On May 23, the first Diia in DC summit took place in Washington. Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov presented Ukraine’s achievements in the digital sphere and discussed further plans for development.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced a partnership with Colombia and Zambia to explore opportunities for improving existing digital systems, developing new digital services for citizens, and creating an analog of Diia. The summit was supported by USAID, Visa, Google.org, Eurasia Foundation, and UKAid, — reports the press office of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation’s team set a goal over three years ago to digitize 100% of the most popular public services by 2024. This led to the creation of the Diia app, which is used by more than 19 million Ukrainians and has simplified interaction between people and the state. USAID has been providing technical, financial, and legal support for Diia since 2019. The app now offers 14 documents and 30 services that can be accessed with a few clicks.
USAID has also supported Ukraine’s digital transformation initiatives. The Ministry of Digital Transformation is negotiating with ten countries, including those supported by USAID, for the export of Diia. The team has already considered partnerships with Zambia and Colombia. The administrator of USAID, Samantha Power, made this announcement during Diia in DC:
“Together, we send a clear signal to the world. When democracies are challenged, when we face trials, we work together, we share great ideas, and we invest in each other’s future. We are launching incredible innovations that meet the needs of our citizens, solving complex problems and making people’s lives better. And through this, we become stronger than ever.”
Mykhailo Fedorov also discussed other components of the Diia ecosystem and plans to continue building a digital state. The summit featured speeches from Samantha Power, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova, New York Magazine Editor Kara Swisher, and others.
Diia in DC was organized in collaboration between USAID and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, with support from Eurasia Foundation, UKAid, Visa, and Google.org Employment Opportunities with Diia. Education was also discussed.
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