Technology holds tremendous potential to deliver innovative solutions that drive inclusive socio-economic development. The digital economy is now a vital and rapidly expanding pillar of the global economy, and is also a key determinant for investment in the broader economy. However, the benefits of digital transformation remain unevenly distributed—particularly across developing countries.
The Global Digital Compact, adopted by the United Nations in 2024, highlighted the importance of closing the digital divide between and within countries. This is driven by gaps in infrastructure, digital skills, and access to essential services. Overcoming these barriers requires significant investment and enhanced collaboration among governments, the private sector, development finance institutions (DFIs), and the UN system.
The urgency of action is underscored by the widening sustainable development goals (SDGs) investment gap, which has grown from USD 2.5 trillion in 2015 to USD 4 trillion annually in developing countries as of 2023.[1] The digital economy is a foundational enabler of SDG progress, with the potential to drive inclusive growth, enhance productivity, create jobs, and improve access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and clean energy. Strategic investment in the digital economy has the potential to multiply development gains across sectors and regions.
Realizing this potential requires targeted and scaled-up financing. Estimates indicate that achieving universal connectivity alone will require at least USD 1.6 trillion in infrastructure investments.[2] Additionally, a major usage gap persists—where individuals live within network coverage but do not use the internet—highlighting the need for investments in affordability, digital literacy, and enabling policy frameworks. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), through its action areas on Domestic and International Private Business and Finance and on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Capacity Building, presents an unprecedented opportunity to galvanize efforts to mobilize digital investment.
This session, co-convened by ITU, UNCTAD, and UNICEF, will bring together high-level stakeholders across sectors to catalyze investment and policy momentum toward a more equitable digital future.
The session will provide key insights from UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2025, which examines the drivers and determinants of digital Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), national policy frameworks for promoting and regulating international investment in the digital economy, and the role of investment policies in digital development strategies.
It will also spotlight key strategies and initiatives that are successfully mobilizing resources for an inclusive digital future.
By bringing together diverse stakeholders and focusing on actionable solutions, this session aims to align global priorities and ensure that the digital economy becomes an inclusive force for sustainable development.
Session Objectives
- Discuss key findings from the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025: International Investment in the Digital Economy
- Showcase transformative, action-oriented initiatives that are creating public-private investment opportunities to advance universal and meaningful digital connectivity, such as Giga, a ITU–UNICEF effort to connect every school to the internet
- Explore innovative strategies, financing instruments, and enabling conditions to unlock investment and support digital inclusion
- Set a forward-looking agenda for collective action to mobilize the financing needed for investment in the digital economy and the achievement of the SDGs
[1] UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023: Investing in sustainable energy for all
Nan has over 25 years’ experience in strategic management roles both with the United Nations and the private sector across Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. She currently leads a global team in investment and sustainable finance research, policy, investment promotion and facilitation, enterprise development, and technical assistance to governments in over 160 countries. She chairs the Governing Board of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, leads the World Investment Forum and the inter-governmental Working Group on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.
Before joining UNCTAD, she served as the Global Director of Sustainable Investments and Innovation at UNOPS, where she led a team to promote infrastructure investments in many developing countries and co-invest with DFIs and private investors. She served as UNOPS focal point in the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development.
Previously, she served as the Head of UNDP SDG Innovative Finance and as Head of South-South Cooperation and Investment at UNDP's Asia Pacific Center in Bangkok. She led a team to engage public and private investors and developed national policy dialogues and networks on SDG investment, piloted SDG-aligned funds, bonds and projects in multiple countries. She helped to position UNDP as a pioneer in the UN on sustainable investment and innovative finance. She also held positions as Policy Specialist in Capacity Development and Public-Private Partnerships in New York and Johannesburg since 2009, overseeing a regional portfolio in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Before joining UNDP, she spent about 10 years in the private sector in China and the USA, covering market entry and investment strategy, merger and acquisition, business development and sustainability. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and participated in the Executive Leadership program at IESE, and Finance Executive program at Tsinghua University.
Mathu Joyini is the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations in New York. Before that, she was the Deputy Director-General at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, heading the Diplomatic Academy and the Mediation Support Unit.
Prior to joining Government in 2001 January, she held various positions in the private sector in different industries, including Mining, Finance, Petroleum and Consulting, since 1991.
In the private sector, she occupied the following managerial and executive positions:
• Organisational Development Manager: Southern Life
• Consultant: Deloitte and Touche
• General Manager: Exel Petroleum
• Partner: Sediba Consulting.
In Government, she occupied the following managerial and executive positions in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation:
• Chief Director Human Resources.
• Deputy Director-General Human Resources.
• High Commissioner and Ambassador to 6 countries in the Caribbean.
• Permanent Representative of South Africa to the International Seabed Authority.
• Deputy Director General Diplomatic Training and Mediation Support.
Mathu holds the following degrees:
BA in Social Work from the University of the Witwatersrand
MA Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, USA
Masters in Business Administration from Wits Business School.
Certificate in Integral Coaching from the University of Cape Town
Certificate in Mediation from Swiss Peace
She is currently the Chair for the Commission on the Status of Women for 2021 to 2023
She co-facilitated the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 20th Anniversary Political Declaration and its Resolution on Modalities in 2021.
Topics of Interests: Women Peace and Security; Cyber Diplomacy; Leadership Development and coaching for development.
She is a member of the Gertrude Shope Peace and Mediation Network and the African Union Women Mediators Network, FemWise Africa.
Maikel Wilms has been with The Boston Consulting Group since 1998. He is a core member of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications practice.
Maikel has worked extensively with leading telcos for more than 15 years on multiple projects, with a focus on network strategy and roll-out and on B2B commercial strategies. These projects include technology selection for a fixed broadband roll-out, growing ICT businesses, 4G roll-out strategies, and B2B channel optimization.
Maikel has coauthored many BCG publications on telcos and their role in the digital economy.
Carla Haddad Mardini became Director of UNICEF’s Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division in Geneva in January 2021. Here she leads the organization's global strategy to leverage the private sector to generate sustainable income for UNICEF and drive partnerships for children worldwide. This includes engaging with the general public (UNICEF’s supporters and donors), philanthropists, foundations, and business to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for children. She also oversees the coordination, strategic planning and governance with UNICEF’s 32 National Committees that actively engage in child rights advocacy, communication, fundraising and brand positioning.
From 2018 to 2021, Carla served as UNICEF’s Director of the Public Partnerships Division in New York, leading the organization's resource mobilization from the public sector and overseeing its engagement with permanent missions and governments on multilateral affairs in the inter-governmental space.
Prior to joining UNICEF, Ms. Haddad Mardini had served at the International Committee of the Red Cross over a period spanning 17 years. Until the end of 2017, she was the Head of the Resource Mobilization Division, leading donor relations, fundraising and government affairs. She previously held the position of Chief Spokesperson and Head of the Public Communication Division. She spent the early years of her career in the field, covering protection and family links programmes in the Middle East and Africa, serving in Kurdistan and Baghdad in Iraq, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Ethiopia.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon; a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth College in the United States, and a Master's Degree in International Relations with a focus on international negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, in the United States.
Born and raised in Lebanon, she is a Lebanese and Swiss national. She is fluent in Arabic, French and English. She is married and has two daughters.
