ITU and UNDP join forces to address urgent unmet capacity building needs
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced new cooperation to establish a Joint Facility for Digital Capacity Development to support those who lack access to digital capacity development resources or channels. For both entities, the Joint Facility will hinge on a new single structure facilitating joint resourcing, roles, and responsibilities which is in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.‘The Joint Facility will further strengthen our collective effort to equip people with the needed digital skills, literacy, and capabilities, alongside with the multi-stakeholder network for digital capacity development envisioned in the roadmap,’ explained the UN Office of the Envoy on Technology Assistant Secretary-General Maria Francesca Spatolisano. To this aim, the Joint Facility aims to:
- direct stakeholders to relevant existing ITU/UNDP resources, including digital literacy and skills training;
- identify areas of unmet demand for digital capacity development initiatives and work with end-users to develop new interventions when needed;
- identify patterns and trends in unmet stakeholder needs; and
- direct strategic, operational, and programmatic support in executing digital strategies, capacity development initiatives, or other high-priority operational areas for partners.