The United
Nations has established a new Multi-stakeholder Working Group on Data
Governance under the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD).
Professor Peter Major, Founding Chairman of the World Digital Technology
Academy (WDTA), has been appointed as the inaugural Chair of this high-level
initiative.
The Working
Group brings together 27 UN Member States – including China, the United States,
Germany, Japan, and India – alongside 27 non-governmental organizations such as
Microsoft, Alibaba Cloud, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Twenty-eight
intergovernmental bodies, including the European Union, African Union, and
multiple UN agencies, will participate as observers.
This
development follows UN General Assembly Resolution 79/1 and coincides with the
re-election of Ambassador Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah as CSTD Chair for its
29th session. The group will address critical challenges in cross-border data
flows, digital sovereignty, and ethical AI deployment, with initial focus areas
including: harmonization of international data governance frameworks, capacity-building
for developing nations in data management, and public-private cooperation
models for responsible data use.
Professor Major
indicated the urgency of inclusive global standards: "In our
interconnected digital economy, coordinated data governance is no longer
optional – it's fundamental to sustainable development." The Working
Group's first recommendations are expected to inform the 2025 Summit of the
Future negotiations.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
