Open government and digital transformation in the New Urban Agenda

Location

Cairo and online

Systems of governance in urban areas are central to ensuring the sustainable growth of cities. Both the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 promote systems of governance that are people-centred, inclusive and participatory. Open government is central to the SDGs, particularly SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and ESCWA have collaborated on a report entitled "The Economic and Social Impact of Open Government". The report proposes policy recommendations for advancing open government in the Arab region in support of the paradigm shift envisioned in the New Urban Agenda.

The meeting aims to lead to the adopting a paper on open government with best practices and recommendations for Arab cities. This is in support of the formulation of a joint regional project on open government and digital transformation as part of the New Urban Agenda in the Arab region and will inform the eleventh session of the World Urban Forum dialogues on open governance and people-centered smart cities.

Outcome document

Meeting outcome

Participants welcomed the initiation of a new regional project on digital transformation and open government for the New Urban Agenda as it will support the governments' efforts for achieving the NUA and SDGs. They also showed interest in participating in such a project.
Digital Transformation and digital technologies could help overcome physical barriers and uphold the promise of leaving no one behind, including the elderly, vulnerable groups, and people with disabilities.
The persisting digital divide in the Arab region stands in the way of achieving a digital society – making the adoption of smart cities and Digital Transformation more difficult.
Becoming smart is not necessarily going digital, it is about finding the best solutions to address local needs, and requiring close collaboration between national and local government, especially that some innovation takes place at local level.
Achieving a better implementation of the New Urban Agenda should focus on socioeconomic resilience and sustainability, with direct engagement of local authorities in finding solutions to local public issues.
Applying the concept of subsidiarity is essential in open governance as it enables local decision making and promotes effective local development that better meets people needs.
The bottom-up governance approach is essential for assessing and meeting local needs, as it allows planning the activities that directly respond to public needs.
Through regional analysis, needs assessments can complement the bottom-up process and contribute to bridging the gaps between rural and urban areas and between countries.
Open data is positioned to increase transparency, offer new revenue resource for government, improve existing products and services, contribute to job-creation, and keep citizens well-informed.
For many countries and cities, facing the pandemic was an opportunity to advance open government and open data initiatives, but also brough new risks and challenges concerning the privacy of citizens, requiring personal data protection.
Success stories in Arab cities dealing with open government were evident when partnerships between urban/local and central government existed including linking central and local programmes.
The participation of all stakeholder at local and national levels increases government accountability, achieves transparency, broadens citizens’ empowerment, reduces costs, and leads to innovation in the delivery of government services. Hence, the participation and engagement of local authorities and stakeholders in local development activities is crucial for a successful implementation of the new proposed regional initiative.

Discussion

Launch of the ESCWA-OECD report on "Economic and social impact of open government: Policy Recommendations for the Arab region"

This session launched a jointly developed ESCWA-OECD report on "Economic and social impact of open government: Policy Recommendations for the Arab region". It identified the socio-economic impact of open government, supported by several success stories from OECD countries and good examples from Arab countries. The session ended by summarized the main findings of the report and highlighted its main observations and policy recommendations.

Introductory Session: Why "Open innovative government for the New Urban Agenda and the achievement of Goal 11 and Goal 16"?

The session highlighted the relevance of open government to Urban Development Agenda and the realization of Goal 11 in the Arab region. It also clarified the concepts of e-government versus open government and exposed the linkages with smart and digital solutions.

Session 1: Lessons learned and challenges of open government at local level from cities in the World and in the Arab region

The concept of open government was explored, together with the lessons learned and key challenges facing its application at the local level. Effective governance that ensures collective decision making in innovative governance systems was also emphasized as the means to leave no one behind. Participants also discussed the role of technologies and priority areas for enhancing openness, participation, transparency, accountability, collaboration and engagement in local governance, towards urban development. Examples of good governance and best practices from selected cities were showcased, including examples from Morocco, Poland, Spain, and Tunisia.

Session 2: Digital Transformation for Urban Development Agenda in the Arab region

The session highlighted the role of smart and digital technology and innovation at the local level for the realization of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and Goal 11 of the SDGs. It also emphasized how to exploit technology for foster urban resilience with focus on social and economic aspects. The priority areas of digital transformation for the implementation of the NUA was identified during this session.

Session 3: New regional initiative: Open Government and Digital Transformation for the New Urban Agenda in the Arab region

Participants explored prospects for collaboration on a new regional initiative, and discussed its scope, objectives, target countries/cities, and activities and engagements for each. The envisaged activities should respond to local needs and actively involve the participating cities from the start in identifying the potential partners and joint financing resources. An interactive tool was used in this session to solicit feedback of participants on pre-set questions that could be relied on in the development and fine-tuning of the new initiative, in terms of activities, timeline, clients, partners, and funding sources.

Participant list

List of participants