Partnership with São Tomé and Príncipe underway with field work
As part of its mission to support the Member States of the United Nations in transforming the mechanisms of governance and building effective governance capabilities, UNU-EGOV has strengthened its work in São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country on the coast of Africa, with a field mission in July and further work currently taking place in Guimarães.
A founding member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), São Tomé is today one of the most stable and democratic nations in the continent. By invitation of the country's government and in close collaboration with the National Institute for Knowledge and Innovation (INIC), the Operating Unit of the UNU is collaborating on the development of the country's national strategy for Digital Governance and the Information Society. The mission was key in establishing the first contact with the government and several state institutions, including the Supreme Court and various Ministries, with the purpose of developing a roadmap for the project.
We are very impressed with the several people we have met in multiple sectors, with their readiness, their commitment and motivation. Not only has this project a lot of potential, it is also a need for the country. Nowadays, Electronic Governance is quite relevant to increase the efficiency of a government and also to create a stronger, more inclusive civil society. In accordance with SDG 16, there is a need for transparent and accountable public institutions. This is our starting point at the United Nations University. - Luís Soares Barbosa statement during his mission to the country.
A preliminary version of the National Strategy is currently being developed at the Operating Unit premises in Guimarães by a team from INIC: since 1 September, and for six weeks, INIC's Technical Administrator Kiltioson Viegas has been working with EGOV's researchers, with INIC's Director, Constâncio Andrade, joining in mid-October.
It is expected that this joint work and synergies between the national authorities and EGOV's researchers will lead to the development of a solid, realistic, and scalable strategy. The preliminary version of the strategy will be shared with the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe by the end of 2019 for evaluation and discussion.