Author:  Darinka Vasquez, Digital Specialist on Strategy and Innovation, UNDP  

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) have distinct social, cultural and geographical contexts, but they also share common socioeconomic challenges, such as high poverty rates, limited infrastructure and capacity constraints. These issues are also compounded by structural barriers such as weak connectivity, regulatory fragmentation, and gaps in digital literacy. To fully unlock the benefits of the digital era, LDCs require strategies tailored to their national priorities with strengthened capacity-building. This will ensure that digital development creates meaningful opportunities and outcomes for all.
 

A roadmap to digital development

The Doha Programme of Action (DPoA) for the Least Developed Countries (2022–2031) is a strategic framework, providing a roadmap for LDCs to accelerate digital transformation. The digital divide remains a critical barrier for LDCs’ greater economic growth, with inadequate broadband access and the high cost of digital services further marginalizing populations. Additionally, many LDCs face challenges with cybersecurity vulnerabilities, fragmented regulatory environments, and a lack of investment in digital literacy.  

The DPoA recognizes digital technologies as key drivers of sustainable development, which can foster inclusive economies, promote resilient governance and deliver equitable access to public services. Unlocking this potential for the world’s 44 LDCs and their 880 million people requires strong leadership and government engagement, sustained investment and digital products that are co-designed with and for LDCs.
 

Supporting LDCs with a differentiated approach

UNDP is designing and building impact-driven digital transformation strategies for LDCs with a focus on five key areas: early engagement, tailored solutions, impactful action, knowledge-sharing, and technical capacity. To strengthen technical expertise in particular, UNDP’s Digital Capacity Lab is tailored to the needs of government institutions, offering an innovative, hands-on approach to designing and rolling out citizen-centric solutions. Here we outline five steps for delivering impact.
 

1. Engage with governments and leaders early on

Why this matters: Effective digital transformation requires strong political will and leadership awareness. Early engagement and stronger leadership capacity can ensure digital transformation is integrated into strategic planning and national digital strategies from the outset.  

What needs to happen:

• Strengthen collaboration between government officials and UNDP to shape locally relevant national digital policies and strategies.
• Expand capacity-building programmes for policymakers, enabling them to advocate for digital infrastructure development by leveraging UNDP’s Digital Strategy and Leadership Lab.
• Leverage UNDP policy advocacy toolkits, which align LDCs’ national digital transformation efforts with global digital transformation priorities.
• By bolstering leadership engagement from the outset, LDCs can ensure that digital strategies support their long-term economic and social goals.
   

2. Design digital solutions that work for everyone

Why this matters: For digital solutions to effectively address development gaps in LDCs, they must be locally driven, fair and representative. The DPoA calls for a multistakeholder approach, with young people, women, entrepreneurs and digital innovators involved in digital development initiatives. LDCs embarking on their digital transformation journey can use the multi-stakeholder process employed by UNDP’s Digital Readiness Assessments to ensure all voices are heard.

What needs to happen:

• Ensure representation of digital projects and product design inputs originating from LDCs.
• Establish structured feedback loops, including pilot programmes and focus groups with local entrepreneurs, civil society and digital startups.
• Test new tools such as AI strategies or digital solutions in priority sectors such as education, health, agriculture and e-governance to ensure they serve the needs of all.
• By involving communities directly in digital transformation efforts, governments can ensure that solutions are sustainable, context-relevant and aligned with their country’s sector-specific priorities.
   

3. Create impact-driven digital action plans  

Why this matters: Digitalization is not an end in itself—it must deliver real, measurable impact. LDCs often face barriers such as low broadband access, digital illiteracy and weak policy frameworks that make it difficult to realize the full benefits of digitalization. UNDP designs frameworks, interventions and action plans that align to each country’s broader development goals, as well as offer expert feedback when national digital policies and strategies are being developed.

What needs to happen:

• Align digital strategies with national development goals to support economic growth and inclusion.
• Co-design holistic action plans and initiatives to ensure an integrated approach.
• Expand Digital Public Infrastructure to broaden access to enhance accessibility to digital services.
• Ensuring that digital initiatives are integrated into national development strategies will accelerate digital inclusion and tangible economic benefits.
   

4. Boost and target technical capacity

Why this matters: One of the biggest challenges with scaling digital projects in LDCs is the lack of technical capacity and long-term support. UNDP prioritizes hands-on implementation support to bridge this gap.

What needs to happen:

• Leverage UNDP’s Country Office presence and assign dedicated project managers to support digital project’s implementation in LDCs.
• Extend project timelines to allow for capacity-building efforts and localized digital adoption.
• Leverage financial support and resources in country offices to deepen and scale digital projects and ensure financial sustainability beyond initial pilot phases.  
• With continuous support for implementation, LDCs can move beyond one-off digital interventions to long-term digital transformation.
   

5. Strengthen knowledge-sharing  

Why this matters: The DPoA highlights the importance of knowledge exchange and capacity-building to enable LDCs to leverage digital transformation effectively. Many LDCs lack digital expertise, relevant policy frameworks and technical capacity, which hinders their ability to adopt and scale digital solutions. UNDP can play a pivotal role in this regard, acting as a connector, facilitator and knowledge hub, ensuring that LDCs can learn from each other and from global best practices to accelerate their digital journeys.  

For example, some governments are already designing and implementing digital public infrastructure (DPI), while others are at the beginning of their journeys. Regardless of what stage they are in their journey, LDCs can learn from these shared knowledge and experiences to shorten the adoption journey. 50-in-5 is a country-led campaign driving this effort, aiming to support 50 countries by 2028 in designing, launching, and scaling at least one DPI components.

What needs to happen:

• Establish a repository of successful digital initiatives in LDCs, providing case studies and best practices.
• Organize regional knowledge-sharing forums to promote cross-country learning on digital governance and innovation.
• Collaborate with international organizations, universities and private sector partners to enhance digital skills training programmes. An excellent example is the ITU–UNDP courses available in the ITU Academy, which offer training for policymakers on a   wide range of topics, from digital innovation to digital governance.  
• By fostering peer-to-peer learning and digital capacity-building, LDCs can develop stronger institutional frameworks for digital governance and economic growth.

Embracing digital transformation as a catalyst for progress, LDCs can drive their efforts to bridge the digital divide and shape their digital futures. To do so, it is crucial to ensure that the priorities and potential of each country, coupled with the needs of the people are aligned. UNDP is committed to supporting this journey, contributing the expertise and resources needed and fostering collaborations. With the right investments and partnerships, LDCs will have the power to drive innovation, strengthen resilience and create more inclusive and prosperous societies, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age.