G3ict to Endorse the UN Global Digital Compact at the 12th M-Enabling Summit

Atlanta (October 01, 2024) —

ATLANTA (October 1, 2024) -- On September 22, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Global Digital Compact (GDC) as an Annex to the Pact for the Future. The first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance, the GDC puts technology and AI governance high on the multinational body's global agenda. Its overarching objective is to accelerate progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, harness the immense potential of digital technology, and close digital divides.

Since 2020, G3ict has been closely involved in all stages of the development of the GDC by contributing research data, papers, and presentations about digital accessibility as well as advising Member States delegations as a United Nations ECOSOC-accredited organization and a member of the GDC Round Table on Digital Inclusion. In June 2024, the G3ict Advocacy Team and DASH Work Group (DASH stands for Digital Accessibility Policy, Guidelines, and Standards Harmonization Work Group) took the opportunity to meet during the 17th Conference of States Parties (COSP) at UN Headquarters in New York with more than 25 country delegates and United Nations officials supportive of its advocacy work, with a delegation including persons with disabilities, industry, and accessibility professionals.

Today, G3ict officially welcomes several essential dispositions of the Global Digital Compact that were included in the final text of the GDC. These dispositions constitute positive milestones, providing a solid framework for Disability Rights and digital accessibility advocacy by:

• Explicitly affirming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in its core principles while referencing Human Rights law, which includes all eight Human Rights Treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (8.c) and (23.a).
• Specifying that disaggregated data should be available by disability status (13.d).
• Affirming in several articles the requirements for digital accessibility with a commitment by 2030 to: “Increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of digital technology platforms, services, software, and educational curricula… and accessible user interfaces for persons with disabilities” (13.b).
• Targeting and tailoring capacity-building digital skills for persons with disabilities (13.c).
• Promoting the adoption of open standards and interoperability to facilitate the use of digital public goods across different platforms and systems (17.b) … and robust standards to enable safe, secure and trustworthy online environments (20).
• Upholding international Human Rights law throughout the life cycle of digital and emerging technologies (22).
• Calling technology companies to involve persons of all abilities in their product development cycle (32.a).
• Calling on social media platforms to establish safe, secure, and accessible reporting mechanisms for users and their advocates to report potential policy violations, including special reporting mechanisms adapted to children and persons with disabilities (32.d).
• Setting the stage for safe, trustworthy, and ethical use of AI in compliance with international human rights law (52, 59).

Considering the alignment of those dispositions with its mission to promote the Rights to Digital Access for Persons with Disabilities, G3ict will officially endorse the Global Digital Compact during the inaugural night of the 12^th M-Enabling Summit, which will be held on October 15, 2024, in Washington, DC, and stage a discussion of follow-up steps towards expanding its digital accessibility advocacy strategies and activities in the context of implementing the Global Digital Compact.

Resources:

• Report of the G3ict Delegation and DASH Work Group at the United Nations
• About G3ict
• About the DASH Work Group
• UN COSP: A Conference Review
• Global Digital Compact official website