TIWN
United Nations, April 26 : India exemplifies how the digital revolution can be made accessible to millions and become "a fundamental driver of social transformation and progress", according to UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis.
"Models like the Citizen Stack (of India) should be embraced and replicated across countries in the Global South – supporting and empowering people, particularly the most vulnerable in our communities, in the true spirit of leaving no one behind," he said on Thursday.
Speaking at a conference on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) hosted by India's UN mission, he recalled his visit to India in January, when, he said, he saw the rapid expansion of digital public infrastructure that has removed many barriers and "enabled millions to achieve financial independence and prosperity".
"In just seven years, India's digital public infrastructure model has achieved over 80 per cent financial inclusion for its citizens, and now accounts for more than 60 per cent of all digital transactions worldwide," he said.
At the conference, India showcased its Citizen Stack, the pioneering DPI, that provides seamless interoperability between various functions, from identity (for example, Aadhar) and payments (like UPI and Walmart's PhonePe) to health (Sanjeevani) and public services delivery.
India's Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a video message said, "India believes in the ethos of 'One World, One Family, One Future' (and) consistent with our ethos, we offer our Citizen Stack to the world."
"The G20 summit in New Delhi last year recognised the transformative power of DPI and following this, India took the initiative to establish a global repository for DPIs currently housing over 55 DPIs from 16 countries," he said.
"India has pledged $200 million to a social impact fund that will accelerate DPI adoption globally, especially in the developing countries," he added.
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