GFMD Policy Meeting: Key Takeaways on Global Digital Governance and Emerging Opportunities

On November 7, 2024, GFMD organised a policy meeting aimed at providing a platform to debrief on the U.N. Summit of the Future, identify key upcoming opportunities such as the WSIS+20 Review, and explore ways to influence key global policies, different regional initiatives and key developments on the regional and national fora.

The meeting began with an overview of the Summit’s outcomes, notably the adoption of the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact by the U.N. General Assembly. It provided GFMD members and partners with insights to advance advocacy for media freedom, public interest journalism, and digital governance while fostering collaboration to shape media and digital policies effectively.

Reviewing the Outcomes of the U.N. Summit of the Future

Anna Oosterlinck, Head of U.N. Engagement at Article 19, outlined the Pact for the Future and its annexes—the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the Declaration on Future Generations—adopted by consensus at the U.N. Summit of the Future.

She highlighted three immediate opportunities for civil society to engage with the GDC.

1. Endorse the GDC by supporting its vision and selecting relevant objectives, with endorsers listed on the U.N. website starting December 2024. Endorsement is voluntary and does not require full agreement with the text. Alternatively, organisations can support specific objectives without endorsing the entire document.
2. Engage with the GDC Implementation Map, to be developed by early 2025 and annexed to the WSIS+20 resolution, ensuring alignment between GDC implementation and the WSIS+20 review process.
3. Influence the creation of a U.N. Office for Digital Coordination, advocating for its location in Geneva to ensure accessibility and synergy with key U.N. bodies like OHCHR and ITU. Civil society input will also shape the office’s mandate and stakeholder engagement.

7amleh’s Advocacy for Digital Rights in Palestine

Taysir Mathlouthi, EU Advocacy Officer at 7amleh, provided an overview of their organisation’s advocacy for Palestinian digital rights.7amleh focuses on holding tech giants such as Meta, Google, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn accountable for transparency, due diligence, and compliance with international humanitarian and human rights laws. They document systematic silencing of Palestinian and pro-Palestinian voices at local and international levels.

In addition to digital advocacy, 7amleh also supports journalists working on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon by providing essential tools like laptops and SIM cards, as well as advocating for their protection. Taysir highlighted the severe impact of military technologies, particularly the Israeli military’s use of autonomous weapons and AI-driven systems, which have increasingly targeted journalists, resulting in the deaths of over 130 media professionals within a year. The lack of international regulation and treaties governing the military use of AI remains a critical concern, as these technologies are deployed with little oversight or accountability.

Taysir focused the discussion on the European legislation, particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the EU AI Act. The DSA provides tools like the trusted flagger process to combat digital discrimination, and through EU partnerships, 7amleh plans to file direct complaints with tech companies, presenting evidence of systematic discrimination against minorities, including Palestinians.

Taysir noted risks of misuse by Member States to suppress dissent through vague definitions of terms like “incitement” and “harmful content.” Similarly, the lack of import/export restrictions under the EU AI Act allows European countries to trade AI systems without restrictions, potentially facilitating the sale of technologies used in human rights abuses, particularly in conflict zones like Gaza, underscoring the need for stricter regulations.

Taysir also stressed the importance of using 7amleh’s data in advocacy, citing its inclusion in U.N. Special Rapporteur Irene Khan’s report ‘Global Threats to Freedom of Expression arising from the Conflict in Gaza. The report highlighted an unprecedented decline in media freedoms, the worst since World War II. Taysir called for greater inclusion of Global South and local NGOs in U.N. and EU policy consultations, ensuring grassroots perspectives inform global policymaking processes such as WSIS+20 and the IGF.

Insights from the Western Balkans on DSA Implementation

Bojana Kostić, human rights advocate and co-editor of Towards a Feasible Implementation of the Digital Services Act in the Western Balkans, Bojana Kostic, a human rights advocate and co-editor of ‘Towards a Feasible Implementation of the Digital Services Act in the Western Balkans,’ highlighted challenges in aligning Western Balkan countries with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). As EU candidates, these countries often adopt EU regulations through a “copy-paste” approach, but the DSA’s regulatory nature and the European Commission’s oversight make adaptation complex. Regional regulators remain largely unprepared, giving civil society space to anticipate and influence developments.

The study found a significant gap in addressing media freedom within platform regulation discussions, especially in Eastern Europe, where the DSA’s extraterritorial effects are substantial. Concerns were raised about the DSA’s lack of safeguards against misuse, particularly in authoritarian contexts, and the unresolved effectiveness of its proposed out-of-court dispute mechanisms.

Bojana stressed shifting focus from content regulation to process regulation, advocating for regional cooperation with the European Commission. She questioned whether the region has the infrastructure, such as independent regulators or media pluralism, to enforce platform rules effectively. Multilateral cooperation with the European Commission and digital service coordinators in Ireland and the Netherlands was proposed as a more feasible path than ambitious national regulations.

Future research will explore practical and rights-focused DSA adoption, particularly in safeguarding freedom of expression and ensuring data access for researchers and trusted flaggers. Bojana also highlighted the importance of global policy processes like the U.N. Summit of the Future and WSIS+20, noting this pivotal moment as all three layers of the internet undergo transformative reform.

Building Inclusive Digital Governance

The policy meeting underscored the dynamic landscape of global digital governance, shaped by frameworks like the Global Digital Compact and platforms such as WSIS+20 and IGF. It highlighted the critical need for inclusive international participation, particularly from civil societies, media organisations, and marginalised communities in regions like the Global South and Eastern Europe, to address challenges around media freedom, digital inclusion, and human rights.

With regional regulations like the Digital Services Act and EU AI Act raising concerns about misuse in authoritarian contexts, stakeholders must prioritise transparent, rights-based approaches focused on regulating processes rather than content. Strengthening regional cooperation and global engagement is essential to fostering resilient, inclusive digital ecosystems that uphold fundamental rights and ensure equitable development.

To stay updated on the latest information and engage in our coordination efforts, please do not hesitate to join our Dynamic Coalition on the Sustainability of Journalism and News Media group by visiting https://groups.io/g/dc-journalism or by sending a message to dc-journalism+subscribe@groups.io.