Leading digital nations welcomed to New Zealand

  • Hon Clare Curran
Government Digital Services

Government Digital Services Minister, Clare Curran, is welcoming Ministers and senior officials from other world-leading digital nations to New Zealand this week for the D5 Ministerial Summit.

“New Zealand, Estonia, Israel, South Korea and the UK make up the D5 and delegations are here to share ideas, identify challenges and solutions, and discuss important global issues such as digital rights, digital trade and digital identity,” Ms Curran says.

“This is the fourth annual gathering of D5 countries and I’m delighted New Zealand is hosting it for the first time. 

“We’re making the most of the opportunity we have as host to promote New Zealand as a digital leader and showcase the best digital innovations our government agencies have created.

“Collaboration is key. None of us has all the answers and we need to work together to come up with the best solutions to ensure we have thriving digital nations.

“Here in New Zealand we want to close the digital divides by 2020, and to make ICT the second largest contributor to GDP by 2025,” Ms Curran says.

“I believe all New Zealanders should be able to access digital technologies, take advantage of the opportunities they offer and use them to get more involved in the decision-making processes of government.

“Digital rights will be a key area of discussion at the Summit as we look at common problems worldwide and how we’re working to address them.

“I’ll also beholding a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of the D5 Nations and other overseas delegations.”

The Prime Minister will open the Digital Government Showcase tomorrow featuring the best digital products and services created by government agencies and their partners.

There’ll be 14 exhibits on display with virtual reality experiences, the world’s first AI politician and online gaming designed to improve mental health.

For a copy of the Minister’s speech to the Digital Nations conference yesterday please go to: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/keynote-address-digital-nations-2030-conference