Building safe and inclusive DPI for societies

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is transforming societies, powering innovation and momentum for rapid digital transformation. Today, DPI is a global priority. In 2023, DPI was selected by the United Nations Secretary General as one of 12 High Impact Initiatives with the ability to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2024, 193 UN Member States agreed on the need for safeguards to ensure that DPI approaches are inclusive, responsible, safe, secure and user-centred, with the adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC). The launch of the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework in 2024 was the direct response to that call. The Framework, designed through a multistakeholder process led by the DPI Safeguards Initiative, comprises a set of 350+ good practices that provide governments and institutions a foundation for building and operating responsible DPI.

It is not DPI if it is not safe and inclusive

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By leveraging digital public infrastructure, Brazil is strengthening a set of crucial government policies such as the digital ID, the Unified Registry for social programs, and the innovative Rural Environmental Registry, therefore promoting citizenship, eradicating poverty, and enabling a sustainable future. We are committed to building such infrastructures safely and inclusively, benefiting from the active engagement of our vibrant civil society.

~ Esther Dweck, Minister of Management and Innovation in Public Services of Brazil

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With the launch of the MyMzansi roadmap,South Africa is building integrated digitalpublic infrastructure that connects digitalidentity, data exchange, payments andservices into a single system for accessinggovernment services. We have committed tothe Universal DPI Safeguards and areembedding these into the design from theoutset, alongside open standards and digitalpublic goods principles. In parallel, we arebeginning to formalise more structuredengagement with civil society following initialconsultations.

~ Melvyn Lubega,Head of the Digital Services Unit, SouthAfrica Presidency

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The DPI Safeguards Initiative ensures thatdigital public infrastructure is developed inways that protect openness, trust, and userrights. As DPI systems scale globally, successwill depend not only on sound publicgovernance, but also on the meaningfulparticipation of private sector actors thatoperate critical digital infrastructure.

~ Soheib Nunhuck,Senior Policy Manager, DPI, alongsideGSMA's External Affairs Team

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As Uganda accelerates the rollout of digitalpublic infrastructure, our key concern hasbeen that digital systems are advancingfaster than safeguards, public understanding,and meaningful participation. Through ourengagement in the DPI Safeguards Initiative,we have recognised the critical importance ofstrengthening the capacity of civil societyactors and facilitating multi-stakeholderdialogue on digital rights and safeguards. Thishas enhanced more confident engagementwith duty bearers on implementation gapsand is contributing to the emergence of astronger, more coordinated civil societymovement advocating for inclusive,accountable, and rights-centred digitaltransformation.

~ Jackson Leviticus Wandera, ProgramOfficer, Economic Justice & SocialProtection, Initiative for Social andEconomic Rights (ISER)

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Two years of implementation have shown us that safeguards are not a constraint on digital progress; theyare the foundation of it. Countries that embed safeguards from the start build systems that are trusted,adopted, and sustainable. That is the lesson, and it is the ambition driving everything we do next.

~ Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer, UNDP

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As countries around the world lay the foundational digital rails that will transform their economies andsocieties for years to come, they face crucial decisions that will shape the well-being of all people. The UNDPI Safeguards Initiative, alongside several partners, is working with countries to chart a course to a safe,inclusive digital future. Together, we'll help make the safe choice the easy choice for every countryembarking on a journey toward a digital future.

~ CV Madhukar, CEO, Co-Develop

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Digital public infrastructure is rapidlyreshaping the way people access and usefinancial services. Through the Global DPIInsights Community, the Center for FinancialInclusion at Accion is exploring risks to userexperience and trust, as these systems rollout across the world. This work is taking placealongside technical partners GSMA, CCAF,the UN Safeguards Initiative and IntegralGovernance Solutions, and with support fromthe Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.The UN’s Universal DPI Safeguards Initiativeis playing a vital role by turning lessons intopractical guidance for those building DPI.Together, we are helping policymakers andleaders create DPI systems that are secure,affordable, and able to reach underservedpeople at scale.

~ Michael Schlein, President & CEO,Accion

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The Universal DPI Safeguards Frameworkprovides us with a structured, rights-basedlanguage and methodology to strengthen ouradvocacy for a hybrid system — one thatincludes non-digital pathways as a right. Thisaligns with digital public infrastructureprinciples to promote trust, accountability, andhuman rights in digital transformation. As theSouth African government moves swiftly towardthe digitisation of other permanent grants andsocial services, the Universal DPI SafeguardsFramework is becoming increasingly significantto our work.

~ Evashnee Naidu, KZN Regional Manager;Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker, NationalAdvocacy Manager, Black Sash

Unlocking commitment, capacity and capital

Phase 2 (2026-2028) of the Universal DPI Safeguards Initiative is a strategic response to the lessons of the last two years and aims to unlock new levels of commitment, capacity and capital.

The Initiative will shift its efforts from driving implementation to empowering practitioners in the broader ecosystem to lead with purpose, to ensure long-term sustainability. Phase II will support countries via structured ecosystem pathways, such as the DPI Safeguards Accelerator Programme. The review of the Global Digital Compact in 2027 will uphold global momentum around safeguards and will serve as a mid-way milestone for measuring progress on their uptake and adoption.

Scaling safeguards

Around the world, there is growing recognition of the importance of safeguards and the economic gains that can be achieved with safe, trustworthy DPI. As a result, demand is outpacing what the Initiative can support. Beyond the nine active engagements, more than 15 additional countries have formally requested safeguards support and that demand continues to grow.

Initial investments have moved the Initiative from pioneering work to global momentum, but more resources are needed to match the scale and ambition of the opportunity.

The stakes could not be higher. Human development progress is experiencing an unprecedented slowdown – but digital transformation could reignite development. Digital transformation can help developing countries leapfrog decades of slow development and catalyse economic growth. To achieve this, DPI must reach population scale. That can only happen when people trust the systems they use, and that trust is built through safeguards. 

Now is the time to act. With digital transformation accelerating globally, countries that build DPI without safeguards risk building systems that people don’t trust, and don’t use, ultimately collapsing the economic and societal models they were designed to support.

Meeting the next phase and delivering impact requires closing a critical funding gap.
The DPI safeguard initiative is grateful for the generous support of Phase 1 Co-Develop and the Gates Foundation for phase 1.

Partner with us to build safe and inclusive societies

Digital Cooperation Fund

DPI Safeguards

DPI Safeguards Secretariat