2nd Multi-Stakeholder Event on DIGITAL4DEVELOPMENT (D4D)

With the goal of mainstreaming digitalisation in development policy, the EU is at the forefront in promoting Digital4Development (D4D) as a concerted, holistic and cross-sectoral approach to take on opportunities and address challenges of the digital revolution in the spirit of partnership.

On 20 March 2019 around 100 participants from EU Member States, private sector companies, financing institutions, development agencies, civil society and academia, as well as African counterparts, gathered in Brussels in an event organised by DG DEVCO. The purpose was to share experiences and lessons learnt from digital transformation around the world, with a particular focus in Africa. The event deeply contributed to identifying ways to strengthen cooperation, in order to maximise the uptake of digitalisation as a strong driver for economic growth, both at policy-level and on the ground.

In the morning session, participants were updated on the state of play of the D4D approach, the related challenges and opportunities ahead. The floor was then given to the EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF), a partnership among European and African stakeholders established under the New Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investments and Jobs to provide policy recommendations on the pan-African digital integration. The DETF informed stakeholders on current progress made in drafting their Report, which aims at defining recommendations and proposed actions to boost digitalisation in Africa. Finally, members of the D4D Coalition, an informal network of European stakeholders including the private sector, civil society and national development agencies, engaged in a structured dialogue with the European Commission on implementing the agenda and updated participants on the outcomes of the three Workshops organised so far by them.

In the afternoon session, insights were provided into proposals endorsed under the digital “window” of the European External Investment Plan EFSD guarantee scheme. Following this, 10 presentations based on practices and lessons learnt on the ground - including one on the key findings from an on-going study on digitalisation in African agriculture - stimulated active discussions around how to shape the way forward. The event concluded with stakeholders engaging in a particularly constructive dialogue, focusing mainly on expanding the D4D Coalition’s network, as well as on ways to mainstream digitalisation in development cooperation across as many sectors as possible.

Here, a comprehensive look at all presentations and outcomes from the event.