Open Forum #15 Digital cooperation: the road ahead

Summary

This discussion focused on implementing the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and fostering partnerships to address digital challenges worldwide. Participants shared experiences and insights on collaborative efforts to close digital divides, promote digital literacy, and ensure secure and inclusive digital spaces.

Key themes included the importance of cross-sector partnerships, cultural adaptation of digital initiatives, and addressing common challenges across different regions. Examples were given of projects like Finland’s work on AI strategies in African countries and efforts to connect post offices globally to expand digital access. Participants emphasized the need for secure-by-design approaches in digital infrastructure and the importance of energy efficiency in connectivity projects.

Funding emerged as a persistent challenge, with many noting the difficulty of financing good ideas and initiatives. The discussion highlighted the value of platforms like the IGF for connecting actors and increasing visibility for digital cooperation efforts. Participants also stressed the importance of data governance and cybersecurity frameworks that protect all nations, not just developed economies.

The session underscored the complexity of digital cooperation, with issues ranging from cultural translation of initiatives to aligning incentives for partnerships. Ultimately, there was optimism that while challenges exist, they are not insurmountable if stakeholders work together effectively. The discussion concluded with a call for continued collaboration and implementation of agreed-upon digital cooperation principles.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– The importance of partnerships and collaboration in implementing the Global Digital Compact (GDC) objectives

– Challenges in finding and forming effective partnerships, including funding, cultural translation, and connecting relevant actors

– The need for platforms to increase visibility and connect potential partners

– Data governance and cybersecurity as key areas requiring global cooperation

– The complementary relationship between the GDC and existing frameworks like WSIS

Overall purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore concrete implementation challenges for the GDC objectives and gather insights on effective partnerships and collaboration strategies from various stakeholders.

Tone:

The tone was generally constructive and solution-oriented. Participants shared examples of successful partnerships and initiatives while also highlighting ongoing challenges. There was an underlying sense of optimism about the potential for collaboration to address digital development issues, even as speakers acknowledged the complexities involved.

Speakers

– Filippo Pierozzi: Moderator

– Isabel De Sola: From the Office of the Tech Envoy

– Roy Erikkson: Ambassador for Global Gateway in Finland

– Kevin Hernandez: From the Universal Postal Union

Additional speakers:

– Nandipha Ntshalbu: Online participant

– Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury: From Bangladesh, online participant

– Alisa Heaver: From the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands

– Patricia Ainembabazi: From CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa)

– Damilare Oydele: From Library Aid Africa

– Guilherme Duarte: From the Brazilian Association of Internet Service Providers

Expanded Summary of Discussion on Implementing the Global Digital Compact

Introduction:

This discussion focused on implementing the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and fostering partnerships to address digital challenges worldwide. Participants from various sectors and regions shared experiences and insights on collaborative efforts to close digital divides, promote digital literacy, and ensure secure and inclusive digital spaces.

Key Themes and Discussion Points:

1. GDC Objectives and Implementation:

Isabel De Sola from the Office of the Tech Envoy opened the session with a poll on GDC objectives, highlighting the need for stakeholder-driven implementation through partnerships. She later mentioned that the UN would provide an implementation map for the GDC in the coming months, encouraging organizations to endorse the GDC vision and principles online.

2. Importance of Partnerships and Collaboration:

The discussion emphasized the crucial role of partnerships in implementing the GDC objectives. Roy Eriksson, Ambassador for Global Gateway in Finland, shared examples of knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries, particularly Finland’s work on AI strategies in African countries. He highlighted the Global Gateway initiative, which focuses on infrastructure investments and digital development projects in Africa.

3. Infrastructure Development and Connectivity:

Kevin Hernandez from the Universal Postal Union introduced the Connect.Post programme, which aims to connect all post offices globally to the internet by 2030, transforming them into hubs for digital services. Guilherme Duarte from the Brazilian Association of Internet Service Providers highlighted the role of small ISPs in connecting underserved areas.

4. Cultural Adaptation and Relevance:

Speakers agreed on the importance of ensuring digital initiatives are culturally relevant and inclusive. Audience members stressed the need for culturally relevant digital literacy programmes, while Patricia Ainembabazi from CIPESA highlighted learning opportunities across regions with similar challenges.

5. Data Governance and Cybersecurity:

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury, an online participant from Bangladesh, raised concerns about data governance and cybersecurity frameworks for developing countries. An audience member discussed challenges in procuring secure ICTs and addressing education gaps in cybersecurity. The discussion highlighted the need for inclusive frameworks that protect developing countries’ interests in the digital space.

6. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability:

Nandipha Ntshalbu brought attention to the often-overlooked issue of energy efficiency and sufficiency in digital infrastructure development. This focus highlighted the need to consider sustainability in digital development projects and the intersection of digital and green transitions.

7. Funding and Resource Allocation:

Financing emerged as a persistent challenge. Roy Eriksson shared an example of Finland outsourcing expertise to support AI strategy development in Zambia, demonstrating innovative approaches to resource allocation in international development cooperation.

8. Platforms for Collaboration:

The discussion highlighted the value of platforms like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for connecting actors and increasing visibility for digital cooperation efforts. Patricia Ainembabazi mentioned the Forum for Internet Freedoms Africa (FIFA) and the African Parliamentary Network for Internet Governance (APNIC) as examples of regional platforms fostering cooperation and knowledge sharing.

9. Alignment with Existing Frameworks:

Alisa Heaver from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands raised questions about aligning the GDC with existing frameworks like the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) action lines. Isabel De Sola responded, emphasizing the importance of building on existing work and avoiding duplication.

10. Innovative Projects and Initiatives:

Several innovative projects were mentioned during the discussion:

– The Library Tracker project by Library Aid Africa, presented by Damilare Oydele, which aims to map and support libraries across Africa.

– The SYNC digital well-being program, focusing on developing preventative interventions for high schoolers in Saudi Arabia.

– The Dynamic Coalition and Cyber Security Hub video, presented by an audience member, showcasing efforts in cybersecurity education.

Agreements and Consensus:

There was broad agreement on the importance of partnerships, culturally relevant initiatives, and addressing common digital challenges across regions. Speakers from diverse backgrounds found unexpected consensus on the similarities of digital challenges across different geographical areas.

Differences and Unresolved Issues:

While there was general agreement on overarching goals, differences emerged in the focus of digital development efforts. The discussion revealed unresolved issues, such as ensuring fair and transparent data governance, addressing power imbalances created by data monopolies, and fostering global cooperation on cybersecurity for developing countries.

Conclusion and Next Steps:

The discussion concluded with a call for continued collaboration and implementation of agreed-upon digital cooperation principles. Key takeaways included the crucial role of partnerships, the importance of cultural relevance, and the need to address energy efficiency in digital infrastructure. Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the GDC implementation process and contribute to ongoing efforts in digital cooperation.

The session underscored the complexity of digital cooperation, with issues ranging from cultural translation of initiatives to aligning incentives for partnerships. While challenges exist, there was optimism that they are not insurmountable if stakeholders work together effectively. The discussion highlighted the need for further dialogue on specific implementation strategies, prioritization of actions, and allocation of resources to ensure the successful realization of the Global Digital Compact’s objectives.

Filippo Pierozzi: over to Isabel.

Isabel De Sola: Thanks, Filippo. I’m Isabel De Sola from the Office of the Tech Envoy, and I think what we can do, since we’re warmed up and rolling into the next session, is focus our thoughts now on answering some of those concrete implementation challenges. So I would like to invite Ambassador Roy Eriksson of Finland to join me on the stage, and also Thelma Kwei of Smart Africa, if you’re with us here in the room. Thelma? Okay, she’s on her way. And on the note, from our colleague who was just online asking about connectivity, I wanted to take a little poll, if you’ll bear with me, here in the room. So if you’re familiar with the GDC objectives, you know that GDC objective one is about closing all digital divides and working on connectivity. I’m thinking about those who are unconnected, either physically, because of lack of infrastructure, or because of the skill set and the affordability of infrastructure. So I want to take a little poll of the organizations that are here in the room. Could you stand up if you envision that you’re contributing to closing digital divides implementation of GDC objective one? You’re working on infrastructure, you’re working on digital skills. Anybody in the room, can you stand? Okay, excellent, nice. Now, stay standing if you’re working on objective two, the inclusive digital economy, or stand up if you’re working on tech transfers to the developing world, if you’re working on connecting businesses to the internet, if you’re selling services online. No, don’t be shy, don’t be shy, stand, stand. Okay, so slightly less, slightly less. Objective three, we’re thinking about open, safe online spaces. We’re thinking about women and girls safety online, gender-based violence. Okay, excellent. You’re thinking about misinformation, disinformation. This is your concern. Wonderful. Okay, there’s a lot of us here. Objective four, you are a company that has a lot of data, and you’re governing the data, or you have data for development. You’re thinking about how to apply the data to development challenges. Okay, one person at the back of the room, or you’re thinking about interoperability, crossing borders with data. No? Okay, this is the best student. Now, who’s worried about AI, governance of AI? Who’s working on that here, or concerned? Great. Okay, wonderful. Thank you so much for participating in that exercise. You are in the right session. You have come to the right session, and if you still haven’t made a decision, or still haven’t clarified how you’d like to participate in GDC implementation, this is also the right session. So, forgive me for some of the abstract thinking, or sorry, abstract comments from the UN at this stage. I mentioned before that GDC implementation is going to be primarily conducted by the stakeholders, so by governments, by businesses, civil society, academia, scientists, children as well. And the wonderful thing about GDC implementation is that it’s already happening. The UN will play a role by providing and opening up a platform, by convening the stakeholders, and allowing information about implementation to circulate, and we’re working on that in the form of an implementation map that more news should be coming in the month of January about how you can all get involved in that. But we do want to hear your thoughts on the design, and we’ve gotten a lot of comments in this, in the previous session on the design, and we do want to hear your thoughts about how working across sectors is going to make a real difference for that. So, we’ve invited a couple of guests, just two voices this morning, to tell us their thoughts on how some of those partnerships are assisting them, or will be assisting them, to take GDC objectives forward. I’d like to turn over to Ambassador Erickson first, and then Thelma from Smart Africa, and then, unfortunately, there’s no free breakfast at this session. I’m going to come into the audience. I want to hear about what you are doing, and see if that can inform the UN’s design, or the next steps that we take forward on this road to digital cooperation. So, over to Ambassador Erickson first. Thank you so much for being here at such an early start this morning, and tell us your thoughts.

Roy Erikkson: Thank you. Maybe I should first introduce myself. I am the Ambassador for Global Gateway in Finland, and Global Gateway is a EU initiative to have big infrastructure investments in the global south, or new emerging markets. And it’s interesting, because I had structured my intervention exactly the same way as you said. So, the first three goals, closing the digital divides in order to achieve the sustainable development goals, and expanding inclusion in the benefits of digital economy, and then foster an inclusive, open, safe, and secure digital space that respects and protects and promotes human rights. All these are what we are taking into consideration when we’re doing projects under the umbrella of Global Gateway. The GDC also mentions gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and the full and equal participation in the digital space, which is also very important for Finland, as well as accessible and affordable data and digital technologies and services, because it’s all right to have connectivity, but you need to have access as well. So, meaningful connectivity is important. In Finland, access to the internet is considered a human right, and that’s why we are promoting through the Global Gateway connectivity issues. Global Gateway has five sectors, but digitalization is at least one of them, and we have chosen that as our focus. We work mostly in Africa, half of our investments will go to Africa, a quarter to Asia, and another quarter to Latin America. But we are not only bringing connectivity, building, for example, submarine cables, or building in the last mile connectivity. We are also looking into not only the hard infrastructure, but also the soft infrastructure, meaning capacity building and increasing digital literacy skills and capacity. And I actually have a couple of good examples what Finland is doing. Just a second, I’ll have to find it, because the page has now… There it is. We have one project that is coming to an end, but it’s continuing under a different name, but it’s African digital and green transition. And in this project, for example, we sent an expert for six months into Zambia, and they wrote the artificial intelligence strategy for the country. So, this is some sort of capacity building that we do hands-on. This partner of ours found out that there’s a lot of demand for this kind of service, so they actually wrote a book on ethics for digitalization. So, these are concrete examples of how we can help and share our knowledge with other partners. Well, maybe it’s best to give the audience the possibility to ask clarifying questions, but we want to provide the whole package to our partners. So, we build the connectivity and help with digitalization, but we also emphasize schooling, education, and skills, so that our partners have the whole package, and they can manage what the challenges are with the digital economy. Thank you.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you so much. And tell me, so you represent the government of Finland. And was it the government of Finland, the example that you gave, that went to some African countries and found the partners there? Was it an expert from within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that helped to write this book, or how did this work get done? Because it sounds like you were working through partnerships.

Roy Erikkson: Yes, yes. We actually, we outsourced this. We found somebody who would be able to send an expert of theirs and we paid the costs for having that expert residing in Zambia and writing this strategy.

Isabel De Sola: So what I’m hearing in your story is that actually the organization where you worked act as a sort of broker of different actors who wanted to collaborate on the ground to bring ethical AI ideas to a certain African context and translate these into the local context.

Roy Erikkson: Yes, that’s correct. My work is actually like a facilitator. I find out what kind of projects there are and then reach out to companies and academia in Finland if they would be able or interested in participating in it, as well as trying to find financing for these projects. Financing seems to be a crucial point. There are lots of really, really good ideas, but finding financing for those, that is the crucial thing.

Isabel De Sola: Indeed. And just one more question and then we’ll go to the audience. Did it all work out well? Were there any challenges or bumps along the way? What did you learn from the experience that can help others who are in similar positions of trying to connect the actors in order to get things done?

Roy Erikkson: Well, this specific project that I mentioned, it’s quite surprising that the challenges are the same. You’re from north or south, east or west. It is the same challenges that you have to deal with. So there’s a lot of benefits from having this kind of technological diplomacy, sharing your experience, so that the wheel doesn’t have to be invented everywhere from scratch. You can help and give some advice, and this is something that is important. Another issue that has come up a lot is, I participated in a big conference in Latin America, and there cyber security issues are ones that need to be tackled. And there you can have a lot, because we might be a little bit more advanced, but we have the same challenges. So in order for having a secure digital space, it is to share our experience and help others to raise the standards so that they can also fight against cybercrime.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you for this reflection.

Kevin Hernandez: Hi, everyone. My name is Kevin Hernandez. I’m from the Universal Postal Union, which is the UN organization that focuses on the postal sector. And we’re here to talk about the challenges that we face when it comes to connecting the actors in order to get things done. So, we’re in the postal sector, and we have a program called Connect.Post that aims to connect all the post offices in the world to the Internet by 2030, and then transform them into one-stop shops where citizens can access government services, digital financial services, and also leverage them as hubs for community networks. So, this implies partnerships across governments, international donors, private companies, and it’s been quite interesting. We’ve had some projects off the ground in several countries already. We’ve partnered with UN organizations, private companies, governments, of course, and across different industries and governments at different levels. And partnerships are key. There’s no other way to do this other than through partnerships. But, you know, it’s not being able to function without it. So, we have a usually, we can pull up a designated postal operator in each country, and they need to be given the authority to deliver other types of services for this to be able to work, and they need to be able to be given the legal authority to operate a community network for this to work. So, you need to facilitate a lot of discussions and also need to introduce them to a lot of people, and we need to also help them frame the way that they want to go about enabling change in a way that they’re not used to doing so. So, there’s a lot of challenges. But anyway, we will have a session later today. So, if anyone is interested in what I’m saying, I think we’re in a workshop on 10 out of 335, but the name of the session is Connect Our Posts, Connecting Communities to the Postal Network.

Isabel De Sola: I’ll just give an example of the name of the purse. Purse.

AUDIENCE: This is about finding the right cooperation and finding the right people to work with. I’ll give two examples of the work that we’ve been doing in the past two years and the reports that we produce. The first is that we looked at do governments procure their ICTs secure by design, and we found that the answer is almost zero. So, if industry doesn’t get the incentive to buy, produce secure ICTs, then we will always remain insecure. And we’ve come up with ideas how to build up capacity in that topic to come up with procurement rules, but somebody has to start listening to what we have done and that’s a major challenge already. The second is education and skills, and what we found on both topics, like Ambassador Erickson was saying, there is not that big a difference between the whole world. No one is procuring secure by design. Almost no one is procuring secure by design. In education and skills, whether you live in Papua New Guinea or in the Netherlands where I live, there’s about a 20 year gap difference in what the industry demands from their education, tertiary security education, and what is on offer, and what are the best practices in the world, and that is something that we want to find out. We’re going to present that at 12.30 at the Dynamic Coalition booth. We made a great video on that, called the Cyber Security Hub, and it’s something that we want to build and create the programs where exactly the digital compact will be about, and the sort of input that we want to deliver there. We need partners to do that, and that’s why I’m advocating ourselves here also, but we’re delivering, and that is what the Dynamic Coalition in the IGF is capable of, we can deliver on our promises.

Kevin Hernandez: So that is something which I invite you to join, is3c.org, and that’s where all the information is. Thank you for this opportunity, but also, we’re looking forward to work with you.

Isabel De Sola: Yes, thank you, and before you go, so we heard from our colleague from the Postal Union about the importance of discussions, so of bringing the actors together and then discussing when there’s new information or there needs to be new ways of working, and you’re saying that you have the great ideas, the good content, and you need a catalyst or a boost for visibility, so to connect these great ideas with the procurers, and that’s the partnership that you’re looking for. Is that right? So, the IGF is a place for visibility, I imagine, and you’re looking for others, other areas where, or platforms where you can have more visibility on these ideas?

AUDIENCE: Yes, I think that’s a great question, and I think it’s important to be able to fund the people who actually do the work, because that is the other challenge, that we need to find funding for the experts to pay them, and we have the experts, I can tell you that also.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you so much. So, funding, again, and we’ll go to one more in the room and then online as well, working my way to the front of the room. discussions. We need platforms for visibility. Tell us about your partnerships.

AUDIENCE: Okay, so SYNC digital well-being program based in the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture. One of our projects is to develop, it would come under the heading of digital literacy, but not just how to use technology, more how to use technology in a way that is safe and health promoting. So this is to develop a preventative intervention for high schoolers across the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, so that they can engage with technology in ways that foster well-being and aren’t damaging to their health. And that’s in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to develop the content, pilot the intervention, and also to make sure that it’s culturally resonant. I think that’s another huge issue in terms of moving into other territories and skills transfer, that it is culturally attuned and not dissonant with local values, things like that. So that’s been some of our experience with partnerships.

Isabel De Sola: That’s a great example. And so you found a partner that’s based in the US, and your organization is based here in Saudi, and your beneficiaries or stakeholders are Saudi youth. And so the translation from one culture to another has been part of the dynamic of your partnership. How have you made the most of the connection in the US? And then how have you landed it here in Saudi Arabia in a culturally relevant way?

AUDIENCE: So I think one, there’s many strands to ensuring it was culturally relevant. One of the partners at Hopkins is a Saudi national who grew up in KSA and studied in the US. So he’s one of the primary investigators, one of the project leads. But also we’ve done extensive stakeholder groups, stakeholder mapping with people in Saudi Arabia, teachers, parents, students.

Filippo Pierozzi: Thank you so much for that example. And if my mic… Yes? This one will go online. Let’s… Hello? Can you hear me? Okay. Yes. We’ll take one more example online and then start wrapping up. If you could introduce yourself from online, hopefully we can hear you. And I’ll ask the IT team to put you up on the screen. Thank you. I hope you can hear me.

Nandipha Ntshalbu: Can you hear me? We can hear you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Probably I wouldn’t want to go to an example, but I think I would like to engage with the beautiful presentation from Inbal. And I want to highlight one area that I find missing in the discourse. With everything that we have been dealing with, both in IGF and even the compact itself, even the objectives, we seem not to want to be visible addressing the issue of energy efficiency and sufficiency. Because if we don’t address that in an objective, we will not be intentional. But if we look at fiat and non-fiat currency, all developments have pointed to not only the challenges with connectivity, they are a function of the availability of energy. And if one looks at the issues of energy, it becomes important that we address this. So that’s the first thing. The second thing is, if it could be possible for us online to be accorded an opportunity to get contacts of the colleagues that have just presented, and even the reports, because one would be interested in knowing in Africa, which states in Africa have been utilized beyond Zambia. And I’m asking this from an angle of data localization and data sovereignty, as you’re looking at ethical AI deployment. So one would be interested, Juan, in terms of how one can participate when in the initiatives from Finland, but in terms of the report, which are the African countries that have been contacted. Thank you.

Roy Erikkson: Okay, thank you. I would like to comment also on the secure by design on connectivity, because that is something that Finland especially has taken up in our discussions. It, for example, in Latin America, there is a digital alliance between European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean region. And the conference I was referencing to, we discussed the importance of having security by design, because the digital economy will be based on connections, and the connections need to be secure in order to increase public trust on digital services, but also for businesses, so that they know that their data is secure, that it doesn’t leak anywhere. So it is an issue that we are tackling and taking into consideration when we are designing projects. And it is true that energy and connectivity, they go hand in hand. In many places in Africa, for example, the communications towers are using energy provided by diesel generators. And of course, if we want to achieve our climate goals, we should try to find ways of using less and less fossil fuels. So one of our projects has been to provide solar panels to these communication towers, so that they are independent and can provide sufficient energy, so that the connectivity is actually better, because it doesn’t cut and so forth. So we are looking into that. That’s why it’s called the digital and green transformation, because we need to look at both climate issues and digital and connectivity issues. Data storage is an excellent question. We have mentioned it in other conferences in Africa, that we are building also data centers. And we want to provide, as I was referring to, the whole package, skills and the data, I mean, the hard infrastructure. But it’s also a question of who is in control of the data. And in Africa, I see that there is so much really good talent. I would say that, for example, on the financial sectors, the applications that you have invented there far exceed applications we are using in Europe. So if you can have the ownership of the data in the data centers, that could help to provide new applications using the data that the governments are gathering there. And the best way of participating in this project is to make an inquiry to the local EU delegation, and say that you would be interested in global gateway projects. And especially if you are interested in digitalization, tell that. Or if, because we don’t have embassies in all countries in Africa, you can also contact the Finnish embassy, because we are all part of the team Europe. So we work together. Thank you.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you for those inputs. And I think there’s one more person online. Let’s raise their hand. Please introduce yourself and the tech team will put your screen up so we can see you.

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury,: Hello, everyone. My name is Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury, and I’m from Bangladesh. So I have a concern. May I start?

Isabel De Sola: Yes, please.

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury,: That global digital conflict presents an opportunity to address these challenges through fair global governance of digital technologies. However, for this conflict to be effective, it must ensure that countries like Bangladesh are not left behind. It must prioritize inclusive data governance and cybersecurity frameworks that protect all, not just privileged few. With that in my mind, I would like to pose the following questions to this distinguished assembly. How will the global digital conflict ensure fair and transparent data governance that protects user privacy and enables countries like Bangladesh to retain control over their national data assets? Will that conflict address the power imbalance created by data monopolies where global tech giants dominate developing economies, digital ecosystems? And talking of the cybersecurity, what steps are being taken to foster global cooperation on cybersecurity so that developing countries like Bangladesh can access resources, expertise, and frameworks to combat cyber threats? Thank you.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you for those questions online. So actually, when we did our poll here in the room for objective four on data governance, our audience didn’t stand up. So there were a few of us here in the room working on data governance, which is perhaps the most ambitious of the GDC objectives. The GDC already has provisions on data governance to the person who asked this important question. It has two strands. One is to look and enhance data for development, so the data that we can use to spur and catalyze progress on the SDGs. And a second strand is on interoperability and governance of data across borders. On that note, you’ll be happy to hear that a working group on data governance, which is tasked to develop principles in the next two years for data governance, is already getting started. You can hear me? Sorry. It looks like somebody can’t hear me. It’s already getting started based out of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development in Geneva. I believe the working group will be composed and its members named in January or February of next year. And then they’ll have a year and a half to work on principles. So that’s good news, a rapid GDC implementation. On the question of cybersecurity, I’ll just mention this very fast, and then we’ll go back to the audience, that recently, a convention on cyber security on the European Budapest Convention, which has been for the last 10 or 15 years, I think, a bedrock of cybercrime work. And for a country like Bangladesh, they will have ideally participated in shaping that framework and then implementing it at the local level going forward. So I just want to summarize where we are and then maybe go back to the audience for their comments. We’ve been talking about the road ahead and partnerships. So a couple of things have popped up. One is the need for lots of discussion across partners to understand each other, the need for translation between different cultures, the difficulty of finding partners when one is based far away or, for example, participating online today, it’s much more difficult to find what you need, the utility of platforms like the IGF for connecting the actors or for getting visibility. So the supply and demand of partnerships. I have great content, but where are the clients that will use my great content? Or the ever-persistent question of financing, financing for these initiatives. I wanted to throw out into the audience a question about incentives to partner. But I also see that there’s a hand up, so let me hand you a microphone. There’s two hands up to help us keep thinking about these ideas. And if you could introduce yourself. Thank you.

Alisa Heaver: Good morning. My name is Alisa Heever. I’m from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands. And I actually wanted to circle back to the question Henriette asked you or asked in the previous session. So I won’t do it with a lot of introduction. But it was basically, so why doesn’t the GDC link to the WSIS action lines, but does link to the SCGs? Thanks.

Patricia Ainembabazi: Hi, everyone. I am Patricia Ainembabazi from Uganda. I work in the civil society with CIPESA. CIPESA is a collaboration on international ICT policies. We work in Eastern and Southern Africa. I wanted to first talk about partnerships and the work we do around the topic. We do trainings, all things advocacy, but also we do trainings for journalists, other CSOs, as well as parliamentarians. At the moment, we do have a parliamentary track. I don’t know if any of you knows APNIC. This is the African parliamentary network for internet governance on the continent. So we work with these groups of people to front things around internet governance. You’ve talked about partnerships. We do have one with the EU. Someone from East Asia mentioned. We also work with Smart Africa. I was waiting to see Thelma here. We’ve had trainings on data governance. It’s around harmonizing or aligning the EU data policy framework with the different policies in the different countries in Africa. So we have, I would say, partnerships do work. And it’s not about, obviously, the money helps, but also it’s aligning the goals that the different countries or the different organizations want. At CIPESA, we found that the issues that we talk about or we address in Eastern and Southern Africa, they are not only limited to these regions that we’re in. They are across the sub-Saharan. They’re actually in many in Europe, but the context matters, but the issues remain the same. So partnerships do work and we welcome organizations that would want to work with CIPESA and towards the goals that we all want. Thank you.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you for that. So just one comment on your intervention, as you said that you found this hybrid, the hybrid setup, it takes some skills training to do it correctly, the hybridness of our session. Just one point about your comments that struck me, as you said, when we looked across countries and regions, we found that there’s many similarities and some of the problems are the same with the desire for partnerships are the same. So maybe if I can rephrase what you were saying is actually there were learning opportunities across the region. So looking out there and finding others in a similar objective or frame of mind was useful for your organization. Is that correct?

Patricia Ainembabazi: Yes. We do have FIFA Africa, and this has nothing to do with soccer. It is the Forum for Internet Freedoms Africa. We have this every year. This year we’re in Dakar, Senegal. So we had almost 500 participants, and not only from Africa, but also from abroad. And we always have different streams and different topics and sessions. And at the end, when you’re looking at the reports and the submissions from all the different groups, it’s the same problems. It’s the same appetite towards open internet access to like all the principles of the GHSA.

Filippo Pierozzi: Thank you for that. And there was one last comment over here, two more comments. Okay. You could just pass the mic. And thank you for introducing yourself.

Damilare Oydele: Thank you so much. My name is Damilare Olidule. I work with Library Aid Africa. We leverage data technology and common sentiment approaches to transform libraries on a vibrant basis. And as I was speaking about data infrastructure in the first minute, I was speaking about how libraries are access points to digital connectivity and access. Over time as an organization, we’ve worked collaboratively with libraries across African countries in the context of transforming these libraries into vibrant spaces. And more recently, we’re working on what we call Library Tracker. We’re tracking the libraries across African countries to understand what are they doing in these libraries, the impact they’re making, and more importantly, how many of these libraries are connected. I use this data to engage policy makers and partners to understand areas that are good for libraries. And for the users of the platform, to be able to see what libraries are around them, and assess what libraries stand to offer for them. So and I say that also working on libraries with data features. This focus really on how we work with libraries to transform these libraries into data tech hubs. Reason? Because the needs of our community is changing and evolving over time. That means our libraries also need to change in that trajectory. Okay? And I say that also, we’re also working on upskilling librarians in African countries. And data skill and tech skills for them to make libraries much more vibrant and viable and thrive. Right? Over time, we’ve worked with library partners across currently non-African countries to implement our innovation. And we’re ever looking at how can we tap into the ecosystem of data and economy and data governance partners to see how we can cross-pollinate ideas and innovation, and not just that, bring an investment into the library ecosystem, so make libraries connected. Because if libraries are connected, economies are also connected, and that transforms society where these libraries are located. Thank you so much.

Guilherme Duarte.: Hello, good morning, everyone. My name is Guilherme Duarte. I’m from the Brazilian Association of Internet Service Providers. We are a membership of small ISPs that work in Brazil. We’ve been attending this BIGF for a few years. We’re a small ISP, but we’re a small ISP. We’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. And we’re a small ISP. Because our members do a lot of work in connecting schools in Brazil. We have some good experiences in public-private partnerships for building infrastructure in the Amazon and other under-assisted areas in Brazil. But we also have been working, have a good knowledge of how these small companies have been building up the infrastructure in Brazil by themselves as well. So private investment in public infrastructure as well. So I would like to, more of a question of how we can be more of a part of the work that we are doing here.

Isabel De Sola: Thank you for those last comments. No, that’s okay. Thank you for those last comments and I’ll go back to the start of our session to respond to the last question. So how to get involved? The first one window, can you still hear me? To get involved would be the endorsement of GDC. And it’s a window online that allows an organization to signal if they’d like to endorse the vision and the principles, that’s one thing. But you also have a path where you don’t endorse the vision and the principles, but you provide information on what your organization is doing and which of the five pillars of the GDC are of your greatest interest. That’s a way to get started. What’s coming up in the next few months is an implementation map of the GDC that the UN agencies are currently designing in our role, which is to provide a platform and a space in a sense to convene all the actors and to make it easier for them to find each other. So the implementation maps in September has been under design. There should be more news about it in January and a way for your organization or our friend from digital libraries or our child rights advocates and all the different actors, if they would like to, to voluntarily signal what they’re up to in GDC implementation. The utility of the map is hopefully not only for the cartographers. A cartographer is a map designer. The SG is the map designer, but it’s not meant to help him. It’s really meant to help the actors so that you could come and say, okay, Liberia, objective three, open security online, and you could see the different actors there. So watch this space. Hopefully we will have more news soon. I wanted to make sure to address the question from Henriette. I actually don’t know why the GDC objectives weren’t in the text mapped against WSIS action lines. However, that exercise has taken place already, and it’s available online at ungis.org, un-gis, ungroup on the information society.org, I think, has developed a map of where you can see how the GDC is connected to WSIS action lines. There has been a, it’s been difficult to describe in what ways the WSIS and the GDC work together. And part of the WSIS review will, the task is to describe how they are interactive. The way that our, that the WSIS was the starting point, and it’s been the primary framework for digital cooperation over 20 years. And after 20 years, the GDC has provided, in a sense, a refresher, a little icing on the cake. So whereas the WSIS tackles the fundamental starting points of digital cooperation, so connectivity, access to information, connecting businesses to the internet, it talks as well about how ICTs could be used for sustainability. The 20-year agenda is still very relevant, so we still haven’t connected the entire planet. Not everybody has the digital literacy and access to capacity building that they need to use the internet. We still aren’t making the most of ICTs for the environment. This agenda, the WSIS agenda, is still relevant. What the GDC does is it comes and it adds some new challenges and opportunities to this agenda after 20 years, which the member states felt was a timely moment to do so. So it adds data, DPIs, misinformation, artificial intelligence, et cetera. And the two agendas are very complementary. I hope that that goes some part of the way to answering your question. It’ll get very technical and the audience might not be that familiar with Action Line B4, but I think that’s the one that speaks about the ethics of ICTs. And today we speak about human rights online. So language matters and language has changed. In 2003, 2006, 2005, forgive me, we were thinking about the ethics of ICTs, but over 20 years there have been so many risks to human rights from the use of ICTs and from lack of use of ICTs that the conversation has shifted and the GDC reflects this evolution in the language, I think. I hope that goes some way to answering your question. I believe everybody needs a coffee break, so we might wrap this up on, I’ll say, maybe one or two ideas that I’m taking away from this conversation and I invite Ambassador Erickson to do the same, but in the road ahead, partnerships are going to be key. In fact, they have been all throughout these years, as many in the audience pointed out. It sounds like there’s appetite here for finding partners, for learning from others that are in similar situations across borders, and also for recognizing the similarities of the challenges that we’re facing. So I may be in El Salvador, but I can share with somebody in Denmark the same challenge about misinformation, for example, and learning from each other is very valuable. Partnerships, however, take time. They take discussion. They take going out there and beating the pavement, looking for people that you need. And it takes funding as well and alignment of interests so that there’s incentives to collaborate. Those are some of the things that I take away. And really, thank you for all of the participation and your attention this morning. And Ambassador Erickson, the final word is with you.

Roy Erikkson: Thank you. Yeah, my takeaway from this is that I think that we more or less know what the challenges are. It is now just trying to find the best ways of finding partnerships and doing together and implement what we have agreed on under the digital compound. I’m quite positive and optimistic that the challenges are not insurmountable. We can do it and we do it together.

Agreement Points

Importance of partnerships in digital development

speakers

Isabel De Sola

Roy Erikkson

Kevin Hernandez

Patricia Ainembabazi

arguments

Stakeholder-driven implementation through partnerships

Knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries

Connect.Post program to connect post offices to the internet

Collaboration on internet governance policies in Africa

summary

Multiple speakers emphasized the crucial role of partnerships in implementing digital development initiatives, sharing knowledge, and addressing common challenges across different regions and sectors.

Need for culturally relevant and inclusive digital initiatives

speakers

Roy Erikkson

AUDIENCE

Patricia Ainembabazi

arguments

Knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries

Importance of culturally relevant digital literacy programs

Learning opportunities across regions with similar challenges

summary

Speakers agreed on the importance of ensuring digital initiatives are culturally relevant and inclusive, taking into account local contexts while addressing common challenges.

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers highlighted the importance of infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships in connecting underserved areas and promoting digital development.

speakers

Roy Erikkson

Guilherme Duarte.

arguments

Finland’s Global Gateway initiative for infrastructure investments

Small ISPs connecting underserved areas in Brazil

Public-private partnerships for infrastructure development

Both speakers expressed concerns about data governance, sovereignty, and the need for inclusive frameworks that protect developing countries’ interests in the digital space.

speakers

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury,

Nandipha Ntshalbu

arguments

Data governance and cybersecurity frameworks for developing countries

Data localization and sovereignty concerns

Unexpected Consensus

Similarities in digital challenges across diverse regions

speakers

Roy Erikkson

Patricia Ainembabazi

arguments

Knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries

Learning opportunities across regions with similar challenges

explanation

Despite representing different regions (Finland and Africa), both speakers emphasized that digital challenges are often similar across diverse geographical areas, suggesting unexpected commonalities in global digital development issues.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The main areas of agreement centered around the importance of partnerships, culturally relevant initiatives, infrastructure development, and addressing common digital challenges across regions.

Consensus level

Moderate consensus was observed among speakers on key issues. This suggests a shared understanding of the importance of collaboration and inclusive approaches in digital development, which could facilitate more effective implementation of the Global Digital Compact. However, some divergent views on specific implementation strategies and priorities indicate the need for continued dialogue and negotiation.

Different Viewpoints

Focus of digital development efforts

speakers

Roy Erikkson

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury,

arguments

Finland’s Global Gateway initiative for infrastructure investments

Data governance and cybersecurity frameworks for developing countries

summary

Roy Erikkson emphasizes infrastructure investments and capacity building, while Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury focuses on data governance and cybersecurity frameworks for developing countries.

Unexpected Differences

Energy efficiency in digital infrastructure

speakers

Nandipha Ntshalbu

Other speakers

arguments

Energy efficiency and sufficiency in digital infrastructure

explanation

Nandipha Ntshalbu raised the issue of energy efficiency and sufficiency in digital infrastructure, which was not prominently discussed by other speakers. This unexpected focus highlights an often overlooked aspect of digital development.

Overall Assessment

summary

The main areas of disagreement revolve around priorities in digital development, approaches to cybersecurity, and the scope of issues to be addressed in the Global Digital Compact.

difference_level

The level of disagreement among speakers is moderate. While there are differing focuses and priorities, most speakers agree on the overall goals of digital development and cooperation. These differences in perspective can contribute to a more comprehensive approach to implementing the Global Digital Compact, but may also present challenges in prioritizing specific actions and allocating resources.

Partial Agreements

Both speakers agree on the importance of improving digital security, but Roy Erikkson focuses on knowledge sharing, while the audience member emphasizes the need for secure-by-design procurement.

speakers

Roy Erikkson

AUDIENCE

arguments

Knowledge sharing and capacity building across countries

Need for secure-by-design ICT procurement

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers highlighted the importance of infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships in connecting underserved areas and promoting digital development.

speakers

Roy Erikkson

Guilherme Duarte.

arguments

Finland’s Global Gateway initiative for infrastructure investments

Small ISPs connecting underserved areas in Brazil

Public-private partnerships for infrastructure development

Both speakers expressed concerns about data governance, sovereignty, and the need for inclusive frameworks that protect developing countries’ interests in the digital space.

speakers

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury,

Nandipha Ntshalbu

arguments

Data governance and cybersecurity frameworks for developing countries

Data localization and sovereignty concerns

Key Takeaways

Partnerships are crucial for implementing the Global Digital Compact (GDC)

There are similarities in digital challenges across different regions and countries

Cultural relevance and local context are important when implementing digital initiatives

Financing remains a persistent challenge for digital development projects

Data governance and cybersecurity are key concerns, especially for developing countries

Existing platforms like IGF are valuable for connecting actors and increasing visibility

Energy efficiency and sufficiency are important considerations in digital infrastructure development

Resolutions and Action Items

UN to provide an implementation map for GDC in the coming months

Working group on data governance to develop principles in the next two years

Organizations encouraged to endorse GDC vision and principles online

Stakeholders invited to provide information on their GDC-related activities

Unresolved Issues

How to ensure fair and transparent data governance that protects user privacy in developing countries

Addressing the power imbalance created by data monopolies in developing economies

Specific steps for fostering global cooperation on cybersecurity for developing countries

How to fully integrate small ISPs and local initiatives into global digital cooperation efforts

Detailed explanation of how GDC and WSIS action lines are interconnected and complementary

Suggested Compromises

Balancing global standards with local cultural contexts in digital literacy programs

Combining hard infrastructure development with soft skills and capacity building

Using existing institutions like libraries and post offices as hubs for digital connectivity

We actually, we outsourced this. We found somebody who would be able to send an expert of theirs and we paid the costs for having that expert residing in Zambia and writing this strategy.

speaker

Roy Erikkson

reason

This comment reveals an innovative approach to international development cooperation, where a government (Finland) acts as a facilitator and broker to connect expertise with local needs.

impact

It sparked a discussion about the role of governments in facilitating partnerships and the importance of finding the right experts for specific projects. It also highlighted the need for cultural translation in such collaborations.

We have one project that is coming to an end, but it’s continuing under a different name, but it’s African digital and green transition. And in this project, for example, we sent an expert for six months into Zambia, and they wrote the artificial intelligence strategy for the country.

speaker

Roy Erikkson

reason

This comment provides a concrete example of how international cooperation can contribute to building digital capacity in developing countries, particularly in emerging technologies like AI.

impact

It led to further discussion about the importance of capacity building and knowledge transfer in digital development projects. It also raised questions about data sovereignty and localization in AI development.

We have a program called Connect.Post that aims to connect all the post offices in the world to the Internet by 2030, and then transform them into one-stop shops where citizens can access government services, digital financial services, and also leverage them as hubs for community networks.

speaker

Kevin Hernandez

reason

This comment introduces an innovative approach to leveraging existing infrastructure (post offices) to bridge digital divides and provide digital services.

impact

It broadened the discussion to include the role of traditional institutions in digital transformation and sparked interest in multi-stakeholder partnerships for digital inclusion projects.

With everything that we have been dealing with, both in IGF and even the compact itself, even the objectives, we seem not to want to be visible addressing the issue of energy efficiency and sufficiency.

speaker

Nandipha Ntshalbu

reason

This comment highlights an often overlooked aspect of digital development – the energy requirements and environmental impact of digital infrastructure.

impact

It shifted the conversation to include sustainability considerations in digital development projects and led to a discussion about the intersection of digital and green transitions.

We do have FIFA Africa, and this has nothing to do with soccer. It is the Forum for Internet Freedoms Africa. We have this every year. This year we’re in Dakar, Senegal. So we had almost 500 participants, and not only from Africa, but also from abroad.

speaker

Patricia Ainembabazi

reason

This comment introduces a significant regional initiative for internet governance and digital rights in Africa, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation and knowledge sharing.

impact

It emphasized the value of regional platforms for addressing shared challenges and learning from diverse experiences. It also underscored the global nature of digital governance issues.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by highlighting the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships, knowledge transfer, and capacity building in digital development. They broadened the conversation to include considerations of sustainability, cultural relevance, and regional cooperation. The discussion evolved from abstract concepts to concrete examples of implementation, emphasizing the need for practical, context-specific approaches to digital cooperation. The comments also underscored the global nature of digital challenges while recognizing the importance of local and regional initiatives.

How can we address energy efficiency and sufficiency in digital development?

speaker

Nandipha Ntshalbu

explanation

This is important because energy availability is crucial for connectivity and digital development, but it’s not explicitly addressed in the current objectives.

Which African countries beyond Zambia have been involved in Finland’s digital and green transition projects?

speaker

Nandipha Ntshalbu

explanation

This information is important for understanding the scope of Finland’s involvement in Africa and potential opportunities for collaboration.

How will the Global Digital Compact ensure fair and transparent data governance that protects user privacy and enables countries like Bangladesh to retain control over their national data assets?

speaker

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury

explanation

This is crucial for ensuring that developing countries are not left behind in the global digital landscape and can protect their citizens’ data.

How will the Global Digital Compact address the power imbalance created by data monopolies where global tech giants dominate developing economies’ digital ecosystems?

speaker

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury

explanation

This is important for ensuring fair competition and preventing the exploitation of developing economies by large tech companies.

What steps are being taken to foster global cooperation on cybersecurity so that developing countries like Bangladesh can access resources, expertise, and frameworks to combat cyber threats?

speaker

Shamsher Mavin Chowdhury

explanation

This is essential for building a secure global digital ecosystem that includes and protects all countries, not just developed nations.

Why doesn’t the Global Digital Compact link to the WSIS action lines, but does link to the SDGs?

speaker

Alisa Heaver

explanation

Understanding the relationship between different global frameworks is important for coherent policy-making and implementation.

How can small ISPs be more involved in the work being done on digital cooperation and connectivity?

speaker

Guilherme Duarte

explanation

Small ISPs play a crucial role in connecting underserved areas and their involvement is important for achieving universal connectivity.