Reflections on the Caribbean Digital Public Infrastructure Summit held in April at the UWI Regional Headquarters in Kingston.
The first Caribbean DPI Summit held in Jamaica, marked a pivotal moment in the region’s digital transformation journey. Known for its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and tourism-driven economies, the Caribbean is gaining traction as it seeks to transform its economies into more resilient, inclusive, and future-ready societies. Against a backdrop of tourism-driven economies and historical disparities in digital access, governments across the region are quietly but steadily investing in DPIs to enhance public services and strengthen connections between citizens and institutions.
Co-hosted by the University of the West Indies and Co-Develop, the Summit brought together a diverse group of policymakers, technologists, and development leaders from around the world. Their shared goal: to explore how the Caribbean can harness DPIs to address systemic development challenges, bridge digital divides, and foster cross-border collaboration through open infrastructure.
Digital Public Infrastructure is defined
Chapter 4 of the World Bank’s Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023, written by Marskell, Marin, and Varghese, defined Digital Public Infrastructure as
“The basic capabilities such as for identification, payments, and data sharing that are the building blocks for developing transformative digital services at a societal scale”.
DPIs are systems that underpin and enable digital life and access to essential services. Similar to how governments develop shared infrastructures like roads, ports, bridges, and power grids that enable access to basic amenities, just the same governments are tasked to ensure digital infrastructures are secure and accessible to their citizens. After all, we are living in a digitally-enabled, global society where marketplaces, essential services, and our personal information are online. DPIs, whether it be a national digital ID, e-payment systems like a mobile wallet, e-government portals, or data exchange platforms, provide the avenue for individuals and businesses to interact securely, efficiently, and reliably in the digital world.
A Region Ready for Transformation: The Caribbean DPIs Potential
As a Caribbean native, I’m fully aware that it’s quite a fascinating mix of promise and complexity when it comes to digital development. We are very small states with modest populations, limited public sector capacity, fragmented digital ecosystems, and ongoing challenges such as climate vulnerability and moderate digital literacy but we’re also a region full of potential rich in creativity, resilience, and a youthful, tech-aware citizenry that’s quietly fueling our digital transformation.
COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for many Caribbean leaders, highlighting the critical need to invest in resilient, citizen-centric systems. In response, governments have increasingly turned to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to close the digital divide, modernize service delivery, and stimulate innovation. By embracing interoperable, open-source solutions, the region is laying the groundwork for inclusive and scalable digital systems built not from scratch, but by learning from proven global models and adapting them to local needs. This spirit of collaborative innovation was reflected in the structure of the Caribbean DPI Summit. The agenda featured country spotlights including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Rwanda each offering practical insights into how DPI can be designed, implemented, and adapted across diverse cultural and governance contexts. And of course, reference to Estonia’s digital transformation and its success in its implementation of a secure digital identity system, e-residency, and X-Road, a decentralized data exchange platform enabling seamless interagency communication.
Several Caribbean countries have launched or are actively developing foundational DPIs such as national digital ID systems, e-payment platforms, and government data portals. Governments are beginning to reimagine how public infrastructure can serve people more efficiently, securely, and equitably. And whilst the Caribbean is actively laying its digital foundation, it's not doing so in isolation. Parallel efforts in Latin America and Africa reveal a growing global convergence around building open, citizen-centric Digital Public Infrastructure serving as benchmarks though the implementation reflects the distinct needs, capacities, and governance realities of each region. Here are some key highlights of countries across the Caribbean Latin America and Africa that are making bold strides in developing and deploying Digital Public Infrastructure to modernize governance and catalyze economic resilience:
- Digital ID Systems
Jamaica is taking the lead with its National Identification System (NIDS), designed to provide every citizen with a secure, verifiable digital identity, a foundational layer for building trusted, citizen-centered services. Barbados is rolling out Trident ID, a digital ID framework that supports secure access to public services and enables digital signatures. Saint Lucia is also exploring similar digital identity pathways, signaling a regional shift toward more inclusive and interoperable ID systems.
- E-Government Platforms
Trinidad and Tobago, along with Antigua and Barbuda, are enhancing service delivery through digital government portals that streamline essential interactions like business registration, tax compliance, and access to social services. These platforms are helping to simplify bureaucratic processes and increase accessibility especially for underserved communities.
In Brazil, where platforms like gov.br provide centralized access to over 4,000 services. In Rwanda, e-government has advanced rapidly, with platforms like IremboGov simplifying everything from birth registrations to business permits. Dominican Republic's Digital Republic (RepĂşblica Digital) initiative, integrating education, transparency, and digital economy elements.
These initiatives highlight a shared goal: making government more accessible, efficient, and transparent particularly for populations long excluded from bureaucratic processes.
- Digital Payments & Financial Inclusion
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has launched DCash, a central bank digital currency (CBDC) deployed across multiple member states. DCash represents a major step forward in enabling real-time, cross-border payments and supporting financial inclusion across a region where access to traditional banking services remains uneven.
In Brazil’s PIX, an instant, real-time payment system that has revolutionized digital transactions by allowing seamless peer-to-peer payments without fees. In Ghana, the Mobile Money Interoperability Platform enables citizens to transfer funds across different networks and banks, increasing financial access in underserved communities. These innovations align closely with the Interledger ethos frictionless, borderless transactions that work across platforms and providers.
- Cybersecurity and Data Governance
As DPI becomes more deeply embedded in national strategies, Caribbean nations are also prioritizing cybersecurity and data protection. There’s growing momentum around crafting robust legal and technical frameworks to ensure citizen data is protected and systems remain resilient especially in an era of increasing cyber threats.
Regional Nuances but Shared Themes
What ties these efforts together is a shared belief in infrastructure that is open, interoperable, and purpose-built for inclusion. Whether in the Caribbean, Latin America, or Africa, the movement toward DPI is about more than technology; it's about reimagining how citizens interact with the state, with each other, and with opportunity. These efforts, while still evolving, are aligned with a global movement toward open, interoperable infrastructure. For the Interledger community, they offer real-world examples of how digital systems can be designed with equity, access, and cross-border collaboration at their core. In fact, one of our grantees (Mifos) participated in a panel discussion at the Summit on Scaling Open-Source Solutions for Public Service Delivery in LAC. Ed Cable and Victor Romero spoke about Mifos open-source DPG which can serve a building block for national digital financial platforms; more so details in drawing on practical real-world experience of supporting DPIs in the local context. Mifos has been growing its presence in the Caribbean and has recently announced its first regional integration with the credit union sector in Trinidad and Tobago.
For the Caribbean to fully realize the promise of Digital Public Infrastructure, a coordinated and holistic approach is essential. This means harmonizing policy frameworks across nations, investing strategically in core digital systems, and building the institutional and human capacity that will sustain these initiatives well into the future. Foundational components like secure, inclusive digital identity systems, interoperable payment platforms, and strong data governance must be prioritized not only to protect privacy but to unlock innovation that benefits all citizens. Regional cooperation through bodies like CARICOM and the OECS will be critical to establish shared standards and enable cross-border interoperability, helping smaller states leverage collective strength rather than going it alone. At the same time, investments in digital literacy and public engagement are just as important to foster trust and meaningful adoption of these systems.
As this region moves beyond fragmented efforts, it signals a collective commitment to building a future that is regionally integrated, globally competitive, and fundamentally inclusive a vision that resonates deeply with the values of the Interledger Foundation ecosystem and the broader movement toward open, interoperable infrastructure worldwide.
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