About GDDF
The Global Digital Development Forum is a highly participatory, community-driven event, with global events online and an in-person event in DC. GDDF brings engaging sessions to connect government stakeholders, technologists, researchers, funders, implementers, and private sector firms from across the globe.
GDDF 2024 built on four years of successful global virtual/hybrid forums that engaged over 3,000 participants each time and feature keynote speakers from USAID, tech companies, and across the digital development ecosystem.
Introducing the virtual conference modality expanded both the focus and participation beyond any specific donor or country, to include a global audience of LMIC practitioners that now stretches far beyond major implementers and includes hundreds of local actors.
Global Digital Development Forum 2024 Themes
Explore some of the transformative questions, industry-defining discussion, new voices, and creative ideas for each area
21st Century Development
Illustrative Topic Areas
Climate Change - How can ICT help to mitigate or adapt to a warming world?
Food Security - Where can ICT support better food nutrition and availability?
Pandemic Response - Who is preparing for the next pandemic, and how can digital technology help?
Siloed Solutions - When can we work together, across sectors?
Doing More with Less - How can we succeed when budgets shrink but expectations soar?
Overcoming Digital Downsides
Illustrative Topic Areas
Cybersecurity - How can we mitigate risks and improve digital hygiene?
Evil Tech - When should we disengage from firms that actively do harm?
Digital Rights - How can we support democratic institutions?
Digital Harm - How can we ensure that we are protecting children, women, and other vulnerable groups?
Digital Exclusion - How can we improve digital illiteracy and inclusion?
Mis/Dis/Malinformation - Where are mis/dis/malinformation risks the most acute, and how can we reduce its impacts?
Pushing the Frontiers of Development
Illustrative Topic Areas
Artificial Intelligence - When is it really useful for international development? (includes GenAI, pattern recognition, natural language processing, etc)
Quantum Computing - How is it relevant to emerging economies?
Internet of Things - Who is using IoT and what is its impact?
Remote sensing - What are we seeing in the data?
Web3 - Where can we use it to improve outcomes?
What to expect at GDDF?
Exciting Lightning Talks
that showcase new ideas or focused learning on ICT4D successes and failures in short, fast-paced presentations.
Thoughtful Keynote Presentations
on transformative digital development topics of global importance.
Captivating Breakout Sessions
featuring lively debates on key contested issues or interactive roundtable discussions that explore complex deployment challenges.
Interactive Learning Workshops
with practical, hands-on exercises and innovative approaches.
Enlightening Solution Demonstrations
of new services, approaches and key innovations ready for rapid deployment.
Worldwide Local Organizers
acting as champions of GDDF in their respective communities and organizing conversations on GDDF topics within their local communities.