Global Digital Summit: World Bank unites leaders to bridge digital divide for inclusive future

The Global Digital Summit also marked the launch of a new initiative through the Digital Development Partnership, funded by the Gates Foundation, aimed at expanding affordable connectivity and digital skills for women in low- and middle-income countries. This initiative aligns with the World Bank’s broader goal of connecting 300 million more women to broadband by 2030.

Billions of people around the world are still offline (2.6 billion, to be specific), which means they are missing out on many critical socio-economic opportunities. Recognizing this urgency, the World Bank Group is embracing a more agile and impactful approach to digital development.

On March 18, 2025, the World Bank Group convened the second annual Global Digital Summit in Washington, D.C, bringing together public and private sector leaders to expand digital technology initiatives and drive large-scale impact. A key focus of the summit was enhancing and expanding the Accelerating Digitalization Global Challenge Program, which helps countries adopt digital solutions more rapidly and ambitiously. 

The World Bank is following three key pathways to bridge the digital divide:

• A Programmatic Approach: Enables countries to share innovations, build integrated digital markets, and scale solutions efficiently. By collaborating with regional organizations, governments can tailor digital solutions to their specific needs while fostering regulatory harmonization and economic growth.

• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) – Serves as the backbone of digital transformation, similar to physical roads that facilitate commerce. Digital identity, payment systems, and data-sharing platforms create essential digital highways, connecting people to jobs, banking, healthcare, and education. With approximately 850 million people lacking official IDs and 3.3 billion unable to access digital identification, strengthening these enablers is crucial.

• A One World Bank Group Approach – The Global Challenge Program leverages financial resources from multiple World Bank institutions, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Additionally, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) plays a role in de-risking private sector investments, ensuring sustainable capital flows for digital transformation.

The Global Digital Summit also marked the launch of a new initiative through the Digital Development Partnership, funded by the Gates Foundation, aimed at expanding affordable connectivity and digital skills for women in low- and middle-income countries. This initiative aligns with the World Bank’s broader goal of connecting 300 million more women to broadband by 2030.

Building on successes

The World Bank’s digital initiatives have already yielded tangible results across various regions. In the Philippines, policy reforms supported by the World Bank have attracted private investment, increased competition, and boosted mobile coverage to 99% (4G) and 69% (5G). Meanwhile, in Malawi, over 83,000 students across 80 institutions now have access to affordable, reliable internet, thanks to a nationwide effort to expand free Wi-Fi in public spaces such as hospitals, libraries, and marketplaces.

Further innovations are underway in Madagascar, where the World Bank is pioneering models that integrate digital and off-grid energy services in rural areas. These projects demonstrate how digital transformation, when strategically implemented, can improve livelihoods and drive economic progress.