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ASTANA — As experts convened at the Astana International Forum (AIF), digital transformation and emerging technologies remained central to global discussions. In an exclusive interview with The Astana Times, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill highlighted the shift toward digital governance, the need to localize global frameworks and Kazakhstan’s role in AI, connectivity, and regional cooperation.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Fatima Kemelova
“Kazakhstan has been very active in developing its domestic digital infrastructure, developing the talent and the use cases, particularly in the area of government services. Obviously, that experience can be shared across the Central Asian region and even more widely, in Eurasia,” said Gill.
He pointed to Kazakhstan’s ongoing collaboration with the UN in establishing a regional hub for digital services and sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a tangible example of this commitment.
“I am very pleased that Kazakhstan is working with UN organizations to set up a center on the sustainable development goals, to set up a center, a hub on digital services, which would make this progress available to the region as a whole,” he said.
“And also very, very happy to know that Kazakhstan is an active participant in discussions with New York and Geneva on digital cooperation. It played an active role in the finalization of the global digital compact, which is our new guiding framework for bringing the world together on digital and emerging technologies,” Gill added.
Digital inclusion begins at the local level
Gill emphasized that discussions about innovation and governance cannot overlook the disparities in access and opportunity, especially between urban and rural areas. For technological advancement to matter, he said, it should intersect with everyday realities.
Amandeep Singh Gill and Nagima Abuova, The Astana Times reporter. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Fatima Kemelova
“We cannot afford to leave people behind on the digital transformation journey. Remote and rural communities deserve full connectivity, as is available in urban areas. They also deserve connectivity that is affordable,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of meaningful access, explaining that technology must be contextually relevant and available in local languages to address community-specific needs.
“The services that are available to these communities have to be in the local language, in the local context, and it is something that empowers their daily lives,” said Gill.
“If it is farmers or animal herders. (…) Can they be helped through these digital services? Can they receive their pensions digitally into their bank accounts? Can they renew important documentation digitally?” he said.
Gill emphasized the UN focus on supporting such efforts through digital public infrastructure and cross-country knowledge sharing.
“At the UN we are working very hard on bridging the digital divide by focusing on meaningful, affordable connectivity, by focusing on digital public infrastructure, making sure countries can learn from each other,” he said.
Global AI governance: decisions now demand delivery
As discussions on AI governance become increasingly urgent, Gill emphasized the need to move beyond declarations to implementation. He referred to the Global Digital Compact, an emerging framework under the auspices of the UN, as a starting point for this shift.
“The most important issue today is to implement the commitments, the decisions that member states of the UN took as part of the Global Digital Compact last year on AI,” said Gill.
“That includes setting up an international, independent scientific panel on AI so that we can all benefit from shared scientific assessments. Second, we need to set up, as soon as possible, a global dialogue on the governance of AI so that we can learn from each other’s governance experience and build a shared vocabulary on governing this powerful technology,” he said.
Another pressing priority is closing the AI capacity gap.
“We need to embark on an urgent effort to build AI capacity to bridge the AI divide, so that every country, every community, can participate in developing and deploying AI solutions in their own language, in their own context,” he added.
From global to local: turning dialogue into action
When asked how high-level frameworks such as the Global Digital Compact translate into action for individuals and communities, Gill pointed to the value of platforms such as AIF, not for their ceremonial function, but for enabling cross-sector dialogue and partnerships.
“High-level decisions, high-level frameworks provide us with clarity and global cooperation, but then the implementation is always at the national, at a community level,” said Gill.
“This forum has been very useful in looking for partnerships, in looking for opportunities to implement those global frameworks on the ground. For instance, in the area of AI capacity building – practical programs to develop talent across domains, whether it is the mining sector or the oil and gas sector,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of sharing successful use cases from other regions and leveraging AIF’s platform to form the partnerships needed to apply those insights effectively.
“How can we use existing examples of successful application in other regions? What kind of partnerships, connections are needed? This forum has been very helpful in exploring those practical issues,” he said.
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