Implementing digital public infrastructure, safely and inclusively.
50-in-5 is a country-led advocacy campaign. By 2028, the 50-in-5 campaign will have helped 50 countries design, launch, and scale components of their digital public infrastructure.
On November 8th 2023, 50-in-5 was formally launched with countries coming together to commit to sharing learnings, best practices, and technologies that can ultimately reduce costs, build local capacity, maximize impact, and help radically shorten the implementation journeys for digital public infrastructure.
Learn how countries are working together to implement digital public infrastructure, and sharing their journey with others.
Digital public infrastructure (DPI) – which refers to a secure and interoperable network of components that include digital payments, ID, and data exchange systems – is essential for participation in markets and society in a digital era. DPI is needed for all countries to build resilient and innovative economies, and for the well-being of people.
At its core, DPI is the foundation on which crucial services are built. By digitizing and modernizing their services with DPI, governments can serve populations’ needs more swiftly and efficiently. There is also a crucial role for public institutions to play to guarantee that DPI is inclusive, foundational, interoperable, and publicly accountable. The choices countries make now regarding DPI will improve their preparedness for unexpected challenges, laying the groundwork for broad developmental impacts that can help achieve the sustainable development goals.
Countries building safe and inclusive DPI together through 50-in-5 can foster strong economies and equitable societies. By using built-for-purpose adaptable solutions along with governance and policy solutions to build out their DPI capabilities, countries can easily share learnings and best practices. This approach promotes innovation, bolsters local entrepreneurship, and ensures access to services and opportunities for underserved groups, including women and youth.
Without prioritizing DPI, countries risk being locked into digital monopolies that are costly, stifle innovation, hinder future ability to adapt to unforeseen needs, and limit public benefit. Without coordinated country cooperation on DPI, countries risk duplicating efforts which can exacerbate disparities and lead to fragmented, duplicative, and inefficient digital ecosystems.
“Open, secure, and resilient digital public infrastructure enables essential parts of Estonian life. Our longstanding tradition of sharing learnings and technologies from our own journey with other countries helps transform societies.”
Nele Leosk Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia
22
countries
have joined the 50 in 5 campaign including Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Guatemala, Lesotho, Malawi, Moldova, Nigeria, Norway, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Togo, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Zambia.
In five years, 50 countries have designed, launched, and scaled at least one component of their digital public infrastructure stack in a safe, inclusive, and interoperable manner. This involves…
Demonstrating the potential and momentum for DPI through showing various approaches to DPI, their progress, and outcomes in countries across different income levels and digital maturity statuses.
Shortening the DPI learning and adoption journey for countries through facilitating learnings and best practice-exchanges, use of open standards and specifications, adoption – and sharing of – technologies as digital public goods, and evolution of local engineering capacity and vendor ecosystems.
“Digital Public Infrastructure, such as our National Digital ID System, is foundational to reach and deliver services to everyone in Ethiopia.”
Yodahe Zemichael Executive Director, Ethiopian National ID Program, Ethiopia
Global Cooperation for Impact
Countries, regardless of income level, geography, or where they are in their digital transformation journey, can benefit from being part of 50-in-5. By joining, no country will have to tackle DPI implementation alone or start from scratch and all will benefit from one another.
The initial countries to join 50-in-5 are known as “First-Movers”. First-Mover countries are both advanced and emerging digital leaders, and are beacons of progress and inspiration for others to learn from in building their own digital foundations.
50-in-5 is country-led advocacy campaign in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure, Co-Develop, Digital Public Goods Alliance, and United Nations Development Programme, with support from GovStack, the Inter-American Development Bank, UNICEF, USAID, and UN Women.
