Session
Organizer 1: Xiaofeng Tao, 🔒
Organizer 2: Horst Kremers, 🔒
Organizer 3: Daisy Selematsela, 🔒
Organizer 4: Ricardo Israel Robles Pelayo, 🔒
Organizer 5: Jieyao Wang, 🔒
Speaker 1: Ahmad Dehwah, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: KE GONG, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 3: Horst Kremers, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Daisy Selematsela, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 5: Ricardo Israel Robles Pelayo, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Prof. Liu Chuang, Editor-in-Chief of Global Change Research Data Publishing & Repository, World Data System - WDS, Professor of Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Xiaofeng Tao, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Horst Kremers, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Jieyao Wang, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: This seminar will invite five speakers to give presentations, each lasting about 10 minutes. In addition, the seminar will feature a discussion session and interactive sessions of about 30 minutes and with both online and offline audiences, resulting in a total duration of 90 minutes. During the workshop, all speakers and audience can make comments and raise questions in regards to the speeches presented, guided by the moderator. Besides, online attendees will have a separate queue and microphone which rotate equally with the mics in the room and is entitled to raise questions after each presentation of the speaker and engage during the discussion. There will be Q&A and discussion session to encourage every online or onsite participant to share their views to the issue. Therefore, the room layout of a round table is more conducive to the conduct of the seminar, especially in the discussion section.
(1) What are the key challenges and governance issues in unleashing the power of digital technology for everyone? (2) How to strength the cooperation among multiple stakeholders, including private sector, governments, civil society, technology groups, to take full advantage of the digital technology to make everyone benefit from it accessibly, equally and inclusively? (3) How to establish a scientific policy framework, and how to provide policy guidance and regulation so that everyone can benefit from the profound advances and new frontiers in digital age accessibly, equally and inclusively?
What will participants gain from attending this session? This workshop aims to foster dialogue and collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including private sector, governments, civil society, technology groups on how to unleash the power of digital technology and make everyone benefit from the digital technology accessibly, equally and inclusively.
Description:
Halfway to the deadline for the 2030 Agenda, the UN's 2023 SDG Progress Report Special Edition shows progress on more than 50% of SDGs is weak and insufficient. Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda could become totally failed. Based 2023 SDG Digital Acceleration Agenda, Digital technologies are reshaping the global landscape, they can achieve 70% of all SDGs. Digital technologies provide new means to operate human lives. They shape in many ways how people access and share information, form their opinions, debate, and mobilize – they have deeply transformed the “public square”. But they are equally used to suppress, limit and violate people’s voices, exacerbate pre-existing forms of gender-based violence, and introduce novel forms of abuse, for instance through surveillance, censorship, doxing, and online harassment. The digitalization of our societies has, in many instances, eroded social protections, deepened inequalities, and exacerbated existing discrimination, in particular through the use of technologies such as facial recognition, robotics, digital identification and biotechnology. To cement digital access, inclusion and trust are pivotal themes for the world. In 2021, The EU-US Trade and Technology Council was established to drive digital transformation and cooperate on trade and technology serving the societies and economies. In 2022, The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms was updated to promote Internet rights standards and principles of openness in Internet policy formulation. In 2023, The G20 Digital Agenda: Cross-Presidency Priorities was launched to stress the digital access and inclusion in emerging markets The digital inclusion roadmap is urgent to outline within the multi-stakeholders to take this forward. The digital technology advancement will be spearheaded mainly by the private sector due to its huge economic potential. To make everyone benefits from these profound advances and limit their harmful effects, state and civil society.
A. Invite international authoritative experts and scholars, leading enterprise leaders and relevant policy makers in the fields related to digital technology to fully discuss how to unleash the power of digital technology and make everyone benefit from the digital technology accessibly, equally and inclusively. B. Explore the establishment of a global multi-stakeholder cooperation mechanism to jointly address the possible governance issues of making digital technology and digital innovation accessible, equal and inclusive in global sustainable development. C. Propose a policy framework for accessible, equal and inclusive digital technology and digital innovation governance and formulate follow-up action plans.
Hybrid Format: All experts and audience will make comments and raise questions in regards to the speeches presented, guided by the moderator. There will be a live broadcast on the meeting, both online and onsite attendees will get involved in the workshop during the whole session. Besides, online attendees will have a separate queue and microphone which rotate equally with the mics in the room and is entitled to raise questions after each presentation of the speaker and engage during the discussion. Trained online moderator with previous experience will direct the online participation. There will be Q&A and discussion session to encourage every online or onsite participant to share their views to the issue. Audio-visual material: Organizers will explore the use of visuals (i.e. videos, PowerPoint slides, images, infographics) not just for the ice-breaker, but also throughout the workshop to animate the session and aid those whose native language are not English.
Report
On December 17th, IGF 2024 workshop #49 was held. Six experts from five countries introduced their views on digital technology benefiting humanity. Here are key takeaways: We must attach great importance to the sustainable development of digital technology, and work together to promote the benefits of technology for everyone.
On December 17th, IGF 2024 workshop #49 was held. Six experts introduced their views on digital technology benefiting humanity. In the future, we plan to explore further and promote the intersection of digital technology with various fields. We aim to encourage more stakeholders to get involved in closing the digital divide and enhancing digital inclusivity. Additionally, we will focus on leveraging digital technology to address global challenges
This workshop focuses on promoting equal and inclusive access to digital technology, including topics like technology transformation for SDGs, information governance in disaster management, big data partnerships, digital divide issues, and access to the Internet for women.
Zhou Xiang, Professor of the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), chaired the workshop.
Prof. Gong Ke, Chair of CCIT/CAST, emphasized that the benefits of digital technology are not yet distributed equitably. The digital divide limits individual development opportunities and presents significant challenges to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He stressed that collaboration is important in fostering equal and inclusive digital development to ensure that digital technology truly benefits everyone.
In this workshop, six speakers presented their views on the topic " Benefit everyone from digital tech equally & inclusively ", and the details are below.
Prof. Liu Chuang, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Co-Chair of CODATA Task Group on GIES, Director of Global Change Research Data Publishing & Repository, WDS of International Science Council, Vice-Chair, FAO OCOP Regional Organizing Group in Asia and the Pacific, focused on GIES methodology for SDGs. She addressed challenges in agricultural product value realization and proposed solutions like cooperation and technology application, with positive impacts shown.
Dr. Horst Kremers, Chair of RIMMA CoE, Germany, emphasized the importance of information governance in disaster management. He discussed stakeholder roles, and governance mechanisms, and provided recommendations for action to enhance resilience and inclusivity.
Prof. Zhou Xiang, Professor of the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), presented big data's role in sustainable development. He discussed challenges, actions, and showcased examples like DataHub and Knowledge Hub, emphasizing their potential for environmental monitoring and goal achievement.
Prof. Ricardo Israel Robles Pelayo, Professor of Escuela Bancaria y Comercial, Mexico, focused on the digital divide in Mexico and Latin America. He analyzed impacts on various sectors, highlighted challenges, and proposed solutions for a more inclusive digital future.
Dr. Daisy Selematsela, University of the Witwatersrand: Library and Dr. Lazarus Matizirofa, University of Pretoria: Library, focused on centering social justice in digital technology accessibility from the Global South perspective. They discussed social cohesion, challenges in democratizing digital tech, and digital scholarship in South Africa.
Ms. Tamanna Mustary Mou, PhD Student in Multi-Sector Communication, St. John’s University New York, presented meaningful access and affordable internet for women. She discussed barriers, emphasized the importance of closing the digital gender gap, and proposed solutions for a more equal digital world.
After all the speakers finished their presentations, the experts started an open discussion. Several key questions are discussed, such as new tech applications and impacts, closing the digital divide, ensuring information governance and social justice, the importance of international cooperation and partnerships, the role of education and capacity building, and the need for ethical regulations in AI to prevent negative impacts.
Finally, we can draw some conclusions from this workshop. Firstly, digital technology holds great potential for promoting sustainable development and improving people's lives, but there are still significant challenges in ensuring equal and inclusive access. The GIES methodology presented offers an innovative way to enhance the value of agricultural products and bridge the gap between production and market, which is crucial for sustainable development in the agricultural sector. Secondly, information governance in disaster management is essential for effective risk reduction and resilience building, requiring the joint efforts of all stakeholders and the establishment of clear governance mechanisms. Thirdly, big data is a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and achieving sustainable development goals, yet challenges in infrastructure, data security, and application integration need to be overcome. Fourthly, the digital divide remains a major obstacle in many regions, especially among marginalized groups. Concerted efforts are needed by governments, the private sector, civil society, and all multi-stakeholder groups to expand access and promote digital skills training. Fifthly, social justice and cohesion should be at the core of digital technology accessibility to ensure that the benefits are shared by all. This includes respecting and integrating local knowledge and cultures and promoting digital scholarship and innovation. Sixth, follow-up policy strategies and actions are needed to follow the Riyadh Declaration and to promote inclusive, innovative, and impactful artificial intelligence (AI). Overall, this workshop has provided valuable insights and practical solutions, laying the foundation for future actions to achieve equal and inclusive digital development.