Ahead of the Summit of the Future (SOTF) process, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a series of Policy Briefs to inform Member State deliberations and suggest initiatives to “turbocharge” the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The policy brief on a Global Digital Compact emphasized the necessity of global collaboration to address digital challenges and move toward “an open, free, secure, and human-centred digital future, anchored in universal human rights and supporting the [SDGs] while successfully addressing the Digital Divide”. Outlined goals include ensuring universal connectivity, digital access, responsible data governance, and cybersecurity. Important milestones listed were the development of ethical and responsible AI frameworks, inclusive governance, fostering the digital economy, and innovative processes while ensuring security.
Member States then deliberated on these issues for the final version of the GDC, which became one of the annexes of the SOTF outcome document, the Pact for the Future. This briefing delves into the developments of the GDC, highlighting major points of contention among Member States and their differing perspectives and priorities. For more insight into national commitments and practices, a sample of Member States’ contributions to the GDC listing these is included, with civil society contributions for comparison.