In his opening address, State Secretary Dr Raščan stressed the importance of integrating the internal and external aspects of digitalisation, adding that stakeholders should participate in digital development. “Digital cooperation and partnerships with stakeholders from countries and regions outside the EU should be improved as digital development is not limited by national borders,” said the Secretary of State. The launch of the D4D Hub offers enormous potential in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and connectivity.

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), were also among the keynote speakers.

At a round table covering experiences and an exchange of views regarding the contribution and importance of the Digital for Development Hub in Latin America and the Caribbean, Minister for Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič outlined the Slovenian digital agenda, experience and plans. High-level representatives of countries from both regions, namely Estonia, Finland, France, Spain, Chile, Panama, Brazil and Costa Rica, also attended the round table. Brazil and Costa Rica were represented by Sarquis José Buainain Sarquis, Secretary for Foreign Trade and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of External Relations, and Christian Guillermet-Fernández, Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs, respectively. The Ljubljana-based International Research Centre On Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) under the Auspices of UNESCO also presented its activities.

In his concluding speech at the launch of the Digital for Development Hub, the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology underlined global connectivity.

The event was co-organised by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships of the European Commission.