United States rejects DEWG Ministerial Declaration
Following the United States’ rejection of the proposed Ministerial Declaration in Cape Town this September, the Digital Economy Working Group’s (DEWG) efforts culminate in a Chair’s Declaration, rather than a binding commitment for the G20 as a whole. The Chair’s Declaration represents only the DEWG’s key priorities and discussions, and refrains from formalising notions around rights-centric AI governance and digital and data justice.
Without consensus on underlying principles, such as inclusivity and equitable digital inclusion, the promise of sustainable digital transformation for the Global South wavers, along with its potential to multiply public value creation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As international leaders make their way home and prepare for the United States’ G20 Presidency in 2026, the G20 as we know it changes. Furthermore, the digital transformation agenda remains vague and non-committal, leaving Global South players particularly vulnerable to the digital harms and inequalities exacerbated by AI advancements in the absence of a clear, rights-centric governance framework.
In the face of volatile geopolitics and rising tensions surrounding AI governance, stakeholders and multilateral players must ask themselves: How can we sustain our partnerships and build common AI policy resources to coordinate the achievement of SDGs?
Advice from the Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies
At the African AI Policy Networking event hosted by Research ICT Africa (RIA), representatives from the Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) met with African think tank experts, policy researchers and the AI for Development (AI4D) consortium partners to discuss a way forward. Leading the conversation, Dr Amandeep Singh Gill, Under-Secretary General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, said: “We need a networked approach to capacity-building.”
Partnered resource-exchange, common Monitoring and Evaluation standards, and mutual evidence bases and investments are key tools to drive shared impact. In the Digital Economy specifically, common resources are imperative for equitable African AI policy and governance. Singh Gill said: “In the long run, collective work, collaborative work, on data commons is essential. We still need high-quality, diverse data sets.” Cross-border datasets could power more than localised AI solutions and ensure transparent AI adoption. They could also support climate change initiatives, drive more resilient agricultural practices, and minimise individual computing needs, especially for under-resourced countries in the Global South. He notes that initiatives such as UNESCO’s AI Ethics and Governance Lab become increasingly useful in this sense.
“This is a more democratic paradigm, rather than data being sucked into a few places… and just churning out a chase for super intelligence… which I’m afraid could end up dehumanising us, undermining our democracy and our agency. Instead of that, what if we have these models that are collaboratively developed, so that there’s less drain on these resources, and we actually capitalise on the work ethic of many countries, to invoke mutual human transformation?” says Singh Gill.
Collaborative approaches to digital development and human transformation
Singh Gill’s points emphasise that digital development is ultimately about human transformation. Without collaborative approaches to AI governance and accessible shared computing resources, socio-economic gains and progressions may be undone.
Singh Gill calls for multilateral organisations to prioritise safeguarding international humanitarian law; fund AI governance research agendas; continue support for forums such as the Global Digital Compact; collaborate on shared evidence bases to support consensus building; endeavour for more diversity in what we know as ‘Big Tech’; advocate for nation states to participate in multilateral initiatives; actively seek out diverse voices; and ensure that human responsibility and accountability is always prioritised in advanced AI initiatives.
Within this, the United Nations’ role is that of a ‘supportive facilitator’. When leveraged correctly, the UN’s arms and requisite convening power can bring together civil society organisations, governments, and thought leaders such as RIA and its partners, including the AI4D consortium and fellow G20 Knowledge Partners. Yet, even then, collective efforts remain critical. Singh Gill says in closing, that to continue our work towards democratic governance and African agency in digital transformation: “We need to think hard about coordination, and alignment on a strategic level.”
