New York: The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) has concluded its participation at the UN Summit of the Future, held ahead of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week on September 22-23, 2024. The DCO’s activities emphasized multi-stakeholder digital cooperation to drive prosperity, aligning with the organization’s commitment to enable prosperity for all by accelerating inclusive and sustainable growth of the digital economy, according to a press release issued today by the DCO.
According to Saudi Press Agency, on September 22, 2024, UN Member States approved the Global Digital Compact (GDC) with the goal of “an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, and secure digital future for all.” Approved as part of the “Pact for the Future,” the GDC will define the framework for governments to “work in collaboration and partnership with the private sector, civil society, international organizations, the technical and academic communities, and all other stakeholders, within their respective roles and responsibil
ities, to realize the digital future we seek.” The GDC negotiations have been led by Co-Facilitators, Permanent Representatives of Sweden and Zambia to the United Nations.
Following the adoption of the GDC at the Summit of the Future, DCO Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya addressed the United Nations General Assembly as an Observer for the first time since the organization’s creation, calling for multilateral cooperation as the driving force toward an inclusive and sustainable global digital economy.
Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya stated, “Cooperation is a key driver of digital prosperity, and we are delighted to see the Global Digital Compact approved-a pivotal framework that seeks to create a digital future that is inclusive, open, and safe for all. The GDC reflects a real need for inclusive and sustainable growth in the digital economy to foster prosperity.”
The Digital Cooperation Organization is committed to fostering international, multi-stakeholder cooperation within the digital economy and pledges
to play an active role in the GDC’s implementation to bridge the global digital divide.
During the DCO 3rd General Assembly, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain on January 31, 2024, the DCO Council adopted the Final Council Declaration, underscoring their collective commitment to bridging the global digital divide and harnessing digital transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In this declaration, DCO Member States “particularly emphasize the importance of multilateral cooperation” and “request the Secretary-General to continue to lead global advocacy efforts and leverage the opportunity to shape the future of digital cooperation in the context of the finalization of the Global Digital Compact.”
The release added that the DCO’s newly launched Digital Economy Navigator (DEN) aims to play a pivotal role in advancing the GDC for DCO Member States and Partners by contributing to well-informed stakeholder decision-making and prioritization. Announced by Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya during th
e “SDG Digital,” the DEN is a unique tool designed to enable countries to better understand paths to digital economy maturity, find growth opportunities, benchmark progress, and bridge gaps in digital economy maturity.
“With the establishment of the UN Group of Friends for Digital Cooperation and the engagement with its Member States, the DCO has played a constructive role in shaping the Global Digital Compact. The Compact is a key milestone and a comprehensive framework for an inclusive and sustainable digital future. I look forward to continuing to engage with the DCO. Together, we can harness the power of digital technology to bridge the digital divide and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals,” commented Amandeep Gill, UNSG’s Envoy on Technology.
On the sidelines of the Summit of the Future, the DCO hosted a side event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, titled “Fostering Global Digital Cooperation for Prosperity.” The side event featured keynote speeches by Minister o
f Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Dr. Constantinos Kombos and Special Adviser to the President of ERIA Prof. Akiko Yamanaka, as well as two panels facilitated by President and CEO of Global Partnerships Forum Amir Dossal. The first panel, “How to Build Global Digital Cooperation to Deliver Our Commitments?” included interventions from Permanent Representative to the UN from Pakistan Munir Akram, Director of the Regional Bureau of the Arab States at UNDP Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, Vice Governor of the Digital Government Authority in Saudi Arabia Eng. Hisham Alsheikh, and Director General of the National ID Agency of Rwanda Josephine Mukesha. The second panel, “Exploring New Digital Cooperation Models,” featured interventions from Chief Digital Economy Foresight at the DCO Alaa Abdulaal, Director at UNOSSC Dima Al-Khatib, Vice President at Oracle Matis Pellerin, and Global Lead for the UN at Microsoft Alexandre Pinho.
The event provided a multi-stakeholder platform to explore innovative digital cooperation models and
showcase actionable solutions for digital prosperity.
