Our Common Agenda - Policy Brief 5: A Global Digital Compact

In a bid to address the daunting challenges the world is currently facing, the upcoming Summit of the Future in 2024 seeks to strengthen global governance for both present and future generations. The Secretary-General has been called upon to offer recommendations for the Summit, anchored in the principles and purposes of key international documents, such as the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Drawing from his report "Our Common Agenda", a response to the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, he presents this policy brief. It dives deeper into the suggestions first proposed in "Our Common Agenda", bearing in mind the guidance provided by Member States and a year's worth of consultations with multiple stakeholders.

The essence of this brief is to propose the creation of a Global Digital Compact, a comprehensive blueprint designed to promote an open, free, secure, and human-centric digital future. This future, rooted in universal human rights, seeks to enable the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The brief highlights the need for urgent multi-stakeholder digital cooperation, explaining how the Global Digital Compact can fulfill the commitment to shaping a shared vision on digital cooperation as declared in the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations. Such a framework is crucial to the multi-stakeholder action needed to bridge the digital, data, and innovation divides, as well as to establish the governance required for a sustainable digital future.

The digital world, however, is currently one of divides and inequalities, a trend that has become more glaring over the years. From accessibility and affordability to digital skills and data collection, many populations are left on the fringes of the digital revolution. Digital technologies have advanced dramatically and are now the main drivers of wealth and economic power, increasingly concentrated in a select few states and platforms. The vast investment in technology has not resulted in shared prosperity, exacerbating global inequalities. These divides are exacerbated by a massive governance gap, where new technologies lack basic regulation and public institutions struggle to respond effectively. The need for a Global Digital Compact becomes even more urgent considering these challenges. You can download the English version of "Our Common Agenda - Policy Brief 5:  A Global Digital Compact — an Open, Free and Secure Digital Future for All" through the button below this article.