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May 2025 Edition

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our DPI Safeguards Digest!

As we work together to ensure responsible and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), our goal is to keep you updated on our progress—highlighting key initiatives and the remarkable work happening across the DPI ecosystem. This edition covers activities at the global level, such as the World Bank’s Global Digital Summit, and at the local level, including workshops held in Uganda, Tanzania and Brazil. Let’s dive in!

Driving commitments and adoption of the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework

The Global Digital Compact recognizes the potential of—and the need for—safeguards in DPI implementations. The DPI Safeguards initiative has been showcasing ongoing progress in this area, aiming to both inspire and champion pioneers.

Countries and organizations are stepping up with formal commitments, outlining their intent to adopt DPI Safeguards principles through specific initiatives or implementation pathways. Over the past three months, the following commitments have been made:

Malawi's National Registration Bureau (NRB) committed to adopting the principles of DPI Safeguards throughout its DPI lifecycle. More here.

The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) committed to the Universal DPI Safeguards for its entire Digital Public Goods portfolio, including MOSIP, OpenG2P, Sunbird. More here.

Mojaloop published its commitment, articulating how it is already embracing the principles of Universal DPI Safeguards. More here.

🚀 Steering the Evolution of the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework

Working Groups Discussions: Insights & Highlights

The Working Groups are currently focusing on the Assessment and Adoption dimensions of the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework. The initial meetings have provided an opportunity to connect and exchange knowledge from different vantage points.

The Working Groups are engaging in various discussions, convening a wide range of stakeholders from the DPI ecosystem, including policymakers, technology providers and civil society representatives. The Assessment Working Group recently held a meeting with the team leading the Inclusivity Pulse for DPI, which is developing a methodology to track inclusion as countries around the world undertake digital transformation.

The Compliance Working Group has also engaged with stakeholders representing various Responsible Authorities, as outlined in the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework. Vijay Vujjini and Nishant Kaushik contributed to the discussions, sharing lived experience to help technology providers better understand how to adopt the Universal Safeguards.

In addition, the Working Group members had the opportunity to gather insights from the perspective of governments, including from Henrique Dolabella and Luciana Aguiar Corrêa - officials at the Brazilian Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, working on the Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR), as well as from Mphatso Augustine Sambo - Principal Secretary of Malawi's National Registration Bureau, who is overseeing the country’s Digital ID rollout. All three practitioners are at different stages of DPI Safeguards adoption in their respective areas.

📢 Mainstreaming DPI Safeguards to Drive Adoption

Women in GovTech Challenge Launched

The Women in GovTech Challenge is underway! This initiative aims to empower women innovators at the intersection of technology and governance.

As a proud partner, we are excited to support mentees in applying the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework within their unique contexts. Through tailored mentorship, participants will gain access to the tools and knowledge needed to design GovTech solutions that are not only innovative but also safe, inclusive and aligned with global best practices.

Safeguards in Action:

In-Country Workshops & Meetings

Workshops and meetings have kicked off in several countries. These have focused on capacity building and stakeholder alignment to support the adoption and implementation of DPI Safeguards, with creation of potential impact coalitions that can sustain the long-term momentum on Safeguards. Actionable insights emerged from sessions in Uganda (working closely with civil society), and from dialogues with government representatives in Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago.

Open Call for DPI Innovations Launched by South Africa’s G20 Presidency

Under this year’s South African G20 Presidency, the Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) is prioritizing DPI. UNDP and the Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) highlighted the importance of Universal DPI Safeguards for DPI implementations and governance mechanisms during the first and second DEWG meetings. Khule Duma, Director of the Project Management Office in the Office of the President, presented South Africa’s DPI Roadmap with a strong emphasis on Safeguards adoption to drive implementation.

Focused on catalyzing DPI implementation with a focus on the African context, South Africa’s G20 Presidency has launched an open call for DPI Innovation to surface new and existing solutions and implementations. Selected submissions will have the opportunity to be featured at high-level G20 events and the Global DPI Summit 2025 in Cape Town. Apply here.

Read more on the role of DPI and AI as key enablers of countries’ long-term development here.

Safeguards at Key Events:

MOSIP Connect: In a keynote address at the event, the DPI Safeguards initiative underscored the need for DPI safeguards and called on country representatives to become early adopters. Bilateral engagements with governments and the private sector generated valuable insights that will continue to shape the Framework’s development and local implementation efforts. A safeguards deep-dive workshop was jointly organized with DPGA’s 50-in-5 initiative, in partnership with Co-Develop and Dalberg, to:

Introduce participants to DPI Safeguards, with contributions from ID authorities in South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia, who shared their experiences in adopting safeguards while building digital IDs and broader DPI.
Present the inclusion measurement toolkit and facilitate a discussion on barriers to inclusion.

The Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) Uganda, in partnership with Namati–Kenya and the DPI Safeguards Initiative convened more than 60 experts to discuss how Uganda can advance its digital transformation while ensuring human rights protections remain at the core. Read the report here.

🔎 Safeguards News from the Ecosystem

The World Bank’s Global Digital Summit offered a great opportunity for discussions on global digital cooperation frameworks. Ahead of the event, the World Bank released Digital Public Infrastructure and Development: A World Bank Group Approach
At the Inclusive Fintech Forum held from 24-26 February 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda launched the Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure.
The World Economic Forum announced the Global Future Council on GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure.
University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose launched the Community of Practice for DPI Measurement.
In a recent workshop, the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists urged stakeholders to prioritize human rights in the development of DPI.
A new UNDP blog explores how aligning AI with DPI as enablers can unlock more inclusive and long-term development pathways.

Want to share something with us? Contact us to be featured in this section.

Mark your calendar: DPI Day at UN Open Source Week

Mark your calendars for DPI Day on 19 June, a key highlight of the UN Open Source Week (16–20 June). This dedicated day will bring together global stakeholders to explore how open-source approaches can accelerate the adoption and impact of DPI.

Each session will conclude with actionable insights and a Call to Action, feeding directly into the Global DPI Summit later this year.

📅 Let's Meet!

• Responsible Finance Forum: 20–22 May, Johannesburg, South Africa

• ID4Africa: 20–23 May, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• SA G20 Digital Economy Working Group: 9–11 June, Limpopo, South Africa

• UN Open Source Week 2025: 16–20 June, UN Headquarters, New York

• Internet Governance Forum (IGF): 23–27 June, Lillestrøm, Norway (Hybrid)

Is there an event missing from our list? Please contact us.

📣 Help Shape the Future of Digital Tools for DPI Safeguards

The DPI Safeguards initiative is focused on driving adoption by creating user-friendly, accessible digital tools that offer guidance and knowledge throughout implementation—whether by government authorities, technology providers or civil society advocates. To ensure these tools are fit-for-purpose and responsive to user needs, we are building a community of testers to provide valuable feedback that will help refine and improve our digital products.

Sign up now to share your insights and help us build better digital solutions.

Thank you for being part of our shared journey towards responsible DPI. We look forward to keeping you informed in the next edition. If you have feedback or suggestions, we would love to hear from you!