The United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) published a report titled “Digital Divide and Open Government in the Arab Region” in which it stresses on the worsening relationship between governments and societies in the region. In details, the report mentioned that globalization and technological progress have resulted in uneven development in the Arab region. The report added that open government and better transparency in public management are essential elements to re-establish the connection between governments and citizens.

According to the report, societies are focusing more and more on digital lives, however the digital equity is constrained by social, economic, and political forces, which resulted in a digital divide among individuals, societies, and countries. The ESCWA divides the digital divide into three connected levels:

- Level 1: Physical Access: Refers to individuals with access to a computer, smartphone, or other devices and an internet connection

- Level 2: Digital Literacy and Use: The ability of individuals to operate and use digital technologies which requires a basic level of digital literacy and skills, namely computer literacy (ability to use a computer and the internet), information literacy (ability to find, select and evaluate online information), communication skills (ability to use emails), content creation skills (understanding copyright)

- Level 3: Outcomes and Benefits: The positive & negative outcomes and benefits experienced through the access & use of technology. More specifically, this level focuses on the social, economic, cultural and political impact that technology and digital media have on individuals and societies

The report stressed on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital divide, which led the authorities to impose lockdowns and quarantines. The report further noted that COVID-19 aggravated the digital divide in the Arab region. More specifically, the report stated that all Arab countries implemented means to continue working remotely as usual, with some countries easily switching to digital environments while others found it difficult.

According to the ESCWA, open government is a public administration reform and governance approach to better respond to citizens’ demands. The report stated that open government is closely intertwined with maximizing the benefits of new & emerging technologies to improve the attributes of inclusive and strong institutions. It is broken-down into three principles:

- Transparency: Governments openly disclose its’ information, rules, plans, processes, and actions. The 2 most common aspects of transparency are:

• Access to information law: Factor that provides citizens, civil society and organizations with the right to see government information. Six Arab countries passed access to information laws, the latest of which is Lebanon in 2017 (Right to Access to Information Law)
• Provision of open data: The right to access, share and use information

- Participation: Establishing communication between the government and the citizens

- Collaboration and Engagement: Shared responsibility through co-creation and co-management. Citizens are involved in activities that deliver output, innovation in products & services, among others

As per the report, it is important for the Arab region to create a mechanism to observe progress towards closing the digital divide and advancing open government with the purpose of easily comparing countries within the region, measure their progress with regards to closing the digital divide and open government, and plan for resource-allocation for future policy interventions. The report prepared a dashboard composed of 18 indicators divided into three pillars that are considered the minimum to understand digital divides in the Arab region and the status of open government: 

- Infrastructure and Adoption: Covers the infrastructure and adoption of internet technologies

- Socioeconomic Indicators: Socioeconomic divides show features about gaps in development in public policies and open governments

- Open Government Environment: The indicators show a mismatch between technical capacities of governments and civil society engagement

The table below summarizes some of the indicators for Arab countries: