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CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Bridging the Digital Divide: The Mission of the Digital Cooperation Organization
This content was provided by Acumen Media for DCO. In an era where digital transformation is reshaping economies and societies at an unprecedented pace, the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) is addressing a critical global challenge: the digital divide. While technology continues to drive innovation and improve quality of life, 2.6 billion people—one-third of the world's population—still lack internet access, preventing them from participating in the expanding digital economy. This exclusion reinforces social and economic disparities, making it imperative to foster global collaboration to ensure equitable access to digital opportunities. Digital technologies underpin nearly every industry, yet millions remain marginalized due to barriers such as affordability, inadequate infrastructure and limited digital literacy. Without proactive intervention, these disparities will continue to widen, leaving entire communities behind. As one of the first international organizations dedicated exclusively to the digital economy, the DCO is committed to closing this gap. Founded in 2020 with a vision for a world where every country, business and person has a fair opportunity to prosper in a cross-border and sustainable digital economy, the organization advocates for collaborative solutions, best-practice sharing and the creation of digital opportunities for all. The DCO brings together 16 member states collectively representing more than $3.5 trillion USD in GDP and a population of over 800 million, 70% of whom are under the age of 35. As an observer at the United Nations General Assembly, the DCO amplifies its impact through a multilateral approach, bringing together governments, the private sector and civil society to drive meaningful progress. At the core of the DCO's mission is the empowerment of underserved groups. By supporting nations in developing agile policies for AI governance, data flows and digital trade, the DCO ensures that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in the global marketplace. Unlike rigid top-down directives, the organization works directly with entrepreneurs and emerging markets to design practical, actionable frameworks that facilitate real economic participation. A key initiative in this effort is the Digital Economy Navigator, the DCO's flagship tool designed to assess digital economy maturity, identify gaps and provide strategic guidance to governments and businesses. This tool helps nations prioritize development areas, optimize investments and formulate effective policies to drive inclusive growth. By aligning resources and strategies with real-world needs, the DCO ensures that digital transformation benefits those who need it most. In 2024, the digital economy accounted for 16% of global GDP, highlighting the immense potential for growth. However, digital transformation can be complex, particularly for nations navigating this landscape alone. To address these challenges, the DCO adopted its 4-year Strategic Agenda for Digital Resilience and Prosperity (2025 – 2028) in February 2025, focusing on digital economic resilience and social prosperity. This agenda is built on four strategic pillars: The Digital Economy Navigator plays a pivotal role in this strategy, guiding countries to tailor solutions based on their unique challenges and opportunities. For example, the Digital FDI Initiative has already demonstrated success in Pakistan and Rwanda, where customized policies and strategic investments have helped bridge local digital gaps—proving that one-size-fits-all solutions are insufficient. The DCO's Digital Economy Trends 2025 report is another key resource that provides an in-depth analysis of the evolving digital economy, highlighting its transformative impact on industries and societies. It aims to equip stakeholders with essential data and strategic insights to navigate rapid technological advancements, enabling informed decision making and effective planning for the future. At its core, the DCO champions global cooperation, recognizing that no nation can navigate the digital future alone. The challenges of climate change, economic resilience, peace and security are inherently global, as are the opportunities presented by digital transformation. By fostering dialogue, knowledge-sharing and strategic partnerships, the DCO prevents redundant efforts, allowing countries to build upon one another's successes. The organization also addresses a key opportunity in terms of the role of digital considerations in the successful delivery of the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a result, the DCO is positioning itself as a trailblazer, guiding the global community toward a digital-first future. Through innovation, collaboration and forward-thinking policy solutions, the DCO is not merely responding to the digital future, it's actively shaping it, ensuring that no one is left behind. This advertiser content was paid for and created by Acumen. Neither CBS News nor CBS News Brand Studio, the brand marketing arm of CBS News, were involved in the creation of this content.
Web Release
16-05-2025
- Business
- Web Release
The 'SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit 2025' to Convene Global & Regional ICT Leaders in Dubai on May 26th
By Editor_wr Last updated May 15, 2025 The SAMENA Telecommunications Council Leaders' Summit 2025 will be held on May 26th in Dubai, bringing together renowned leaders, policymakers, regulators, investors, and industry executives from across the SA-ME-NA, Central Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and ASEAN regions, and regional as well as global ICT and industry development bodies, including the ITU, DCO, GSMA, among others. The SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit 2025, being held with the chief-patronage of the UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), is organized with the strategic industry collaboration of Huawei, Mobily, WBBA, stc, ZTE, 7 Generation, as well as participation of members of the SAMENA Council. Bocar BA, CEO and Board Member of SAMENA Council, inviting industry leaders to the Summit, has stated: 'The Leaders' Summit 2025 will highlight the importance of dialogue in transforming digital economies in a sustainable manner. This requires collaboration, investment, intelligent and secure integration of AI in the 5G environment, infrastructure expansion to underserved areas, and deploying creative applications and services that are dramatically reshaping the digital future. The SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit, powered by legacy patrons and collaborators, is a critical platform for multi-stakeholder discussions and representation, and we invite industry leaders to join in the conversation.' This annual leaders' congregation will discuss the ongoing evolution of the digital landscape and the role of technology in driving economic growth and sustainable development. The theme of this year's Summit, 'Intelligent & Sustainable Transformation of Digital Economies,' reflects the urgent need for smart and sustainable approaches to accelerating digital transformation and achieving digital growth across the SAMENA Council's markets of strategic focus, ahead of various global stakeholder meetings that will be held later in the year, including the G20 summit. The SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit 2025 will delve into how governments, businesses, and regulators need to collaborate to ensure digital ecosystems and economies are organically powered by digital advancements, sustainable practices, and incentivization for all stakeholders—especially in terms of creating new digital experiences and maintaining investments in digital infrastructure. With tools such as the Digital Economy Navigator (DEN) available to guide digital progress across borders, it is essential to examine how policies, regulations, and investment strategies are evolving to support the digital future in this age of 5G, 5G-Advanced, AI, and techcos – and as government bodies aspire to enhance their delivery of citizen-centric services. In addition to the strategic discussions, high-profile roundtables will be held during the Leaders' Summit 2025, creating unique opportunities for in-depth dialogue on key issues among a diverse group of stakeholders. By-invitation meetings will include a G20 Inter-Ministerial Roundtable, which will serve as the preparatory meeting for pre-G20 discussions, specially organized by the SAMENA Council in collaboration with South Africa's Ministry of Communications, to foster dialogue among the private and government sector stakeholders from G20 countries as well as non-G20 nations. Another important forum during the Leaders' Summit 2025 will be the Multi-TRA Forum, chaired by TDRA-UAE, which will focus on regulators and government bodies from the GCC region. This forum will address strategies for leveraging 5G infrastructure to improve municipal and smart city service delivery across the region, highlighting the crucial role of telecom regulations and 5G infrastructure in facilitating seamless transformation among government bodies. The SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit will also feature a roundtable focused on Space Development and WRC-27, another key roundtable on Cybersecurity. Participants of the Leaders' Summit 2025 will explore how operators, tech providers, government agencies, and enterprises of all profiles across multiple industries and economic sectors can accelerate the adoption of 5G, 5G-Advanced, AI, and other allied technologies in ways that not only foster growth but also ensure that digital transformation is sustainable and beneficial for all. More information about the Leaders' Summit 2025 will be made available on a by-request and by-invitation basis only. To learn more, please contact SAMENA Council at [email protected] Comments are closed.
