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A – BACKGROUND
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges. In the programme countries, UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in in partnership with the host governments, the United Nations system, the development partners and other partners to help the country to achieve sustainable development by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development and building resilience to crises and shock.
UNDP has been a trusted development partner of the Maldives for more than 40 years, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, reduction of inequalities and exclusion in areas such governance, environment protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation. In each of its thematic areas of work, UNDP at the request of its national partners provides relevant policy advisory support, technical assistance, advocacy, and knowledge to help Maldives achieve its global commitment on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). With Maldives’s transition to Middle Income Country Status, Official Development Assistance from traditional donor sources has been on the continuous decline. UNDP is therefore working with its national partners to identify and tap into alternative and innovative financing mechanisms for development. This process involves broadening outreach and forging wide-ranging partnerships with stakeholders – including other UN agencies, the government, the private sector, philanthropic Foundations, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and International Finance Institutions to advance the country’s development strategies and objectives.
The integrated governance program at UNDP works closely with a myriad of state institutions, civil society actors, and other stakeholders to increase the voice and participation of citizens for a more effective and inclusive governance system. In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also supported digitizing efforts of the government to make critical services more accessible to the people and ensure business continuity of these services. As the future looks more digital and heavily relying on the internet for critical services and infrastructures, there is an urgent need for increased internet literacy among Maldivians.
In 2012 Maldives launched its first digital literacy program, the e-Citizen program, with the aim to empower citizens with digital literacy skills necessary for a fast-changing world. This program trained people on basic IT, information search and e-participation skills. It was designed to give the citizen a digital presence, show them how to search for essential information, avail basic services online and participate in online discussions and forums. Eight years later, the program requires critical upscaling to include components such as access and inclusion in a digital world, media and information literacy skills, ethics and empathy online, active participation and rights and responsibilities in the cyberspace, and privacy and security. The modern digital citizen needs to be empowered with the tools and skills to benefit from the digital world whilst keeping safe from online and offline harm as a result of their digital engagement and actively participate in cyberspace in a way which reduces cyber bullying, online abuse, grooming and illegal recruiting, reducing online and offline violence, creating a safer and more inclusive cyberspace for everyone.
The need for an improved digital citizenry and access to internet has become more pronounced with the COVID-19 pandemic. It radically changed how an entire population interact, learn, work, and live. As most of the critical services such as utilities, education, supply chains, healthcare among the many goes online, every family across the Maldivian archipelago is forced to go online, increasing the amount of time children and young people spend online dramatically. As the society is forced to reorient their work practices around maintaining social distance, working from home has become the new normal. The balance between the online and offline world has tipped towards cyberspace. This over-reliance on technology demand the users to be familiar with certain key elements that governs the cyberspace, be cognizant about the threats and opportunities it presents, and how to use it responsibly.
The policy priority to facilitate a safer cyberspace for netizens and building their capacity to interact responsibly online stems from the Government’s Strategic Action Plan 2019 – 2023. Specifically, Strategy 1.3, establishing institutional frameworks and capabilities to facilitate a safe and secure cyberspace for everyone in the Maldives, of the Jazeera Dhiriulhun sector, Strategy 4.3, strengthen community engagement and collaboration to ensure safety of local communities, of the Good Governance sector, Strategy 5.3, take measure to address bullying and instil gender equity and gender-based values while ensuring psychosocial support to young people, of the Caring State sector and Strategy 2.3, increase advocacy programs on tackling stigma, discrimination and violence against young women and men, of the Dignified Families sector.
Therefore, UNDP Maldives with the aim of fostering a culture of responsible digital citizenship, through healthy and safe interactions online, reducing misinformation through media and information literacy, supporting prevention of violence by building digital responsibility and online safety skills. In this regard, UNDP Maldives seeks the expertise of a technical consultant to develop and build the capacity of select stakeholders on digital literacy.