France has always stood on the side of digital governance

Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

We are witnessing an unprecedented acceleration in the development of digital technologies. Nearly 5.4 billion people are now connected to the internet. Artificial intelligence has burst into our lives and economies over the past year, and continues to expand its capabilities. And other digital revolutions, such as quantum computing, are coming in their wake.

All these technologies represent tremendous potential for the growth of our economies, for the development of an information society on a global scale and for better management of our global public goods – whether we think of the climate, biodiversity or global health.

However, despite these technological advances, the expected results in terms of sustainable development are not there. The digital divide persists on a global scale – almost 1/3 of the world’s population is not online – and within our countries; access of women and girls to technologies is still too low; and the economic benefits of digital technology remain distributed very unevenly due to a concentration of technical capabilities, investments and sometimes access to data within a few large global companies.

The technological revolutions we are experiencing are also accompanied by real challenges, whether it is the spread of disinformation and hate speech on digital platforms; protecting children’s rights online; the protection of personal data; or even the profound transformations in the world of work brought about by digital technology.

Faced with these challenges, France has always stood on the side of digital governance that we want to be effective, inclusive, multi-stakeholder and aligned with the objectives of sustainable development. This is the meaning of the Christchurch Call launched in 2019 by President Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to work hand in hand with digital platforms towards a more responsible digital environment; this is the meaning of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence launched in 2019 and which today brings together more than 40 partners from the North and South and researchers from around the world to define a common approach to artificial intelligence. And it is this same objective that has enabled the European Union to equip itself with robust frameworks to combine user protection and support for digital innovation and commerce.

France welcomes the adoption of the Global Digital Pact, which constitutes a decisive step on the path towards this digital governance that we so need. It will make all necessary efforts to ensure full respect for international law in the digital space and build the partnerships necessary to put new technologies at the service of sustainable development.

France welcomes the significant commitments made on the artificial intelligence front, for the establishment of an international independent scientific panel and the creation of a high-level political dialogue. In perfect alignment with the Global Digital Pact, France supports an approach to artificial intelligence that is based on a common scientific consensus, shared technical standards, and solutions open and accessible to as many people as possible.

It is in this spirit that France will organize a Summit for Action on Artificial Intelligence in Paris on February 10 and 11, which will bring together heads of state and government, businesses and representatives of civil society. from the 5 continents. In continuation of the Global Digital Pact and in line with the discussions on its implementation which are opening here, the Summit will be an opportunity to identify decisive actions to put artificial intelligence at the service of all and our Agenda 2030.

Thank you.