Today, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced that Ecuador will join other USAID partner countries exploring collaboration with USAID and the Government of Ukraine to transform how citizens engage with government and access critical services through the adoption of e-government tools.
Administrator Power made the announcement during her virtual remarks at the 2023 Diia Summit held in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the summit, the Government of Ukraine shared progress and the resiliency of digital transformation at home and abroad.
Launched in February 2020, Diia is Ukraine's award-winning mobile application and online portal that has transformed how its citizens engage with the government - providing over 19 million Ukrainians with one-stop access to more than 120 government services. Connection to these services has become even more critical following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Diia has also been used to support displaced Ukrainians and others impacted by the war.
Starting in 2016, the Government of Ukraine, in close partnership with USAID and with support from UK International Development (UKDev), laid the groundwork for Diia to become what it is today - through investing in digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity and data privacy, laws and regulations, strengthening and expanding the skills of government officials, and engaging with citizens and civil society. Diia has distinguished Ukraine as a world leader in e-government innovation, and, together with USAID, Ukraine is sharing this technology with other countries.
The expansion of digital government platforms like Diia is part of USAID's commitment to support countries in accelerating their digital transformation and adopt technologies that provide safe, trustworthy, and inclusive public and private services, reduce corruption, and foster citizen engagement in political processes. USAID is exploring ways to accelerate progress on digital public infrastructure - like digital payments, digital identity, and data interoperability - in partner countries to provide citizens with more efficient and effective services. USAID will also continue to work closely with Ukraine on both modeling Diia-like applications and facilitating partnerships with nations who want to jumpstart digital transformation. In addition, in September, USAID announced that Estonia is joining the effort by providing expert guidance to partner countries that will improve exchanges between operating systems.
Also at the Diia Summit, U.S. Ambassador Bridget A. Brink announced the launch of an expansion of USAID's work in Ukraine to strengthen the establishment of digital ecosystems and support economic growth, transparent recovery, and e-services for citizens and businesses that support anti-corruption efforts.
