Building a Digital Society, from Vision to Implementation

Small-island developing states (SIDS) face a paradox: our size makes us vulnerable to global shocks, yet it also lets us pivot quickly when new technologies emerge. Jamaica’s journey since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2015 review illustrates how agility, culture and clear policy direction can turn that paradox into an advantage. This session begins by tracing the island’s digital-transformation arc—from the early broadband roll-outs that enabled universal access programmes, through the 2019 launch of Vision 2030’s “Digital Jamaica” pillar, to the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Task Force in 2024. That Task Force, which I chair, delivered a cohesive national AI policy in March 2025 that aligns with WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs while remaining culturally rooted and ethically grounded.