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David: Ukraine offers a window into a collective future about how we might face the coming crises. Ukraine happens to be facing an existential crisis created by an illegal war committed by its neighbor, but all countries are facing climate change crises, financial crises, and possible future pandemics. So, a countrys responsive capacity Sana talked about her governments resilience to those things is going to be core to determining trust in government. If we want democracies to survive, they have to perform well. We need digital-era governments to respond to 21st-century problems. That means having the flexibility and the capacity to be able to do that. Thats what the Estonians have and its what the Ukrainians are showing us: how digital fits into that capacity building. For me, a big takeaway from the convening was how much climate change is going to drive this need. If there are going to be 10 million internationally displaced people in 50 countries around the world over the next 20 years, were going to need some capacity to serve those people when they lose their houses and are roaming around your country. The only way a country is going to be able to do that is if it has a digital solution.

Luukas: We hope these stories are inspiring for people interested in digital public infrastructures.Many countries in the world tend to be very pessimistic about the public sectors capacity to do these things. That becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The most important thing is, whatever your position, be demanding of your government. Because theres no inherent law that says the government has to be bad at technology. The more positive pressure there is from the people to do better, the greater the countrys chances of success.

Sana: Id encourage people to find energy and inspiration in democracy. Citizens should have higher expectations from the government for the services that they receive. Especially in terms of convenience and user experience. But for those people who work specifically in this sphere, it requires a lot of energy, persistence, and flexibility to overcome obstacles. What I took from the convening was that everyone, on every level, has to deal with some form of resistance. Its the nature of what were doing in reforms and transformation, that the system in place will resist our efforts. Thats why its good to have peers from other countries. As you share information, you understand that you are not alone in this. Never underestimate the impact of persistence.

*Read the transcript of Vice Prime Minister Fedorovs full statement.

This has been edited for brevity and clarity.

How should we shape our collective digital future? The Bellagio convening, attended by Sana and others, created space to discuss real-world implications for digital government as influenced by these ideas.

I believe that we should start to think of a collective digital future in terms of working together on a joint cyber agenda. Ukraine now has a unique experience of surviving a cyber war reeling from thousands of cyberattacks while keeping the state running. Since February 24th, 2022, everything has been working well: the tax system, banking, government agencies, and critical infrastructure. There was not a single day that something stopped. We have to build digitally resilient countries. Together we can do it even better.

Vice Prime Minister Fedorov, in your conversation with the Atlantic Council in December 2022, you described Ukraine as a young country, central to Europe, with the energy to implement quick changes. Could you elaborate on the ways Ukraine is uniquely positioned as a country to fight for democracy?

Ukraine has been fighting for its freedom for almost a year in a full-scale war with a cruel Russian aggressor. Its the biggest war since World War II and the most technological at the same time. We have a significant technological advantage. The key weapons of modern warfare are not 1960s tanks or artillery as Russia thinks, but data and technology. While Russia is losing hundreds of thousands of people on the battlefield, Ukraine is looking for revolutionary ideas to fight back efficiently and in life-saving mode.

Ukraine is quite a young country and this lets us develop and implement the newest creative solutions. The war requires taking quick decisions with the help of breakthrough, innovative technology. And this is exactly what we are doing now. For three years now, the Ministry for Digital Transformation has been changing the entire state and implementing business approaches in government. Thats why we are so efficient. I can say that our Ministry works as a startup: fast, efficient, and ambitious.

Its the 21st century, and its the time of AI, UAVs, neural networks, Starlinks, and swift information exchange. Artificial intelligence helps us to identify Russian soldiers. Chatbots make it possible to inform the armed forces in real time about the movement of enemy troops and hardware. Starlinks instantly restore communication in liberated territories. UAVs became the eyes of the military, providing complete information awareness on the battlefield, an understanding of where the enemy is, its numbers, combat capability, etc.

After all, our team has a big vision for turning Ukraine into a top-tech country. Strong security and military solutions could become our main export and expertise.

Why is digitization the solution?

This war proved that the digital state is the most resilient one. The digital state ensures the operation of public services and the economy. Ukraine has been quite a digitized country since before the war. Since 2019, with the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, weve managed to build a strong digital infrastructure. We were preparing to become a Digital Tiger, but it turned out weve built a digital war machine, which can operate even under conditions of a full-scale invasion. Reforming and securing the state registries system, improving cybersecurity and digital skills for citizens, ensuring easy access to high-speed internet, and launching Diia (our one-stop shop for public services): all of these things made it possible for us to stand through the first months of the war. And for the digital to become an essential part of Ukraines resistance.

When I say that Ukraine is a digitized country, I mean that we are a country with convenient online services, digital documents, a high level of cyber security. A country with a mobile-first approach. A country where services are designed for online access first and offline as an option. Now, by using the Diia app, every citizen can: open a business in a few minutes; register a newborn; report on the movement of Russian tanks & troops; apply for social benefits of unemployment assistance; sign documents; even watch TV news or listen to the radio. In 2022, during the full-scale invasion, we launched 39 new services and products for citizens.

The Ukrainian experience shows that in order to stay resilient in the 21st century and to deal with the most unexpected circumstances, its important for all countries to go digital, and invest in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity. A strong and diversified internet connection is a must. As well as strong databases and state registers. The digital economy is the most resilient one, as it cant be easily destroyed by cruise missiles.

How do the benefits of digital democracy, of digital governance, outweigh the positive repercussions of the old order?

We are convinced that the future is digital, and it belongs to governments that operate like IT companies. Which are quick, efficient, and agile. Digital democracy will let us include more citizens in the process. Meanwhile, digital governance simplifies the communication between a person and the state, making the services convenient and clear, destroying any possibility of corruption.

Explore More

You can read more about the work explored during this Bellagio convening in David Eavess The Narrow Corridor and the Future of Digital Government, shared in advance of the convening, and Shaping our Collective Digital Future Convening: Why Digital Government Matters Now, a post-event reflection. Learn how Diia is helping Ukraine during the war.

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Luukas Ilves, Gulsanna Mamediieva, and David Eaves, with Vice ... - The Rockefeller Foundation