Global Digital Compact | Rev.1
May 2024
Contents
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Text of GDC Rev.1
1. Digital technologies are dramatically transforming our world. They offer immense potential benefits for the wellbeing and advancement of people, societies, and for our planet. They hold out the promise of accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
2. We are determined to realize these opportunities. We can only achieve this through international
cooperation that closes the digital divides between and within countries. We recognize the challenges that these divides pose for many countries which have pressing development needs and limited resources. Our cooperation must leave no one behind and increase the potential for all states, communities and individuals to fully harness the benefits of technology.
3. We recognize the pace and power of emerging technologies are creating new possibilities but also
new risks for humanity, some of which are not yet fully known. We recognize our shared responsibility to anticipate and mitigate risks and to govern technology in ways that put humans and their development at the centre, and enable the full enjoyment of human rights.
4. Our goal is an inclusive, open, sustainable, safe and secure digital future for all. This Global Digital
Compact sets out the objectives, principles, commitments and actions we undertake to achieve it.
5. We have strong foundations on which to build. Our digital cooperation rests on international law,
including the United Nations Charter and international human rights law, and the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. We remain committed to the outcomes of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) reflected in the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action and
the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society. The United Nations provides an indispensable platform
for the global digital cooperation we need.
6. Our cooperation must be agile and adaptable to the rapidly changing digital landscape. It is only by working in collaboration and partnership with all stakeholders, including governments, the private
sector, civil society, international and regional organizations and the technical and academic
communities, that we can realize the digital future we seek.
Objectives
7. To achieve our goal, we will pursue the following objectives:
(1) Close all digital divides and accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals;
(2) Expand inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all;
(3) Foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promote
human rights;
(4) Advance responsible and equitable international data governance;
(5) Strengthen international governance of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, for the benefit of humanity.
Principles
8. Our digital cooperation will be guided by a set of cross-cutting and mutually-reinforcing principles:
(a) Inclusive: The equitable participation of all states and other stakeholders is the cornerstone of this Compact. Our cooperation will close the digital divides within and between states and advance an inclusive digital environment that promotes and enables diversity;
(b) Development-oriented: This Compact is rooted in the 2030 Agenda. Our cooperation will harness technologies to fast-track progress, eradicate poverty and leave no one behind. This includes targeted efforts to address the needs of the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states;
(c) Human rights-based: This Compact is anchored in international law, including international human rights law. All human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and fundamental freedoms, must be respected, protected and promoted online and offline. Our cooperation will harness digital technologies to advance these rights, including the rights of the child, the right to development and the right to participation;
(d) Gender equality and empowerment: The full, equal, and meaningful participation of all women and girls in the digital space is essential to close the gender digital divide and advance sustainable development. Our cooperation will empower all women and girls, encourage leadership of women, mainstream gender perspectives and prevent and eliminate sexual and gender-based violence which occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology;
(e) Environmentally sustainable: Digital technologies unlock new capabilities and opportunities for measuring, monitoring and solving environmental challenges. The infrastructure required to deliver digital goods and services already consumes substantial resources and produces significant carbon emissions as well as e-waste. Our cooperation will leverage digital technologies for sustainability while minimizing their negative environmental impacts, including increased resource consumption;
(f) Equitable: Inclusion in the digital economy requires tackling existing concentrations of technological capacity and market power. Our cooperation will aim to ensure that the benefits of digital cooperation are fairly and equitably distributed and do not exacerbate existing inequalities.
(g) Accessible: Accessible and affordable digital technologies are essential to enable every person to participate fully in the digital world. Our cooperation will promote digital accessibility and support linguistic and cultural diversity in the digital space.
(h) Interoperable: Digital systems that communicate and exchange are critical catalysts for development. Our cooperation will advance interoperability between digital systems and approaches to their governance.
(i) Responsible: Emerging technologies offer new opportunities to turbocharge development if they are safe, secure and trustworthy. Our cooperation will advance responsible, accountable, transparent and human-centric design, development, deployment and use of digital and emerging technologies, with effective human oversight;
(j) Innovation-friendly: Creativity and competition drive digital advances. Our cooperation will foster innovation and the potential for societies and businesses, regardless of size or origin, to reap the benefits of digitalization and thrive in the digital economy;
(k) Multi-stakeholder: Governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community, academia and international and regional organizations have roles and responsibilities in advancing an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital future. Our cooperation will involve all stakeholders, according to their respective roles and responsibilities, functions and competencies and diversity of perspectives;
(l) Forward-looking: The digital world is evolving at pace. Our cooperation must be capable of identifying, assessing, tracking and adapting to emerging technologies so that we can seize opportunities and respond to new and emerging risks and challenges.
Commitments and actions
9. We commit to pursue meaningful and measurable actions to achieve our objectives.
Objective 1. Closing all digital divides and accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals
Connectivity
10. We acknowledge the pivotal role of universal, reliable and meaningful connectivity and affordable access in unlocking the full potential of digital and emerging technologies. We commit to connect all people to the Internet. We recognize that this will require strong partnerships and increased financial investments in developing countries from governments and other relevant stakeholders, in particular the private sector. We recognize that innovative solutions can help deliver high-speed connectivity to remote and rural areas.
11. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Agree on common targets, indicators, and metrics for universal meaningful and affordable connectivity, building on the work of the ITU, and integrate these into international, regional and national development strategies (SDG 9);
(b) Develop innovative and blended financing mechanisms and incentives, including in collaboration with multilateral development banks, relevant international organizations and the private sector, to connect the remaining 2.6 billion people to the Internet and to improve the quality and affordability of connectivity. We will aim for entry-level broadband subscription costs at less than 2 percent of average income of the bottom 40 percent of national populations (SDGs 1 & 9);
(c) Invest in and deploy resilient and trustworthy digital infrastructure that provides network coverage to all areas, including rural, remote and ‘hard-to-reach’ areas. We will aim for universal access to a minimum speed of 10Mb/s (SDGs 9 & 11);
(d) Map and connect all schools to the Internet, building on the Giga initiative of ITU and UNICEF, to provide studentswith reliable, safe and secure Internet (SDGs 3 & 4);
(e) Develop, agree and reflect principles for environmental sustainability across the life cycle of digital technologies, including measures to reduce their energy, water and mineral consumption in national and industry strategies (SDGs 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 & 13);
(f) Ensure that digital infrastructure and equipment are designed with sustainability in mind. Our target is net-zero telecommunications infrastructure and mobile devices (SDG 11, 12, 13 & 14);
(g) Identify and include marginalized communities and persons in vulnerable situations and their respective needs in the development and implementation of national and local digital connectivity strategies (SDGs 10 &11);
(h) Mainstream gender perspectives in digital connectivity strategies to address structural and systematic barriers to meaningful and affordable digital connectivity for all women and girls (SDG 5).
Digital literacy, skills and capacities
12. To fully harness the benefits of digital connectivity we must ensure that people can meaningfully use the Internet and safely navigate the digital space. We recognize the importance of digital skills and access to lifelong digital learningopportunities, taking into account the specific social, cultural and linguistic needs of each society and people of all ages and backgrounds. These skills and capacities are critical for the development of local content and content relevant to local realities online.
13. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Establish and support national digital skills strategies, adapt education curricula at all levels and provide for adult training programmes for the digital age. Our target is to achieve at least 80 percent of persons with basic digital skills and at least 60 percent with intermediate or advanced digital skills (SDGs 4 & 5);
(b) Increase the availability of digital technology platforms, services, software and educational curricula in diverse languages and formats (SDGs 4 & 10);
(c) Target and tailor capacity-building for women and girls, children and youth, as well as older persons, persons with disabilities and persons belonging to marginalized communities and persons in vulnerable situations, and take the views of each into account in the design and implementation of programmes (SDGs 5 & 10);
(d) Develop and undertake national digital inclusion surveys with systematic disaggregation of data and gender statistics, to identify learning gaps and inform priorities in specific contexts (SDGs 5 & 10);
(e) Prioritize and set targets for the development of digital competencies of public officials and institutions to enact, develop and implement strategies and policies for trusted, secure and user-centred digital public services, including the development of cybersecurity capacity and skills (SDG 16);
(f) Develop vocational training for workers in occupations impacted by digitalization and automation and mitigate potential negative consequences for workforces and promote decent work (SDG 8);
(g) Develop common digital competency frameworks and training standards to facilitate pooling of training resources,the mobilization of public and private funds in support of capacity-building and continuous adaptation of capacity-building programmes to address rapid technological change and the prevention of brain drain (SDGs 4 & 17).
Digital public goods and infrastructure
14. We recognize that digital public goods, which include open-source software, platforms, data, AI models, standards and content that can be freely used and adapted, empower societies and individuals to direct digital technologies to their development needs. These goods support the development of digital public infrastructure that can deliver services at scale and increase social and economic opportunities for all.
15. We recognize that there are multiple models of digital public infrastructure, and that each society will develop and use shared digital systems according to its specific priorities and needs. Transparent, inclusive, safe and secure digital systems and safeguards can promote public trust and use of digital services.
16. We consider digital public goods and infrastructure to be key drivers of inclusive digital transformation. We recognize the need to increase investment in digital public infrastructure and their successful development through the participation of all stakeholders.
17. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Develop, disseminate and maintain, through multistakeholder cooperation, safe and secure open-source software, platforms and standards that benefit society as a whole (SDGs 8, 9 &10);
(b) Promote the adoption of open standards and interoperability to facilitate the use of digital public goods across different platforms and systems (All SDGs);
(c) Develop and decide on a set of safeguards for safe, inclusive, secure and responsible digital public infrastructure that can be adopted by and tailored to the specific needs of each society (SDG 16);
(d) Exchange and make publicly available best practices and use cases of digital public infrastructure to inform governments, the private sector and other stakeholders, building on existing UN and other repositories (SDGs 16 & 17);
(e) Increase investment and funding toward the development of digital public goods and infrastructure, especially in developing countries (SDG 17);
(f) Encourage the formation of partnerships that bring together governments, the private sector, civil society, technical and academic communities and international and regional organizations to design, launch and support initiatives that leverage digital public goods and infrastructure to advance solutions for the SDGs (SDG 17).
Objective 2. Expanding inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all
18. We recognize that equitable and affordable access to digital technologies can unlock the potential of the digital economy for every society. We recognize digital access to encompass opportunities for the acquisition and developmentof knowledge, research, and capacity as well as technology transfers on mutually agreed terms.
19. Advancing digital inclusion requires an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment that supports innovation, protects consumer rights, nurtures digital talent and skills, promotes digital entrepreneurship, and enhances consumer confidence and trust in the digital economy. Such environments, at international and national levels, support investment and the transfer of digital technologies on mutually agreed terms to developing countries.
20. We consider that robust cyber-security standards and capacity are also essential to facilitate commercial transactions and enable safe, secure and trustworthy online environments.
21. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Foster an open, fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory digital environment for all;
(b) Support international, regional and national efforts to develop enabling environments for digital transformation, including legal, regulatory and policy frameworks, and sharing of best practices (SDGs 10 & 16);
(c) Conduct national digital readiness assessments to inform actions to address gaps and needs in digital transformation (All SDGs);
(e) Promote knowledge-sharing and technology transfer initiatives on mutually agreed terms (SDG 17);
(f) Encourage North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, including among universities, research institutes and the private sector to accelerate digital knowledge development and access to research capacity (SDG 17);
(g) Pool knowledge and best practices on digital enterprise to support innovation programmes and local technological solutions in developing countries (SDG 9);
(h) Foster innovation and entrepreneurship, including among women, youth, and other traditionally under-representedentrepreneurs with the goal of increasing the number of digital start-ups and small and medium enterprises in developing countries (SDGs 8 & 9);
(i) Promote cybersecurity-related capacity building and skilling in national digital transformation strategies (SDG 9).
Objective 3. Fostering an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights
Human rights
22. We recognize that human rights and sustainable development are interdependent enablers for closing digital divides. We commit to respect, protect and promote the human rights of everyone in the digital space. We will apply international human rights law throughout the life cycle of digital and emerging technologies so that users are protected from harm, bias and all forms of discrimination and can fully and equally benefit from digitalization. We recognize the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in this endeavour and call on the private sector, to uphold the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
23. We commit to:
(a) Ensure that national legislation relevant to digital technologies is compliant with international law, including international human rights law (All SDGs);
(b) Establish appropriate safeguards to prevent and address any adverse impact on human rights arising from the use of digital and emerging technologies and protect individuals against violations and abuses of their human rights in the digital space, including through conducting human rights due diligence. (All SDGs);
(c) Strengthen legal and policy frameworks to protect children and their rights online, in line with international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (All SDGs).
24. We support the Secretary-General’s call for a UN Digital Human Rights Advisory Service within OHCHR to provide, upon request and through voluntary resources, expert advice and practical guidance on human rights and technology issues to governments, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders (All SDGs).
25. We call on:
(a) Digital technology companies and developers to respect and apply human rights law and principles, including through the application of human rights due diligence and impact assessments, , across the technology life cycle (All SDGs);
(b) Digital technology companies, developers and social media platforms to comply with and respect human rights online, be accountable for and take measures to prevent abuses, and to provide access to effective remedy in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other relevant frameworks (SDGs 5, 10 & 16);
Internet governance
26. We recognize that the Internet is a critical global facility for inclusive and equitable digital transformation. To fully benefit all, it must be stable, secure and unfragmented.
27. We recognize the need to address the governance of the Internet in a global manner, with the participation of all states and other stakeholders. We recognize the role of the Internet Governance Forum as the central forum for multistakeholder discussion on public policy issues related to the Internet.
28. We commit to:
(a) Promote an open, global, interoperable and reliable Internet and take concrete steps to maintain a safe, secure and enabling online environment for all (SDG 9);
(b) Uphold and support the Internet Governance Forum including through the provision of financial support and continue efforts to increase diverse participation in it, especially by governments and the private sector, particularly from developing countries (SDG 9 &10);
(c) Promote international cooperation among all stakeholders to prevent, identify and address risks of fragmentation of the Internet in a timely manner (SDG 16);
(d) Refrain from Internet shutdowns and ensure that any restrictions are in full compliance with international law, including with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination (SDG 16).
Digital trust and safety
29. We must urgently prevent and address sexual and gender-based violence which occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology, all forms of hate speech and discrimination, mis- and disinformation, cyberbullying and child sexual exploitation and abuse. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to establish and maintain robust risk mitigation and redress measures that also protect privacy and freedom of expression.
30. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Create a safe and secure online space for all users by defining and adopting common standards, guidelines and industry actions that are in compliance with international law, promote safe civic spaces and address harmful content on digital platforms, taking into account work underway by UN entities, regional organizations and multistakeholder initiatives (SDGs 3, 5, 9, 10, 16 & 17);
(b) Prioritize, as governments, the development and implementation of national online child safety policies and standards, in compliance with international human rights law. (SDGs 3, 5 & 10);
(c) Institutionalize regular collaboration between national online safety institutions to exchange best practices and develop shared understandings of actions to protect privacy, freedom of expression and access to information while addressing harms (SDG 17);
(d) Ensure laws and regulations on the use of technology in areas such as surveillance and encryption, are in compliance with international law (SDGs 10 & 16);
(e) Develop, through multistakeholder consultations, effective methodologies to measure, track and counter sexual and gender-based violence which occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology; (SDG 5);
(f) Monitor and review digital platform policies and practices on countering child sexual exploitation and abuse which occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology (SDG 3).
31. We further urgently:
(a) Call on digital technology companies and developers to engage with users of all ages and backgrounds to incorporate their perspectives and needs into the life cycle of digital technologies (SDGs 5 & 10);
(b) Call on digital technology companies and developers to increase transparency around their systems and processes and to co-develop industry accountability frameworks, in consultation with governments and other stakeholders, that, inter alia, define responsibilities and commit to standards as well as auditable public reports (SDGs 9 & 17);
(c) Call on social media platforms to provide online safety-related training materials and safeguards to their users, and in particular children and youth who engage in their services (SDG 3);
(d) Call on social media platforms to establish safe and secure reporting mechanisms for users and their advocates to report potential policy violations, including special reporting mechanisms for children (SDG 3).
Information integrity
32. Access to relevant, reliable and accurate information and knowledge is essential for an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space. We recognize that digital and emerging technologies can facilitate the manipulation and interference of information in ways that are harmful to societies and individuals, negatively affect the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and create risks for international peace and security.
33. We will work together to promote information integrity, tolerance and respect in the digital space, as well as to protect the integrity of democratic processes. We will strengthen international cooperation to address the challenge of mis- and disinformation online and mitigate the risks of information manipulation in a manner consistent with human rights.
34. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Design and roll out digital training curricula to ensure that all users have the skills and knowledge to safely and critically interact with content and with information providers and to enhance resilience against the harmful impacts of mis- and disinformation (SDG 4);
(b) Promote diverse and resilient information ecosystems, including by strengthening independent public interest media (SDGs 9 & 16);
(c) Provide, promote and facilitate access to and dissemination of independent, fact-based, timely, targeted, clear, accessible, multilingual and science-based information to counter mis- and disinformation (SDGs 3, 4, 9 & 16);
(d) Promote access to reliable and accurate information in crisis situations, to protect and empower marginalized communities and persons in vulnerable situations (SDG 10).
35. We further urgently:
(a) Call on social media platforms to enhance the transparency and accountability of their systems, including terms of service and content moderation policies and handling of users’ personal data in local languages, to empower users to make informed choices and provide informed consent (SDGs 9 & 10);
(b) Call on social media platforms to provide researcher access to data, with safeguards for user privacy, to ensure transparency and accountability to build an evidence base on how to address mis- and disinformation that can inform government and industry policies, standards and best practices (SDGs 9, 16 & 17);
(c) Call on digital technology companies and communities to continue to develop solutions and publicly communicate actions to mitigate risks arising from AI-generated deceptive information and censorship, including by identifying AI-generated material, authenticity certification for content and origins, watermarking and other techniques (SDGs 10, 16 & 17).
Objective 4. Advancing responsible and equitable international data governance
Data privacy and security
36. We recognize that data governance has evolved in a fragmented and uncoordinated manner. Diverse regulatory frameworks, conflicting incentives and data-driven technological acceleration have contributed to asymmetric concentrations of data and capacities to use it. We recognize that responsible data governance is essential to advance development objectives, protect human rights, foster innovation, and promote economic growth. The increasing collection, sharing and processing of data, including by AI systems, may amplify risks in the absence of effective data protection and privacy norms.
37. We recognize the urgent need for strengthened international data governance with the equal participation of all countries to unlock the full potential of digital and emerging technologies. We recognize that this will require the development and implementation of regional and national data governance frameworks that maximize the benefits of data use while protecting privacy and securing data. We call on the United Nations to play a key role in promoting cooperation and harmonization of data governance initiatives.
38. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Draw on existing international and regional guidelines on the protection of privacy in the development of data governance frameworks (All SDGs);
(b) Strengthen support to all Member States to develop effective national data governance frameworks (All SDGs);
(c) Empower individuals and groups with the ability to consider, give and withdraw their consent to the use of their data and the ability to choose how that data is used, including through legally mandated protections for data privacy (SDGs 10 & 16);
(d) Ensure that data collection, access, sharing, transfer, storage and processing practices are transparent, secure and in compliance with international law (All SDGs);
(e) Develop skilled workforces capable of collecting, processing, analyzing, storing and transferring data safely and securely (SDGs 8 & 9).
Data exchanges and standards
39. We acknowledge that data divides, including gender data gaps, can lead to unequal distribution of benefits and the misuse and misinterpretation of data.
40. We recognize that shared data standards and interoperable data exchanges can increase the accessibility and sharing of data and help close data divides. We will enable open data and data commons that support states, communities, groups and individuals, respectively, to utilize and leverage data for their development and wellbeing.
41. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Develop data and metadata standards designed to prevent and address bias, discrimination or human rights violations and abuses throughout the data life cycle, including through regular data auditing (SDGs 3, 5, 10 & 16);
(b) Establish basic definitions and data classifications to promote interoperability and facilitate data exchanges;
(c) Develop common definitions and standards on the use and reuse of data for public good (All SDGs).
Data for development
42. We recognize that quality data is critical for tracking, targeting and accelerating progress across the SDGs as well as responding effectively to crises. We commit to strengthen international cooperation to close the current serious gaps on data for development, to increase the public availability of SDG data. We will champion the responsible use and sharing of data within and between countries to advance progress across the SDGs.
43. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Increase financing for data and statistics and enhance efforts to build capacity in data and related skills, as well asresponsible data use, particularly in developing countries. We will aim for a 50 percent increase in financing for sustainable development data (SDG 17);
(b) Strengthen efforts to collect, analyze and disseminate relevant, accurate, reliable and disaggregated data for better monitoring and policymaking to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, while respecting privacy and data protection. We will aim for a 50 percent increase in the data available to monitor the SDGs, disaggregated by gender and other relevant characteristics (SDGs 5 & 10);
(c) Develop open and accessible data systems to support effective disaster early-warning and crisis response (SDG 11);
(d) Create international data collection systems and shared data sets, to advance monitoring and actions against global pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change and other sustainable development goals. Our goal is the establishment of quality standard datasets such as a global environmental data set on the implementation of the Paris Agreement adopted under the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (SDGs 12 & 13).
44. We request the President of the General Assembly to appoint co-facilitators, one from a developing country and one developed country, to initiate deliberations during the 79th session towards a framework for international data governance, based on the work of the United Nations Statistical Commission and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, with a view to reaching consensus by 2030 on areas including principles and common standards on data governance, including the collection, storage, processing, use and transfer of data; best practices and proposals to support interoperability between existing national, regional and international data systems and governance frameworks; and criteria to facilitate safe, secure and trusted data flows as it relates to development (All SDGs).
Cross-border data flows
45. Cross-border data flows are a critical driver of the digital economy. We recognize the potential social, economic and development benefits of responsible, secure and trusted cross-border data flows, in particular for small and medium enterprises. We will identify innovative, interoperable and inclusive mechanisms to enable data to flow with trust within and between countries while respecting relevant data protection and privacy norms.
46. We commit by 2030 to:
(a) Advance multistakeholder consultations to better understand commonalities, complementarities, convergence and divergence on how to facilitate cross-border data flows with a view to developing publicly available knowledge and best practices (SDG 17);
(b) Promote and support interoperability between national, regional and international data policy frameworks through the use and sharing of cross-border data where relevant (SDGs 8,9 & 10).
Objective 5. Enhance international governance of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, for the benefit of humanity
47. We recognize the need for a balanced, inclusive and risk-based approach to the governance of new and emerging technologies, with the full and equal participation of all countries.
48. We recognize international, regional, national and industry efforts underway to advance the design, development, deployment and use of safe, secure, and trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. We urgently need to inclusively assess and address the potential impact and risks of AI systems on all societies and individuals. International cooperation on AI governance is required to promote coordination, compatibility and environmental sustainability of emerging AI governance frameworks.
49. We commit to advance equitable and inclusive approaches to harnessing AI benefits and mitigating risks in full respect of international law, including international human rights law, and voluntary instruments such as the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
50. We recognize the immense potential of AI systems to accelerate progress across all the SDGs. This potential will not be realized automatically. We will govern AI in the public interest and ensure that the application of AI fosters diverse cultures and languages and supports locally-generated data for the benefit of countries and communities’ development. This includes international cooperation to support developing countries in developing AI capacities as well as efforts to address the potential negative impacts of emerging technologies on labour and employment.
51. We consider that international governance of emerging technologies requires an agile, multi-disciplinary and networked multistakeholder approach. We recognize the vital role of the UN in supporting and facilitating such governance.
52. We have a unique opportunity, through this Compact, to advance international governance of AI and other emerging technologies in ways that complement international, regional, national and industry efforts. We will:
(a) Assess the future directions and implications of AI and emerging technologies and promote scientific consensus;
(b) Support compatibility of AI governance approaches and interoperable norms, safety standards as well as risk management; and
(c) Help build capacities, especially in developing countries, to access, develop, use and govern AI systems and emerging technologies and direct them toward the pursuit of sustainable development.
53. We therefore commit to:
(a) Establish, under the auspices of the UN, an International Scientific Panel on AI and Emerging Technologies to conduct independent multi-disciplinary scientific risk and evidence-based opportunity assessments. The Panel will issue reports, drawing on national and regional horizon-scanning initiatives; and contribute to the development of common assessment methodologies, AI definitions and taxonomies as well as mitigation measures.
(b) Initiate, under the auspices of the UN, an International Contact Group on AI Governance that brings together expert representatives of government responsible for AI safety and governance on an annual basis in the margins of relevant major UN conferences and meetings to build shared understandings on safe, secure and trustworthy governance and risk management and safety frameworks. Such exchanges would promote interoperability across governance approaches and good practices on AI safety that are human-centric, sustainable and comply with international human rights law. The work of this contact group should be supported by multistakeholder engagement on AI governance including the annual AI for Good Summit with a view to fostering inclusive partnerships and collaboration.
54. We therefore Request the President of the General Assembly to appoint at the 79th session of the General Assembly co-facilitators to consult with Member States and other relevant stakeholders on terms of reference and modalities for the establishment and functioning of the International Scientific Panel on AI and Emerging Technologies and modalities for an International Contact Group on AI Governance for the adoption by the General Assembly;
55. To reinforce interoperable governance approaches we call on international, regional and national standard-setting organizations, building on work by ITU, to collaborate to promote the development and application of AI standards that uphold safety, reliability, sustainability, gender equality and human rights (SDGs 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16 & 17).
56. We encourage the development of international partnerships on AI capacity-building to develop education and training programmes, promote AI governance and risk management guidance for the public sector, facilitate AI model training and development, and to enable small and medium enterprises to participate in the digital economy (SDG 4 & 17).
57. We will leverage existing mechanisms to support AI capacity building, especially ITU’s AI for Good Summit, UNESCO’s Readiness and Ethical Impact Assessment Methodology, WHO’s digital health initiatives and other relevant efforts to bridge the AI divide and facilitate access to AI applications (All SDGs).
58. We will promote North-South, South-South and triangular collaboration to support the development of representative quality data sets, compute capacity, local solutions, use cases and entrepreneurial ecosystems in developing countries (SDGs 4, 9, 10, & 17).
59. We encourage public and private investment to support AI capacity building and governance, especially in developing countries. We call on stakeholders, in particular the private sector, to contribute financial and other resources to this effort (SDG 17).
60. We further request the Secretary-General to establish under his authority a Global Fund for AI and Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development to build and deliver AI skills-based training in collaboration with technology companies and technical and academic communities, support the development of compute capacity, catalyze the development of quality standard data sets to inform the use of AI at scale and promote AI-based solutions for the SDGs.
61. This Fund should be put into operation with an initial amount of 100 million US dollars at launch in 2025, financed by voluntary contributions from public, private and philanthropic sources. To this end, the Secretary-General should initiate consultations among potential donors and report on progress of the Fund in the context of annual reporting on the Global Digital Compact.
Follow up and review
62. We will implement the Global Digital Compact, within our own countries and at regional and global levels, respecting and taking into account legal frameworks , national capacities, policies and priorities.
63. Government-led efforts can only succeed with the active engagement of the private sector, technical and academic communities and civil society, whose innovations and contributions to digitalization are fundamental and irreplaceable. We will strengthen our collaboration and accelerate existing multistakeholder approaches and cooperation to achieve the objectives set out in this Compact.
64. We invite international and regional organizations, the private sector, academia, technical community and civil society groups to endorse the Compact and take active part in its implementation. We request the Secretary-General to put in place modalities for the voluntary endorsement of this Compact, and to make this information public and accessible from December 2024.
65. We recognize the importance of financing to unlock the full potential of this Compact. Successful implementation will require public, private and multilateral resources, including the pooling of investments in joint and blended facilities for impact at scale, including through UN mechanisms such as the Digital Window of the Joint SDG Fund and facilities in multilateral development banks. We call on governments to make support to digital transformation integral to development assistance, including through increased allocations to digital and data initiatives. We invite private sector and philanthropic actors to consider financial pledges in support of this Compact.
66. We will build on the processes emanating from the WSIS to advance implementation of Compact commitments and actions. We recognize the contribution of all UN agencies, funds and programmes in advancing digital cooperation, including ITU, UNCTAD, UNDP and UNESCO, and request them to support implementation, particularly in relation to actions to close the digital divides and to accelerate progress across all the SDGs and leveraging the multistakeholder platform provided by the annual WSIS Forum. We recognize the role of the UN Regional Economic Commissions and UN country teams in supporting regional and national stakeholders to advance digital transformation.
67. We also recognize the role of OHCHR in supporting all stakeholders to implement Compact commitments and actions in ways that protect and promote human rights.
68. We recognize the role of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development in reviewing United Nations system-wide follow-up on the implementation of the outcomes of WSIS and invite it to consider how it can contribute further to the implementation of the Compact, especially in advancing actions to expand opportunities for inclusion in the digital economy.
69. We look forward to the WSIS+20 Review in 2025 to identify how WSIS processes can support implementation of the Compact. We invite the WSIS+20 Review to consider how youth perspectives can be incorporated in this effort.
70. We recognize the role of the Secretary-General in leading UN system-wide collaboration on digital and emerging technologies. Further strengthening of system-wide coordination is required to enable the UN to realize the inclusive and global platform for digital cooperation set out in this Compact. To this end, we request the Secretary-General to submit aproposal to the General Assembly during its 79th session for the establishment of an office within the Secretariat to facilitate system-wide coordination and cooperation, building on and incorporating the activities and resources of the existing Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, including detailed information on operational functions, structure, resources and staffing.
71. To track and monitor progress we request the Secretary-General to provide a Compact implementation map, for the consideration of governments and other stakeholders that reflects the contributions of all relevant stakeholders in support of commitments and actions and identifies potential time-bound targets for their achievement.
72. We invite Member States and other participating stakeholders to report on the progress of their Compact implementation activities as part of their voluntary national reporting on achievement of the SDGs to the High Level Political Forum.
73. We consider that the Internet Governance Forum has a key role to play in amplifying the Compact’s purpose and objectives to a global multistakeholder constituency through its national and regional networks. We encourage the Forum to support implementation of the Compact and invite it to establish an annual policy discussion track to facilitate the contribution of all stakeholders to the delivery of the Compact’s commitments and actions.
74. The pace of technology requires regular review of our digital cooperation. We recognize the role of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and ECOSOC in monitoring and reviewing progress of the Compact, particularly as it relates to closing digital divides and accelerating achievement of the SDGs. We recognize the role of the UN Human Rights Council in tracking progress to foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space for all.
75. We request the Secretary-General to draw on the work of all GDC stakeholders and relevant UN entities and organizations to prepare an annual report on progress, key trends and developments in the implementation of the Compact starting in 2026.
76. The cross-cutting nature of digital technologies and the multiplicity of actors involved in digital cooperation requires synergies and aligned follow up. We commit to review the Compact to assess progress against its objectives and to identify emerging opportunities and challenges for global digital cooperation. We decide to convene a high-level meeting, entitled “High-Level Review of the Global Digital Compact”, to take place during the 81st session of the General Assembly with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, including the CSTD, IGF, and WSIS Action Line Facilitators. We request the President of the General Assembly to appoint co-facilitators, one from a developing country and one from a developed country, at the 80th session to determine the modalities for this high-level meeting.