Countries
New Zealand
Digital Snapshot – Key Policies and Laws
New Zealand (Aotearoa) scores strongly on international digital-government indicators: the UN’s 2024 E-Government Development Index places it 16th of 193 and 12th on e-participation. Its core digital-governance direction is set through whole-of-government programmes and guidance, notably the Digital Strategy for Aotearoa, with its action plan, the Digital Inclusion Blueprint, and the Government Data Strategy and Roadmap, alongside an open-data commitment under the Declaration on Open and Transparent Government.
On internet governance, New Zealand’s ccTLD is run through the .nz governance model: InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa is recognised as the designated manager for .nz and operates the registry and authoritative DNS, while the Domain Name Commission publishes and enforces the .nz Rules, with scheduled version updates.
For connectivity, policy is primarily delivered through long-running infrastructure programmes rather than a single ‘broadband strategy’: the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) roll-out was completed in December 2022 (covering 412 towns/cities), and uptake was reported at 76% as of 30 December 2024, alongside MBIE’s broader rural/mobile programme portfolio. International capacity is underpinned by submarine cables, including the Southern Cross NEXT landing at Takapuna, the Hawaiki landing at Mangawhai Heads, and the cross-Tasman TGA system landing at Raglan.
On 5G and spectrum, New Zealand has used spectrum planning and allocation processes: RSM’s work on high-band spectrum includes the 24–30 GHz range, with a programme underway to make it available to the market in 2026; earlier RSM work supported 5G access in key bands. Cable and critical communications resilience also includes a protection layer: the Submarine Cables and Pipelines Protection Act 1996 establishes protected areas, and Maritime NZ guidance highlights restrictions, such as fishing/anchoring prohibitions, within cable protection areas.
Consult New Zealand’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Ask the Diplo chatbot everything you want about digital strategies and regulations in the country ⬇️
For security, trust, and the digital economy, New Zealand’s baseline includes the Cyber Security Strategy 2019, plus a dedicated Cyber Security Emergency Response Plan, and the Privacy Act 2020 (13 privacy principles, with OPC guidance and breach expectations). E-commerce is governed mainly by consumer and marketing rules, especially the Fair Trading Act and the Consumer Guarantees Act, and by anti-spam enforcement under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007.
Cloud and emerging tech are shaped by public-sector policy and market shifts: Cabinet materials set a Cloud First direction, including an onshore preference for some classified data ‘over time’, while NZ now has onshore hyperscale regions (Microsoft Dec 2024; AWS region launch Sep 2025), and AI governance is framed by MBIE’s AI Strategy, plus the Public Service AI Framework; digital identity is supported by the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Act 2023 and related rules.
New Zealand’s permanent mission to the UN:
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) website hosts the official page for the Permanent Mission to the UN and Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, which also notes that the WTO mission is co-located in the same chancery. The mission’s Head of Mission is Ambassador Deborah Geels, serving as Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva and Ambassador for Disarmament.
Official website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/new-zealand
Related news on dig.watch
- https://dig.watch/updates/ai-and-cloud-transform-new-zealand-services
- https://dig.watch/updates/facial-recognition-trial-targets-repeat-offenders-in-new-zealand-supermarkets
Follow New Zealand’s digital submarine cables
Mauritius
Digital Snapshot – Key Policies and Laws
Mauritius’ digital governance is anchored in long-running national roadmaps that link public-service modernisation with growth and ‘trust’ requirements, notably Digital Mauritius 2030 and the Digital Transformation Blueprint 2025–2029. On digital-government performance, Mauritius is placed in the UN’s ‘very high EGDI’ group and ranked 76th globally in 2024, among Africa’s top performers. Connectivity is comparatively strong for the region: DataReportal estimates approximately 79.5% internet penetration in early 2025.
Cybersecurity has been a major focus area, combining strategy and ‘hard law’. The National Cybersecurity Strategy 2023–2026 sets goals around critical infrastructure resilience, awareness and international cooperation. The Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act 2021 establishes a National Cybersecurity Committee and a comprehensive framework for cybercrime, supporting operational coordination, including CERT-MU in the Act’s structure. In 2024, government reporting said Mauritius scored Tier 1 in ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, ranked 1st in Africa.
A defining recent content governance/civic space episode was the 2024 social media shutdown attempt: the ICT regulator instructed ISPs to suspend access to major platforms, initially set for 1–11 November 2024, citing security concerns linked to ‘illegal postings’, but later reversed the measure amid backlash.
On privacy and data governance, the core instrument is the Data Protection Act 2017, which governs controllers and provides safeguards for personal data and individuals’ rights. The data policy framework matters across government and the private sector, including finance, BPO and digital services, especially where processing is outsourced or cross-border. Additionally, Mauritius has faced sustained debate over the balance between state digital systems and rights protections, highlighted internationally by the UN Human Rights Committee’s findings on safeguards for biometric-ID data, a major reference point in discussions on privacy-by-design.
Mauritius’ digital infrastructure governance blends connectivity expansion with safeguards for competition. Its broadband direction is set out in the National Broadband Policy 2012–2020, which frames broadband as an ecosystem, including infrastructure, regulation, competition and consumer welfare. For submarine cables, the Open Access Policy for Undersea Cable Landing Stations (2010) treats landing stations as essential facilities and requires access provisions for other operators, an important competition and resilience lever for an island state. Recent ICTA statistics show very high subscription intensity (e.g., 2.216 million total internet subscriptions in 2024), reflecting extensive mobile and fixed uptake.
The cloud and emerging-tech landscape is increasingly regulated through sector rules and dedicated institutions. In financial services, both the Bank of Mauritius cloud guideline (2022) and the FSC cloud computing guideline (2023) set expectations for governance, risk management and oversight when institutions adopt cloud services. For AI, Mauritius’ AI Strategy (2018) outlines national priorities and governance recommendations, while the Mauritius Emerging Technologies Council Act (2021) establishes an institutional platform to promote and steer emerging technologies. In 2025, the FSC added a concrete ‘responsible AI’ layer for finance through non-binding principles for ethical AI use, signalling a move toward practical, sector-specific AI governance.
Related news on dig.watch
- Mozambique and Mauritius to block social media
- Mauritius signs the Second Additional Protocol to Convention on Cybercrime
- India and Mauritius to collaborate on Earth Observation satellite project
- Mauritius unveils Mobil ID digital identity card
- Mauritius to provide free mobile internet for youth
Mauritius’ permanent mission to the UN:
Mauritius’ Permanent Mission to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organisations represents the country across Geneva-based multilateral diplomacy, covering areas such as human rights, health, labour, trade, migration and humanitarian affairs handled in International Geneva. The mission is listed in the UN Geneva Blue Book, and its official government site provides contact details and public information about its role and activities.
Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/mauritius
MAURITIUS EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA
Facebook page
Consult Mauritius’ AI and digital strategies and regulations
Follow Mauritius’ digital submarine cables
Mali
Mali’s internet governance is shaped by its efforts to expand access, promote cybersecurity, and ensure digital inclusion. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Communication plays a key role in managing the country’s digital policies, which focus on improving internet access, particularly in rural areas where connectivity remains limited. A significant part of the strategy is to bridge the urban-rural digital divide by increasing infrastructure investments.
Additionally, Mali is working to strengthen its cybersecurity framework, following the broader regional approach of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This includes combating cybercrime and improving cybersecurity measures to protect citizens and institutions from digital threats. ECOWAS has been instrumental in promoting a unified regional strategy for cybersecurity, and Mali has aligned itself with these goals to secure its digital ecosystem
Consult Mali’s digital strategies and regulations
Follow Mali’s digital infrastructure
Mauritania
Mauritania has expanded its digital infrastructure quickly, building a national fibre backbone of around 4,000 km and developing a state-run data centre and IXP through SDIN. A second submarine cable connection via EllaLink is underway, which will reduce the country’s long-standing dependence on a single international route and improve its resilience.
The policy environment is comparatively advanced for the region, with a National Digital Transformation Agenda, a national cybersecurity strategy, a broadband strategy, and a National AI Strategy 2025–2029. Mauritania also has a full data-protection law (2017-020) and has ratified the AU Malabo Convention, placing it among the more norm-aligned digital governance frameworks in West Africa.
Digital adoption remains modest, with e-commerce still largely informal and many transactions happening via social-media platforms. While broadband and mobile access continue to improve, national assessments highlight gaps in skills, affordability and institutional capacity that still limit widespread digital uptake.
Consult Mauritania’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Follow Mauritania’s digital submarine cables
Qatar
Qatar is among the most connected countries in the world, with approximately 99–100% of its population using the internet, compared to a global average of around 63% in 2025. Mobile connections account for approximately 156% of the population, reflecting the prevalence of multi-SIM and smartphone use, while social media identities cover roughly 84% of residents. The two operators, Ooredoo and Vodafone, report nationwide 4G/5G coverage, including desert areas, giving Qatar one of the densest mobile broadband footprints in the region, with internet prices for a basic basket below 1% of average income.
On the infrastructure side, Qatar combines near-universal fibre-to-the-home with strong international connectivity via at least six operational submarine cable systems (AAE-1, Falcon, FOG, GBI, Qatar-UAE and TGN-Gulf), plus new capacity from 2Africa and the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) regional cable. Ooredoo has announced over US$500 million in new international cable projects and alternative land routes to Europe, aimed at improving resilience and latency. Qatar is also one of the few states in the region hosting two hyperscale cloud regions, Microsoft Azure (Qatar Central) and Google Cloud Doha, offering in-country, multi-zone infrastructure backed by a growing local data centre market and a national internet exchange point, where 65% of the 1,000 most-visited sites are reachable locally.
At the policy level, Qatar has a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2019) and an Artificial Intelligence Committee to steer AI deployment and skills development, part of a broader ‘AI+X’ vision for the economy. All this is complemented by a comprehensive National Cyber Security Strategy 2024–2030, which aims to make Qatar a regional leader in the secure adoption of emerging technologies, and by one of the region’s earliest standalone data-protection laws. Large-scale partnerships have already moved dozens of government and semi-government entities onto national cloud platforms, reinforcing Qatar’s position as one of the more digitally advanced and policy-active Gulf states, even as issues such as competition, content controls and long-term diversification remain under discussion.
Consult Qatar’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Follow Qatar’s digital submarine cables
Madagascar
Digital snapshot – key policies and laws
Madagascar’s digital governance agenda is anchored in the PRODIGY programme, backed by World Bank financing, and focuses on modernising civil registration and national identification to expand legal identity and improve access to public services. The programme gives the country’s digital transformation a practical centre of gravity: identity, interoperability and service delivery. The broader policy frame is the Plan Stratégique du Numérique 2024–2028, while the 2025 interoperability decree gives institutional form to data exchange across public systems.
The legal safeguards around digitalisation are becoming more visible, but remain a work in progress. Madagascar has a personal data protection law, Law n°2014-038, and the Commission Malagasy de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CMIL) has recently moved from a largely formal institution to an operational regulator. Its effective establishment marks a new phase for data protection, digital sovereignty and rights, at a time when digital ID, health data, public-service platforms and future AI tools will test whether privacy, security and redress are enforceable in practice.
Cybersecurity is now catching up with the scale of the country’s digital ambitions. Madagascar still relies heavily on the 2014 cybercrime framework, but in December 2025, the government launched work on a national cybersecurity strategy to address cyber threats, child protection online, gender-based cyber violence, digital justice, skills and critical infrastructure protection. In parallel, a proposed social-media law to address harassment, defamation and disinformation places online safety in a sensitive balance with freedom of expression and civic participation.
Madagascar’s digital economy is being promoted through connectivity, e-commerce, mobile money, cloud services and skills. The Choose Digital Madagascar initiative, launched in 2025, aims to attract investment, structure the digital ecosystem and promote Malagasy talent, including through the Excelia quality label for digital training and services. E-commerce and digital payments rest on older but relevant frameworks, including the electronic transactions law and the electronic-money law, while cloud and data-centre development remain early-stage and closely tied to telecom infrastructure, public-sector digitalisation and BPO demand.
Regarding AI governance, Madagascar has no dedicated AI law, national AI strategy or AI regulator, but it has started positioning itself around AI capacity-building. Plans for an International Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence for the Indian Ocean region, announced in 2024, align with the PSN 2023–2028 and the country’s shortage of digital technicians. For now, AI is governed indirectly through data protection, cybercrime, digital identity, e-transactions and sectoral policies.
Madagascar’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:
The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Madagascar to the UN Office and specialised institutions in Geneva represents Madagascar in Geneva-based multilateral diplomacy. Madagascar’s office is located at Avenue Riant-Parc 38, 1209 Geneva, with phone: +41 22 740 16 50, fax: +41 22 740 16 16, and email: ambamadsuisse@bluewin.ch.
Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/madagascar
EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GEN
Facebook page
Consult Madagascar’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
- Plan Stratégique du Numérique (PSN) 2023–2028
- Nouvelle Stratégie Nationale d’e-Gouvernance
- Stratégie Nationale de Santé Digitale de Madagascar 2023–2027
- Plan Stratégique de Renforcement du Système d’Information Sanitaire 2023–2027
- Stratégie de transformation digitale de l’Agriculture à Madagascar 2024–2028
Follow Madagascar’s digital submarine cables
Rwanda
Digital snapshot – key policies and laws
Rwanda’s digital governance is anchored in the ICT Sector Strategic Plan 2024–2029, which links digital transformation to public-service reform, economic growth and inclusion under NST2 and Vision 2050. The country has built a relatively coherent digital state model, led by the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and implemented through bodies such as RISA. Its flagship service portal, IremboGov, has made many administrative services available online, while the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project supports broadband access, selected digital public services and the innovation ecosystem.
The National Broadband Policy and Strategy focuses on affordable, quality broadband, route diversity and wider device access, while Rwanda’s landlocked geography makes regional fibre links essential for access to submarine-cable capacity. A major regulatory shift came in 2023, when RURA removed KTRN’s exclusivity for 4G LTE and beyond technologies, opening the mobile-broadband market to more competition. At the start of 2025, Rwanda counted 13.3 million mobile connections, but internet use still lagged behind mobile reach, showing that affordability, skills and rural access remain decisive.
Regarding cybersecurity, the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2024–2029 aims to strengthen resilience, protect critical information infrastructure and build trust in digital services. Privacy is governed by Law No. 058/2021 on personal data protection and privacy, supported by the Data Protection and Privacy Office, which handles controller and processor registration, complaint handling, breach reporting, and authorisations for data transfer or storage outside Rwanda.
Rwanda has positioned itself early in AI governance. Its National Artificial Intelligence Policy, approved in 2023, frames AI as a tool for growth, better services and responsible innovation, while recognising risks around ethics, inclusion and safeguards. The country is also using partnerships to move from policy to implementation. Namely, in 2026, Rwanda and Anthropic signed a three-year MoU on responsible AI for education, health and public-sector service delivery.
The digital economy is supported by Rwanda’s fintech, e-commerce and cloud agenda. The Five-Year FinTech Strategy 2024–2029 aims to strengthen financial innovation and inclusion, while Towards an E-commerce Strategy for Rwanda sets out a framework for online trade, MSME participation, payments, logistics and consumer trust. Rwanda also has data-centre and cloud-services directives, reflecting the growing importance of secure hosting, public-sector cloud use and local data infrastructure.
Related news on dig.watch
Rwanda’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:
The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva represents Rwanda in Geneva-based multilateral diplomacy, including engagement with the UN, WTO and other international organisations. Hosted within Rwanda’s Embassy in Switzerland, the Mission promotes Rwanda’s interests and contributes to negotiations and dialogue on trade, humanitarian affairs, human rights, health, development and international standards.
Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/rwanda
EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA
Twitter/X profile: https://x.com/RwandaInGeneva
Facebook page
Consult Rwanda’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
- National Strategy for Transformation 2 – NST2 2024–2029
- Rwanda National Digital Inclusion Strategy
- National Broadband Policy and Strategy
- National Cybersecurity Strategy 2024–2029
- Rwanda’s Five-Year FinTech Strategy 2024–2029
- Towards an E-commerce Strategy for Rwanda
- Rwanda Digital Government Strategy and Governance
- Service Access Points Strategy
Follow Rwanda’s digital infrastructure
Zimbabwe
Digital snapshot – key policies and laws
The main anchors of Zimbabwe’s digital profile are the National ICT Policy 2022–2027, the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan, and the National Broadband Plan 2023–2030, which together frame digital transformation around e-government, infrastructure, skills, shared platforms, and sectoral modernisation in areas such as health, education, agriculture, transport, and mining. The newer National AI Strategy 2026–2030, launched in March 2026, covers issues related to AI adoption, governance, and capacity development.
On regulation, the Cyber and Data Protection Act of 2021 combines privacy, cybersecurity, cybercrime, and electronic evidence into a single law and designates POTRAZ (Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe) as the Data Protection Authority. That was followed by the 2024 regulations on licensing data controllers and appointing data protection officers, followed by POTRAZ guidance in 2025.
Zimbabwe’s infrastructure indicators show a relatively broad digital base. In Q2 2025, POTRAZ reported 12.83 million active internet/data subscriptions, 81.83% internet penetration, 79.87% broadband penetration, and 252 5G base stations. The country is also building out cybersecurity capacity through the planned ZW-CIRT, while its international connectivity relies on regional terrestrial links to undersea systems. Operators such as TelOne say they connect via EASSy (Eastern Africa Submarine System), WACS (West Africa Cable System), and SEACOM (South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe).
The digital economy is advancing: UNCTAD’s 2025 eTrade Readiness Assessment says Zimbabwe’s e-commerce ecosystem is mostly urban and informal and notes the absence of a dedicated national e-commerce strategy. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reported 238.27 million electronic transactions in Q4 2025, worth ZiG 736.03 billion, showing that payments infrastructure is ahead of logistics, trust systems, and formal online retail frameworks.
The country’s digital trajectory is therefore mixed: it is becoming more strategic, more regulated, and more data-driven. Freedom House’s 2025 Freedom on the Net report says internet freedom improved, yet access remains constrained by high prices, infrastructure limits, and electricity shortages.
Related news on dig.watch
- Zimbabwe advances AI national strategy with UNESCO support
- Musk’s Starlink gets green light to operate in Zimbabwe
- Econet brings smart tech to Zimbabwe Agricultural Show to support farmers
- Zimbabwe’s plan to enhance access to ICT for persons with disabilities
- Zimbabwe to launch national AI policy by October to boost digital sovereignty
Zimbabwe’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva:
Zimbabwe’s Permanent Mission to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva represents the country in multilateral diplomacy across the UN system and related bodies based in Geneva. The mission is listed by UN Geneva at Chemin William Barbey 27, 1292 Chambésy. UN Geneva also reports that Ambassador Ever Mlilo presented her credentials as Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative in April 2025.
Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/zimbabwe
EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA
Consult Zimbabwe’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
- Zimbabwe National Policy for ICT 2022-2027
- Zimbabwe National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy
- SMART ZIMBABWE 2030 MASTER PLAN
- ZIMBABWE NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN (2020-2030)
- CYBER AND DATA PROTECTION ACT
- POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT
- Cyber and Data Protection (Licensing of Data Controllers and Appointment of Data Protection Officers) Regulations, 2024
Follow Zimbabwe’s digital infrastructure
Explore the map to see the country’s submarine cable connections and how they link the country to regional and global internet infrastructure.