Africa regional launch of the UNCTAD’s new Digital Economy Report 2021

UNCTAD’s Digital Economy Report titled “Cross-border data flows and development: For whom the data flow”  highlights the need for governance that will ensure a more equitable distribution of the gains from data flows, while addressing risks and concerns.

The Africa launch of the report was hosted virtually by Research ICT Africa (RIA) on 15 October 2021, and attended by nearly 100 multistakeholder participants, including a  number of  international and regional multilateral bodies.

The moderator, RIA executive director, Dr. Alison Gillwald said the launch followed an international virtual convening by UNCTAD, CIGI and RIA early this year,  with strong global South representation, to review the draft report. The benefits of these engagements are now evident in this comprehensive report, that was two-years in the making.