The World Bank Group hosted the second annual Global Digital Summit on March 18, 2025, in Washington. The event gathered leaders from both public and private sectors to discuss expanding digital technology initiatives to create a significant impact.
The digital divide remains a global issue, with 2.6 billion people still offline and many lacking reliable connectivity and necessary skills for the digital age. The World Bank Group is committed to addressing this gap by promoting the adoption of digital solutions, strengthening digital public infrastructure (DPI), and enhancing digital access for women.
A central theme of the summit was the expansion of the Accelerating Digitalization Global Challenge Program. This program aims to assist countries in adopting digital solutions more quickly and ambitiously. It includes components like digital IDs, payments, and data-sharing platforms that connect individuals to essential services such as jobs, banking, healthcare, and education. By reinforcing these digital enablers, access to these services becomes more secure and straightforward.
The Global Challenge Program also encourages countries and regions to expand their digital efforts by fostering innovation, sharing solutions across borders, and creating integrated digital markets. Through shared infrastructure and regulatory harmonization, private sector involvement becomes more viable, enabling economies of scale.
During the summit, a new initiative was launched through the Digital Development Partnership with funding from the Gates Foundation. This initiative aims to improve affordable connectivity and enhance digital skills for women in low- and middle-income countries. It aligns with the World Bank’s broader objective of connecting 300 million more women to broadband by 2030.
"Digital transformation is one of the greatest opportunities of our time to drive growth and inclusion," stated Sangbu Kim, World Bank Vice President for Digital Transformation. "Digital technology can spark innovation, create jobs, and break down barriers to opportunity."