HIGH LEVEL LEADERS SESSION I

Moderator

The discussions centered around the importance of secure cross-border data transfer and access in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. The rapid development of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain has significantly increased the volume and velocity of data. This has highlighted the need for a better understanding of the importance of secure data flow across borders.

Another key point highlighted in the discussions was the need for dialogue and consensus on data flow. Data has become the lifeblood of the global economy and society, and its flow is essential for economic growth and innovation. However, the complex challenges and risks associated with data flow, such as privacy and national security concerns, necessitate synergy among stakeholders to create understanding and balance.

To address the fragmented global data flow landscape, the concept of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) was proposed as a solution. DFFT aims to facilitate the unimpeded movement of data across geographical boundaries while prioritising trust and security. The discussions emphasised the need for a better understanding of DFFT and its implications, as well as its implementation to foster seamless data flow.

The importance of data in driving the economy was also highlighted. Data is considered the lifeblood of the economy and the fuel for innovation. New technologies, such as generative AI, require a significant amount of data for training, underscoring the importance of data availability and accessibility for economic growth.

However, the discussions also revealed different views on data privacy and security, which hinder the smooth flow of data. The fragmented global landscape of data governance, along with ideological and theological disparities in views, makes it challenging for data to travel around the world without interruption or delay.

The discussions further highlighted the crucial need to address issues of data reliability, accuracy, and credibility. Disinformation and missing information are rampant, and ensuring the data’s accuracy and credibility, as well as understanding its origin and modification history, is essential.

International cooperation and partnerships were deemed essential in addressing these challenges. The aim is to establish an international arrangement for partnerships to discuss data issues and foster collaboration among countries. The involvement of stakeholders from various sectors, such as NGOs, civil society, the private sector, and academia, was emphasised to ensure comprehensive and inclusive discussions.

The importance of trust, engagement, and sustainability in the approach towards data flow was consistently underlined. Trust is crucial for participation in Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) initiatives, and when there is trust in data flows, it increases the likelihood of participation from everyone, ensuring that no one is left behind.

The discussions also shed light on the significance of a people-centred approach to cross-border data sharing. The Africa Union’s data policy framework, for instance, incorporates a people-centred approach to ensure equitable and secure cross-border data sharing.

Addressing inequalities in data flow was emphasised by the moderator, who highlighted the existence of disparities among stakeholders and nations. Cross-border data flows were seen as important for development, but it was acknowledged that data-driven technologies often extract data from one jurisdiction to another without fully understanding the context and nuances, thereby exacerbating inequality.

The discussions also touched upon the role of data in addressing global health issues and climate change. Data plays a significant role in managing pandemics, addressing health inequities, and driving sustainability changes. Accurate and trustworthy data on carbon footprint are crucial for effective climate change mitigation efforts.

The need for a global framework for data governance was strongly advocated, along with the strengthening of national institutions and accountability. Privacy, security, transparency, and accountability were identified as key principles in data governance. Various initiatives, such as the proposal for a global digital compact and the establishment of an international forum, were discussed as potential mechanisms for achieving this.

The discussions further emphasised the need to bridge the digital divide and ensure the full involvement of all stakeholders in the data economy. Inclusive multi-stakeholder collaboration, particularly involving the next generation, was seen as essential to address key issues and shape the future of data usage.

Overall, the discussions highlighted the importance of secure and seamless data flow, the need for dialogue and consensus, the challenges and risks associated with data flow, and the possibilities for better data governance and international cooperation. Privacy, trust, transparency, and accountability were recognised as crucial factors in ensuring the responsible and beneficial use of data. The discussions revealed the complexity and multi-faceted nature of data governance, requiring continuous efforts to foster understanding, collaboration, and stakeholder involvement.

Courtney Radsch

The analysis explores various arguments and stances surrounding the free flow of data and its impact on different aspects of society. One of the key arguments presented is Microsoft’s support for the facilitation of cross-border data flows and the concept of trust in data sharing. Microsoft believes that the cross-border flow of data, information, ideas, and knowledge generates higher productivity, greater innovation, and improved sustainable development. This aligns with former Prime Minister Abe’s statement in the G20 declaration.

The analysis also highlights the core principles that should govern the free flow of data, which include privacy, safety, security, and transparency. These principles are necessary to ensure that data flows are conducted in a responsible and ethical manner.

Another important point raised is that trust in data sharing is best built through multi-stakeholder collaboration. In other words, it is essential for different stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and civil society, to work together to establish trustworthy frameworks and practices for data sharing.

Furthermore, the analysis emphasizes the need for clear rules to regulate government access to data. Without such rules, there is a risk of misuse or abuse of data by governments. By implementing clear regulations, governments can ensure that their access to data is conducted in a responsible and accountable manner.

The analysis also highlights the potential of cross-border data flows to address global inequality. A study by the World Economic Forum found that approximately half of cross-border services trade is enabled by digital connectivity. Furthermore, data-driven technologies rely on large amounts of data, which can create economic opportunities and contribute to reducing inequality.

In addition to economic benefits, data plays a critical role in addressing global health issues and improving social opportunity. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of data in promoting health innovation. Moreover, data can drive sustainability changes and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Microsoft’s deep investment in this area demonstrates the company’s commitment to harnessing the power of data for positive environmental impact.

However, there are also challenges associated with data sharing. Lack of regulatory clarity and privacy concerns hinder progress in data sharing. Despite these challenges, the analysis emphasizes the importance of building trust through multilateralism and bilateral cooperation. Trustworthy frameworks, such as the OECD Trusted Government Access Program, can enhance transparency in government data access rules.

Another noteworthy observation is the role of the next generation in shaping the future of data use. The involvement of children and teens is considered essential to ensure that data practices are ethical, responsible, and meet the needs of future generations.

In conclusion, the analysis explores various perspectives and arguments related to the free flow of data. It highlights the importance of trust, clear regulations, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in ensuring responsible data sharing. The analysis also underscores the potential of data to address global challenges and promote economic growth, innovation, health, and sustainability. However, it also acknowledges the challenges and complexities associated with data sharing, including privacy concerns and the need for regulatory clarity.

Junhua Li

During the discussion, various topics regarding data, digital tools, and global cooperation were covered. One significant initiative that emerged was the DFFT (Data Free Flow with Trust) initiative, which was proposed by the G7 and discussed at the G20. The participants argued in favor of further developing the DFFT initiative on a global scale. The sentiment surrounding this argument was positive.

The discussion also emphasized the importance of data and digital tools in advancing the 2030 agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was noted that data and digital tools are powerful resources that can drive progress towards sustainable development. The supporting evidence highlighted the significance of data and digital tools as one of the most powerful tools available for this purpose. The sentiment regarding this argument was positive.

Another key point raised during the discussion was the need for broad participation in initiatives like the DFFT. It was argued that governments, civil society, and all stakeholders should be involved in these initiatives. While no supporting evidence was provided for this point, the sentiment surrounding this argument was neutral.

Cross-border data sharing and international cooperation were recognized as essential for achieving the SDGs. The supporting evidence highlighted the fact that many of the challenges we face are cross-border and global in nature, and highlighted the importance of monitoring and sharing data to tackle these challenges. The sentiment regarding this argument was positive.

Concerns were also raised about data inequality and the digital divide. It was argued that there is a serious phenomenon of inequality in data, as well as a digital divide between countries or within countries. The discussion emphasized the need for policy consideration to bridge this gap. The supporting evidence included the potential disadvantage that developing countries face in international markets and cooperation due to limitations on their governments and local businesses’ access to their own data. It was also noted that quality data and data sharing across borders are essential for international cooperation. The sentiment regarding this argument was negative.

The role of the United Nations in facilitating member states in capacity building and norm setting for data sharing was acknowledged. The supporting evidence highlighted the United Nations’ efforts over 70 years to promote capacity building and norm setting. The sentiment regarding this argument was positive.

The discussion also emphasized the value of cross-border data sharing in fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. An example was provided of a disaster reduction early warning system that relies on data sharing. The sentiment regarding this argument was positive.

The need for a global data governance structure was also discussed, acknowledging the existing gap in this area. The argument made was for the establishment of a global framework or mechanism to address this gap. The sentiment regarding this argument was neutral.

Concerns were also raised about developing countries becoming primary data providers without receiving adequate benefits. It was argued that this could result in an imbalance in international markets and cooperation. However, no supporting evidence was provided for this point. The sentiment regarding this argument was negative.

The discussion highlighted the importance of strengthening national institutions and accountability to bridge the digital divide. The supporting evidence included the need for a regulatory framework, robust data sharing practices, and stronger public digital infrastructure. The sentiment regarding this argument was positive.

Bridging the digital divide within countries or between countries was also emphasized as an important goal. The discussion noted that the digital divide should not be exacerbated by free data flows, as some countries may lack the necessary resources to compete in the data economy. The sentiment regarding this argument was neutral.

Ensuring data privacy and security was another important point raised during the discussion. It was argued that people’s data should be protected, particularly when it is transferred between countries. The sentiment regarding this argument was neutral.

The necessity of respecting data sovereignty was briefly mentioned, although no additional details or evidence were provided. The sentiment regarding this argument was neutral.

Finally, the discussion expressed support for a global digital compact, which was proposed by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres. This initiative aims to address the global data governance structure and will be discussed at an upcoming summit in September 2024. The sentiment regarding this argument was positive.

Overall, the discussion emphasized the importance of global cooperation in harnessing the potential of data and digital tools for sustainable development. It addressed various challenges and concerns related to data inequality, the digital divide, and the need for a global data governance structure. The speakers highlighted the role of cross-border data sharing, collaboration, and knowledge exchange in achieving the SDGs. Furthermore, the support for a global digital compact reflected the commitment to addressing these issues at an international level.

Taro Kono

Data governance and regulation are considered vital for achieving global goals and fostering economic growth. The summary outlines key points related to this topic.

Firstly, it emphasises the importance of data reliability, accuracy, trustworthiness, and interoperability. It highlights that data is integral to economic advancements and the development of technologies such as AI. However, the fragmentation of data governance across the globe poses challenges in this regard.

The summary also underscores the need for collaboration between policy makers, academia, and the private sector. It notes that current data discussions often lack cohesion and are limited to specific sectors. It argues that inclusive discussions involving all countries are crucial for effective data governance.

Furthermore, it asserts that concrete projects to facilitate cross-border data movement are necessary. Despite potential disagreements on regulations, actionable measures are required to enable the transfer of data across borders.

The accurate measurement of carbon footprints throughout supply chains is identified as essential. As supply chains extend beyond national borders, accurate and trustworthy data is needed to measure carbon impacts correctly.

The summary also highlights the importance of sharing data in an interoperable manner, thereby confirming its accuracy, correctness, and protection against tampering. The exchange of data is seen as crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate action.

Concerning COVID-19, it underscores that data analysis is key to understanding the pandemic and developing effective vaccines. The summary notes the increased need for computer power to analyse data and emphasises the importance of being prepared for future pandemics.

The summary addresses concerns related to the privacy and security of health-related data. It suggests the need for caution when dealing with sensitive information and mentions the use of federated learning AI technologies as a means of securely utilising health data.

The role of policymakers in understanding and adapting to emerging technologies is acknowledged. It stresses the importance of policymakers collaborating with experts to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements.

Advocacy for collaboration between government and non-government stakeholders is highlighted, specifically in the context of health-related projects. The summary emphasises the value of engaging different stakeholders in discussions on various issues.

There is a call to establish an international forum with a permanent secretariat to comprehensively address data governance policy. This framework should include government and non-governmental panels, as well as continually updated international databases on data regulations. Additionally, it suggests creating a regulatory sandbox for testing emerging technologies.

The summary also underlines the significance of data accuracy and trustworthiness in a data-driven economy. It highlights the negative impacts of misinformation and disinformation on democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. It notes the decline in public trust in media and government institutions due to fake news and disinformation.

Lastly, the summary stresses the importance of raising public awareness about the value of data and the threats posed by misinformation. Politicians are urged to effectively communicate with the general public and educate them on these issues.

In conclusion, the summary highlights the need for effective data governance, collaboration, and regulation to achieve global goals and promote economic growth. It underscores the importance of reliable, accurate, and interoperable data and emphasises the role of policymakers, academia, the private sector, and the public in achieving these objectives.

Leonida Mutuku

The importance of creating trust in data flows is a key aspect highlighted in the provided information. It is argued that by establishing trust, data flows become more participative, which in turn increases the number of participants using them and ensures that no one is left behind. The potential of Data Flows for Development (DFFDs) in building trust is emphasized. The argument suggests that if trust is created, more people will be willing to engage with data flows, leading to a more inclusive and equitable society.

In the context of cross-border data sharing, a people-centered approach is proposed as essential. The African Union’s data policy framework is mentioned as an example where member states have adopted this approach. It is argued that by prioritising the needs and perspectives of people, cross-border data sharing can be more effective and beneficial.

Data categorisation is considered a necessary step in deciding which types of data should be allowed to flow across borders. This categorisation process helps in determining the appropriate level of control and regulation needed for different types of data. It is not explicitly mentioned how this categorisation is to be done or who should be responsible for it.

The importance of high-quality data is highlighted, as it ensures accurate representation and helps in avoiding discriminatory practices. Movements such as the Open Government Partnership are mentioned as having established standards for high-quality data. This implies that using high-quality data can lead to more inclusive and equitable outcomes.

In terms of inequality, the origin context and nuances of data are identified as crucial factors that need to be understood. It is argued that addressing the issue of inequality requires a deep understanding of the origin context and the specific challenges faced by different groups. Only with this understanding can appropriate and effective measures be implemented.

Participation in data processing by individuals with contextual understanding is seen as a means to counterbalance imbalances. The argument suggests that involving people who have a deep understanding of the context can lead to more accurate interpretations and conclusions drawn from the data.

The relevance of data is considered more important than the abundance of data when it comes to decision making. The argument suggests that while having more data is desirable, it is the specific and relevant data that ultimately matters for making informed decisions.

Data localisation and responsible data usage are advocated to address certain issues. It is mentioned that without proper understanding, under-resourced languages might not be correctly represented in data processing, leading to mistranslations and missing context. Therefore, it is important to consider ethical and cultural sensitivity when dealing with data flows.

Partnerships are seen as enabling collaborative data collection and utilisation. The argument suggests that initiatives that promote data partnerships among nations can improve surveillance of similar ecosystems and aid countries that may not have the capacity for data collection on their own. This implies that partnerships can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystems and better decision-making.

Capacity building for policy oversight and management of partnerships is considered crucial. Government institutions need the necessary capacities to provide oversight over cross-border data sharing. Additionally, for people impacted by decisions made from collected data, trust in the institutions collecting the data needs to be built through transparency, accountability, and meaningful engagement.

Sufficient representation of women and marginalised groups in collected data is highlighted as important. Intersectional issues are identified as being manifested in societal problems, and representation of different genders and marginalised groups is seen as tied to various sectors, including agriculture, nutrition, energy, and health.

The significance of trust, data attribution, and ethical and cultural sensitivity are raised in the context of utilising and sharing health-related data. It is acknowledged that while data sets from AI-based health systems can support disease discovery and treatment innovation, there are concerns regarding who selects the data, the level of trust in the data, and the benefits received by the owners of the data sets.

Establishing a data strategy and advocating for a multi-stakeholder regime are suggested as ways to address the challenges and facilitate effective data flows. Corporate governance practices are highlighted as being important for the establishment of data strategies.

Monitoring and evaluation through operational sandboxes are proposed as important for measuring the impact of data execution. It is suggested that operational sandboxes can provide controlled environments to test and evaluate data-related processes and outcomes.

Data security, trust, and governance are seen as crucial factors for the free flow of data. Trust is considered a prerequisite, and it can be gained by ensuring that institutions holding data have legitimacy and adhere to rules and regulations. Transparency, accountability, and two-way engagement with data subjects are seen as important in building legitimacy.

The argument concludes by emphasising the importance of building trust in data and data technologies to facilitate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It suggests that by fostering trust, data can play a significant role in addressing societal challenges and promoting positive change.

Moderator:
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, a very, very good morning to all of you. Such a pleasure it is on our side to have your very valued presence here in the Assembly of Minds in this beautiful, beautiful setting of Kyoto. It’s my pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the organization. organizers and the host themselves and on behalf of the many hands who have worked so hard to put up this event, this convergence here in Kyoto, to welcome you all with the deepest felt warmth to the 2023 IGF. And in the face of so many dynamism and so many elements and aspects of life on planet Earth, of course, it’s the Internet’s ability, as we all know, to adapt and be a catalyst for economic resilience has, we believe you agree, been never, never as important. And it is at the heart of the solutions and the deliberations that we seek, providing us with innovative tools, global connectivity, and opportunities to forge ahead on the path of the aspired prosperity, solidarity, and collaboration. Ladies and gentlemen, these are the very opening thoughts that we would want to share as we look forward to opening the very first engagement here at this main hall of the 18th IGF. And I’m Shivani Thapa-Bosnath, your privileged moderator. I am a senior news editor with Nepal Television, that’s the state media there, and feel very, very honored and privileged to be having this responsibility of steering you all through the very first panel, the high-level track session here in the main hall of this venue. And it’s a matter of great pride and pleasure to share that we, having the participation of over 8,000 participants from across 170 countries at the 18th IGF, which already in itself is a testament or a demonstration of the gravity of the agendas and the sector that we represent and would be deliberating herein. Said that, allow me quickly now to join the esteemed panel who are here and I really, really feel privileged to be placed beside them as we look forward to beginning the very first high-level track session. For your kind information, we have translation services in six different UN official languages, so if you would, if you seek to have those services, we have a provision of headsets which are placed at your tables and I said that allow me now to kindly set the context for the very first high-level track session of the 18th IGF. In this very digital age, it is certainly needless to say this, but in this digital age, we find ourselves in a in an era where data has become the lifeblood of the global economy and society at large as well. Now the rapid development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, IOT, as well as the blockchain and so many more, these have fostered an unprecedented growth in the volume as well as the velocity of data. However, the need is for us to recognize that along with this enormous potential for progress, there are complex challenges and risks that come with it. And also there are needs. which are, which need to be addressed as soon, at the soonest to create a synergy among these stakeholders that stakeholders most importantly in a bid to understand the chemistry of all these elements. Now the first high-level track session ladies and gentlemen of the 18th IGF is all about data flow. of data free flow with trust, that’s DFFT, intersects, as you all know, technology, commerce, governance, and many, many other aspects and dimension. At its core, DFFT proposes facilitating the unimpeded movement of data across geographical boundaries while simultaneously holding trust and security. Now, this session will seek to give a better general understanding of DFFT, examine its implications, and identify potential areas of agreement for its applications. And I am indeed very, very much pleased. In fact, it’s my distinct honor to introduce to you all our most esteemed and distinguished panelists. First and foremost, please welcome Mr. Taro Kono, the Honorable Minister for Digital Transformation Japan. Likewise, our second panelist, Ms. Courtney Gregoire, the Chief Digital Safety Officer, Microsoft. As our third panelist, we have Mr. Jun Hua Lee, the United Nations Undersecretary General for Economic and Social Affairs. And last but not the least, Ms. Leonida Mutuku, AI Research and Strategy Lead, Local Development Research Institute. With much pleasure and privilege, I extend a warm welcome to all our distinguished panelists. Considering the theme, ladies and gentlemen, of the session, I will initiate our discussion by posing questions. And I will take turns in placing the questions to our panelists. So beginning with the first question of the session, first and foremost, moving to Honorable Minister for Digital Transformation Japan, Mr. Taro Kono, there certainly is no doubt that countries understand the importance of securing the cross-border chance for an access of data. We also have seen different domestic approaches to data flow emerges in response to economic privacy and national security concerns, and possibly from a lack of trust among major trading partners. Honorable Minister, what can DFFT do for a fragmented global landscape on data flows by enhancing trust?

Taro Kono:
Thank you. Good morning, and welcome all to Kyoto. Well, our economy has become data-driven economy, and new technologies such as generative AI, you have to feed a lot of data set to train them. So data is very important and the lifeblood of our economy. But if we look at the global landscape of data or data governance, it’s very much fragmented. So everyone agree that data need to be able to travel around the world without interruption or delay and with very predictable manner. But it is quite difficult, because people have different idea about privacy and security. It is more ideological or even theological. I mean, you can talk to each other, understand what the other side actually think or believe, but it would be very difficult to have a convergence. So DFFT need to address the way to increase interoperability of data-related regulations. And DFFT need to discuss issue of reliability and accuracy of data itself. Right now, we see a lot of missing information or disinformation coming up. So accuracy and reliability of data is important. And thirdly, we need to discuss issues of credibility of originator or sender of data and the history of how the data has been modified. So in order to talk about privacy and security or trustworthy of data, I think we need to solve the issue of gaps. So DFFT is to enable policymakers, academia, and private sector to collaborate with discussion and technology. We have had so many forum to talk about data, but it’s ad hoc. It’s more sectorial. So we are talking about creating an international arrangement to provide permanent space to discuss issues concerning data. And we need to create a momentum, not just for policymakers, but for private sector and academia to talk about these data issues. And data, you have to discuss not just the policy alone. You have to discuss the issue of technology. You need to incorporate technology to make data reliable, trustworthy, and make data travel across the border. So we need to create the momentum and the space to discuss and implement a concrete project to enable data to travel cross-border with trust. And that is the concept of DFFT. So hopefully, as we agreed among G7 and agreed among G20, we would like to set up an international arrangement for partnership to discuss data issues, cross-border data issues with many countries, not just limited to G7 or G20. But we need to include every country to join the discussion. And we need to implement a concrete project to allow data to travel cross-border, even though we may not agree on how we’re going to regulate data transfer. Thank you. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you, Honorable Minister. That is quite an optimistic view, where he says it’s pretty much doable to fill all those gaps and loopholes through institutionalizing partnership in arranging for covering the loopholes and voids. Moving to His Excellency, the UN Undersecretary General, what would be your say in this particular regard?

Junhua Li:
Well, thank you. Thank you, Madam Moderator. Good morning, everyone. It is a great pleasure to join all of you in Kyoto and together with some outstanding panelists. I just want to extra underline our special thanks to the Government of Japan and also the remarks by Minister Connell. With regard to this initiative, the DFFT, as we all know that it was proposed by the G7 and discussed at the G20, I just want to follow Minister’s remarks. Today is a good opportunity to further develop this idea and hoping that we could arrive there somewhere at the global scale. But how we can do that, then I took your word, trust. To UN, trust means partnership. Trust means general participation. And also, I guess everyone noticed that about three weeks ago in the UN headquarters, we had the SDG Summit, Sustainable Development Summit. Why we had that? Because we did not have a rosy picture before this. The SDG program was initiated 2015. And after eight years, only about 15 targets will be on track, and more than one third either off the track or recession. So that is the very, very severe situation we are facing. So how we could advance the 2030 agenda? Data, digital, that’s one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. So to advance this DDF, then we need to involve more participation from majority of the UN members in its contents, in its regulations, and its potential benefits. And also, not only limited to the government, but more essentially, we need to involve the general public, all stakeholders, including NGOs, civil society, private sector, academia, technical communities, youth. Because they are the future users and the deciders for this. So that’s something that we really care about it. So we hope that based on our discussion today, we may see the new sign, new impetus for this new initiative. Thank you.

Moderator:
Let us quickly take the say of both the panelists, the remaining panelists now. Moving with Ms. Leonida Mutuku. Again, the same question. What can DFFD do for a fragmented global landscape on data flows by enhancing trust?

Leonida Mutuku:
Good morning, everybody. And thank you for that question. I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of the points that my fellow panelists have brought about, specifically the issue of participation. I think with DFFDs, that when there’s created trust, there’s a lot of trust, and a lot of trust in those data flows, then it increases the likelihood of participation from everyone and that no one is left behind. However, as part of responding to your question, I’d like to take the time to reflect a little bit on the recommendations of the Africa Union’s data policy framework, and this was ratified by African Union member states last year, and the policy really adopts an approach of people-centered approaches to cross-border data sharing and policy frameworks around that. So this means that we locate the people at the center of these data ecosystems and allow then policymakers to leverage on that as they are creating policies. And so this in a way considers the uneven economic and human development that tends to take place in emerging economies such as the one I represent. So for data flows to really build that trust, of course now we need to move beyond the utopia that is created by this concept and thinking about, I would suggest three things to start with. Data categorization. What kind of data do we actually want to flow across borders? Is this personal versus non-personal data? And what is the purpose of these data flowing across borders? And then how will the beneficence of that be realized? Secondly, are the data flows unilateral? I think for data flows to be trustworthy, they have to move both ways, and that also contributes to mutual beneficence, both from the countries receiving the data but also exporting data. And then finally, the quality of the data itself. As was mentioned earlier on, we need high-quality data that can be used across different sectors, and some of these standards have already been established by movements such as open government, open government partnership. And so by having high-quality data moving, then we increase the level of trust that there will be representation, but also that we do not exacerbate any discriminatory practices because different groups of people are represented in this data. Thank you.

Moderator:
Thank you. Thank you for those very comprehensive and very invaluable observations. Coming to Ms. Courtney Gregoire, if you could add on to these

Courtney Radsch:
observations. Sure. Microsoft strongly supports facilitation of cross-border data flows and the data-free flow with trust. And at the outset, I really want to acknowledge a heartfelt thanks to Japan for leading this initiative. As former Prime Minister Abe stated in the G20 declaration, cross-border flow of data, information, ideas, and knowledge generates higher productivity, greater innovation, and improved sustainable development. But we have a very good question on the table. How do we help everyone understand what is the value behind the free flow of data with trust? And that means getting first and foremost at the concept of what is trust. We all, all users, all citizens of the world, must feel confident that our data is moving securely and our most sensitive information is protected. This means keeping core principles at the heart of the work. That is privacy, safety, security, and transparency. We need strong commercial privacy protections to ensure that all those know that their information is being well protected. And we need trusted mechanisms to transfer information, because at the end of the day, the reason behind this, which was said so well, must be human-centered for all to gain value and opportunity. We need clear rules to regulate government access to data for that same purpose and moving forward. At the end of the day, we know that trust is best built through multi-stakeholder collaboration, where there was true conversation around the table with all of those that are interested and their interests are well respected. I think at the end of the day, the heart of the Institutional Arrangement Partnership is to bring that multi-stakeholderism together, to learn the best practices and ensure that as we’re advancing this framework, we do it with trust at its center, the trust that users know that their trust is going to be respected and their value that they will get out of this work. There is more work to do to make this a reality, but it needs to be brought about with all of the principles we’ve talked about here. Core to that is how data will be used in the future to advance privacy, to advance safety and security. We do get to have a conversation about what this means in practice, but the opportunities it means to advance privacy, to advance safety and security. We do get to have a conversation about what this means in practice, but the opportunities it means both to advance environmental sustainability, to think about truly pressing global health issues and have a more equitable economic opportunity are things we could explore a little bit

Moderator:
more, I think. So, thank you. Great. We can see there’s quite a great understanding of the common issues and problems, despite us all having a great aspiration to creating the aspired. However, there could be hurdles and obstacles to realizing what we aspire for, and amongst the range of all the hurdles or obstacles, one important is the inequalities that is prevalent among the stakeholders and, of course, among the nations. Now, a pillar of the SDG agenda is the reduction of inequalities within and between the countries, as outlined in SDG 10. So, data and cross-border data flows are increasingly important for development and, in many ways, considered the lifeblood of current economies. Data-driven technologies, as we all know, rely on large amounts of data, yet the developing countries with smaller populations may be at a natural disadvantage in this context. So, how could responsible cross-border data flows address this prevalent imbalance? I would want to come back to Ms. Courtney. I think

Courtney Radsch:
this is a great question, and we need to realize, and it’s been said by almost all of our panelists, including the Minister, that we are at this era in which we are at a data-driven economic opportunity, and as we think about bridging the gap from an inequality perspective, that means really having a serious conversation about where is the future opportunity and growth. It was actually a 2020 World Economic Forum study that found that approximately half of cross-border services trade is enabled by digital connectivity. If we are looking for the opportunity and the future growth for all countries, and particularly micro and small and medium-sized enterprises, it means truly that bilateral, that fully flow of data that advantages all for the future of economic opportunity. I think we have to take a hard look at the reality of right now. Data is flowing in many ways, but that may be flowing unilaterally and not raising all opportunity around globally. So, as we have this conversation, we know that innovation will be fueled by a truly protected data-free flow with trust, and innovation and economic opportunity, when given to all, will rise an economic in a global equitable context. This is the opportunity that we want to think about. Moreover, if you think about equity, we need to think about economic, we need to think about social opportunity, and we need to truly think about what it means from a global health perspective. And we’ll talk a little bit more about this, but if there hasn’t, there’s truly been the mother of all innovation, it would probably be the COVID-19 pandemic that made everyone understand the core role data has in unlocking not just economic innovation, but health innovation that is core to opportunities. Think about what that means to addressing some of the true global health inequity that has kept back many across the globe. So, these are the spaces that we have to have a more tangible conversation about what data means, what does data mean for the lives of those individuals, or what it can mean as an opportunity for both future growth and future opportunity. It may feel esoteric, we need to make it real and have that conversation as to why this is important.

Moderator:
Ms. Mutuku, could you add to these observations, please? Thank you very much.

Leonida Mutuku:
When I think about how to address this issue of inequality, I think about what it means to actually, first of all, exacerbate it. And we see that with data flows, as has already mentioned, that are happening, data tends to be extracted from one jurisdiction to another. The question, though, is once this data moves across borders, who is processing it, and do they understand the context and nuances of where the data originated? And so, to be able to counter the imbalances that would arise, then it is really important to have, at this juncture, participation also in the processing of data by people who have context and understanding of the nuances that the data holds from the jurisdictions in which they were extracted from. Secondly, it’s the issue of scarcity mentality. Having been an AI researcher, one thing we like is to have as much data as possible to create these systems that will make decisions on behalf of people. But the question is, do we really need all that data, or should we be very critical and careful of the data that we want to access and utilize to make these decisions? So, in this sense, if we are only using the relevant data, then it doesn’t matter how much data, let’s say, is possessed or could be collected from a population. What matters is what specific data will be utilized to make decisions in that context. And one example I’d like to give to illustrate this is the issue of language data. We do want, of course, for instance, some of our most under-resourced languages to be represented in systems of the future, but there’s the issue of, if you’re not participating on the other end of it to process this data, then the issues such as mistranslations or that missing of context may arise. So, even as we think about data flows, I think it’s the ultimate use of that data that could potentially increase the inequality, and having participation by also representatives of the data in processing it can help mitigate that. Thank you. Thank you. My next question is

Moderator:
centrally directed to Mr. Lee, and then I’ll come to Ms. Leo, and then to the rest of the panelists. Monitoring progress towards the SDGs requires high-quality, disaggregated data, and of course mapping interactions among different initiatives to meet the goals. Now, can monitoring and data flows across borders be significant for cooperative SDG efforts, particularly in surveillance of ecosystems and for environmental cooperation?

Junhua Li:
Well, I guess a very straightforward answer is yes, very positively, because cross-border data sharing and international cooperation are essential for achieving the SDGs. People may ask why. I guess everyone would agree with me that the SDGs is about the global in nature. It’s not about the individual country, about the individual group. It’s about the whole membership or the humankind. So, many of our challenges we are facing is cross-border. It’s global. So, definitely, logically, naturally, we call for the international cooperation and the data sharing to tackle all those challenges. And monitoring and sharing the data, of course, are essential to tackle those trans-border challenges. But I have to say that just now we talked about inequality in data or digital divide between the countries or even within the countries. That is one of the serious phenomenon we have to tackle with. We need to give the policy consideration how we could bridge the gap to addressing the quality data and to ensure the data sharing across the border and lay down a solid basis for the international cooperation. And, of course, we, United Nations, and particularly my department, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, we have devoted 70 years to facilitate the member states in capacity building and also norm setting, international norms, governing the data sharing and governing the data collecting, of course, and its utilization. And also, just recently, my department launched, we call it the UN Data Commons for SDGs, a platform integrating the SDG data and information sources from all the UN entities. It’s not about a single UN entity. It’s a cross-cutting from all UN entities. But one thing that I just want to underline, that is, cross-border sharing also foster the collaboration and knowledge exchange. Just to give you an example for the disaster reduction, we need early warning system. That essentially means the data sharing would serve the very fundamental thing for the early warning system. Thank you.

Moderator:
Ms. Leo, what would you say to this?

Leonida Mutuku:
I would actually say I’m in 100% agreement around the partnerships. And I’d like to highlight, for instance, when we think about surveillance for ecosystems, that one of the interesting partnerships that are coming about are around earth observations, for instance. And when we look at a continent like Africa, initiatives that propose data partnerships amongst nations enable us to be able to surveil similar ecosystems, but at the same time, be able to collect data through earth observations that the countries might not necessarily have the capacity to do themselves, but with institutions such as the space agencies who already are surveilling. But the question again comes back to what is the capacity then to provide policy oversight and to manage these partnerships? And this is where it’s really interesting to be able to capacitate the government institutions, poli-institutions to provide oversight over this cross-border data sharing to support SDGs, but at the same time also creating that ability to trust in the institutions themselves that are collecting this data by people whose lives will be impacted by the decisions made from this data. And this trust is built by understanding whether these institutions are transparent and accountable to the people, but at the same time, whether there’s relevant engagement, especially in mass surveillance systems, if there’s relevant engagement to explain to citizens that these data sets are being utilized for these specific indicators, then it creates that trust. And one thing that we have to be cognizant about is that a lot of societal issues that the SDGs aim to address are intersectional, and that means that issues are touched by different data sets collected for different reasons and in different sectors. So when we think about, for instance, trying to ensure that different genders, women, and marginalized groups are represented in the data, in the context of agriculture, there’s nutrition, energy, and health that are intertwined in that issue. So the partnerships then enable you to be able to address these intersectional issues, because you are able to bring all the relevant data collectors onto the table to collectively

Moderator:
address these SDGs. Quite relatable and realistic. What would your thoughts be, Ms. Gregoire? It’s actually, I reflect on our opportunity we had to

Courtney Radsch:
chat backstage before coming out on this panel. It’s probably worth noting that our conversation couldn’t help but drift to the impacts that climate change were happening on all of our lives across the globe. And so thinking about this important question really is at the heart of what data can do to really, truly drive sustainability changes and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Microsoft has been making a deep investment in this for many, many years, and if we think about what data can do in this context through policy and investments that harness this power, we can think about the future for climate, water, ecosystems, and a resilient clean energy grid. I’m going to give two concrete examples. First, all of us want to make sure that those who’ve made true commitments to achieving climate targets are actually achieving them at the community level, at the business level, at the nation-state level. And that means being data-driven in the approach. Microsoft has invested with Global’s Renewable Watch to track energy resources like wind and solar installations to help make this a reality and bring transparency to those who’ve made the commitments and should be held accountable. But at the end of the day, we also have a real pressing issue right now, and that is helping those around the world adapt to changes in the climate. And one of the partnerships that AI, powered through data, we’ve done through Project Farm Vibes has been to help farmers adapt to climate change and make better decisions around planting, watering, and fertilizing crops. We know this is the underlying infrastructure to achieving our sustainability goals and helping everyone around the world adapt to a changing and evolving climate. And these two concrete examples we believe could help change that conversation at a

Moderator:
realistic level for all. And lastly, may I turn to the Honorable Minister to share

Taro Kono:
his perspectives on this. Thank you. Let’s say for carbon climate change, in order to do that, we need accurate and trustworthy data on carbon footprint throughout the supply chain. And the supply chain nowadays go beyond the national border. So we need to make sure that data are measured accurately and numbers calculated correctly and data are not tampered. And I think country need to share those data in an interoperable manner. So that’s where DFFT comes in. In order to do all those SDG project, no country can do that alone. Everyone need to exchange data and make sure the data is accurate, correct, and not tampered. So we need to increase interoperability of cross-border data flow. So it is important for across the board on SDG project. That’s where DFFT

Moderator:
comes in. Well, great. Coming from the reflections of the observations and perspectives shared by the panelists, we understand the needs and urgency as well. And especially if you look back in the recent past, the COVID pandemic has been an awakener for almost all the global entities and nations. It has awakened our perspectives, our thoughts, the needs, everything, and many things surrounding data itself. So the disclosure of health-related data across borders during those COVID-19 pandemic was critical, as you already have already acknowledged, in mitigating the harm to the societies back then in the time of chaos and even in the aftermath. Now, considering the 2030s agendas imperative to ensure health and well-being for all and that risks are increasingly, you know, borderless as we have seen it by ourselves, what can be or what are the possible scenarios for trusted and equitable data sharing for

Leonida Mutuku:
health? Over to Ms. Leo. Thank you so much. I’d like to bring your attention to the surveillance systems that a lot of, at least African countries, use for health. This is a use of the DHIS-2, which is an open-source tool that countries can periodically log different health-related indicators in this system. And when you look at DHIS-2, the demographic and health surveys data that populates, it tends to be anonymized and disaggregated enough though to pick trends of health and nutrition outcomes across different indicators. So in this sense, these data sets are in a manner very granular enough to make relevant decisions and can be shared safely, especially when we consider that personalized data is not included in the systems. And so that having different countries create frameworks around sharing of DHIS-2 data and how that could be used to surveil potential outbreaks or potential health issues that could ideally be reviewed in a regional perspective. The second thing I would like though to reflect on is when we move away from these larger data sets to now thinking about where we are going, creating health systems using AI, some interesting data sets that are collected in countries such as x-rays and scans could ideally be utilized and shared safely to support disease discovery as well as new ways of treating them. However, an issue arises in this sense is that the data attribution. How do we know that these data sets were selected by who and what is the level of trust in that data? But at the same time, what dividends do the owners of those data sets get once this data is utilized globally? And so even as we reflect on these positive opportunities for cross-border data flows, we need to really think about the contributors of the data, the authors, what dividends they do get from this as well as how we can attribute their contribution to this

Moderator:
systems. Coming to Minister Kano, I’m sure Japan has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share from the pandemic and the post-era. Well, thank you. Well,

Taro Kono:
for COVID, in order to analyze what COVID is, to develop vaccine and in order to administer vaccination, we needed to use data and we need to share the data and we need to increase our computer power to analyze those data. But, well, we’ll probably have another pandemic sometime and we need to be prepared. But our health-related data is very, very sensitive, so we may be a bit more careful using those personal health status. There’s something called federated learning AI technologies, which is to make AI trained for diagnosis and a prescription of medicine without sharing, without gathering personal health data at one point. So the policymakers are not always aware of new emerging technologies. So it is very important to have policymakers sit down with engineers, experts, academia, private sector, to discuss what is available at that moment, what is the latest technology. So we, the policymakers, politicians, understand what is available, what is the latest technology available to do each project. So that’s why we believe it is important to have government and non-government stakeholders to sit down and discuss each issue, and that is particularly important for health-related projects.

Moderator:
All right, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Melissa. Can I turn to Mr. Li, if you could add your insights to these possibilities? Well, I guess if we do

Junhua Li:
have the participation from all stakeholders on the CDFFT, then certainly we would have a much more promising future for this as a kind of the instrument, policy instrument, and a technical instrument. Coming to Ms.

Courtney Radsch:
Courtney Gregoire? I think this has been well said, but it’s true that we experienced the COVID-19 epidemic becoming somewhat of a mother of innovation that incentivized organizations around the world to shift their approach and understand that immersive sharing of data was critical to the future for my public health perspective, and they needed to do that in a way that had trustworthy frameworks that enhanced the privacy. When we talk about core health data, as the minister noted, this is the most highly sensitive. This is the area that will probably be the biggest concern for users to think about, what does this mean to me? How could I be disadvantaged? Would sharing of this data impact my privacy or impact my future ability to access health care or get the right treatment? And so we recognize the public health opportunities, but the fear from a user perspective means that privacy must be at the heart. While we’ve seen progress, we also see the lack of clarity around regulatory requirements for health data truly impacting, restricting, slowing global advances in some research areas. So this is an area that we just heard from everybody. You have to have all the stakeholders around the table, those that understand the technology opportunities that mean we can truly do this in a privacy, not just protective, but enhancing manner for the public health opportunities that we want around the globe. And it is an area that is going to make perfect sense that needs multi-layered regulatory approach, given the sensitivity of the underlying data. Coming, summing up from all the opinions

Moderator:
and perspectives or insights that have been shared at this forum so far, right, at this moment, we look in common consensus that we need to create that synergy and find a mechanism or put that mechanism in place to address, identify, or all the loopholes in helping us reap or harness from the prospects and the potentials that data flow brings along. But the question is, what kind of mechanism, what kind of mechanism or framework for cross-border data flow is required to bring the governments and the stakeholders together to achieve the goals that we discussed here today? May I begin with the Honorable Minister? Thank

Taro Kono:
you. Well, in the past, discussion on data or data governance was quite ad-hoc and sector-based, I guess. You can talk about data in terms of trade policy or in terms of privacy, or when you are talking about environment, you talk about the data policy or health. We need to, when we talk about data, I think we need to talk across the board. We need to talk about how we are going to govern the data policy itself. And we also need to create a continuous discussion. So that’s why Prime Minister Abe, back in 2019, proposed the idea of DFFT. In order to operationalize DFFT, we have been talking about an international forum with a permanent secretariat. We’ve been talking about among the G7 countries, and this year there was a G7 Digital Ministers meeting, and we agreed among the G7 countries, we have agreed to set up an international framework with a permanent secretariat that was endorsed by the G7 leaders. And we have agreed to set up an international forum under the umbrella of an international organization. Well, we can talk about data policies, data governance policies, but Europeans have a GDPR, United States have, well, the Wild West, anything goes in the US. So it will be very difficult to have convergence. But as I said, it’s going to be a theological issue. But, okay, the data policy set aside, we need to operationalize free flow of data with trust. So this international framework, we call it International Arrangement for Partnership, we will discuss a concrete project to operationalize DFFT. So what we are thinking about is we will set up this international forum under the umbrella of international organization with permanent secretariat. We need a government panel among the policymakers, but we also need non-governmental experts panel, experts invited from the private sector academia. And we need to take a concrete project. I believe we need to talk about international database on data regulations, data governance policy of each member state. So you can go into their database and find out what each country require you to do if you want to do business in certain country. And we constantly need to update. We also need to create a regulatory sandbox. There’s a lot of new emerging technology or pets, privacy enhancing technologies. We need to create a regulatory sandbox to test each emerging technology. And if it passes, if it’s passed, it should be able to apply each member state. And we’ll probably need to take up some concrete project for each issues like health, environment, things like that. So we’ll probably need a permanent secretariat and a government panel, non-government panel. That’s what we are trying to do. Thank you. Thank you,

Moderator:
Honorable Minister. Moving now on to the rest of the panelists, beginning with Mr. Li, what are

Junhua Li:
your thoughts on this? Thank you. I just want to follow the comments by Minister Connell. We all recognize that there’s a huge gap in the global data governance structure. So definitely we need a global framework or mechanism to enhance the global data governance, including data flow with trust. But however, I just want to share one aspect of it. During my conversation with some policy makers from the global south, developing members, they are very concerned that now probably they will coming the primary data providers to the business located to some somewhere but not in their own territories. So potentially limiting their governments and the local business access. to layer on data. This dynamic could potentially disadvantage them. in international markets, in international cooperation. That is the why. we need to strengthen the national institutions and accountability, particularly with regard to the global assessment. to the global files to bridge the gap in the digital And this requires not only the assistance from the Global South, but it also needs a regulatory framework. and a stronger public digital infrastructure and data capacity, and this required a binding. and the participation from the almost the all stakeholders on agreement on the robust data sharing practices. and a governance structure. Thank you.

Moderator:
Coming to you, Ms. Courtney Gregoire.

Courtney Radsch:
I am also echoing what I think was very well said, a recognition that the The gaps that inhibit the ability to truly achieve the goals we’ve talked about here both come in the form of national laws, lack of adequate mechanisms, lack of technology, understanding. of how one can do this in a privacy-enhancing way. And it’s because of this that we really do embrace… the broad agenda of the Institutional Arrangement for Partnerships, to think holistically about what are the regulatory and implementation gaps, how to promote interoperability of the rules and clarifying where international organizations with relevant expertise can lead. We all understand that one of the fundamental drivers of mistrust in data flows both of the consumer level and at the government level is third-party access to data. And specifically, fear that another government will compel a technology provider to release personal data belonging to an individual or an organization. that we are very glad to see progress both bilaterally and and at the international level to focus on this important issue, bringing principles principles, and trusted frameworks, including most recently the OECD Trusted Government Access Program. principles that would create additional transparency about the rules for government access are, and demonstrating that commonality. that already exists between rights respecting democracies. This is critical and foundational to continuing to expand the trust that is… needed at the core of this work and we hope to continue to enhance that work across multilateralism, and yes, between the U.S. and the EU, as mentioned before, as a critical… place for framework of trust.

Moderator:
Thank you, thank you Ms. Gregoire. Coming to Ms. Leo Mutuku. you could build on the perspective shared it in or if you could add more on what kind of could work or look comprehensive?

Leonida Mutuku:
I think just that emphasis on that. multi-stakeholder regime, but what we could borrow is from corporate government. practices really the establishment of a data strategy before we even think about promoting trust within data flows, what we need to define and categorize the data that will be subject to these data flows. and the level of participation, especially when you start thinking about governments that want to establish these partnerships, it’s what level of participation. participation, are you, the companies in your jurisdiction? as well as on the receiving end, will they take place? ensures that practices are not extractive, and that is in the most ideal instance. economic and social platform. So years ago, there was Russia. So climate change is an unreasonable measure. The world’s political system is extremely inefficient. And the more those measures are addressed, the greater the So there are also the data structure that started in 2014 , is to provide a way to have more proportionate data execution in Africa . In my understanding, it’s all over the globes here across the world. is that without thinking too much about sovereignty versus localization, that ethical and cultural sensitivity is still maintained, especially in cases where the data that might need to flow involves indigenous communities. understand, and also the other operationalization initiatives, such as what was proposed by Minister Kono. the regulatory or operational sandboxes then can be established and then finally it’s very critical as this is happening to do monitoring and evaluation. That way we are sure that we can correct any missteps as they take place.

Moderator:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, this was an attempt from our side to bring forth the opinions and perspectives from the wide range of esteemed and distinguished panelists. that represented policy leaders, academia, the experts, and also the stakeholder community on a very pertinent. And, of course, one of the most pertinent issues and topics of our time is the and the coming age, which we all agree is going to be determining for the economy. and the overall well-being of us, of the global ambience. and we can see we can see a common consensus among all the panelists here in the four for fostering a collaborative environment where they believe that diversity of realities. diversity of issues, viewpoints, would allow for fruitful exchanges. Now, as we come towards the very, very final moments of this high-level discussion. May I now turn back to the panelists themselves to, as we wrap up, share. some of their very forward-thinking ideas as to how we can shape a comprehensive understanding on the topic we’ve just talked much about. with the Honourable Minister. Thank you.

Taro Kono:
Well, as we say, our economy is most likely going along with this data-driven economy and the new AI technology. need a lot of data feeding, so the accuracy trustworthy of data is going to be very important. important. And people are now reading disinformation, misinformation on their SNS, whether or not they have notice that is not accurate. So I think among the policy among the certain industries, academia, the importance of data. is widely shared and we have been discussing issues concerning data. But as a policymaker, as a politician, I need to reach out. to the general public, and it’s just not me. I guess all the policy makers. to reach out to the general public. Industry probably. out to the general public. When we talk to the general public, how we can make people people understand the importance of data or importance of accuracy, trustworthiness of data, that is quite difficult. So we constantly need to talk to the general public and we need. to constantly try to make them see the threat. coming from disinformation, misinformation threats. to our common values such as democracy. freedom, rule of law, that is under attack, under threat. coming from disinformation, misinformation, fake news and all those things, so And even media is under attack the trust towards media is going down as well as many government institutions. So this information or data issue is not just It is not just an economy issue, it is an issue concerning our common values. And the issue is how we make general public. understand the importance of this issue, how we’re going to… to get them involved in a discussion and what kind of. technology going to be available to counter this. information. Establish trust of data is going to be important. important. So this is not just a policy issues. This is also technological issue as well, and this is going to be very important. important, not just for economy, but for the society as well. what I would like to emphasize today. Thank you.

Junhua Li:
Thank you. As we move to the digital society and even beyond, I certainly believe to advance this DFFT is critically important for all. of us, based on our discussion, that I think the three brief points that I I would like to share with all of you. First, it is important to bridge the. digital divide within the country or between the countries. We need to ensure that the digital divide. are not exacerbated by free data flows because some countries do not have. resources to compete with others in data economy and we must enhance the public trust. and ensure that the full involvement of the all stakeholders and all the developing countries at all levels of the decision making. Second, it is important… important to ensure the privacy and security of the data and the data application. We need to make sure the people’s data is protected, especially when it is transferred to… countries. Third, to respect Data sovereignty is also important. This is an area. We need to think about it carefully, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres. actually proposed a global digital compact. which actually would address the global data governance structure. This initiative will be discussed at the forthcoming summit of the future to be held in September 2024. We hope and we strongly invite and urge all stakeholders to involve in this process to discuss, to consult with each. other under the framework of the United Nations. digital, global digital compact that could be endorsed by leaders when they meet in New York next September. From UN, we believe we do have a very sound, solid basis. to move forward to all those global governance mechanism. it’s on data, on digital, all the other related areas. Thank you.

Moderator:
Courtney Gregoire.

Courtney Radsch:
I love the theme. that have already been outlined as we sit and think about this criticality. you said it well, I think we’re looking at a room of people who understand how core data including cross-border data transfer, is to economic opportunity to innovate. innovation, to tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges, whether that is environmental sustainability. or the world’s next pandemic, but our average person does not. understand this at their core and so we come today to have a conversation about what does it mean to advance and institutionalize data-free flow with trust. I think we need to think a little bit at the heart of what is the word trust. mean? Microsoft ran a multi-year campaign, I actually think we still do, called Microsoft Run. on trust and what that was is to have everyone in our organization understand that you build trust every single day. day by a constant investment, and you can lose it within moments. We need to build a multiyear effort that is thinking about how to build trust constantly and continually in the face of innovation and change. and recognize that we’re talking about, in some spaces, a very sensitive issue that can be… be lost in seconds. We want the data to not just be a driver of innovation, but truly an opportunity for economic opportunity for all and that’s the change that’s into the future. At the end of the day, I think a conversation that was raised by one of our panelists here If we think about who we need to have a conversation about bringing into the forefront of this conversation, it is the next generation of users. It is our children and our teens who are using technology at every phase of their life and for which the decisions we we will make around this will truly impact their lives for generations to come. Their voices can bring a new perspective. and a new thought about how to be innovative, thoughtful, and truly build the truth. for us from a global perspective. So that might be one opportunity for the future.

Moderator:
Thank you so much. And to Ms. Leo for.

Leonida Mutuku:
the very concluding remarks. Thank you to my fellow panelists for a very engaging conversation. One thing I would leave us to reflect on is that we should not just make a blanket request. request for data free flow with trust. Trust has to be gained first and foremost. only gained when institutions that hold data on people and those appointed. to govern these data flows have legitimacy, and how will this legitimacy be built? that should be an opportunity to close feedback loops. that this institution should be transparent and accountable on what they do with these. data and that there’s two-way engagement with quote-unquote data subjects. And finally, that these institutions are capacity building. and enforcement to ensure adherence to any rules that are set in place. So once this is done, then it is easier to build trust in data and data technologies that can transform progress towards achieving the SDGs. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Moderator:
much ladies and gentlemen now towards the very end in wrapping up the session we have witnessed a very yet very, very insightful thought. sharing from our very prominent and distinguished speakers herein and now it’s It is very, very evident that the dialogue around data governance might sound easy. to the ears but again it is a very complex and multi-faceted issue requiring a very very delicate balance between the free flow of data and the establishment of trust. We, the panel, just explored various … perspectives, observation, of course, approaches as well, where they’re in the shared how important it is to strike a balance between privacy, security, innovation. And, of course, they shed light on the potential benefits and challenges of data localization, the need for global consensus. censors on data governance principles and also they touched upon the critical role over transparency and accountability in fostering this much, much as possible. trust. Now, as we all look forward and move forward, the common reflection of the panel certainly is is in maintaining an inclusive multi-stakeholder. approach to ensure that the policies and frameworks that we develop are reflective of our our diverse realities, needs, and perspectives with cooperation and collaboration at the center of it all. And the most important emphasis laid by the panel was in continuing. to engaging in dialogue, sharing the best practices and innovative solutions while keeping in mind the following. fundamental values around which our overall well-being rests on. Thank you. Thank you distinguished members of the panel for your very, very valuable time that you spare to this forum, of course for your very thoughtful contributions for the value that you bring to the entire forum here in Kyoto and for the great work that you all have been doing in your own domains to shaping a digital future that is built on trust, inclusivity, and mutual understanding. And with these words, that’s all from the panel, ladies and gentlemen. We thank you for being a great audience, and as we call this session off. May I request the distinguished panelists to kindly walk towards the left. of the stage for a quick group photo opportunity. Thank you, and thank you, that’s it.