On Sunday 22nd September 2024, world leaders adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data welcomes this groundbreaking agreement, which is hugely significant for its network of 700+ global member organizations. The Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow. “The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations open the door to new opportunities and untapped possibilities,” said the UN Secretary-General during his remarks at the opening of the Summit of the Future.
The entire Pact is designed to turbo-charge the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Pact also covers a broad range of issues including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.
Global Digital Compact is highly relevant to our mandate
Most relevant to the Global Partnership’s mandate is the Global Digital Compact, the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance.
At the heart of the Compact is a commitment to design, use, and govern technology for the benefit of all. This includes commitments by world leaders to:
- Connect all people, schools, and hospitals to the internet;
- Make data more open and accessible, with agreements on open-source data, models, and standards;
- Anchor digital cooperation in human rights and international law;
- Make the online space safe for all, especially children, through actions by governments, tech companies, and social media;
- Govern Artificial Intelligence, with a roadmap that includes an International Scientific Panel and a Global Policy Dialogue on AI;
This is also the first global commitment to data governance, placing it on the UN agenda and requiring countries to take concrete actions by 2030.
Speaking at the Concordia Business Summit in New York, Claire Melamed said: “With the Global Digital Compact, the UN has defined concrete shared values on data and technology for social and inclusive economic progress. Now we have an opportunity to make a reality of the pact’s aspirations. Together with our 700+ partners, we will now set about getting to grips with the delivery agenda. Through our Power of Data platform, we will work with governments, UN agencies, donors, and businesses to drive investment in national data systems, building the foundations upon which all AI and digital systems depend."
