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Digital Leadership in the Caribbean
15 May 2023 - 16 May 2023
Venue: Trinidad and Tobago
Introduction
The Caribbean region is continuing to show meaningful progress in the ways in which governments conduct business and provide public services, through the adoption of digital transformation strategies. According to the 2022 United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), all member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) surveyed, except Haiti, placed in the “High” development group1. Nevertheless, citizen impatience with the pace of digital reforms and their ongoing preference for accessing public services through non-digital channels continue to be formidable challenges, requiring more ambitious and nuanced digital transformation agendas. To deliver on these new agendas, regional knowledge exchanges on digital policy development, that leverage the successes and insights gained from each country’s journey, are critical.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation in Trinidad and Tobago (MDT), on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), wishes to create an enabling space for the region’s most senior policymakers with portfolio responsibility for digitalisation, in which they can address collaboratively some of the most common impediments faced in the digital transformation of the state. By contributing, from their unique set of competencies, knowledge and professional experiences, these executives will learn from each other and enhance the knowledge base for Caribbean digital policy and practice.
Workshop Objectives
The Executive Sessions will seek to:
- Facilitate a comprehensive understanding among executives of cross-border challenges and opportunities to advance digital transformation in the Caribbean;
- Support strategy development for confronting and addressing impediments to public sector innovation at the regional, national and organisational level; and
- Chart joint action among the Ministers, with support from the IDB and CTU, in the areas of research and innovation to advance the digital agenda.
Workshop Format
The Executive Sessions will provide six (6) substantive sessions focusing on practical guidance on the most salient topics for Caribbean digitalisation such as (i) e-Identity and interoperability platforms; (ii) cybersecurity for critical infrastructure; and (iii) cross-border data governance. The Executive Sessions will feature in- person presentations by renowned digital thought leaders and offer a helpdesk setting where questions can be asked and answered confidentially2. Moreover, they will foster an esprit de corps among the policymakers by facilitating peer exchanges on their digital policy successes that reflect the unique sensitivities, strengths and institutional settings that typify the Caribbean experience. Policy makers will also have facilities available for technical advice in real-time, by having their designated technical advisor(s) attending the sessions virtually. An open session with specially invited guests representing the region’s private sector and civil society will also allow policymakers to gain perspective on the imperatives of championing a more engaged and trusting digital citizenry.
1 See Publication: https://publicadministration.un.org/egovkb/en-us/Reports/UN-E-Government-Survey-2022
2 Chatham House Rules will be in effect for all closed sessions.