Q2/2021 - Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO)

Erstes DCO Council Meeting, Riad 12. April 2021

Am 12. April 2021 wurde in Riad in Saudi-Arabien eine neue Organisation mit dem Namen „Digital Cooperation Organisation“ (DCO) gegründet. Der neuen DCO gehören zunächst sieben islamische Länder an: Bahrain, Jordanien, Kuwait, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan und Saudi-Arabien. Die Initiative für die DCO ging von Saudi-Arabien aus. Nach Ende ihrer G20-Präsidentschaft im Dezember 2020 hat Saudi-Arabien Cyberdiplomatie als ein zentrales Aktionsfeld identifiziert.

  • Ziel der DCO ist es, in den Bereichen Cybersicherheit und digitale Wirtschaft die Rolle der islamischen Staaten zu stärken. Die DCO soll helfen, die digitale Spaltung zu überwinden, die Datenwirtschaft anzukurbeln und Cybersicherheit zu stärken. Saudi-Arabien will sich mit der DCO offensichtlich als eine regionale Cybergroßmacht profilieren. [1]
  • Die erste Sitzung des zwischenstaatlichen DCO-Rates am 12. April 2021 in Riad wurde vom saudischen Kommunikationsminister Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha geleitet. Zur Generalsekretärin der DCO wurde Deemah Al-Yahya gewählt. Al-Yahya ist Absolventin der Harvard Business School und der französischen Eliteschule INSEAD. Sie hat in Saudi-Arabien einige Start-Ups gegründet und wurde vom Davoser Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) in den „Global Future Council for Digital Economy and Society“ berufen. An der 1. Sitzung des DCO-Councils nahmen auch ITU Generalsekretär Houlin Zhao, der Präsident des Davoser Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) Børge Brende, der Generalsekretär des Rates der Golfstaaten, Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf und Robert Opp vom United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) teil.
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Q2/2021
  1. [1] JOINT COUNCIL DECLARATION ON THE 1st COUNCIL MEETING OF THE DIGITAL COOPERATION ORGANIZATION, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 12. April 2021: “The goal of the DCO is to advance our national digital transformations, promote the inclusive development of the digital economy, and address the long-term challenges posed by the global pandemic, we reaffirm our intent to complement our national efforts with a collaborative, multilateral approach to advancing our shared interests in the digital space. To accomplish this, we intend to create in the DCO a shared digital space through collaboration in key digital areas. The work of the DCO will include a focus on collaborative policy, regulatory, strategic efforts and supporting events and initiatives within each collaboration area. We have four aims: 1. DIGITAL INCLUSION AND BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. We firmly believe that the inclusion of women, youth, and entrepreneurs is critical to accelerating the digital transformation of our nations, and to promoting the innovation and growth of the digital economy. We therefore commit to taking concerted action to enable these groups to flourish in the digital economy. As a first step, we resolve to create the DCO Observatory for Digital Empowerment, which will focus on tracking key indicators to assess the state of the digital inclusion of these groups, form recommendations to close identified gaps, and act as an ombudsman to promote fairer treatment of these groups across DCO member states. 2. DATA FLOWS AND TRUST. Businesses are increasingly relying on the availability of high-quality data as an engine and enabler of growth and innovation. The DCO will therefore work to facilitate the data pooling across members, making valuable information more accessible to businesses. We also recognize the increasing need to enhance interoperability of cross-border data flow regulatory frameworks. To achieve this, we commit to update our frameworks, while maintaining the privacy standards of each DCO member state. To advance our work on an accelerated basis, we will establish a DCO Center of Excellence for Data Flows to support development of effective governance. 3. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT STIMULATION AND SUPPORT. Given the vital role of (M)SMEs and start-ups at the heart of our digital economies as vital engines of innovation, growth, and employment, we commit to increase their market access through reducing barriers to their cross-border growth within the DCO. In the near term, we will develop DCO (M)SME Market Expansion Primers to provide our (M)SMEs with information to facilitate the identification and pursuit of opportunities in the DCO member states. 4. DIGITAL ECONOMY ASSESSMENT. To drive measurable progress toward our digital transformation objectives, we recognize the need to effectively monitor the advancement of the digital economy. We will therefore develop the DCO Digital Economy Maturity Index, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which will highlight areas requiring improvements and support and guide decision makers in identifying initiatives that will contribute toward the growth of the digital economy. Additionally, we will establish an award program to reward those entities and individuals that contribute significantly to advancing the growth of the digital economy.“ In: https://www.dco.org/