Feedback to the AU-EU Digital Economy Task Force (AU-EU DETF) on its draft report

The focus of the AU-EU Digital Task Force (AU-EU DETF) is well in line with the track under Denmark’s TechPlomacy initiati­ve that deals with promoting innovation and technology in Denmark’s develop­ment cooperation. Digitalisation is a cross-cutting tool to implement Denmark’ development and humanitarian strategy, “The World 2030”. Denmark has identified the following priorities in this regard:

Addressing the digital gender divide

Promoting digital solutions in good governance and human rights

Promoting digital skills, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work, especially for the youth

Strengthening the humanitarian response and development efforts through technological innovation
Our team is ready to cooperate with the Task Force, contribute to the process as needed and support the Task Force’s mission to “[…] guide the EU and AU towards prioritizing actions for cooperation” and  “[…] create a platform of partnership for the private sector, donors, international organisations, financial institutions and civil society based on a shared understanding of how an already fast evolving African digital transformation can achieve cross-border integration, and bring benefits to all citizens”. We applaud the AU and the EU for putting together a diverse AU-EU Digital Economy Task Force with representatives from different sectors.
 
We would like to highlight a few key aspects, which we believe will be important for the Task Force to address as it moves forward:

In Africa, much work towards digitalisation is already underway, and we are pleased that the AU is taking a lead and bringing actors together across the continent. Denmark supports the recent AU initiative “Moonshot for Africas Digital Economy” through a contribution to the World Banks Digital Development Partnership fund and also by seconding an expert to the World bank office in Nairobi. As members of the EU we also support and participate in the D4D initiative. It is our hope that there will be a good ongoing coordination between these initiatives at the strategic level and in the field to ensure that all forces involved in the important and challenging work to develop Africa’s digital economy are well aligned and contributes to the realization of a digital strategy owned in Africa and benefitting its populations including in particular females, who are currently lagging behind in the digital economy, and contributing to increased productivity and job-creation in Africa. Denmark also supports the World Banks Digital Development Part­nership (DDP), where Denmark partici­pates as an active member e.g. through DDP’s steering committee.

Denmark can support the work of the AU-EU Digital Economy Task Force including by sharing experience from our own digital public innovation process and contribute to dialogue and cooperation in this field, including on  the protection of human rights in relation to technology and addressing issues such as digital governance, regulation and framework conditions. Denmark has a strong history of digital innovation, including in the public sector. According to the 2018 United Nation’s e-government survey, Denmark is in the global lead when it comes to e-government. Denmark also tops the EU’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2017 as the most advanced digital economy in the EU. At the same time, we are aware that some countries, including in Africa, are skipping the technological evolution process and leapfrogging technologies and look forward to following lessons learned from the AU-EU Digital Economy Task Force.

While it is commendable that gender is included in the long-term vision of DETF, we think that the report should specifically address ways to bridge the digital gender divide. As digital technology has become an increasingly important tool for education, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, civic participation, health services and information, women are being left behind. As an example there are 184 million fewer women than men who have access to mobile phones in developing countries. In Africa specifically, women are 50 percent less likely to use the internet than men, inhibiting their ability to fully participate in and connect to their society and the world.

A way to include a stronger focus on gender – specifically in terms of women’s access to and benefit from innovative technologies – in the report, could be to highlight the digital gender divide in the introduction, and then to address ways to bridge the digital gender divide in the policy recommendations and concrete actions of all the four objectives. While gender is addressed with regard to skills, education and training, a specific focus on gender could be included for example regarding access to affordable broadband, access to finance and business support, and access to services.

Also, we would like to encourage more specific language on data sensitivity and data ethics in the draft report. Making sure that data collected as part of AU-EU Digital Economy-iniative is done in a safe and ethical manner, without putting people’s rights at risk, should be a key point. We would generally like to encourage more consideration of risk mitigation in the report.

best regards

Maja Sverdrup, Advisor