UNU-EGOV played a key role in supporting the Brazilian Presidency of the G20+ through multiple events and the development of three targeted policy briefs. Building on the Indian Presidency’s 2023 call to action, UNU-EGOV, in partnership with cetic.br, provided a set of strategic recommendations aimed at enhancing digital inclusion through improved data collection.
Titled "Citizen-Centered Digital Government: A Demand-Side Approach", the policy briefs, authored jointly with UNU-EGOV researchers, advocate for a paradigm shift in how digital government is structured and how digital inclusion is measured. This shift is essential for bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to online services across diverse socioeconomic contexts—a priority echoed in the G20 Digital Working Groups and the Ministerial Declaration on 13 September 2024.
Our recommendations urge governments and international organizations, within and beyond the G20, to prioritize the collection and analysis of demand-side data, incorporating geographical and socioeconomic variables. This approach will enable more informed policy-making and targeted initiatives to improve digital inclusion. We further advise the adoption of intersectional analysis and the integration of both machine-generated and citizen-generated data, facilitating a deeper understanding of the needs of various user groups. Finally, we encourage collaboration between governments, international organizations, and the telecommunications sector to develop cost-effective solutions for monitoring internet usage—across public and private services—thereby driving more effective policy, service development, and digital initiatives that benefit all.
