ICT and International Development

—Further Promotion of ICT Utilization for the SDGs Achievement, and its Challenge—

Abstract

SDGs started as a new common goal of the international community after MDGs though some targets might be ambitious and not easy to achieve by business as usual methods. Accordingly, expectations for the utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the development practices are increasing more than ever. We already see some innovative ICT utilization cases which creates development effect untraditionally. In the meantime, ICT utilization requires fundamentals such as power supply and internet infrastructure, while some developing countries does not fully secure it yet. To tackle with such challenges, innovative idea of youth and new technologies should be critical.

In this paper, on the premise of the international agreement that the achievement of SDGs is necessary to realize poverty alleviation and shared prosperity, the utility and possibility of ICT to contribute to achieving SDGs is discussed. In addition, some key factors which to tackle with the existing difficulties of ICT utilization in developing countries are also suggested.