Open Government Partnership Global Summit
"Digital Governance: The Way Forward Towards Trust and Openness"
Remarks
ITU Secretary-General Doreen-Bogdan Martin
6 September 2023
Good morning, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Did you go to the movies this summer?
I know it's an unconventional question for such a serious event.
But maybe you saw “Oppenheimer" — one of the biggest box office successes of all times.
The real Oppenheimer — and “father of the atomic bomb" — once said:
“The answer to fear cannot always lie in the dissipation of the causes of fear; sometimes it lies in courage."
Today, I want to talk to you about courage.
The courage to face our fear about the risks caused by emerging technologies like AI and others.
The courage to strike the right balance — between fostering innovation and ensuring these technologies serve the greater good.
And the courage to do this by working together on a global scale.
All of this depends on our ability to build a strong digital governance response and trust in these technologies — our topic in this session.
From job displacement to bias, we're facing technical, ethical, social, political, and economic challenges — and they're all equally important.
But two stand out: the rapid pace of the technology versus the relatively low speed to develop regulatory frameworks; and the unequal distribution of tech power.
That's a message that resonates in ongoing global governance discussions under the UN Global Digital Compact, recent G20 discussions, as well as in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Process.
This moment is an opportunity for governments to think big and act boldly — and I truly believe they hold the key to our collective destiny.
But we need to ensure that not just a few technologically advanced countries — as it's the case now — dominate this landscape.
Not only does this cause developing countries to play catch-up, but it also deprives our global community of the diverse perspectives we need to innovate to our fullest potential.
Our studies have shown that national approaches differ based on unique priorities, resources, and societal contexts.
This has led to variations in:
policy emphasis; economic sectors of focus; research investments; regulatory approaches; international engagement; consideration of cultural and social factors, and available resources.
And these differences underscore the importance of contextual understanding when analysing different national strategies.
And this takes me to the second point about striking the right balance between fostering innovation and ensuring these technologies serve the greater good.
Because these technologies are global by nature, they require harmonized international technical standards.
That's interoperability — a core area of ITU's work.
From AI to quantum to 5G, our technical standards are fostering trust, helping to navigate a constantly shifting digital landscape.
Finally, on the need to work together (collaboration as the Prime Minister reminded us of last night)— the UN Secretary-General Guterres has said that “We cannot afford a world with diverging strategies on technology, including AI.
I believe that by developing and deploying new technologies responsibly, collaboratively, and inclusively, we can enhance digital trust and security among all stakeholders.
This was one of the big takeaways of the AI for Good Global Summit that ITU convened in July.
That's also what we're doing here at the Open Government Partnership Global Summit.
Several efforts are underway — like the UN Secretary General's efforts to put together a multi-stakeholder High-level Advisory Body on AI to advance recommendations for the international governance of AI.
ITU is engaged on all fronts helping to facilitate impactful and sustainable partnerships focused on mitigating risks.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We meet at a time that requires courage, collective thinking, and collective action.
As we look ahead, let's remember that the true potential of digital lies in its ability to empower everyone, everywhere.
Let's remember that the lack of trust in tech can stifle digital economic growth, but also impede universal connectivity.
In a world where about one-third of humanity is still unconnected, too many people simply forgo connectivity because they don't feel safe online.
And let us remember to put human values first.
If we do this, we will build a digital future where digital technologies live up to their promise — where they tackle our most pressing challenges, and help us achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, without leaving anyone behind.
This future is within reach — we can build it together — now.
Thank you.
