Pakistan at the helm of the Digital Cooperation Organization |
By Sardar Khan Niazi
Pakistan’s assumption of the presidency of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) is more than a ceremonial milestone. It is a test of intent, capacity and credibility at a moment when digital transformation is no longer a luxury for developing economies but a prerequisite for competitiveness, inclusion and state effectiveness. The DCO, a multilateral platform bringing together countries from the Global South was to advance digital economic cooperation, to bridge digital divides, harmonize digital policy and enable member states to participate meaningfully in the global digital economy. Pakistan’s elevation to its presidency signals recognition of its potential as a large digital market, a growing tech workforce and an increasingly vocal advocate for digital inclusion. However, symbolism alone will not suffice; the presidency must translate into leadership with substance. On one hand, the country has a youthful population, a fast-growing freelance economy, expanding fintech usage and a resilient IT export sector that has continued to grow despite macroeconomic stress. On the other, it struggles with weak digital infrastructure outside major cities, regulatory uncertainty, low levels of digital literacy, and persistent governance gaps. Assuming the DCO presidency places these contradictions under an international spotlight. This duality can be an asset if approached honestly. Pakistan can represent the challenges faced by emerging economies that are neither digitally nascent nor digitally mature. Issues such as affordable connectivity, cross-border digital trade barriers, data governance, cybersecurity capacity and the taxation of digital services are not abstract policy debates here; they are lived realities. A presidency grounded in this experience can help shift the DCO’s agenda from aspirational statements to implementable frameworks. To do so, Pakistan must prioritize three broad areas. First, digital inclusion as economic policy, not charity. Too often, digital inclusion is framed narrowly as access to devices or........