Roadmap for Digital Cooperation

Report of the United Nations’ Secretary-General Roadmap for Digital Cooperation summarises the main proposals and policy actions as resulted from the work of the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and the following consultations organised with the UN Member States and wider civil society.

The context of the report

The entire process was one of the most extensive organised at the UN level to shape the digital agenda.

The High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation to was set in July 2018 in order to advance proposals to strengthen cooperation in the digital space among Governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, academic institutions, the technical community and other relevant stakeholders. It was co-chaired by

Melinda Gates and Jack Ma, while the 20 members of the Panel served in their personal capacities, representing an unprecedented mix of disciplines and sectors and geographic, gender and age diversity.

A first outcome of the Panel was the report, entitled “The Age of Digital Interdependence”, in June 2019, which included five sets of recommendations on how the international community could work together to optimize the use of digital technologies and mitigate the risks:

1. Build an inclusive digital economy and society;
2. Develop human and institutional capacity;
3. Protect human rights and human agency;’
4. Promote digital trust, security and stability;
5. Foster global digital cooperation.

Following the issuance of the report, Member States, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, academic institutions, the technical community, and other relevant stakeholders had the opportunity to submit their feedback and join round-table discussions to address the Panel’s recommendations. 

Key actions proposed

The following 8 key actions were proposed to be further advanced in the framework of the UN. Read more in the Report to discover the detailed signpost and strategic steps that are expected to be taken together with UN’s Member States as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:

1. Achieving universal connectivity by 2030
2. Promoting digital public goods to create a more equitable world
3. Ensuring digital inclusion for all, including the most vulnerable
4. Strengthening digital capacity-building
5. Ensuring the protection of human rights in the digital era
6. Supporting global cooperation on artificial intelligence
7. Promoting trust and security in the digital environment
8. Building a more effective architecture for digital cooperation