Digital technologies bring benefits but these benefits (called digital dividends) are not spreading evenly and rapidly enough. Efforts need to be made to close the digital divides and ensure that the internet is universally available, accessible, and affordable. In addition, complementary policies are needed to create an enabling environment for individual users, businesses, and the public sector to take full advantage of digital technologies (e.g. data protection, use of artificial intelligence, cyber security, addressing fake news). Lack of capacity for effective participation in global policies is a bottleneck for national development and poverty reduction. Diplo addresses this gap.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to be ready for, and to make use of, developments connected to digitalisation in order to strengthen the capacity of developing countries. Today, no single policy area is untouched by digital developments.

Primary beneficiaries are diplomats, development cooperation specialists and other officials from developing countries (with a special focus on SDC priority countries). 

Secondary beneficiaries include relevant stakeholders from s developing countries (such as the technical community, academia, media representatives, youth future leaders, NGO representatives).

Staff of SDC, particularly from the Global Cooperation Department and SDC’s networks, will benefit from courses provided by Diplo.

1.    Developing and strengthening the capacity of developing countries to facilitate their participation in global (digital) policy and development processes, with a special focus on SDC priority countries.

2.    Increased contribution of Diplo to the 2030 Agenda and global support to the UN reform, including contributing to the implementation of the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on Digital Co-operation.

3.    Digital SDC 2.0: Assisting the SDC with internal capacity building, with a particular focus on the Global Cooperation Department and SDC’s networks, to gain the benefits of digitalisation.

4.    Diplo’s institutional effectiveness and set-up, and thus its global impact is strengthened.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

1.    Facilitating the participation of developing countries in trainings with a special focus on SDC priority countries;

2.    Further development and improvement of online learning platform, training methodology, and learning materials;

3.    New (increased) partnerships with the private sector;

4.    Workshop for SDC to strengthen internal capacity on digitalisation which includes a quarterly “SDC Watch” newsletter about issues relevant for SDC;

5.    Report about the future strategic orientation of Diplo and fundraising strategy.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

Diplo has contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular SDGs 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17) through developing capacity of stakeholders worldwide. To date, Diplo provided over 350 capacity development courses to over 6 500 individuals from 200 countries and territories, in areas such as contemporary diplomacy, regional and multilateral relations, and digital policy. Around half of the participants were female and from mainly developing or least developed countries. From 2016-2018 Diplo trained 1632 people, more than 75% from developing countries and 50% were female participants. Officials from developing countries play a greater role in creating internet governance policies. E.g. several members of the Internet Governance Forum’s[1]Multistakeholder Advisory Group are alumni of Diplo’s internet governance programmes. With its work (e.g. Geneva Internet Platform) Diplo made a significant contribution that Geneva is today one of the main hubs where digital policies are debated, evaluated, and adopted.

[1] The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. The convening of the IGF was announced by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2006.

Phase 6 01.11.2019 - 31.12.2022   (Completed)