UN High-Level on Panel Digital Cooperation recognises importance of multistakeholder dialogue

The final report of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation was launched today by Co-chairs Jack Ma and Melinda Gates in an interactive dialogue with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Established by the UN Secretary-General in July 2018 to identify good examples and propose modalities for working cooperatively to address challenges in the digital age, the High-level Panel has issued a series of recommendations that will serve as a foundation for future multistakeholder discussions on digital cooperation and governance.

ICC has been following the work of the Panel since its inception. Commenting on the High-level Panel’s report, ICC Secretary-General John W.H. Denton AO said:

“We are pleased to see the High-level Panel emphasise the importance of multistakeholder approaches to strengthening digital cooperation. Business views inclusive collaboration between all stakeholders as vital to a thriving digital ecosystem – and we are delighted to see that spirit reflected in the report.”

Speaking specifically on the Panel’s recommendations on Internet governance reform, Mr Denton AO said:

“We believe that any future governance model must be multistakeholder, bottom-up and fully transparent. We believe the Panel’s report provides an opportunity to build on and strengthen the existing Internet Governance Forum to ensure it is agile, fit-for-purpose and capable of enabling an inclusive and interdependent digital world that leaves no one behind”.

ICC has been a long-time supporter of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), benefitting from the free exchange of ideas and relationship-building this Forum provides. The IGF has enabled thoughtful discussion and dissemination of best practices for the express purpose of enabling more countries to realize the economic and societal fruits of digital transformation.