Session
Organizer 1: Gabriela Nardy, NIC.br
Organizer 2: Juliano Cappi, 🔒NIC.br
Organizer 3: Oms Juliana, NIC.br
Organizer 4: Tatiana Jereissati, 🔒
Organizer 5: Rodolfo Avelino, Insper
Speaker 1: Min Jiang, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Ritul Gaur, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Korstiaan Wapenaar, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 4: Renata Mielli, Government, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Rodolfo Avelino, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Oms Juliana, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Gabriela Nardy, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The round table format favors multistakeholder engagement with presentation of different regional experiences and perspectives related to the issue addressed. It also allows an informal debate on pressing topics, such as the possible implications for state capacities of adopting digital infrastructures in strategic sectors, given the increasing demands for transparency, autonomy, security. The 90-minute duration facilitates the discussion of complex issues characterized by open disputes and multiple perspectives from different sectors and regions, and also for allowing time for the audience participation through questions & answers.
1) How can different approaches of the digital sovereignty concept help to assess the implementation of digital infrastructure, considering the strengthening of state capacities in strategic sectors? 2) Given the increasing demands for transparency, autonomy, security, among others framed under the notion of digital sovereignty, what are the possible implications for states of adopting private digital infrastructures?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants and attendees will benefit from the discussion of concrete policy and regulatory initiatives developed to strength state capacity. Moreover, the discussion will provide an assesment of policy initiatives based on different perspectives of the digital sovereignty concept. The exchange of concrete experiences and lessons learned about how different countries have attempted to address this matter contributes to find solutions for the implementation of good policy practices in different contexts.
Description:
The development of the Internet in the last decade was marked by the consolidation of large digital platforms, the increasing processes of datafication and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI). Those transformations led to significant changes not only in a myriad of social processes, but also in essential public services, such as health, education, communication, and transport - areas that are increasingly being mediated by information and communication technologies (ICT). For instance, in universities, digital platforms are being used to store and share information, while in public health, records are being digitalized and shared between multiple actors. The digitization of these services contributes to the datafication of citizen and to systematic surveillance, as well as the outsourcing of technological solutions based on proprietary and closed-source software and infrastructure. Despite important technological advances and innovations generated by the business sector, it is argued that there has been a weakening in the state capacity to protect citizen privacy, to harness an open and inclusive innovation process and to enforce legislation in the digital environment. Problems of opacity, national security and autonomy to implement digital policies suggests a reduction of the public interest in essential areas. These issues can be framed under the concept of digital sovereignty, a notion that encompasses multiple meanings and purposes, raising themes such as the security of digital infrastructures, the security of strategic data of a territory, innovation, and the state's capacity to guarantee fundamental rights in the face of an increasing role of technologies. This session aims at assessing policies initiatives to implement digital infrastructures in different regions and countries in the light of different approaches of digital sovereignty
Many basic digital infrastructures deployed by private actors are unknown by public agents and general citizens, who are not acquainted to the subject. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), Internet Exchange Points, data centers, digital platforms, email-servers services, Internet backbones are exemples of this infraestructures. The workshop will provide: 1) examples of public police initiatives focused on different types of digital infrastructure; 2) a basic assessment of these initiatives based on the theoretical framework of digital sovereignty.
Hybrid Format: The workshop will be divided into four parts: a) a opening and a presentation on different approaches for digital sovereignty; b) presentations on policy initiatives implemented in different countries, focusing on the policy objectives that guided the states decisions; c) a short debate among participants on the assessment of the initiatives, considering different dimensions of the concept of digital sovereignty; d) the last part will be devoted to Q&A. To ensure proper interaction between the audience, the session will count with onsite and online moderators. The onsite moderator will be responsible to oversee the interventions and interacting with the speakers, and also care for safeguarding the due balance to meet diversity expectations. The online moderator will take care of the flow of questions within all the online tools involved in the session. He/she will guarantee that the onsite moderator will be aware of questions and comments from the remote audience.
Report
1- Digital sovereignty is essential for strengthening state capabilities in strategic areas by ensuring security, autonomy, and transparency in digital infrastructures.
2- Reliance on private digital infrastructures poses challenges in transparency and oversight, necessitating better management and regulation by countries.
3- Countries can benefit from adopting diverse strategies and learning from each other's experiences in digital sovereignty to improve policy initiatives.
1- Increase public awareness and understanding of digital infrastructures through education and outreach.
2- Develop and implement transparent policies for the operation of digital infrastructures, especially those managed by private entities. 3- Promote international collaboration to share knowledge and best practices, enhancing digital sovereignty while considering local needs.
IGF 2024 WS #43 States and Digital Sovereignty: Infrastructural Challenges
The workshop discussed how digital sovereignty is increasingly crucial for states due to reliance on global tech giants. Digital sovereignty was described as a multi-stakeholder model, emphasizing collaboration among states, regions, and private enterprises to achieve self-determination in the digital realm.
Main insights from different global perspectives discussed in the workshop:
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Georgia's experience with telecom infrastructure and the necessity for resilient, sovereign digital infrastructure to ensure data protection and connectivity.
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Africa's challenges with fiscal and capacity constraints impacting digital transformation, advocating for public-private partnerships to foster development.
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The critical role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in achieving digital sovereignty, emphasizing the use of open-source technologies and global collaborations to build local capacities.
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Brazil’s AI initiatives and infrastructure investments, stressing the need for strategic alignment with national and regional digital policies to overcome connectivity challenges.
Audience interactions included questions on regional connectivity impacts and challenges with proprietary technologies, highlighting the importance of international cooperation for sovereignty and self-reliance in the digital domain.
The workshop concluded with a call for countries to balance internal capabilities with external partnerships to navigate the complexities of digital sovereignty effectively.
Main Conclusions from the Workshop:
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Need for Digital Sovereignty: Digital sovereignty is crucial as states seek greater control over their digital infrastructures to protect data and fundamental rights. This requires a collaborative approach among multiple stakeholders, including governments, regional organizations, and the private sector.
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Connectivity Challenges: Meaningful connectivity remains a challenge, particularly in regions of the Global South. Improving telecom infrastructure and making connectivity affordable are essential steps to ensure local populations can access domestic technological innovations.
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Role of the Private Sector and Public-Private Partnerships: The private sector plays a critical role in developing digital infrastructure, especially in countries with fiscal and capacity constraints. Public-private partnerships can help expand existing infrastructure and introduce necessary technological innovations.
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Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): DPIs are fundamental for empowering governments in their digital functions. By adopting open-source technologies