It is only when the lights go out during a storm, or when roads and trucks continue to bring food and sustenance to our doorsteps during lockdowns that we tend to appreciate the value of our world’s infrastructure. Yet digital public infrastructure, the underlying network of digital platforms that allow governments to provide vital public services to citizens — from cash transfers to online education to e-health — is being overlooked.
Digital public infrastructure is open, accessible, and inclusive by default — allowing other countries to reuse and replicate. Like electricity grids bringing power and light to homes, hospitals, and schools, an inclusive digital public infrastructure can provide new flows and benefits that are accessible to everyone.
Without major investment in these vital building blocks of our digital society, many countries risk being left behind, unable to reap the benefits of our new digital world.
About the authors
Achim Steiner@ASteiner
Achim Steiner has been the administrator of the U.N. Development Programme since 2017. Steiner is also the vice-chair of the U.N. Sustainable Development Group, which unites 40 entities of the U.N. system that work to support sustainable development. Prior to joining UNDP, he was director of the Oxford Martin School and professorial fellow of Balliol College, University of Oxford. He led the U.N. Environment Programme from 2006 to 2016, helping governments invest in clean technologies and renewable energy.
Amitabh Kant@amitabhk87
Amitabh Kant is presently the G-20 Sherpa of India. He previously served as the CEO of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) — the Government of India’s premier policy think tank and prior to that as secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. Kant is a member of the Indian Administrative Service. He is the author of “Branding India — An Incredible Story,” “Incredible India 2.0,” and has edited “The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India."
