They were speaking at a three-day conference on the role of technology in strengthening democracy, held in collaboration with the government of Australia, EU and UNDP, informed a press release.
The conference brought together people from private, public and non-profit sectors to discuss the core governance challenges and possible technological solutions that could be developed, particularly by the tech sector, to help address them. Australian High Commissioner Peter Heyward said that modern technology could enhance individual rights and strengthen rule of law.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said technology and its role in strengthening democracy was a subject of increasing importance today.
“We are living in an age of unprecedented change — no human generation has ever witnessed such a leap as our generation is witnessing, thanks largely to knowledge and the information era.”
UNDP Country Director Marc-André Franche said technology was not a panacea for Pakistan’s governance challenges, but could play a major role in strengthening the performance of democratic institutions and processes.
The sessions explored how technology was enhancing the integrity of electoral processes. This included the concept of e-parliament and how information technology could help parliaments improve their performance across three core functions: law making, oversight and representation.
The session also focused on how technology was changing the way civil society engages as digital observers, civic educators, and social actors.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ