Regional Initiatives for Asia and the Pacific

A two-year project to conduct a feasibility study aimed at addressing the special needs for telecommunication/ICT development in the pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), funded by the Australia Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) was launched. In addition programmes and projects funded by SDG Fund, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ITU facilitated acceleration of digital transformation at community level, through the Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiative and other digital skills development activities, in Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Pacific SIDS digitalization capacity was strengthened through policy, regulatory and strategic framework assistance in Fiji and Solomon Islands, and USO and infrastructure sharing in Tonga and Vanuatu.

As part of Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade in Papua New Guinea (EU-STREIT PNG) programme, digital agriculture was strengthened in Papua New Guinea through the development of information systems, strengthening of data resources, and building capacity through resource centers and learning management systems. The project continues to have a profound impact on a grassroots level as farmers are empowered to tap into new business opportunities.

A whole-of-government approach advanced in Laos through technical assistance for the development of the Prime Minister’s Digital Dashboard. In addition, digital government services of Bangladesh, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea were strengthened through capacity building activities for government officials drawing upon the whole-of-government approach advocated by GovStack. Vanuatu adopted digital transformation master plan in 2024 supported by ITU and DITRDCA projects.

EW4All Pillar 3 gap assessment was conducted and national EW4All roadmaps were agreed during National Stakeholder workshops in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Tonga. The development of EW4All pillar 3 roadmaps for Solomon Islands and Tonga were supported under phase 2 of the cooperation  with Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. Similar engagement for Kiribati and Samoa are planned for early 2025.