Information and communications technology (ICT) has become an indispensable tool in our daily lives. The evolution of ICT through the Internet is making the globe a community that can create, share and acquire information and knowledge across locations and time. The impact of ICT on economic and social development is what we call the Third Industrial Revolution.
The level of integration into the digital economy matters more and more as it can significantly affect countries’ economic growth and human development. Due to connectivity and access gap, however, new forms of inequality are emerging; countries with better connectivity are enjoying better access to digital services and opportunities and the rest are left behind.
Trans-boundary infrastructure development in energy, ICT, and transport sectors is critical for improving regional economic cooperation and integration across Asia and the Pacific and is vital for socioeconomic development of landlocked developing countries. However, such development faces many challenges including the need to mobilize substantial financial resources, address potentially damaging impacts of natural disasters and ensure the principle of “no one left behind”.
