Digital cooperation

A revised version of the WSIS+20 outcome document – Revision 2 was published on 3 December by the co-facilitators of the intergovernmental process. Below is a section-by-section overview of the main changes compared to the previous version, Revision 1 (rev1).

Introduction

• A clarification that the participation of governments and other stakeholders in achieving the WSIS goals needs to be not only equitable, but also meaningful.(4)
• A recognition of the efforts of the UN Technology Banks for the Least Development Countries in strengthening STI capacities of least developed countries. (10) 
• A new commitment to ‘ catalysing women’s economic agency’. (11)
• A highlight of the importance of applying a human-centric approach through the lifecycle of digital technologies. (13)

ICT for development

• Some language was removed in the paragraph about DPGs and DPIs. There is no longer a reference to DPGs doing no harm, empowering individuals to use tech for development, and facilitate digital cooperation and investment. And the sentence about the resilient, safe, inclusive and interoperable DPIs is removed; instead, the paragraph notes that, along with multiple models of DPIs, there are also multiple definitions. (17)

Closing digital divides

• The title of the section was changed from bridging digital divides to closing them, reflecting the emphasis that was placed on closing divides in rev1. 
• A new recognition that digital divides pose particular challenges for developing countries. (20)
• An addition in the paragraph about access for persons with disabilities calling for the integration of accessibility-by-design principles in digital development. (22)
• An inclusion of North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation as a  modality to strengthen international cooperation to address financial and other constraints impeding the achievement of digital inclusion. (25)
• A clarification that the internet and digital services need to become both fully accessible and affordable.(27)
• Updates regarding key connectivity and access figures. 

The digital economy

• In the paragraph about the impact of digital technologies on work, a previous reference to governments being concerned about safeguarding employment rights and welfare is now removed. (33)

Social and economic development

• A recognition of the role of the UN System in e-government development. (35)
• An inclusion of digital content within the sphere of cultural heritage in the paragraph which urges stakeholders to recognise the importance of preserving such heritage. (38)
• New language about the need for greater international cooperation to promote digital inclusion and digital literacy, including capacity building and financial mechanisms to ensure progress towards achieving the SDGs. (40)

Environmental impacts

• In the paragraph in which concern is expressed about the use of critical mineral resources, previous language about such concerns also including equitable access to such resources is now removed. There is new language highlighting the importance of responsible mining and processing practices. (43)
• A new paragraph now tackles e-waste, bringing back language that appeared in the zero draft, but was removed in rev1. At its core, this paragraph calls on all stakeholders to improve data gathering, facilitate collaboration in safe and efficient waste management, including sharing of technology and best practices. (44)

The enabling environment for digital development

• A reference to the importance of ensuring that stakeholders are able to play a part in the development and harmonisation of standards is now removed. (47) However, the call to ensure that decision-making, governance and standardisation processes enable full and active participation by all stakeholders (5) is maintained. 
• The call for UN regional commissions, other regional organisations, and the CSTD to share experiences on the enabling environment and support the development of policy guidance, technical assistance, and capacity building is now expanded to also include WSIS Action Line facilitators.(52)

Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs

• A clarification that building confidence and security in the use of ICTs should be consistent not with human rights, but with international human rights law. (53)
• A new paragraph brings back language from the Zero Draft about recognising the need to counter and address all forms of violence occurring or amplified by the use of technology, along with hate speech, discrimination, misinformation and disinformation, cyberbullying, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and outlining a commitment to establish robust risk mitigation and redress measures. (56) (The same language also appears in the Global Digital Compact)

Financial mechanisms

• The paragraph calling on the UN Secretary-General to consider the establishment of a task force to consider future financial mechanisms for digital development is revised to: clarify that the task force would examine such mechanisms (as opposed to considering them); clarify that the Secretary-General would consider such a task force ‘within existing mandates and resources and in coordination with WSIS action lines facilitators and other relevant UN entities’, and a note that the task force would build on and complement ongoing financing initiatives and mechanisms involving all stakeholders. (66)

Human rights and ethical dimensions of the Information Society

• New language is introduced calling on business enterprises, including
• surveillance technology companies and companies responsible for social media platforms, to respect human rights in line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. (75) (A call on the private sector to apply the Guiding Principles also appears in another paragraph – 70.)

Artificial intelligence

• Some changes were made to the paragraph about AI capacity building (84), which now uses exact language from the Global Digital Compact.
• The request to establish an AI research programme is now addressed to the UN Inter-Agency Working Group on AI (it was addressed to the Secretary-General in previous texts), and there is a clarification that the fellowship would be dedicated to increasing AI research expertise. (85) Similarly, the request to launch an AI capacity building fellowship is now also addressed to the same working group.(86)
• A reference to the Secretary-General’s Report on financing options for AI capacity building (which was introduced in rev.1) is now removed.(87)

Internet governance

• Several changes were made to paragraphs about the Internet Governance Forum (IGF):
  • There is a new recognition of the work of the IGF’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group. (98)
  • The paragraph in which member states decide to make the IGF a permanent forum of the UN now includes language about the continuation of the forum;s secretariat being ensured by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and about the forum having a ‘stable and sustainable basis with appropriate staffing and resources, in accordance with UN budgetary procedures’ (100). This is also reflected in the request for the Secretary-General to now submit a proposal for the General Assembly (during its current 80th session) to ensure sustainable funding for the Forum, combining a mix of core UN funding and voluntary contributions (previous language merely included a request for the Secretary-General to make proposals concerning future funding for the forum). (103) (At the moment, the IGF is funded solely from extra-budgetary sources.)

The development of the WSIS framework

• Some changes in nuance in the paragraph welcoming the establishment of the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) regarding its role to facilitate (previous language: strengthen) UN system-wide coordination on digital cooperation, working ‘closely’ (added language) with existing mechanisms. (109)

Follow-up and review

• The language recognising the role of ECOSOC is changed from ‘overseeing the system-wide follow-up of the implementation of WSIS outcomes, including the alignment of WSIS implementation with that of the Global Digital Compact’ to ‘overseeing the system-wide follow-up of the implementation of WSIS outcomes, including the need for avoiding duplication and ensuring coherence of WSIS implementation with that of the GDC’. (123)
• The report that the Secretary-General is requested to submit on progress in the implementation and follow-up to the WSIS outcomes – and which also incorporated updates on GDC implementation – is now expected on a biennial basis (no longer annual). And there is a clear request for CSTD and ECOSOC to consider the report. (124)

There were no major changes in the section on capacity development, data governance, and monitoring and measurement.