Enhancing parliamentary skills for a thriving digital future
The session ‘Building parliamentary capacity to effectively shape the digital realm’ highlighted the need for specialised training and resources for parliamentarians to bridge the knowledge gap and to effectively navigate AI regulation, data sovereignty, and the digital economy.

As digital transformation accelerates, parliaments across the globe are challenged to keep pace with emerging technologies like AI and data governance. On the second day of IGF 2024 in Riyadh, an influential panel discussed how parliamentary capacity development is essential to shaping inclusive, balanced digital policies without stifling innovation.
The session ‘Building parliamentary capacity to effectively shape the digital realm,’ moderated by Rima Al-Yahya of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, brought together representatives from international organisations and tech giants, including ICANN, Google, GIZ, and UNESCO. Their message was that parliamentarians need targeted training and collaboration to effectively navigate AI regulation, data sovereignty, and the digital economy.
The debate on AI regulation reflected a global dilemma: how to regulate AI responsibly without halting progress. UNESCO’s Cedric Wachholz outlined flexible approaches, including risk-based frameworks and ethical principles, as seen in their Ethics of AI. Google’s Olga Skorokhodova reinforced this by saying that as AI develops, it’s becoming ‘too important not to regulate well,’ advocating with this known Google motto for multistakeholder collaboration and local capacity development.
Beckwith Burr, ICANN board member, stressed that while internet governance requires global coordination, legislative decisions are inherently national. ‘Parliamentarians must understand how the internet works to avoid laws that unintentionally break it,’ she cautioned and added that ICANN offers robust capacity-building programs to bridge knowledge gaps.
With a similar stance, Franz von Weizsäcker of GIZ highlighted Africa’s efforts to harmonise digital policies across 55 countries under the African Union’s Data Policy Framework. He noted that concerns about ‘data colonialism’, where local data benefits global corporations, must be tackled through innovative policies that protect data without hindering cross-border data flows.
Parliamentarians from Kenya, Egypt, and Gambia emphasised the need for widespread digital literacy among legislators, as poorly informed laws risk impeding innovation. ‘Over 95% of us do not understand the technical sector,’ said Kenyan Senator Catherine Muma, urging investments to empower lawmakers across all sectors (health, finance, or education) to legislate for an AI-driven future.
As Rima Al-Yahya trustworthily summarised, ‘Equipping lawmakers with tools and knowledge is pivotal to ensuring digital policies promote innovation, security, and accountability for all.’
All transcripts from the Internet Governance Forum sessions can be found on dig.watch.