G20 Ministerial Declaration on trust and connection in the digital economy
PICTURE: The G20 Digital Economy Working Group meeting begins in Maceió. Among the priority axes are universal and meaningful connectivity, digital government, information integrity, and the use of artificial intelligence for sustainable development. Photo: Audiovisual G20 Brasil
G20 BRASIL 2024
The G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ meeting took place in Maceió, Brazil, yesterday, and ended with global leaders commiting themselves again to digital inclusion and the fight against disinformation.
Established in 2021, the Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG), which the Ministers represent, addresses themes related to connectivity, digital government, information integrity and Artificial Intelligence. It seeks to guide public policymakers on how to harness the digital potential of economies.
To this end, the group encourages the process of digital transformation as an instrument for improving public participation and fostering socioeconomic development in an inclusive manner.
About one-third of the global population – around 2.9 billion people – remains on the margins of the debate, without access to the tools and basic services that underpin the current transformation.
Considering this scenario and based on the achievements of previous presidencies, Brazil, as Shift Chair of the G20, proposed four themes for the agenda of the DEWG for the year:
Connectivity, as a significant part of the world’s population remains disconnected from the digital environment. The challenge of connecting people living in rural and remote areas remains relevant, as well as providing digital abilities to those with access to the internet;
Digital Government, which is about improving the relationship between governments and their citizens, providing high-quality public services and seizing the opportunities of the digital economy. These require secure digital public infrastructure, reliable and inclusive. This topic must be addressed with a focus on the components of digital identification and data sharing;
Integrity of information, since the ubiquity of global digital platforms has reshaped the mass communication landscape, transforming economic, social, cultural, and political interactions around the world;
Artificial Intelligence, as the intense debates, which are mainly focused on generative models and issues of ethical and responsible use, are not deep enough in relation to issues arising from the concentration of capacities, datasets and infrastructure in a few actors. That concentration does not reflect the diversity of linguistic, cultural, racial and geographical contexts.
The Ministers released a statement at the end of the summit:
1. We, the G20 Ministers responsible for the Digital Economy, convened in Maceió, Brazil, on 13 September 2024. Building upon the achievements and commitments of previous presidencies, we conducted discussions on digital inclusion, universal and meaningful connectivity; on digital government and inclusive digital public infrastructure; on integrity of information online and trust in the digital economy; and on artificial intelligence for inclusive sustainable development and inequalities reduction.
2. We reaffirm the importance of building safety, resilience, security and trust and creating an enabling, inclusive, open, fair, non-discriminatory, safe, secure and sustainable digital economy that puts humans and their development at the centre and enables the protection, promotion and full enjoyment of human rights.
We acknowledge the role of international co-operation, partnerships, innovation, competition and entrepreneurship in the digital sphere, and recognise the transformative power of digital technologies to bridge existing divides and empower societies and individuals, including all women and girls and people in vulnerable situations
We thus commit to addressing the challenges and harnessing the potential of the digital transformation, bearing in mind the needs, circumstances and capacities of all countries, and of developing countries in particular, while aiming at the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in order to see its benefits reach all corners of the globe.
3. We believe that our discussions at the G20 DEWG provided valuable insights to our respective contributions to the ongoing discussions at the United Nations towards a Global Digital Compact, in the context of the Summit of the Future, which we hope will pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable digital future for all.
Digital inclusion, universal and meaningful connectivity
4. We affirm our commitment to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity for all, considering that, despite growing digital connectivity, one third of the world’s population – the majority of whom is in developing countries, particularly in least developed countries – remains unconnected to the Internet, due to the lack of accessibility, affordability, digital literacy and skills.
We reaffirm the G20 leaders’ commitment in 2023 to cut the gender digital divide in half by 2030
We recognise that closing this connectivity gap requires co-ordinated and targeted efforts to address the specific needs of the underserved and unconnected, providing not only universal access through reliable, resilient and high performance infrastructure but also a level of secure, sustainable and high-quality connectivity that enables users, including those in vulnerable situations, to have a safe, satisfying, enriching and productive online experience at an affordable cost: in other words, meaningful connectivity.
5. Monitoring and measuring this connectivity gap through objective indicators can contribute to effective policy-making and stimulate investment. In this regard, we acknowledge ongoing efforts to develop indicators and metrics for the measurement of universal and meaningful connectivity and to facilitate common understanding in terms of guidelines for these indicators, taking into account the perspectives of the underserved and unconnected, as well as the particular contexts, needs and capacities of G20 members and beyond.
As a contribution to this dialogue, we welcome the G20 Guidelines on Indicators and Metrics for Universal and Meaningful Connectivity, developed in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as well as the report, ‘Universal and Meaningful Connectivity: A framework for indicators and metrics’, introduced during the Brazilian presidency.
6. We recognise that digital literacy and skills are essential to achieve meaningful digital inclusion. By equipping individuals with the ability to access, navigate, comprehend and utilise digital technologies, these skills can empower everyone to fully and safely engage in the digital world through critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving capabilities, which enable individuals to fully leverage digital tools and services for personal, educational and professional development.
7. The Workshop on Universal and Meaningful Connectivity held . this year at the G20 DEWG discussed the potential role of innovative and inclusive financing mechanisms, as well as creative funding implementation strategies and tools to bridge the digital infrastructure gap.
Financing options from all sources, including international and regional development financial institutions, governments, civil society and the private sector, can play a critical role in advancing these efforts.
In this regard, we acknowledge the value of having held the G20 Seminar on the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative with the support of the ITU.
Digital government and inclusive digital public infrastructure
8. We reaffirm the importance of promoting an inclusive, open, accessible, equitable, human-centric, safe, secure, trusted, sustainable, development-oriented digital transformation, in which digital government services, including those based on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), can play a key role in improving the responsiveness, effectiveness, transparency and reliability of the public sector in the digital era, while protecting privacy, personal data, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In this regard, we recall the G20 framework on systems of DPI.
9. We acknowledge that digital identification, a basic DPI, can often be an entry point to digital inclusion and a mechanism to reach target 16.9 of the SDGs, namely to ‘provide legal identity for all’ by 2030.
We recognise that trustworthy digital identity and effective authentication policies implemented in compliance with applicable legal frameworks on security, privacy and personal data protection can help reduce barriers to accessing services and business opportunities, thus promoting transparency, accountability, efficiency of government services and trust in the digital economy, without discrimination.
Taking into account and acknowledging that G20 members and invited countries may have diverse approaches and stand at different implementation stages of policies regarding digital identification and authentication, we welcome the G20 General Principles on the Governance of Digital Identity, developed in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
10. We recognise that data access and data sharing within jurisdictions, including through interoperability, and in compliance with applicable legal frameworks, including on security, privacy and the protection of personal data, human rights and intellectual property rights, can unleash the potential of data to both public and private sectors for public interest.
In this regard, we also recognise the important role of open-source software, open Application Programming Interfaces (API) and the international standards that support them, including open standards, as well as secure-by-design solutions. In the context of data sharing, we reaffirm the importance of enabling cross-border data flows and data free flow with trust, while respecting domestic as well as international applicable legal frameworks and acknowledging the role of data for development.
The G20 Compendium on data access and data sharing across public institutions and with the private sector for public interest, introduced by the Brazilian presidency, constitutes a reference document for the deployment and enhancement of data access and data sharing solutions, with appropriate safeguards.
11. We acknowledge that digital government services, including those based on secure and privacy-preserving digital public infrastructure, may act as catalysts to inclusion in the digital economy, as they have the potential to provide society-wide digital capabilities that promote innovation and sustainable development.
The virtual workshop, Digital Government and Inclusion, organised by the G20 DEWG Brazilian presidency, placed at its centre the dialogue regarding digital inclusion and the contribution of digital public infrastructure to an equitable digital transformation.
Integrity of information online and trust in the digital economy
12. We recognise that digital platforms have reshaped the digital ecosystem and online interactions by amplifying information dissemination and facilitating communication within and across geographical boundaries.
However, the digitisation of the information realm and the accelerated evolution of new technologies, such as AI, has dramatically impacted the speed, scale and reach of misinformation and disinformation, hate speech and other forms of online harms, a phenomenon exacerbated by a variety of economic incentives in the digital domain.
We emphasise the need for digital platforms’ transparency and responsibility in line with relevant policies and applicable legal frameworks and seek to work with platforms and relevant stakeholders in this regard.
13. We thus recognise the relevance of promoting information integrity, understood as the result of an information ecosystem that allows for reliable, diverse, accurate information and knowledge, in a timely fashion.
In its absence, trust in the digital economy, in public institutions, as well as in governance and democratic processes may be affected, with negative effects on social cohesion and economic prosperity and the ability to exercise human rights.
The protection of information integrity is also vital for maintaining confidence in the information ecosystem and scientific and historical knowledge and may minimise polarisation trends that particularly impact people in vulnerable situations.
It may also contribute to mitigating political, social and economic instability, radicalisation and violent extremism, while also facilitating responses to environmental degradation.
As an effort to better assess the global extent of this phenomenon, the Brazilian presidency acknowledges the contributions of UNESCO to inform this debate.
14. G20 members and beyond may promote information integrity through different approaches, in manners that are consistent with international law and applicable legal frameworks, with meaningful participation of all stakeholders, and taking into account the specific contexts of different countries.
Since the ability to access and analyse information is critical for building societal resilience against disinformation and misinformation, we encourage investments in online safety education and in digital media and information literacy, in order to raise awareness and assist users in identifying and mitigating risks of online harms, which disproportionally affect women and girls.
In parallel, promoting a sustainable an robust digital ecosystem and diverse and resilient information environment is key, including through access to independent, factual and evidence-based information to counter mis- and disinformation.
While acknowledging applicable legal frameworks, we encourage countries to promote information integrity and trust in the digital environment, which compiles examples of policies and governance measures aimed at enhancing digital platforms’ transparency and accountability to mitigate the risks of online harms, while safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms
15. In order to protect and promote information integrity, the development and deployment of AI solutions in information ecosystems, especially when aimed at personalising, moderating and generating content, should be ethical, transparent, auditable and accountable, with human oversight and in compliance with applicable legal frameworks to ensure privacy, personal data protection and the respect of human rights, fundamental freedoms and intellectual property.
It is also important to effectively mitigate biases, in particular those that may disproportionally affect people in vulnerable situations.
We believe that content authentication and provenance mechanisms and related technical standards may help identify AI-generated content, and enable users to identify information manipulation.
Transparency, with appropriate safeguards, and explainability regarding data, algorithms and content moderation, that respects intellectual property rights, and privacy and data protection, can be key for building healthy information ecosystems.
G20 members and invited countries encourage co-operation and information-sharing on initiatives and best practices addressing the erosion of information integrity and its impact on the digital economy.
16. G20 members, invited countries, international organizations and participants from the civil society and the private sector had the opportunity to review the current stage of global discussions on information integrity at the DEWG side event, Promoting information integrity: combating disinformation, hate speech and threats to public institutions online.
During that event, Brazil’s presidency announced the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, to be developed in partnership with the UN, UNESCO and interested countries.
Artificial Intelligence for inclusive sustainable development and inequality reduction
17. We recognise that safe, secure and trustworthy AI, when applied in a transparent, ethical, responsible and reliable manner, may act as a catalyst for achieving economic growth and inclusive sustainable development within its three dimensions: social, economic and environmental.
18. We reaffirm the G20 AI principles and the UNESCO ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of AI’. Building upon our leaders’ consensus, as reflected in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, and building upon previous presidencies, we reaffirm our commitment to leverage AI for good and for all, as well as to unlock the full potential of AI, share its benefits for all and mitigate its risks.
18. We acknowledge the ongoing international efforts and initiatives on AI, particularly the adoption by consensus of the UN General Assembly resolutions, ‘Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development’ and ‘Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity Building of Artificial Intelligence’, and look forward to the publication of the report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.
19. We reaffirm our commitment to leverage AI for good and our determination to take a balanced approach that unlocks the full potential of AI, promoting an equitable access to and sharing of its benefits.
We also underline our engagement to promote the benefits and mitigate risks derived from this technology by committing to risk-based and human-centric, development-oriented, innovation-friendly AI policy and governance approaches that are consistent with applicable legal frameworks on security, privacy and protection of personal data, human rights and intellectual property rights.
We also highlight our commitment to work together to promote international cooperation and further discussions on AI for inclusive sustainable development and inequality reduction.
In this sense, we welcome the document, ‘Enabling resources for the development, deployment, and use of AI for good and for all’, leveraging the work of and in collaboration with UNESCO.
(Noting, there was no point 20 in the document, found here.)
21. Noting with concern the potential risk presented by AI in widening digital divides within and between countries, we call for the promotion of inclusive international co-operation in this domain, notably on capacity-building, joint research and voluntary technology transfer and knowledge-sharing, on mutually-agreed terms, in order to expand participation of all countries, in particular developing countries, in digital transformation to harness the benefits and effectively participate in the development, deployment and use of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems, in a responsible and ethical manner.
In that sense, we underscore the importance of enhancing the ability of all countries, in particular the developing ones, to develop technical expertise and capacities, harnessing data and compute resources and realising the potential of open-source technologies and systems and open data in delivering AI benefits at scale
The Brazilian presidency presented a Toolkit for Artificial Intelligence Readiness and Capacity Assessment, produced with the support of UNESCO.
22. We acknowledge G20 members’ and invited countries’ initiatives to improve public services with AI-based solutions. The report, ‘Mapping of AI Adoption for Enhanced Public Services in the G20, introduced during the Brazilian presidency, presents relevant opportunities and challenges faced by governments when adopting AI solutions.
We encourage further exchange and co-operation on the adoption of AI in various sectors, as well as to tackle economic, social and environmental global challenges.
23. The G20 side event, Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Social Equity and Sustainable Development, was a chance for G20 members and invited countries to discuss challenges arising from the prevailing disparities in terms of conditions, possibilities and capacities and explore potential solutions to equip governments and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, academia and civil society, with the capabilities and tools necessary to respond to such challenges.
Way forward
24. We are grateful to all G20 members, guest countries and invited international organisations for their contributions to the G20 DEWG under the Brazilian presidency. We would like to especially thank the international organizations that worked with Brazil as knowledge partners: ITU, OECD and UNESCO, which contributed and provided valuable feedback towards achieving the outcomes.
25. We also take note of the relevant efforts put forward by engagement groups and their valuable inputs to future work within the DEWG, notably the:
- Business 20 (B20)
- Civil Society or Civil 20 (C20)
- Think 20 (T20)
- Science 20 (S20)
- Women 20 (W20)
- and Justice 20 (J20), among others.
26. As the next Presidency of the G20, South Africa looks forward to welcoming the G20 to Africa. South Africa intends to build upon the achievements of past presidencies to bridge the digital divides, promote equality, and support inclusive sustainable development to improve people’s lives.
We therefore welcome South Africa’s plans to further work on the topics of AI, the deployment of DPI, digital innovation ecosystems to support MSMEs and measures to further advance universal and meaningful connectivity.
27. We hereby renew the terms of reference for the DEWG and reaffirm our commitment to further advancing the objectives outlined therein.
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