Africa’s Private Sector Review of the Global Digital Compact

A consultation session on the Global Digital Compact (GDC) was hosted virtually by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the Africa Information and Communication Technologies Alliance (AfICTA) for Africa’s Private Sector, aimed at soliciting input and feedback on the GDC Rev.1., published on May 15, 2024.

Ms. Sorene Assefa, Digital Governance and Cybersecurity expert at the ECA, presented the origins of the Global Digital Compact within the framework of the Pact of the Future, set to be adopted at the Summit of the Future in September 2024. She highlighted ECA’s role in shaping Africa's stance and contributions to the GDC consultation milestones, as well as the upcoming roadmap for the GDC.

The discussions examined how well Rev.1 addresses the continent's needs and priorities from a private sector perspective and discussed how the sector can effectively engage to turn Africa's Global Digital Compact (GDC) Principles into actionable outcomes on the ground.

A recurring theme was the need for strong regulatory frameworks to foster innovation and ensure that private sector priorities align with the GDC’s goals, promoting a secure and prosperous digital future for Africa.

Participants highlighted the need to quantify and correlate infrastructure-to-investment returns as efforts continue to implement objectives outlined within the GDC Rev.1. Leveraging Africa’s youthful demographic is another priority, with a focus on creating job opportunities through robust data governance and digital skills. 

The following key recommendations were made at the review session:

• Focus on national level implementation: As more countries restructure their ministries to include digital governance and transformation agendas, it is crucial to focus on national-level implementation to ensure the Global Digital Compact (GDC) document effectively enables countries to achieve their digital objectives.
• Quantify investment-to-infrastructure value: Quantify the intentionality and rationale behind improving infrastructure based on added value for the private sector, emphasizing how the digital economy benefits overall economic growth, increases connectivity to create competitive advantages, and delivers bankable projects. Research cited during the session noted that an investment of one dollar in Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) can yield a return of 32 dollars gained from enhanced institutional competitiveness and citizen welfare.
• Sector Applications: Applications in agriculture, education, and transport were highlighted as critical areas where digital transformation can significantly impact economic growth and societal development.
• Building on effective platforms that are working: The use of existing frameworks, such as the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) and the Internet Governance Forums (IGFs), were discussed to reduce bureaucracy and streamline efforts through consultative platforms.

Additionally, improving connectivity to bridge the digital divide and promote digital inclusion for the nearly 500 million people without digital identities is crucial. Mactar Seck, Chief of the Technology and Innovation Section at the ECA said, “enhancing cyber diplomacy and data governance is also a priority to mitigate risks that could result in up to a 10% GDP loss due to cyber threats.”

Initiated in 2019 with a roadmap set by the UN Secretary-General in 2020, the GDC aims to establish shared principles for an open, safe, and secure digital ecosystem.