The Global Digital Compact is to be adopted during the Summit of the Future in September 2024.
Global Digital Compact
EU faces major AI shortfall by 2030
According to a European Commission report, the EU must catch up to its 2030 AI targets. The investigation into the EU’s Digital Decade project revealed that only 11% of the EU enterprises currently use designated AI technologies, far short of the 75% target set for 2030. At this rate, the Commission estimates it would take almost a century to achieve this goal.
The report also highlighted other areas for improvement, such as the EU being over a decade behind in producing the desired number of tech unicorns and spreading basic tech skills among the general public. Despite these setbacks, European Commission leaders remain optimistic, pointing out that the report offers a clear path forward. Margrethe Vestager, the EC’s competition commissioner, stressed the need for increased State-level investments to reach the digital transformation targets.
Thierry Breton, the EU’s digital chief, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the importance of investments, cross-border cooperation, and the completion of the Digital Single Market to boost the adoption of key technologies like AI. The findings come amid concerns that the EU’s stringent AI regulations could hinder its global competitiveness, especially compared to less regulated regions like the US and China.
Third reading of the GDC zero draft
The third reading of the GDC zero draft – as part of the intergovernmental negotiations process – is scheduled to take place on 16 May 2024, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber (UN headquarters in New York).
Second reading of the GDC zero draft
The second reading of the GDC zero draft – as part of the intergovernmental negotiations process – is scheduled to take place on 2 May 2024, in Conference Room 1 (UN headquarters in New York).
EU political parties sign election integrity code of conduct
The EU political parties are set to sign a new code of conduct on Tuesday, 9 April 2024, to safeguard the upcoming EU elections from foreign interference and disinformation. The initiative, brokered by the European Commission, is part of a broader effort to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
The code of conduct, overseen by Vice-President Věra Jourová, focuses on preventing the amplification of narratives led by non-EU entities that seek to undermine European values. Parties across the political spectrum, including left, socialists, centre-right, liberals, conservatives, greens, and far-right groups, are committing to proactive measures against spreading misinformation. They pledge to ensure transparency by labelling AI-generated content and not disseminating unfounded accusations or deceptive materials targeting other parties. Although this adds an extra layer of protection to the electoral campaign, the responsibility for implementation and monitoring falls on the European parties rather than national parties conducting the campaign on the ground.
Despite these commitments, the code of conduct lacks independent oversight and enforcement mechanisms instead of relying on the parties to promote compliance among their members and conduct post-election reviews. Commission Vice-President Jourová emphasised the symbolic importance of this collective commitment by European political parties to uphold the integrity of elections, urging them to adhere to ethical and fair campaigning practices in the coming months.
Why does it matter?
The agreement follows recent scandals involving European Parliament members, like Qatargate and Russiagate, and underlines the importance of defending democracy against foreign interference. While the code of conduct does not extend to national parties, it represents a significant step forward in addressing digital risks and maintaining transparency in electoral communications.
Negotiations on the GDC
Intergovernmental negotiations on the Global Digital Compact are expected to start in April 2024 and continue throughout the second quarter of the year.
First reading of the GDC zero draft
The first reading of the GDC zero draft – as part of the intergovernmental negotiations process – is scheduled to take place on 5 April 2024, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber (UN headquarters in New York).
Deadline for written input
The permanent representatives of Rwanda and Zambia will invite UN member states, observers and stakeholders to submit written input by 8 March 2024 to inform the preparation of the zero draft of the GDC.
Second round of informal consultations with stakeholders (2024)
In preparation for the intergovernmental negotiations on the GDC, a second round of informal consultations with relevant stakeholders will be held on 1 March 2024.
Second round of informal consultations with Member States and observers (2024)
In preparation for the intergovernmental negotiations on the GDC, a second round of informal consultations with UN member states and observers will be held on 29 February 2024.