Global Partnerships for Values-Based Digital Development

The first wave of the digital revolution promised that new technologies would enable the advancement of democracy and human rights globally. The second wave, however, added new dimensions to the authoritarian playbook, allowing governments to manipulate public information, track citizens, and censor communications. Now, through diplomacy and development assistance, democracies are scaling up efforts to ensure that the third wave of the digital revolution leads to a technological ecosystem that truly reinforces democratic principles and shared values. Development cooperation is key to shaping a just digital transformation.

The side event, “Global Partnerships for Values-Based Digital Development”, gives the floor to the leaders of the world’s largest development cooperation and donor organizations to reinvigorate the concepts of:

Advancing the digital transformation: What is the actual problem we are trying to solve? What do we want to achieve? What have we missed so far?
Responsibly leveraging data and emerging technologies: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data for development and humanitarian assistance.
From project-based to strategic collaboration: Do we need to change the current modus operandi of development cooperation and financing?

Moderator: Ms Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia

Organizer: ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development