Led by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, the Global Digital Compact aims to ‘outline principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all’. It was proposed in the UN Secretary General’s September 2021 report, Our Common Agenda. The consultation for the Compact sought input on several thematic areas and requested views on a) core principles that all governments, companies, civil society organisations and others should adhere to and b) key commitments, pledges, or actions that should be taken by different stakeholders.
The Royal Society’s response to the consultation was submitted in April 2023 and the Global Digital Compact is expected to be agreed in September 2024 at the Summit of the Future.
Drawing upon various reports related to data and digital technologies, the Society’s submission provides input on the thematic areas of ‘protect data’; ‘accountability for discrimination and misleading content’; ‘regulation of artificial intelligence’; and ‘digital commons as a global public good’.