The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) will be holding a conference on February 15 and 16, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland focusing on - Leveraging the Digital Economy for Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth: Strategies to Overcome Risks and Harness Opportunities.
Over the last decade, the digital economy and its volume and impact on the real economy have become a major focus of study. It continues to challenge us with its evolving nature, impact, and scale.
Some of the largest economic units on the planet are top digital firms. Apple, with USD2.88 trillion market capitalization (as of January 2024), and Microsoft (USD2.86 trillion) approach the 2023 GDP (in purchasing power parity) of the Republic of Korea, the world’s 14th largest national economy. Alphabet (USD1.79 trillion) is near the size of Egypt (18th largest economy), and Amazon (USD1.62 trillion) is similar to Taiwan, Province of China (22nd).
According to the World Bank, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector accounted for over six per cent of global GDP in 2022. The Digital Cooperation Organization, a Saudi government-led initiative, estimates the digital economy will contribute 30 per cent of global GDP and create 30 million jobs by 2030.
Technologies are also continuously evolving and new ones emerging. While technologies like cryptocurrencies and blockchain, central bank digital currencies, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning offer numerous benefits, deploying them responsibly and ethically is crucial to ensure that they have positive impacts on sustainable development. This requires addressing regulatory considerations, ethical concerns, and the potential for unintended consequences, among others.
The size and vigour of the digital economy make it a centre of convergence of what is good and bad in the world economy. This is the starting point of the discussion proposed by UNITAR. Together with digital technology innovators, regulators, experts, and practitioners from the financial sector, we will address the question: How can we embrace digital finance innovations to strengthen our efforts in achieving inclusive and sustainable development?
The presentations and panel discussions will also be broadcasted live. If you are unable to attend in-person, please register for the Zoom broadcasting: Link to Zoom registration
This portion of the conference will follow a Digital Finance Hackathon, which will take place on February 15 and the morning of February 16. If you are also interested in participating in the Hackathon, please be sure to register here (a separate registration is required): Hackathon registration.