Pacific Digital Democracy Project launched aiming to promote inclusive and responsible digital governance

The Pacific Digital Democracy Project’s opening event in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, examined digital democracy and its potential to enhance the digital future. The Tonga Digital Readiness Assessment shed light on Tonga’s digitalization journey, objectives, and the measures required to attain the goals. The initiative, funded by the European Union and carried out by UN Development Program (UNDP), aims to ‘revolutionize digital governance and empower citizens in the Pacific region.’ Tonga and three other countries are key participants in this transformative initiative, which seeks to establish a strong commitment to digital rights and development principles among government and civil society.

The Digital Democracy Project, facilitated by Andrew Toimoana, Director of the Department of Digital Transformation in the Government of Tonga, aims to strengthen the government and civil society participants to enhance safety online, battle disinformation and hate speech and promote e-government. Eleni Levin-Tevi, a representative of the European Union, stressed the project’s incorporation with the European Union’s efforts to promote a rights-based digitization agenda.

The UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji appreciated Tonga’s connectivity, cybersecurity, and public sector digitalization successes. The multistakeholder panel discussion focuses on the enhancement of digital technologies and challenges such as disinformation, gender-based violence, and digital identities.