India leads UN's Digital Public Infrastructure conference

The United Nation's First International Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure was held under India's leadership to harness the technology to propel Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster inclusivity, India's Permanent Representative to UN, Ruchira Kamboj said in a press statement.

The session hosted on Thursday by the Permanent Mission of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in collaboration with iSPIRT, the inaugural United Nations conference on Digital Public Infrastructure: Citizen Stack brought together global leaders, technology innovators, and policy experts to explore the global implementation of digital public infrastructure, said the Permanent of India to the UN said in a statement.

The conference prominently featured India's pioneering Citizen Stack initiative, inspired by the transformative India Stack, showcasing the nation's successful integration of technology into citizen services. This event marked a significant step in promoting international cooperation for the development of digital infrastructure globally.

Key speakers from the United Nations System included Dennis Francis, President of the United Nations General Assembly, and Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.

Minister for Railways, Communications, and Electronics & Information Technology of the Government of India, Ashwini Vaishnav reiterated India's commitment to sharing the Citizen Stack globally, aligning with the philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the world is one family."

In her opening address, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj underscored India's dedication to enhancing global discussions on digital transformation.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant also delivered a compelling keynote on "Advancing the Digital Frontier using Citizen Stack," highlighting the significant changes DPI has brought to governance.

Sharad Sharma, Co-Founder of iSPIRT, detailed the key aspects of India's DPI framework and introduced Citizen Stack as a leading global standard in DPI implementation. Prominent global figures, including French Ambassador for Digital Affairs Henri Verdier, Dame Wendy Hall from the Web Science Institute, and Amandeep Gill Singh, the Secretary General's Envoy on Technology, discussed the role of DPI in enhancing trust and transparency in digital ecosystems.

The conference also showcased case studies demonstrating how components of Citizen Stack, like the Modular Open Source Identity Platform, are helping countries such as Ethiopia and the Philippines tailor DPI to their specific needs and achieve digital sovereignty.

(ANI)