UK announces strategy to strengthen digital development

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has published a new strategy outlining its plans to support the development of digital technologies in low- and middle-income countries. The seven-year strategy will focus on four things: using the power of digital technology to strengthen economies, government, and society; making sure that everyone has access to digital technologies; making sure the digital space is safe to use; and using digital technology to support environmental aims. The strategy will focus on four practical goals that will help achieve those things, with a list of targets to achieve by 2030. 1. Ensuring basic “last mile” connectivity in remote, low-income areas, with a target to help 20 countries halve the number of people who have no web access. 2. Increasing digital public infrastructure, which involves helping 20 partner countries to provide their citizens with digital services. 3. Creating at least eight AI research labs at African universities as part of a drive to help ensure that there are regulatory frameworks for responsible artificial intelligence. 4. Supporting 50 million women and girls to become digitally connected. The U.K. government said there are 2.6 billion people globally without internet, including 65% of homes in lower-income countries, with women about 20% less likely than men to access the internet on a mobile phone. The strategy does not say what budget the U.K. has allocated to achieving these goals, although it does set out several tactics that FCDO will use to make progress. “Digital technologies are central to our daily lives but currently a lot of countries are missing out on the opportunities they provide,” Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said in a statement on the FCDO website. “Our new digital development strategy will promote affordable connectivity, harness the potential of AI for development and help tackle online violence against women and girls.”