Digital Development

Our 7th #OneSouthAsia Conversation will focus on these potentials and challenges of leveraging technologies to build human capital and help South Asia manage risks and shocks: how can it overcome regional barriers, promote cross-country collaboration to support recovery from COVID and other shocks, and build human capital and adaptable resilience in the region.

The rapid digital transformation underway in many emerging markets has the potential to have an equally transformative impact for entrepreneurs. However, critical gaps in access to the internet and mobile phones can limit the ability to work in tech-enabled jobs or to compete as entrepreneurs. This event draws on recent IFC research on the rise of e-commerce in Africa and Southeast Asia and opportunities for further growth by exploring more inclusive practices. It will cover two key topics: E-commerce for development, highlighting how this rapidly growing sector opens a pathway for digital entrepreneurs in Africa and South East Asia; E-commerce and gender equality, highlighting new research from IFC that leverages company data to show for the first time how women are participating on e-commerce platforms - and how companies can add billions of dollars to regional market value by investing in women entrepreneurs. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from IFC’s Managing Director, Makhtar Diop, Lazada’s Group ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has offered a dramatic test case for the effectiveness of digital solutions across the Middle East and North Africa region, from the Ocean to the Gulf. Together with universal and affordable broadband, the widespread availability of cashless payments is a key enabler for digital transformation and a driver for economic recovery. The objective of this webinar, organized in partnership with the Arab Monetary Fund, is to increase awareness of how digital payments can support job creation, enhanced service delivery, and inclusion of youth and women. This webinar is the second of the MENA Tech talk series, which aims to engage with high-level decision makers, policymakers, regulators, private sector business leaders, and influencers, to share a vision and strategies to successfully foster digital transformation in the region. The event will be livestreamed and will offer simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, English, and French. It will include a panel discussion and testimonials from civil society organizations and the private sector, ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital technologies in African countries, and the latest Africa’s Pulse provides new evidence on how digital is enhancing the productivity of existing jobs and creating new jobs, for people of all skill levels and backgrounds. This is particularly important as the region looks toward economic recovery post-pandemic, and many Sub-Saharan African countries are making tremendous investments to advance digital adoption and build skills. Against the backdrop of a COVID-19 induced recession, African countries are weathering the economic storm better than expected and are poised for recovery, but the strength of this recovery depends on the reforms, policies, and investments that countries make now.   Hosted by Georja Calvin-Smith of France 24, join a panel of Africa’s distinguished ministers, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the digital space to discuss the future of work in Africa. They will touch on how governments can support digital transformation, discuss the macroeconomic outlook for the region and how ...

Tune in to Digital Agriculture: New Frontiers for the Food System, a dynamic event with food tech innovators and leaders from the private and public sector who will explore the transformational potential of digital agriculture to feed the world in a way that delivers healthier people, healthier economies and a healthier planet.

Data Privacy is more relevant now than ever and has become central to how an organization can maintain trust and safeguard the data they collect or process. The World Bank Group Data Privacy Day is the flagship event to help raise privacy awareness—internally within the World Bank Group and externally—to promote data protection best practices and maintain trust in the institution. 

Join the World Bank for the launch of its latest flagship report - Europe 4.0: Addressing the Digital Dilemma. In an event co-hosted with DIGITALEUROPE, we look at how new digital technologies can help Europe achieve its triple objective of competitiveness, market inclusion and geographic convergence. Special guest speakers from the World Bank, the European Commission and industry will share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing Europe in the digital arena. The keynote speeches will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session. Report: Europe 4.0: Addressing Europe's Digital Dilemma     Running Order Introduction and opening remarks Gallina A. Vincelette, Director for EU Countries, World Bank Europe 4.0 Presentation Mary Hallward-Driemeier, Senior Economic Adviser, World Bank Panel session: Andreas Tegge, Head of Global Government Relations, SAP Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director General, DIGITALEUROPE Elisabeth Gruber, Director for the Department of International Institutions at the Austrian Ministry of Finance Peteris Zilgalvis, Head of Unit for Digital Innovation and Blockchain, DG CNECT, European Commission ...

Digital technologies have become vital. In times of crisis, from natural disasters to pandemics, digital connectivity is what is keeping people, governments and businesses connected. Yet half of the world’s population is still without internet access, with the vast majority concentrated in developing countries. "Closing the Digital Divide" brought together global leaders and private sector innovators, including young African entrepreneurs, to discuss new ways to accelerate digital access and create ubiquitous, affordable, and reliable connectivity for all. To connect the poorest and most vulnerable communities, panelists echoed the need for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as the need for open access and shared networks. Regulation challenges also emerged as a common theme. We heard a powerful call to action on behalf of women and girls, who are still being left out of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs in the tech revolution. Panelists emphasized education and training as key to leveling the playing field. We ...

The internet has been vital in connecting us to friends, family, work and school during #COVID19, but the poorest countries and people are being left behind. What can we do to support digital inclusion? Our @BoutheinaGuerm1, Director of Digital Development, shares some ideas. 

The first Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) West Africa Regional Summit will bring together heads of state, leaders of multilateral development banks, key We-Fi government representatives, private sector executives, and women entrepreneurs to discuss ways to expand opportunities for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises in West Africa. With a focus on the role of technology in supporting agribusiness and other high-growth industries, the Summit aims to galvanize high-level support for public policy reforms and private sector actions to promote women’s entrepreneurship in the region. The Summit is hosted by His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, and organized by We-Fi in collaboration with the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank. The recording above shows the Fireside Chat with Kristalina Georgieva and Ivanka Trump, followed by a Women Entrepreneurs Panel. For the full replay of the event, please see below.

Mission Billion: Innovation for trusted, inclusive digital identity The World Bank Group’s Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiative held an event that explored how the opportunities of ‘Good’ digital ID systems – those that are robust, inclusive and trusted – can be seized to expand access to services, accelerate financial inclusion, and boost the digital economy. Speakers included H.M. Queen Màxima of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank, Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Minister of Somalia, Paula Ingabire, Rwanda Minister of ICT & Innovation, Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Niale Kaba, Côte d'Ivoire, Minister of Planning and Development and Makhtar Diop, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank. The panel discussion was followed by final pitches for the Mission Billion innovation challenge, which sought to crowdsource ideas to promote privacy-by-design. The winner was Simprints, for its open source toolkit that uses audio messages ...

Digital innovation is creating unprecedented opportunities for Africa to grow its economy, create jobs, and transform people’s lives. With the aim to digitally connect every individual, business and government in Africa by 2030, the African Union, with the support of the World Bank Group, has embarked on an ambitious journey—a “moonshot” that will help countries accelerate progress, bring high-speed connectivity to all, and lay the foundations for a vibrant digital economy. This April, African leaders and influencers will come together to discuss practical ways of bringing the moonshot vision to life and building an inclusive digital future all across the continent. Watch live, share your ideas, and be part of the conversation!

Capital Market Development and the FinTech Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges As follow up to the Bali Fintech Agenda, a flagship event of the 2019 Spring Meetings on Thursday, April 11 brought together a panel of fintech experts for a lively conversation on the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges of technological innovation in the capital markets, along with important legal, regulatory and competitive considerations. Shaolin Yang, Managing Director and CAO of the World Bank Group set the scene by highlighting the Bank’s issuance of “Bond-i”—the world’s first legally binding bond operated on a global blockchain platform throughout its life cycle—which enables the Bank to learn firsthand how blockchain can change financial markets and be embraced for development. In introducing the panelists, moderator Tomicah Tillemann, Director of the Blockchain Trust Accelerator at New America, described them as the “dream team of fintech.” Fintech holds huge potential to transform finance and capital markets for the better. The discussion provided insights for policy ...

The rapid development of digital technologies around the world has both been an opportunity and a challenge for developing countries. While digital technologies have grown by leaps and bounds, the broader development benefits from using these technologies have lagged. Keynote speaker Joseph Stiglitz and a high-level panel will focus on the potential impact of technology adoption on productivity, growth, jobs, and inclusion. Panelists will also talk about the technology divide between the developing and developed world, the digital trends that are most promising for inclusive development, and those that threaten progress. They will address the role of governments and multilateral organizations in the era of rapid advances in digital technology.

Join global experts Jeni Tennison, CEO of the Open Data Institute, and Gus Hosein, Executive Director of Privacy International for a discussion about whether and how responsible data protection and open data can co-exist, and what this might mean for global development. Are they mutually exclusive?  Or do they exist on a continuum?  How can we respect privacy norms while remaining committed to opening development data as a global public good?  

Watch Live in Bahasa Indonesia! Online platforms are quickly transforming the way we conduct business, shop for everyday products, look for a job, catch up with friends, or access public services. The shift is global, and is having a profound impact on people and the economy. E-commerce is poised to become a $6-trillion market by 2021. More than 1/5 of the world’s population has an account on at least one social network. And many governments now have websites that allow individuals to file their taxes or register a company. This could be a game changer for developing countries. The expansion of digital platforms can spur economic growth through the emergence of entirely new business models, promote meaningful interaction between governments and citizens, and provide innovative solutions to complex development challenges. So how can me make the most of these opportunities? And how can countries create the right conditions to support effective, secure, and inclusive digital platforms? Join our distinguished lineup of ...

Rapid advances in financial technology – fintech –  are transforming the global economic and financial landscape. Fintech can support growth and poverty reduction by strengthening financial development, inclusion and efficiency, but may also pose risk to financial stability and integrity as well asconsumer and investor protection.  In response to calls from member countries, the IMF and World Bank Group have developed the “Bali Fintech Agenda” as a blueprint for policymakers and the international community.            Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF, and Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank Group, presented the Agenda in a panel discussion, where they were joined by Sri Mulyani Indrawati, minister of finance of Indonesia and chair of the Development Committee, Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the South African Reserve Bank and chair of the IMFC, and Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England and chair of the Financial Stability Board. President of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) delivered the opening remarks. Reflecting on the origins of ...

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay! As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia, about the country’s advances in health and innovation.

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay! As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Roya Mahboob, CEO, Digital Citizen Fund​. She is among the first IT female CEOs in Afghanistan and now lives in New York. She continues to help young Afghan women build digital literacy. In 2013, Roya Mahboob was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People In The World for her work.

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay! As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Oyindamola Honey Ogundeyi, Founder, Fashpa.com, Nigeria, about how online platforms are empowering women in Africa. 

This is a Facebook Live interview. Watch the replay! As part of our Spring Meetings 2018 Interview Series, we will be talking with Tony Elumelu, /*-->*/ Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, to discuss the digital economy in Africa. 

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim led a fire-side conversation with LinkedIn Chief Executive Officer Jeff Weiner and investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu, Founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, as part of the Digital Economy for Africa event, during the Spring Meetings.    During the discussion, Weiner stressed the role of technology in developing countries, and shared how LinkedIn’s emphasis on data is getting influencers ahead of the trends in the 3 billion people global work force. He also added how the platform seeks to have a digital representation of every job, with over 20 million jobs already covered. Sharing his perspective on barriers for African entrepreneurs in digital technology, Elumelu revealed that Africa’s young population, 60% of which are under the age of 30, have to be the key resource for entrepreneurship. Elumelu highlighted infrastructure, government policies and regulation, intellectual property and the need for incentives for investors as the key areas to address. Weiner noted the World Bank Group’s partnership ...

Watch the replay! Talking about global development can be fun – and informative!  Join us on Facebook Tuesday, April 17, for a one-hour live show exploring the power of technology to solve problems, some of the reasons behind the gender divide, and why 2050 isn’t that far away when you’re talking about climate change.   Our World Bank Live show will be filled with creative and inspiring content including the educational, data-oriented Geek Out with Tariq. Guests Speakers:Shomik Mehndiratta, Practice Manager, Transport and Digital Development Rita Ramalho, Senior Manager, Development Economics Marianne Fay, Chief Economist, Sustainable Development Network Featuring:Tariq Khokhar, Senior Data Scientist Hosted by:Pabsy Pabalan Mariano, Digital Engagement Officer Andy Shuai Liu, Online Communications Officer

Established in 2013, the Youth Summit is an annual event that serves as a platform for conversation and action to make the World Bank Group more relevant to the global youth and to better involve young people in the work of the World Bank Group. The Youth Summit Organizing Committee is comprised of young World Bank Group employees and is supported by World Bank Group senior management. The first Youth Summit was held in October 2013 and emphasized youth leadership, revitalizing a new chapter of World Bank Group involvement and engagement with a dynamic generation of young leaders, activists, development professionals, and others interested in global youth-related issues. The 2014 Youth Summit focused on Governance, leveraging the experiences and expertise of participants to offer workshops highlighting the work of youth globally to increase transparency, accountability and collaboration in the context of participatory government. In its third edition, the 2015 Youth Summit made a global call to crowd-source solutions for climate change, held right before ...

As part of our Annual Meetings 2017 Interview Series, we will be talking with Joe Gebbia Co-founder of Airbnb about the new digital economy and its impact on development. Join us live on October 12 at 12:45 p.m. Have a question for Joe? Leave it in the comments!

Civic participation is key to achieving results in development, and the World Bank considers inclusive citizen engagement and institutions to be core tenets of its work. This event, which brings together innovators from civil society and government, will explore the potential use of frontier technologies in citizen engagement and social inclusion to ultimately improve policy-making and service delivery.

Several leading technology trailblazers came together to discuss how digital technology is disrupting development and what could be done to level the playing field and harness its benefits. World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia discussed how their two organizations could together help grow the inclusive sustainable tourism sector and help entrepreneurs in developing countries gain more income while acquiring new skills. Gebbia discussed the company’s beginnings and highlighted the importance of designing solutions with the end user in mind. He attributed Airbnb’s success to the effort made to understand their customer’s concerns in the initial phase of their growth. The 10-year-old company now has four million listings in 191 countries around the world. They are expanding their model, and recently launched the Open Homes initiative, to help provide shelter to refugees and those affected by natural disasters. They were followed by brief remarks by Philippe Le Houerou, CEO, IFC, on scaling up ...

The Crowd & The Cloud is a 4-part mini-series on “Citizen Science in the Digital Age.” Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), it is hosted by former NASA Chief Scientist, Waleed Abdalati, and written and produced by Geoff Haines-Stiles, who was a Senior Producer and series director on Carl Sagan’s classic COSMOS series, now viewed by more than 800 million people worldwide.  The series looks at the rapidly growing field of “citizen science” and crowdsourcing with case studies of citizen science projects in the United States and internationally. Join this discussion and clip screening hosted by the series writer and producer Geoff Haines-Stiles.

One-and-a-half billion people around the world can’t prove who they are. Without an ID, they face barriers doing everyday tasks such as opening a bank account, accessing social benefits, and getting health insurance. New technologies can help countries build robust and inclusive identification systems. Join the World Bank’s Chief Economist and panelists from governments and the private sector as they discuss how countries have developed identification systems to enable a range of key development outcomes.

East Asia Pacific is home to the world’s largest and fastest growing internet user base. Digital technologies are transforming how firms conduct business, workers perform jobs, and citizens interact with governments. Yet, there are still questions as to what the spread of these technologies means for the development trajectory of countries in the region and their abilities to address the challenges they face. Panelists from government, business and civil society in the region will discuss how East Asia and Pacific countries can take advantage of the opportunities – and offset the risks – of the digital economy.

Digital technologies have boosted growth, expanded opportunities, and improved service delivery. Yet their development benefits have fallen short and are unevenly distributed. For digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere requires closing the remaining digital divide, especially in internet access. But to get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on strengthening regulations that ensure competition among businesses, adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and ensuring that institutions are accountable.

In today’s digital world, data is being generated, stored and analyzed at unprecedented rates. This deluge of data has prompted decision makers to consider how Big Data can help solve their toughest challenges. With decreased costs of computing and storage and increased capabilities to analyze large sets of data, we are seeing a rise in Big Data and Internet of Things technologies being used across a variety of sectors, with striking implications for development and building more resilient societies. This event will explore the potential of Big Data and Internet of Things technologies to solve development challenges related to risk and resilience. The event will feature a hands-on exhibit with nano-satellites, data visualizations and projects utilizing IoT devices such as satellites and drones.

This livestreamed discussion will share perspectives on why civil registries and national identification systems are smart public investments. 

Co-sponsored by the Constituency for Africa, this Ronald H. Brown African Affairs Series event is an opportunity to discuss the state of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) research in Africa and the challenges governments face in providing young people with a STEM education. Participants, including government ministers and business and think tank representatives, will outline the gaps in STEM research, the need for increased action and investment and will discuss ideas for building STEM capacity in Africa. During the event, the World Bank will launch a new report A Decade of Development: STEM Research in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report analyzes Africa’s current performance in STEM research as well as future trends.