Development Archives | Page 2 of 545 | Digital Watch Observatory

UNESCO report warns over global quantum research inequality

According to UNESCO, the unequal access to quantum research infrastructure risks widening global scientific and technological divides, with nearly one in three researchers worldwide still lacking access to quantum research facilities despite rapid growth in investment and interest in the field.

The findings come from The Quantum Moment: A Global Report, Outcomes of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, which analysed more than 1,300 quantum science events across 83 countries and included a global survey of 590 experts in 81 countries.

The report highlights major regional disparities, with Europe and North America hosting 7 times as many quantum-related events per country as Africa.

More than 150 countries still lack a national quantum strategy, even though global public and private investment in quantum science and technology reached $55.7 billion by mid-2025, according to UNESCO.

The organisation also points to a persistent gender gap, noting that while women account for a much larger share of early-career participants, they make up only around 16% of senior researchers and 12% of leadership roles in quantum fields.

UNESCO says quantum technologies could transform areas including healthcare, computing, cybersecurity, and climate modelling. To address infrastructure inequality, it has launched the Global Quantum Initiative and expanded programmes that give researchers from developing economies remote access to advanced quantum computing systems.

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Uganda to host Digital Government Africa 2026 summit

Uganda has announced that it will host the 2026 Digital Government Africa conference, presenting the event as a platform for continental dialogue on digital transformation, public service modernisation, and government innovation.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Kampala by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the National Information Technology Authority of Uganda, and representatives of African Brains Global.

According to the organisers, the summit will bring together ministers, regulators, cybersecurity experts, cloud and data centre providers, digital finance institutions, investors, innovators, and development partners from across Africa and beyond. The event is scheduled to take place in Kampala from 6 to 8 October 2026.

Uganda’s Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, said the conference reflects growing confidence in the country’s digital transformation efforts and offers an opportunity to showcase how ICT is shaping service delivery and national development. The government linked the summit to Uganda’s wider Digital Transformation Roadmap, which focuses on digital infrastructure, e-government services, cybersecurity resilience, digital skills, and innovation.

Officials also pointed to Uganda’s expanding digital infrastructure. According to the ministry, the National Backbone Infrastructure now exceeds 5,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable, connecting government institutions, districts, and urban centres, while more than 1,500 government sites use high-speed internet to support systems such as financial management, e-procurement, and online tax services.

The government also cited broader indicators of digital growth, including more than 44.3 million active mobile connections, expanding internet access through 4G and emerging 5G trials, and an ICT sector contributing more than 9% to GDP. Officials said hosting the summit should strengthen engagement between policymakers and innovators and raise Uganda’s profile as an ICT investment destination.

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Australia expands collaboration efforts in key science and technology areas

The Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources has announced $6.2 million in funding for nine international projects under round two of the Global Science and Technology Diplomacy Fund (GSTDF).

The programme supports collaboration, innovation and commercialisation in priority technology areas. The selected projects focus on AI, advanced manufacturing, quantum technologies and hydrogen, with several initiatives applying AI to areas such as robotics, satellite networks and ocean forecasting.

According to the department, Australian researchers will work with international partners across Asia-Pacific, with projects spanning fields from healthcare to environmental monitoring and space technologies.

The funding reflects a broader effort to deepen international cooperation and advance strategic technologies, with collaborations involving countries including Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, and South Korea, supporting innovation linked to Australia.

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Philippines holds youth consultation on AI and digital resilience

The Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with youth-led group Tayo ang Taya, has convened a youth consultation on digitalisation, AI, and digital resilience as part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ public consultations on the responsible use of new technologies.

Held at the University of the Philippines Diliman, the ‘Ctrl+Youth: Shaping ASEAN’s Digital Future’ event brought together youth leaders, civil society organisations, student groups, community-based organisations, and youth advocates. According to the DSWD, the consultation is intended to gather youth input to help shape regional policies and frameworks on digitalisation, AI, and digital resilience.

In a video message, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said young people must be equipped not only with technical skills, but also with values that support responsibility, inclusivity, and innovation as AI and other emerging technologies expand. He added that youth perspectives would help inform the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and support efforts to prepare young people for participation in the global digital economy.

Undersecretary Adonis Sulit of the DSWD’s Policy and Planning Group said the consultation was organised with youth organisations and the National Youth Commission to ensure that young people could directly contribute comments and proposals to a draft charter on digital resilience under ASEAN’s sociocultural pillar.

Participants took part in focus group discussions to craft manifestos on responsible technology use and digital safety. The programme also included a presentation on legislation related to digitalisation and the proper use of technology, alongside messages of support from the National Youth Commission, the Department of Education, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance.

The consultation forms part of the Philippines’ effort to integrate youth perspectives into ASEAN’s digital agenda, with the DSWD presenting the initiative as part of its commitment to inclusive governance.

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Australia updates aged care data and digital action plan

Australia’s Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has published the second-year action plan for its Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy 2024–2029, setting out how data and digital reforms will support implementation of the new Aged Care Act and broader modernisation across the sector.

The plan says its central role in the second year is to support reforms linked to the new Act, including changes to critical government platforms such as the Government Provider Management System and My Aged Care. The strategy’s stated vision is to deliver person-centred care for older people while supporting a sustainable care economy through data and digital innovation.

Its second-year actions are organised around four outcomes: improving navigation and participation for older people and support networks; digitally empowering workers and providers; enabling secure data sharing and reuse; and strengthening modern digital foundations across the aged care system. The summary table on page 4 groups actions under those four outcomes and eight priorities.

Among the consumer-facing measures, the plan includes further development of the LiveUp healthy ageing tool, continued support for the Be Connected program on digital and health literacy, and additional enhancements to My Aged Care, including reforms-linked updates and consideration of translated content. The document says these steps are intended to make digital services more accessible and easier to use for older people and their support networks.

For workers and providers, the plan includes virtual nursing trials in residential aged care, work to enable ePrescribing in electronic National Residential Medication Charts, expansion of the KeepAble wellness and reablement tool, updates to the Integrated Assessment Tool, and continued efforts to improve worker digital literacy. It also includes ongoing work on advanced care planning and end-of-life care support through national resources and digital tools.

On data and infrastructure, the action plan outlines continued work on an aged care data governance framework, expansion of the Government Provider Management System as a single provider portal, further development of the Aged Care National Minimum Data Set, and wider use of the National Aged Care Data Asset through the National Health Data Hub. It also includes business-to-government connectivity work to expand APIs for provider reporting.

The plan also gives AI a defined place within aged care reform. On page 23, the department says emerging technologies, including AI, have the potential to increase efficiency, improve care, and deliver better outcomes for older people.

Planned actions include publishing the report from its public consultation on safe and effective AI use, developing a policy position to guide safe AI use in health and aged care, and promoting pilots and programs in promising areas. A separate pilot on page 25 proposes testing an AI application to generate care and rehabilitation plans for older people recovering from stroke.

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UNCTAD to examine AI and geopolitical shifts in global investment

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is convening an expert meeting to examine how geopolitical tensions, strategic competition, and rising AI-related investment are reshaping international production and global foreign direct investment.

According to the concept note, firms are operating in a more fragmented and politically influenced environment, where cross-border investment decisions are increasingly shaped not only by efficiency and market access, but also by concerns such as supply-chain resilience, technological security, and exposure to changing trade barriers.

The note also links fast-growing investment in AI and digital infrastructure to industrial policy priorities and national security concerns. It says these pressures are contributing to wider shifts in corporate behaviour, including stronger interest in geopolitically aligned and intraregional markets, intensifying competition in strategically important industries, and faster supply-chain restructuring.

UNCTAD says the meeting aims to clarify the scale and nature of these changes, assess what they mean for developing economies, and identify policy considerations for international dialogue. It also points to a more fragmented global investment landscape in which governments are relying more heavily on industrial policy, screening mechanisms, and security-related measures.

Member states are invited to submit short expert papers in advance of the session. The meeting is open to all UNCTAD member States, while international organisations, academia, research institutions, and private-sector participants may attend as observers. The session will be held in person, with a live audio stream available to registered participants.

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Peacebuilding and AI in focus at UNSSC webinar series

The United Nations System Staff College has highlighted growing interest across the UN and the wider peacebuilding community in how artificial intelligence is shaping conflict prevention, arguing that the technology can support peace efforts but cannot replace human judgement, diplomacy, and oversight.

The reflection draws on a three-part webinar series launched by UNSSC to examine AI governance, field use, and ethical risks in peacebuilding. According to the text, one message ran across all three discussions: AI may offer real value for conflict prevention, but its role should remain supportive rather than substitutive.

The piece argues that AI is already being used across the UN peace and security pillar and should be introduced only where it improves effectiveness, such as by handling repetitive tasks and allowing staff to focus on analysis, leadership, and political judgement. It also stresses that principles long associated with peacebuilding, including trust and ‘do no harm’, should apply across the full AI stack, from data and infrastructure to model design and deployment.

Examples cited from the webinar series include the use of augmented intelligence in early warning systems, where machine learning is combined with human contextual knowledge, and an AI-enabled WhatsApp chatbot used in Yemen to broaden participation in mediation, particularly among women and young people. The text presents these cases as evidence that AI can extend the reach of peacebuilding tools without replacing practitioners.

The final part of the reflection focuses on governance and ethics. It argues that while ethical AI principles are widely discussed, they need to be translated into practical, context-specific safeguards, especially in conflict settings. It also notes that risks differ across use cases such as early warning, social media monitoring, and mediation support, and says meaningful governance requires input from diplomats, researchers, mediators, and the private sector.

UNSSC says the webinar series drew between 300 and 500 registrants per session, which it presents as evidence of strong demand for more targeted learning on AI and peacebuilding. The college argues that its role should extend beyond convening discussion to turning those debates into practical knowledge for UN practitioners working at the intersection of AI and conflict prevention.

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MoneyGram and Kraken connect crypto and cash globally

Kraken has entered a strategic partnership with MoneyGram to enable crypto-to-cash withdrawals in more than 100 countries. The integration links digital asset infrastructure with MoneyGram’s global network, allowing users to convert crypto into hundreds of fiat currencies through physical and digital payout channels.

The service is intended to address one of the main barriers to crypto adoption by improving access to reliable off-ramps. Users will be able to transfer funds to their accounts and receive near-instant cash payouts through MoneyGram’s retail network and regulated payment infrastructure.

Both companies highlighted the importance of interoperability between traditional finance and digital assets in driving practical adoption.

Kraken stressed the value of connecting liquidity and compliance systems with established payment rails, while MoneyGram presented its global distribution network as a bridge between digital value and everyday financial use.

The rollout will begin across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific, with plans to expand further into local bank deposits and additional payment services as the partnership develops.

Why does it matter?

The partnership addresses one of the main friction points in crypto adoption: converting digital assets into usable cash at scale. By linking crypto infrastructure with a global payout network, it strengthens the practical use of digital assets beyond trading and speculation.

More broadly, it reflects a gradual convergence between traditional financial rails and crypto-native systems, with interoperability becoming increasingly important to how value moves across borders.

It may also support financial inclusion by expanding access to cash-out services in regions where banking infrastructure remains limited or uneven.

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US Department of Labor launches AI training portal for apprenticeship programmes

The US Department of Labor has launched an AI in Registered Apprenticeship Innovation Portal to support organisations integrating AI training into federally recognised apprenticeship programmes.

The Department said the platform brings together resources to support AI literacy and structured AI-focused training pathways across sectors.

The portal is organised around three main areas: AI skills integration in apprenticeships, industry-specific training modules, and pathways for embedding AI into both new and existing programmes.

The Department said training content spans sectors including healthcare, finance, education, construction, advanced manufacturing and technology.

Alongside the portal, the Department has introduced an AI Literacy Framework to guide employers, educators and training providers. The Department said the AI Literacy Framework outlines core competencies, including understanding AI capabilities and limits, using tools in daily tasks, and assessing output accuracy.

A separate initiative, the Make America AI-Ready programme, delivers a free text-message-based AI course aimed at workers without reliable internet access.

Officials said organisations can join existing apprenticeships, create new AI-focused schemes, or update current programmes to include AI skills. The project aligns with wider federal strategies to accelerate AI education and workforce readiness across the United States.

Why does it matter?

The initiative signals a structural shift in how governments are preparing the workforce for AI integration, embedding practical skills into formal apprenticeship systems rather than treating them as optional add-ons.

It also broadens access to AI literacy by targeting both high-growth industries and digitally excluded workers, helping reduce future gaps in productivity and employability.

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UN-organised event to address challenges in government AI capacity-building

A side event during the 11th Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs will examine how governments can strengthen internal AI capacity as AI becomes more central to public administration, regulation, and digital development.

The event is being organised by UNU-CPR, UNU-CRIS, UNDP, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from Japan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Organisers said governments are facing a dual challenge of regulating AI systems while building internal expertise to understand, manage, and deploy them in the public interest.

The concept note says countries are increasingly creating dedicated AI units, appointing Chief AI Officers, and embedding technical experts in ministries and regulatory bodies, while disparities in access to resources and expertise continue to shape how capacity-building develops across regions.

The event will also address concerns about AI security and misuse of technology. Organisers highlighted risks including misinformation, cyber-enabled manipulation, and automated disinformation campaigns, and said that countries with more limited institutional and technical capacity may face disproportionate exposure.

The discussion is intended to contribute to wider debates on responsible and inclusive AI governance under the Global Digital Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals by identifying institutional models, lessons learned, and opportunities for cross-regional cooperation on building government AI capacity.

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