The city of Maceió hosts the G20 meeting on Digital Economy this week. The focus is on digital inclusion, connectivity, and Artificial Intelligence. The negotiations prepare the ministerial declaration, which will be finalized on Friday 13th. The document will highlight global actions required for digital advancement.
Maceió hosts the technical meeting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group between the 9th and 13th of this month. The meeting discusses relevant topics related to global development. On the first day of the meeting, delegates from the G20 countries, technicians, and experts from the ministries involved will participate in the preparatory meeting, which will prepare the way for the central debates.
Throughout the week, the priority axes that will be addressed are digital inclusion, universal and meaningful connectivity, digital government, information integrity and trust in the digital environment, and the use of artificial intelligence for sustainable development.
The event in the capital of the state of Alagoas, in the Northeast of Brasil, reflects the importance of aligning nations to the opportunities and challenges of the digital age. The discussion on connectivity, one of the main themes, highlights the need to democratize internet access, especially in developing countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital gap between nations, highlighting the urgency of infrastructure investment to enable more inclusive participation in the global digital economy.
The representative of the G20 Sherpas Trail Digital Economy Working Group, Ambassador Luciano Mazza de Andrade, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), highlights the progress of the three-day negotiations to prepare for the ministerial meeting on Friday 13th. He emphasizes that the topics presented by the Brazilian presidency were well received by the G20 countries. The ambassador says that the discussions focus on finalizing the ministerial declaration draft and its annexes and he expresses confidence in the progress and collaborative spirit between the delegations.
Mazza emphasizes that the topics presented by the Brazilian presidency were well received by the G20 countries. The ambassador says that the discussions focus on finalizing the ministerial declaration draft and its annexes and he expresses confidence in the progress and collaborative spirit between the delegations.
Mazza mentions that although there are different perspectives, especially in the details of the text, the work is an advanced stage, and the main framework of the themes is almost finished. "The digital economy is increasingly relevant in everyday life, from mobile phone use to issues such as artificial intelligence. The G20 seeks to sensitize the international community to the importance of these issues and promote convergence between countries to facilitate the adoption of standard solutions and practices, " he stresses.
Universal Connectivity as a priority
The G20, aware of this reality from different perspectives, focuses on creating policies encouraging investment in internet infrastructure, especially in rural and peripheral areas. The goal is to ensure that technological advancement reaches all sectors of society, benefiting emerging and developing economies. During the discussions on the first day of the event in Maceió, Brasil highlighted the importance of digital inclusion as an essential tool to reduce social inequalities and promote economic growth, especially in the Latin American context.
Hermano Barros Tercius, Secretary of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Communications of the Brazilian government (MCom), defended the creation of a set of indicators, including the economic accessibility to digital connectivity. He says that this is one of the goals of the federal government of Brasil. According to the secretary, one of the main indicators suggested would be the definition of a percentage of the average household budget to the internet, making this metric more concrete and objective.
"The Brazilian government's strategy focuses on expanding connectivity in public schools, for example, through the National Strategy for Connected Schools program. Most schools already have some sort of connection, but the goal is to connect all 138,000 public schools by the end of 2026, hoping that this infrastructure is sufficient for the number of students to promote digital use for educational purposes," stated the representative of the Ministry of Communications.
As the event approaches its conclusion, the G20 Digital Economy Working Group representatives emphasize the importance of international collaboration to strengthen the themes involving this sector. In 2024, the group's priorities included holding several side events and producing technical reports that would support the ministerial declaration, which is due to be presented on Friday, the 13th. On this day, ministers and high-ranking representatives of the G20 countries will be in Maceió for the ministerial meeting on the Digital Economy.
One of Brasil's priorities is social inclusion and poverty reduction, and digital inclusion is one way to achieve these goals. Focusing on connectivity and digital development, the Brazilian government believes that these actions can reduce the digital gap and integrate millions of Brazilians into the global digital economy, as explained by Daniel Cavalcanti, general coordinator of Public Policies for Telecommunications Services at MCom. "Our proposal is to take advantage of this sequence of presidencies of developing countries to bring a growth agenda to the G20, with themes that serve both developed and emerging countries," he says.
Another topic highlights emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, an advanced database feature that facilitates the transparent sharing of information within a company's network. However, increasing digitization also brings challenges, such as the need for cybersecurity and data protection regulation. The G20 has discussed creating international standards for using these technologies, aiming to increase citizens' and companies' confidence in the digital economy.
The digital economy is one of the main drivers of economic transformation for the G20 countries, which represent about 85% of the world's GDP. In addition to modernizing traditional sectors such as commerce, finance, and industry, digitalization creates new opportunities in areas such as education, health, and governance. The key to taking full advantage of these opportunities is to ensure that all countries, regardless of their stage of development, are prepared for digital transformation.
As the event approaches its conclusion, the G20 Digital Economy Working Group representatives emphasize the importance of international collaboration to strengthen the themes involving this sector. In 2024, the group's priorities included holding several side events and producing technical reports that would support the ministerial declaration, which is due to be presented on Friday, the 13th. On this day, ministers and high-ranking representatives of the G20 countries will be in Maceió for the ministerial meeting on the Digital Economy.
On Monday, the delegates will also participate as guests in a side event with the G20 engagement groups: B20, C20, T20, and W20. The side event organized by B20 aims to discuss digital issues, strengthen the dialogue with government representatives, and improve cooperation between social partners.
