Digital4Development – A European Strategy
Ambassador Carl Hallergard, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, opened the panel discussion. Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD welcomed the efforts the EU undertakes to further digitalisation and e-commerce and underlined that digital development has a great potential to also reduce youth unemployment.
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Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society explained that, internally, the EU has started to create a digital single market (DSM) in 2015. The completion of this process is indeed one of the ten priorities of the European Commission. Externally, digitalisation has become a key element of the EU's approach to development. In May 2017, the European Commission has therefore adopted the European Digital4Development policy that aims among others to streamline the potential of digital technologies in delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. Commissioner Gabriel underlined that the EU aims to support its African partners in the creation of a pan-African digital single market. At the occasion of speaking about development issues, the Commissioner also touched upon the positive role that WTO can play in facilitating multilateral discussions on the digital economy.
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Commissioner Gabriel also reminded that digitalisation certainly offers many opportunities but creates threats at the same time. In May 2018, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation will become effective.
Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, ICT and Tourism African Union explained that the AU has also just passed a convention on cybersecurity and personal data protection. She stressed the relevance of working together with enterprises in the process of digitalisation. Jérémy Doutte, Co-CEO of Jumia Nigeria, provided the example of the online retailer company Jumia, underlining how much potential there is in Africa in the field of e-commerce. All speakers agreed that digitalisation should be used to diminish inequality rather than expanding it.
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