ICTD InfoBank: A Knowledge Sharing Portal on ICTD for the Asia-Pacific region

This report highlights examples of country-level COVID-19 response initiatives employing digital innovation and T4D approaches, in support of both its humanitarian action and development programmes. It further demonstrates how the scale-up of T4D’s strategic integration in programming and digital innovations has allowed UNICEF to support programme partners in closing gaps to meet children’s needs, often under complex environments, and in line with existing national systems.

Through a variety of case studies, the book illustrates how countries in different regions view the opportunities and challenges of digital technologies and how policy makers are responding to them. The publication, entitled “Adapting to the digital trade era: challenges and opportunities”, considers how technological advancement such as the growth of e-commerce and the development of blockchain technology may contribute to inclusive growth.

The Technology and Innovation Report 2021 urges all developing nations to prepare for a period of deep and rapid technological change that will profoundly affect markets and societies. All countries will need to pursue science, technology and innovation policies appropriate to their development stage and economic, social and environmental conditions. This requires strengthening and aligning Science, Technology and Innovation systems and industrial policies, building digital skills among students and the workforce, and closing digital divides.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for digital connectivity and transformation to mitigate the impact of economic slowdown, sustain well-being, and speed up e-resilience readiness, and build back better. Social distancing has generated higher demand for fast and reliable broadband connectivity to support the growing information flows.

Asia and the Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) Policy Brief: The objective of this research is to provide a national-level, gender-sensitive analysis of current planning processes, policies and initiatives on information and communications technology for development (ICTD) in institutions of higher learning (IHLs) in five surveyed countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It is intended to help prepare future ICTD leaders in the countries.

Asia and the Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) Policy Brief: E-government has been growing in a rapid pace over the past 19 years. The United Nations E-Government Survey, with the overall theme “gearing e-government to support transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies” underscores a persistent positive global trend towards higher levels of e-government development. This implies that globally, there has been steady growth in enhancing e-government and public services provision online.

Today’s digital technologies are transforming almost every sector of the economy by presenting new business models, introducing innovative products and services – and, ultimately, changing the way countries around the world harness socioeconomic development. Digital technologies, and the benefits that they bring, can connect citizens to services and opportunities, and help them build a better future. However, for markets to function effectively, they must be accompanied by an enabling policy and regulatory environment.

The World Bank and the International Telecommunication Union are pleased to present the Digital Regulation Handbook​ and Digital Regulation onli​ne Platform​, the result of an ongoing collaboration over two decades between the two agencies. It aims to provide practical guidance and best practice for policy makers and regulators across the globe concerned with harnessing the benefits of the digital economy and s​ociety for their citizens and firms.

This handbook is designed to help countries monitor progress towards becoming information societies, based on international statistical standards, and is an important contribution to improving analysis and benchmarking across countries.

What is the impact of government policies and regulation on the performance of the ICT sector, as measured by capital investment, network deployment, service pricing, consumer demand, and ultimately impact on the economy? Is competition enough of an incentive to drive an improvement of sector performance? How long does it take for changes in regulation and policies to affect sector performance? Econometric modelling built on data from 145 countries between 2008 and 2019 was used in this study.