INTERVENTION BY FIRST SECRETARY MATTHEW WONG OF SINGAPORE AT THE SEVENTH THEMATIC DEEP DIVE ON THE GLOBAL DIGITAL COMPACT ON THE ISSUE OF GLOBAL DIGITAL COMMONS, CONFERENCE ROOM 1 AT UNHQ, WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2023, 10.00AM

Co-Facilitators,

1 Thank you for convening today’s discussions, and for your guiding questions.

2 Singapore believes that the GDC should aim to nurture the development of the global digital commons. Regardless of our differences, all States have a common interest in technological advancement, economic development, and progress. However, we will only be able to reap these benefits if we are willing to collectively invest in our global digital commons, and if we are willing to ensure that the global digital commons remain open, accessible and interoperable. In this regard, our collective stewardship of the global digital commons is an opportunity to create the right international environment for all States, in particular small States and developing countries, to seize the opportunities afforded by the digital world.

3 In line with the G77 and China’s call for a meaningful, action-oriented Global Digital Compact (GDC) to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, we propose three concrete initiatives the GDC could adopt to promote the development and advancement of the global digital commons.

4 First, the GDC should encourage investment by States and stakeholders in efforts to build digital public infrastructure. In Singapore, one example of our digital public infrastructure is the Singapore Trade Data Exchange (SGTraDex), which we also briefly mentioned during the GDC deep-dive on artificial intelligence. SGTraDex is a public-private partnership that provides supply chain players with a common data infrastructure for the sharing of regulatory, logistics and trade financing data. This allows for the optimisation of cargo handling and operations, while helping to build confidence in trade financing. Our hope is to expand SGTraDex beyond our shores as a contribution towards developing the global digital commons, and in this regard we are pleased to extend an invitation to businesses around the world to utilise SGTraDex.

5 Second, the GDC should promote efforts to expand the availability of, and access to, digital public goods. In this regard, the GDC could encourage States and stakeholders to contribute suitable digital products under their ownership to the global digital commons by accrediting these products as digital public goods, perhaps as part of a ‘Digital Public Goods Pledging Event’ convened under the auspices of the UN. On our part, Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has been working with the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development to accredit several GovTech initiatives as digital public goods, in support of key development priorities. One such initiative is Purple HATS, a customizable, automated accessibility tool that allows software development teams to find and fix accessibility problems in their digital products, thus helping to improve access to digital services for persons with disabilities. For example, software developers can use Purple HATS to identify whether websites are properly accessible using assistive technologies such as screen readers, and whether they adhere to global best practices such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We would be happy to share our experiences in digital public goods accreditation in more detail.

6 Third, the GDC should advocate efforts to expand the network of interoperable rules, norms, agreements and frameworks that should underpin our vision of a global digital commons that provides widely shared benefits for all. Consider the example of Digital Economy Agreement (DEAs), which aim to establish trade rules and facilitate interoperability between two or more digital economies. Singapore believes that the expanding the adoption of DEAs would have greatly benefit States in their efforts to seize new and valuable opportunities for development and growth in the digital domain. We stand ready to share our experiences relating to DEAs in more detail, and look forward to working together with States on the development of other initiatives in this regard.

7 These are some of our initial proposals. We look forward to continuing to develop these ideas within this process. Thank you.

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