Mr. Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Secretary-General for the International Conference on Small Island Developing States
Release Conference of the Chinese Edition of the
United Nations E-Government Survey 2014
United Nations E-Government Survey 2014
12 August 2014, Beijing
Your Excellency, Mr. Hong Yi,
Your Excellency, Ms. Wang Xiujun,?
Distinguished Chairperson, Mr. Wang Yimin,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to launch the Chinese edition of the 2014 United Nations E-government Survey with the Chinese Academy of Governance, CAG. Please allow me to thank the E-government Research Center of CAG, for its translation of the Survey to Chinese.? The survey has been a valuable advocacy tool to raise awareness of the opportunities, challenges and strategies in advancing e-government policies in support of the future we want. The first Chinese edition of the Survey in 2012 has been widely disseminated to many Chinese language speakers in China and beyond and has received positive feedback from policymakers and academia.
Our biennial E-government Survey presents e-government progress made by all 193 United Nations Member State. While e-government development varies greatly among and within regions, most countries in Asia, as in other regions, have made significant investment in both online services and the infrastructure to deliver them with impressive results. China has made substantial progress in e-participation and? multichannel service delivery which are important aspects of a sound e-government strategy.
The timeframe for implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will come to an end in 2015. The United Nations and other stakeholders have been intensively discussing the scope and priorities of a new post-2015 development agenda. To this end, the United Nations is working with governments, civil society and other relevant partners to seek a shared vision for the future we want, which also builds on the achievements made by the MDGs. Sustainable development will be at the core of the post-2015 development agenda.
Similarly, in the upcoming Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), specific challenges to promote sustainable development will be discussed.? The success of the conference will depend on strengthening of partnerships between small islands and the international community. The sustainable development of the SIDS will be considered in the larger context of the post-2015 development agenda. In my capacity as Secretary-General of the Conference, I encourage your participation and partnership.?
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we continue our journey to a post-2015 era, we recognize the tremendous potential of e?government as a key enabler of sustainable development. This year’s E-government Survey, subtitled, “E-government for the future we want” contains a great amount of data, cases and findings about how e-government matters for sustainable growth and development beyond.
The emergence of e-government has greatly helped and will continue to advance sustainable development by enhancing efficiency of the public services delivery, by changing the government-citizen interactions to enhance a broader stakeholder involvement, and by transforming the public sector with more information sharing and open government.
Most importantly, e-government provides new opportunities to integrate economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable. Open data or data that can be freely used, facilitates better, more integrated service delivery. Additionally, increased e?service delivery will foster social inclusion. E-government can also support the delivery of accessible and affordable services and promote environmental sustainability, including management of disasters brought about by climate change.
Information and communications technologies (ICT) help to facilitate integrated public services and ??collaboration across multiple government agencies and ministries. Silos of government can be integrated, thereby meeting people’s needs in a more effective manner and promoting more people-centered development.
As in many other areas, the realization of e-government potential for sustainable development will depend on partnerships and concerted action of all. I therefore look forward to your continuing support and partnerships for advancing e-government for sustainable development beyond 2015 for present and future generations.
I believe that the success stories and lessons learned from China in the area of E-governance and development will be very valuable for other countries and regions in their way forward.
Thank you.