Mandate: - Resolution of the Council renewing and revising the Mandate of the Committee on Digital Economy Policy, approved by the Council on 11 December 2018 at its 1387th session [C/M(2018)24, item 252]

- Resolution of the Council [C(2018)141, and C/M(2018)24, item 252]

-Resoulution of the Council [C(2023)114, et C/M(2024)1]

 

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL RENEWING AND REVISING THE MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE ON DIGITAL ECONOMY POLICY AND RENAMING IT THE DIGITAL POLICY COMMITTEE

 

“THE COUNCIL”,

HAVING REGARD to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14 December 1960;

HAVING REGARD to the Rules of Procedure of the Organisation;

HAVING REGARD to the Resolution of the Council on Partnerships in OECD Bodies [C(2012)100/REV2/FINAL];

HAVING REGARD to the Resolution of the Council of 1 April 1982 establishing a Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy [C(81)59(Final)], which became the Committee on Digital Economy, which was renamed Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP), and whose mandate was last revised and renewed in 2018 [C(2018)141 and C/M(2018)24, Item 252];

HAVING REGARD to the recommendations of the In-depth Evaluation of the Committee on Digital Economy Policy Committee [C(2021)83 and C/M(2021)17, Item 191];

HAVING REGARD to the Declaration on a Trusted, Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future [OECD/LEGAL/0488] (“the Canary Islands Declaration”) adopted on 15 December 2022 at the CDEP meeting at Ministerial level;

HAVING REGARD to the role of digitalisation in stimulating the development of new sources of sustainable growth, innovation, employment, well-being and inclusiveness; and to the leading role that the OECD has long played in developing policies to maximise the economic and social benefits of digital transformation for all countries, including developing ones;

HAVING REGARD to the need for strengthened international co-operation on policy making for digital transformation among OECD Members and non-Members and to the need for strengthened mechanisms that enable participation of all stakeholders in policy development processes, including governments, international organisations, business, civil society, organised labour, the Internet technical community, and academia;

RECOGNISING that reaping the benefits of digital transformation depends on meaningful access to communication infrastructure and services, on diffusion and effective use of digital technologies by businesses, governments, individuals and society, and on trust, safety, and security;

FURTHER RECOGNISING that digital policy making requires a whole-of-government approach and collaboration with all relevant stakeholders, and must be grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law, and promote inclusion and equality, including gender equality, and sustainability;

HAVING REGARD to the proposed revision of the mandate of the Committee on Digital Economy Policy and the proposal to rename it the Digital Policy Committee [C(2023)114];

DECIDES:

A.   The Digital Policy Committee (hereafter the “DPC”) has the following mandate:

I.   Objectives

1.The objective of the DPC is to promote a human-centric and rights-oriented digital transformation, through the development of policy and measurement standards analytical tools, and an evidence base for whole-of-government, forward-looking policy guidance for trusted, sustainable and inclusive digital societies and economies, in a multi-stakeholder, cross-disciplinary process.

2.This includes strengthening the foundations of digital transformation by developing, assessing, and promoting coherent governance, policy and regulatory frameworks that:

a.Stimulate competition and investment in high-capacity, high-quality, affordable, accessible, secure and resilient broadband connectivity and computation infrastructure and promote ubiquitous access to broadband networks, services, applications and devices;

b.Create an enabling and trusted policy environment for digital technology development, including artificial intelligence (AI) development, sustainable and diverse supply chains, and data access and sharing, including across borders, to realise the potential for growth, well-being, and environmental sustainability through digital transformation, while minimising risks;

c.Reduce barriers and advance digital inclusion, including by bridging gender divides, in access to and use of digital technologies and related skills;

d.Foster research, innovation and new business opportunities, including in relation to online platforms and those arising from emerging technologies and AI and their applications, while addressing their economic and social effects, including online safety and the spread of mis- and disinformation;

e.Strengthen trust underpinning digital transformation, including by promoting a culture of digital security risk management, the protection of personal data and privacy, and advancing international arrangements that promote interoperability.

II.   Working Methods

3.To achieve these objectives, the DPC shall, in particular:

a.Review, analyse and anticipate technological and digital policy developments, including artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, incidents and risks, applications and business models, and call attention to their economic, social and environmental effects;

b.Support the implementation and dissemination of existing OECD standards in the area of digital transformation and develop additional standards, as appropriate;

c.Maintain and implement a medium- to long-term digital measurement roadmap and develop measurement standards, indicators, databases and methodologies to strengthen the evidence base for digital policy making and to assess the contribution of digital transformation and innovation to the whole economy; and

d.Conduct country-level OECD Reviews of key aspects of digital transformation including but not limited to: 1) Telecommunication and Broadcasting; 2) Artificial Intelligence; and, 3) Going Digital. These reviews will draw on innovative experiences and good practices in individual countries, provide interested countries with an assessment of their degree of digital maturity, and help policy makers ensure a coherent and cohesive whole-of-government approach to better respond to digital transformation and make it work for growth and well-being.

III.   Co-ordination arrangements

4.In order to achieve its objectives, the DPC shall:

a.Maintain close working relationships with other relevant OECD bodies to ensure a cross-cutting perspective to digital policy, complementarity of efforts and effective use of resources; and

b.Engage with relevant stakeholders, including international organisations, business, organised labour, civil society, and the Internet technical community to promote transparency, relevance, and inclusiveness of the Committee’s work.

B.   The mandate of the DPC shall remain in force until 31 December 2028.