The World Bank’s Digital Development Partnership (DDP) continues to grow, with Denmark recently joining the DDP’s group of donors. At the signing ceremony held during the World Bank - IMF 2018 Spring Meetings, Denmark’s Minister for Development, Ulla Tørnæs, and World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development, Laura Tuck, stressed the importance of digital technology for realizing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Signaling the Danish Government’s growing engagement with the World Bank around the digital agenda, the new partnership brings to bear the considerable progress we are making towards achieving development goals through innovation in digital technology applications.
Helping developing countries leverage technological improvements to solve their most pressing challenges is at the core of this new partnership. The Danish Government together with DDP are striving to ensure that new digital solutions work, not only for developing countries, but also for all their citizens, making sure to build inclusive digital economies that leave no one behind.
Expanding the use of drones for development in East Africa is one of Denmark’s interests in engaging with DDP. While the World Bank has already been testing drones for disaster risk management, aerial survey (mapping flooding areas), and as transport vehicles in Tanzania, Denmark’s support will strengthen these initiatives. Also, Danish support will help expand the use of innovative technologies in the areas of agribusiness and health.
Bringing together both public and private sector partners to help developing countries harness the power of technology for development, DDP works across sectors on vital topics ranging from broadband access and inclusion to cybersecurity and digital government. Denmark joins Finland, Japan and Korea, as well as GSMA and Microsoft, as a DDP partner.
