|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Singapore’s Open Government Products (OGP) has embraced an invitation to join the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), a United Nations-endorsed initiative established in 2019. The alliance aims to promote the discovery and deployment of open-source technologies globally, fostering a digital public goods (DPGs) ecosystem to achieve sustainable development goals, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
Ms Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, emphasised Singapore’s commitment to utilising technology for the public good. She highlighted Singapore’s existing open-source digital government products and expressed hopes that participation in the DPGA would encourage further adoption of these products, benefiting both Singapore and the global community. Teo emphasised the opportunity for Singapore to learn from global peers, fostering continuous improvement and innovation within the public service.
As part of its membership, Singapore affirms its commitment to deploying scalable, impactful, and credible digital solutions, focusing on three key areas. Firstly, Singapore aims to prioritise open-sourcing high-impact government products as DPGs, making them discoverable and accessible globally. These products address critical needs such as data collection, information accessibility, and trustworthy communication.
Secondly, Singapore intends to propagate its DPGs and open-sourced products to other countries to meet their government technology needs. Drawing from past successes in countries like Sri Lanka and Cambodia, Singapore aims to share and deploy solutions to facilitate digital transformation globally.
Lastly, Singapore seeks to assist other countries in accelerating their digital transformation by sharing best practices for implementing digital public infrastructure. This involves creating space for digital innovation, building capacity for developing digital public goods and developing reusable products to address defined problems. Collaborative exchanges and sessions will involve Southeast Asian countries and global panel discussions.
As an innovation unit within the government, OGP has been actively advocating Singapore’s technology and organisational practices across local and international communities. OGP has open-sourced many products, including FormSG and GoGovSG, which caught the attention of the DPGA. OGP represented Singapore at the DPGA Annual Members Meeting (AMM) in Addis Ababa in November 2023, sharing insights into Singapore’s approach to building technology for the public good.
The DPGA comprises government agencies from various countries, UN entities, philanthropic foundations, funders, think tanks, and technology companies, all working towards advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through digital public goods.
In addition to showcasing Singapore’s commitment to leveraging technology for the public good, joining the DPGA presents several opportunities for the nation. By participating in a global platform focused on digital public goods, Singapore can strengthen its position as a leader in digital innovation and contribute to global efforts to address pressing development challenges.
Through collaboration and knowledge-sharing with other DPGA members, Singapore can gain valuable insights and best practices in digital governance, technology deployment, and sustainable development. This exchange of ideas and experiences can inform Singapore’s ongoing efforts to enhance its digital infrastructure, improve public service delivery, and promote inclusive growth.
Furthermore, by open-sourcing its high-impact government products and sharing them with other countries, Singapore can extend the reach and impact of its technology solutions, fostering digital inclusion and empowering communities worldwide. This aligns with Singapore’s vision of becoming a Smart Nation and contributing to global efforts to harness technology for social and economic development.
Singapore’s participation in the DPGA reflects its commitment to leveraging technology as a force for good and contributing to global efforts to build a more equitable and sustainable future. By collaborating with international partners and sharing its expertise in digital governance and innovation, Singapore can play a key role in shaping the global digital landscape and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
