Digitalisation knows no borders

Results from the working groups and bilateral discussions between the delegations

"Digitalisation knows no borders" – these were the words with which Federal Minister Dr Volker Wissing opened the conference. He emphasised not only the importance of international cooperation but also the necessity of bilateral coordination to achieve a free internet. Rebecca MacKinnon, Vice President for Global Advocacy at the Wikimedia Foundation, proceeded with her keynote „Digital Public Goods for Knowledge in the Age of AI” followed by specialised discussions in the working groups of the IDDC. These discussions covered four thematic areas:

1.     Free and open internet

2.     Digital public infrastructure

3.     Digital economy and promotion of Start-ups

4.     Disinformation and AI

Guided by experts, the participants identified the key challenges and proposed concrete solutions. At the concluding panel, the working groups presented their proposals and recommendations to the political decision-makers. In parallel with the working groups, high-ranking representatives of the Digital Dialogue partner countries met in a joint roundtable and subsequent bilateral discussions, where they discussed the main topics of the conference and current digital policy developments.

Stakeholder perspectives and keynotes from the governmental representatives

The second day of the conference was opened by Federal Minister Dr Wissing, who noted the role of an open internet as a driver of innovation, participation and economic growth and pointed out that access to data and the digital infrastructure must be created for everyone.
Pablo Chavez from the Center for a New American Security then presented US perspectives on international digital policy, with a particular on the concept of Digital Solidarity, which is a key element of the current US digital strategy. Chavez stressed the importance of international cooperation in connection with digital policy issues, saying that only through Digital Solidarity could a resilient technological and digital infrastructure be created at a global level. During the following panel discussion, Renate Nikolay, Vivek Mahajan, Dr Caroline King and Lutz Finger spoke about the sensitive relationship between regulation and innovation in digital policy. While the discussion between regulators and companies highlighted differing perspectives, the panellists agreed that there is a requirement for a regulatory framework that enables technological progress while helping to mitigate adverse social effects.

The conference concluded with statements of the delegations from Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, and Mexico. The countries agree that technological progress can help to overcome social and economic challenges. To strengthen public confidence in the digital transformation and avoid social polarisation, it should be based on democratic principles. The exchange on this will play an important role in the Digital Dialogues.

Valuable insights for international cooperation in digital policy

The event focused on multilateral exchange and networking. The political dialogue between the participating governments strengthened the commitment to the Digital Dialogues, while the working groups provided even more specific results, generating many valuable insights for further work within the Digital Dialogues.    

To ensure a free and open internet, they suggested to pay greater attention to inclusive access to the internet for all parts of society. For better digital public infrastructures, the participants saw an important role for governments in creating a transparent framework for both the establishment and responsible use of digital public infrastructure. In order to promote the digital economy in the long term, the participants agreed to connect start-up ecosystems across countries and to exchange relevant data. To effectively prevent a loss of trust through disinformation, the development and use of chatbots was one suggestion, which can make trustworthy information and offers more accessible. These and many other ideas developed at the conference will shape the Digital Dialogues.