The States belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have committed in the Canary Islands to promote the creation of a Global Forum on Technological Governance to foster strategic debates on this matter and anticipate the long-term effects that emerging technologies may have.
The commitment is included in the Declaration on a Reliable, Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future, which was signed in Maspalomas at the Ministerial Conference on Digital Economy, the first to be held in Europe with the aim of promoting recovery and long-term economic growth through a reliable, sustainable and inclusive environment.
The objective of this forum that has been agreed is to facilitate a strategic dialogue between the parties interested in the policy of digital and emerging technologies, facilitate strategic debates facing the future on technological governance and inform the development and use of technology in line with the shared democratic values.
One of the challenges will be to anticipate the effects of emerging technologies, as reported by the Deputy Secretary General of the OECD, Ulrik Vestergaard Knudesen, in a "critical moment" in which digital technologies are going to transform the economy and society.
The countries have given themselves "five or six months" to address the issues to be discussed in this global forum and, pending further details on this matter, it is expected that most of the meetings will be held in Paris, where the OECD headquarters are located, according to the Deputy Secretary of the OECD in a subsequent press conference.
Ulrik Vestergaard Knudesen has praised the "generous" contribution of Spain, the United Kingdom and the USA for the celebration of this forum.
The Declaration of the Canary Islands
In total, 41 countries of the OECD and the EU have supported this declaration, already called of the Canary Islands, which has emphasized the need to improve the understanding of aspects of the digital economy, the need to anticipate emerging technologies and promote a governance focused on the human being.
The challenge is to achieve a "safe, inclusive and sustainable" digital environment, supported by an open internet, free and reliable and with respect for democratic values, to allow economies and societies to prosper.
In this context, the countries have expressed their determination to work together as they recover from covid and in view of the threats to sovereignty and individual rights and freedoms around the world.
This declaration has not overlooked the war in Ukraine and has condemned Russia's "unjustifiable aggression", in line with what has already been approved by the OECD, in addition to disinformation campaigns, internet shutdowns and attacks on communication infrastructures.
At the conference, four new OECD recommendations on digital security policies were approved to strengthen cybersecurity while respecting human rights and freedoms.
In addition, yesterday, another declaration on government access to personal data held by private sector entities was approved.
