The UN chief insists on the benefits of new technology, as he launches a panel of digital experts



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"This is the first panel of its kind – and will be composed of women and men at the frontiers of technology, public policy, science and the academic world," said Mr. Guterres at United Nations Headquarters in New York. 19659002] The Secretary-General's High-Level Group on Digital Cooperation, which will be co-chaired by American philanthropist Melinda Gates and Alibaba's Chinese founder, Jack Ma, will have a total of 20 members and includes senior executives. industry, civil society and academy, announced the UN chief, announcing the panel on Thursday

. Guterres noted that digital technology is changing economies and societies "at the speed of light" and that the scale and pace of change are "unprecedented". "I consider the United Nations as a unique platform for dialogue in the digital age."

The Group will identify trends in digital technologies, identify gaps and opportunities, and make proposals for strengthening international cooperation.

About a year of consultations involving his team and more than 120 Member States, industry and civil society.

Representing the body on behalf of the UN Secretariat, the Executive Director and Co-Chair, Ambbadador Amandeep Gill, said that the UN chief wanted to avoid the problem. a "competitive" approach to digital issues that is currently having an impact on trade, data and security discussions.

"This competitive spirit, this state of mind could invade this field and hinder the potential of digital technology from the goals of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development," said the Ambbadador. .

Amid the growing influence of digital technologies at everyda Ambbadador Gill stressed the "urgent" need to address the potential effects – positive and negative – on social, economic and social rights. human beings. initiatives, "he said. "I think that shows you that the time has come, that there is a sense that this should be urgently resolved, and it is not just the Member States who say that," he said. added, claiming that industry leaders had told him "that it's time for anyone to take this initiative to launch a global political discussion of the increasingly digital world"

Recognizing the budget Modest and administrative support from the panel, Ambbadador Gill, who also chairs a panel of UN experts examining emerging technologies in the field of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) , said that the impact would be maximized by its cross-cutting approach.

"You can not look at" web 3.0 " without looking at blockchain or without looking at AI (Artificial Intelligence), "he said." So, we hope that through this discussion of these different digital domains, business models, opportunities and risks and the unintended consequences in terms of human rights, in terms of privacy, in terms of subversion of democracy, we are able to present common principles … to strengthen cooperation across borders. "

In accordance with the nine-month mandate of the panel, its members will meet twice, first in New York in September at the United Nations General Assembly, and then in Switzerland in January. will be a suitable venue for the 2019 event, said Ambbadador Gill, highlighting the opportunity to consult with several UN agencies already based in the Swiss city who had specialized knowledge of civil society, digital issues, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The ambbadador stated that the working group would involve "in-depth and in-depth" work that would result in a report serving of "reference for future numerical discussions". [ad_2]
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