On September 3, Astana hosted the first Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation. The event is organized jointly by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digitalization, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry. The conference aims to enhance digital collaboration to achieve goals of inclusivity and sustainable development. ESCAP is one of the five regional UN commissions playing a vital role in intergovernmental cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Kazakhstan is recognized as a leader in digital government solutions within the region. The conference supports the country’s goal of attracting 500 billion tenge in investments by 2025 and increasing IT product exports by 1 billion dollars by 2026.
At the conference, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, presented the 2024 report on digital transformation in the Asia-Pacific region to Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. The report examines the impact of digital technologies on climate change in the region.
The report includes 27 examples of digital solutions in areas such as infrastructure, governance, mobility, industry, trade, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, and biodiversity ecosystems.
During the panel session titled “The High-Level Forum on Digital Technologies for Tackling Air Pollution and Climate Change,” Assylkhan Aitzhanov, Director of Strategy, Analytics, and Digitalization at the International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects, spoke on behalf of the organization. Mr.Aitzhanov highlighted the Center’s achievements in conducting comprehensive technology audits, developing new accessible techniques, and its collaborative work with UNIDO on the GCIP program and with the Green Climate Fund on the Readiness program.
The conference will run until September 5, with delegations from more than 30 countries, including ministers of digitalization, in attendance. The first two days will feature plenary sessions, parallel events, bilateral meetings, and the signing of memorandums and agreements. The final day, September 5, will be dedicated to Kazakhstan Tech Solution Day, showcasing IT companies, startups, and advanced digital developments from Kazakhstan, including SmartBridge, Smart Data Ukimet, and eOtinish. The international technology park Astana Hub will also be highlighted.
