Resources

The UN E-Government Survey 2022 was launched on 28 September 2022. The theme of the 12th edition of the Survey is “The Future of Digital Government”. The Survey looks at how digital government can facilitate integrated policies and services across the 193 United Nations Member States. It supports countries’ efforts to provide effective, accountable and inclusive digital services to all and to bridge the digital divide and leave no one behind.…

The citizen engagement toolkit is a brief guide aimed at promoting engagement in and implementation of open government in the Arab region.  Prepared as part of ESCWA open government initiative, the toolkit covers how to design, develop and implement citizen engagement programmes within the implementation of open government that contributes to better governance.   The toolkit is designed with three levels of engagement - participation,…

The open data toolkit is a brief guide for initiating, planning, implementing, and evaluating open data programmes in the Arab region.  It includes five sections, covering planning and management, making and updating inventories and catalogues, developing platforms, evaluating, and ensuring open data quality.  The proposed steps are fortified with examples from existing open data initiatives that help clarify the process based national…

SDGs National Reporting Platforms (NRPs) are essential to help member countries to achieve their national development goals and are crucial elements to monitor and report the progress towards achieving the SDGs at all levels. The objective of these platforms is to create sustainable pathways for sharing transparent information, offering easy analysis tools that enable Governments and policymakers set, evaluate their progress, and adjust…

Over the past decade, global economic growth rates have continuously declined. The extent of this trend, influenced by developments in digital technologies, are yet to be fully captured. Today, numerous national efforts are deemed to be largely ineffective in terms of their responsiveness to new and emerging social, economic and political landscapes. What are the strategic directions and policy roadmaps for a thriving digital economy that spans…

GEMS indicator aims to measure the maturity of government services provided through the portal and through mobile applications in the Arab region. It seeks to bridge the gap in most of the international indicators, related to service maturity, its use and user satisfaction. To this end, 84 government services have been identified, and it is necessary for each country to deliver them electronically for individuals and businesses. The principle of…

This compendium, prepared by the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), aims to capture emerging trends in digital responses of UN Member States against the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide a preliminary analysis of their main features. These cases are shared for exchange of information so that Member States can learn from each other and possibly…

Signed by 52 African countries, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is, by the number of participating countries, the largest trade agreement since the formation of the WTO. By 1 April 2019, only one year and ten days after the signature, the threshold of ratification by 22 countries required for the agreement’s entry into force had been reached. The speed of this ratification is unprecedented in African Union history.​ With so…

Laws and regulations related to access to information and openness are very important for the implementation of open government principles. These laws cover several areas, such as access to information, protection of personal data, citizen participation and anti-corruption. However, the access information law is the basis and core stone for open government. The adoption of this law, and its implementation are of great importance for launching…

COVID-19 has highlighted how critical digital connectivity is to governments, businesses, and society, and has brought a newfound sense of urgency to the digital inclusion agenda. While the crisis has enabled hundreds of millions to participate online, it has also exacerbated the digital divide for 47% of the world’s population that remains unconnected. The post-COVID world will be more digital – requiring more connectivity, digital skills, and…

The year 2020 witnessed a transformational change in global development as the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on Member States and other stakeholders to “kickstart a decade of delivery and action for people and planet”, given the short time left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.By surveying and studying broad patterns of digital government around the world, the United Nations E-Government Survey…

The primer is the result of 10 months of research and analysis focused specifically on the use and implications of AI in government. It has benefited from the input of dozens of experts and stakeholders, including through a seven-week public consultation, which received about 1,500 comments from over 75 individuals or organisations, including governments, academics, AI experts, businesses, and civil society organisations. OPSI made many…