– Riddhima Gupta
The Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG), which fosters dialogue among international experts and delegates from G20 member nations has focused on three main areas under India’s presidency.
These meetings spanning across Indian cities, including Lucknow, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru have made crucial decisions around the- Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Digital Skilling, & Cybersecurity.
The DEWG has unveiled an innovative DPI framework within the G20, envisioning the establishment of shared digital systems accessible to various sectors, including governments, businesses, academia, and civil society.
This approach underscores public accessibility, advantages, and governance, while recognizing the diverse strategies of G20 nations in digital transformation.
Simultaneously, the initiation of the One Future Alliance (OFA) aimed to bring countries together to build customizable, open-source digital infrastructure for the future, with discussions involving the creation of the ‘One Future Fund’ to finance digital public infrastructure projects, especially in low to middle income countries.
Furthermore, a virtual repository for DPI, to voluntarily share among G20 members and beyond, was established to serve as a platform for exchanging insights, best practices, and resources pertaining to DPI development and implementation.
Furthering Digital Skill – Standardization and the UNESCO centre
Aiming to standardise digital skills across border, DEWG encouraged the facilitation of cross-national evaluations of digital skills to create a uniform benchmark, nurturing a collective comprehension of digital capabilities. This will help bring out innovation, employment and develop economies.
In parallel conversations, it emphasised India’s proposal for a UNESCO-backed virtual Centre of Excellence, envisioned to house best practices, skill standards, certifications, and studies, enabling global knowledge exchange and skill enhancement. This would push diverse approaches to ideas and information exchange.
Digital Skill Enhancement through G20 Toolkit
To bridge the digital skill gap in the workforce, the DEWG formulated a toolkit to guide the creation and execution of programs aimed at upskilling and reskilling in the digital realm. This comprehensive toolkit encompasses real-world case studies, factors that enable success, challenges in implementation, and exemplary practices from not only G20 member countries but also beyond.
Cyber Education for children and the youth
Increasing entanglement of digital technology poses a threat to the cyber safety of young individuals online.
The DEWG acknowledged this issue and introduced a toolkit intended to increase awareness and knowledge of the cyberworld in this demographic. This toolkit, grounded in extensive research, provides essential insights for policymakers, including risk categorization, investment in support systems, embracing a multi-stakeholder approach, advocating global collaboration, and acknowledging the roles of businesses and online platforms.
Security and Trust in the Digital Economy
In light of the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the G20 DEWG reaffirmed its dedication to advancing safety, trustworthiness, resilience, and safeguarding privacy and data. Elevated principles were introduced to offer guidance to businesses in navigating these aspects.
