Uruguay

Joining the Digital Nations in 2018 was a major recognition for Uruguay, since we are the sole representative from the Latin American and Caribbean region and positions the country at the level of the world’s leaders in digital governments. During our first summit in New Zealand, Government Digital Services Minister Clare Curran stated, “I am delighted that these two new countries have joined the group, taking it to the D7. Expanding the D5 ensures that we remain a resilient, relevant and strong forum for practical collaboration and sharing and to collectively build stronger digital nations”.

The guiding principles of the Digital Nations encourage the development of connectivity, digital citizenship, teaching children to code, open government, open standards and open source, and citizen-centred government. In this context, Uruguay stands out for having reduced the digital divide, the implementation of the Plan Ceibal, our progress in the digitalisation of government services and commitment as a more open and proximity government.

Agesic, the agency that works under the Office of the President of the Republic of Uruguay, is the designated Uruguayan institution to integrate this network. The former executive director, José Clastornik, presented to the summit participants the country’s major advances that earned its access to the group. At the same time, participation in the Digital Nations provides Uruguay with an opportunity to contribute to advancing digital government in the world and to take part in the debate on current and future issues, such as the ethical aspects of Artificial Intelligence or the application of electronic identification in everyday life.