Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) hosted the first Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting in India, as a part of India’s Presidency of the G20(Group of Twenty) from 13th to 15th February 2023 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
The DEWG meeting in India showcased India’s digital transformation journey and brought together G20 members, key knowledge partners, and guest countries to discuss digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital skilling.
- The Chair of G20-DEWG was Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- It was Co-Chaired by Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY.
- The DEWG meeting in UP is the first of four events scheduled to be conducted in India. 3 more physical events will be held at Hyderabad (Telangana), Pune (Maharashtra) and Bengaluru (Karnataka).
Participants:
- G20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Türkiye, United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA).
- 8 Guest Countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates(UAE).
- International Organizations: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Highlights:
i.Five workshops were held as a part of the meeting. These covered various topics related to digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions for MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises), sustainable development goals, and the use of geospatial technologies.
ii.Digital initiatives from the state of Uttar Pradesh were also showcased.
iii.During the 3 day meeting of the working group, the G20 members, guest countries and international organisations discussed on 3 priority areas identified by India:
“Digital Public Infrastructure”, “Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy”, and “Digital Skilling”.
iv.The participants went on an excursion to Bara Imambara, a historic monument that is widely considered an architectural masterpiece.
v.The final meeting was focused on the priority of Digital Skilling where India proposed mechanisms for digitally skilled future ready workforce.
- The member nations appreciated the inclusion of digital skilling in the DEWG agenda.
MeitY & UNDP partners to drive action on digital public infrastructure during G20 Presidency:
MeitY, Government of India(GoI), has partnered with UNDP to drive collective action on digital public infrastructure during India’s G20 Presidency.
This partnership aims to catalyse knowledge and action in the digital space to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
Key Points:
i.India’s G20 Presidency offers an opportunity to steer this vital global agenda through global digital cooperation.
ii.UNDP is a part of this efforts and will continue to coordinate with the UN system and the broader development community to explore synergies and bring new capabilities to focus equally on technologies, technology governance, and local digital ecosystems required for implementing digital public infrastructure.
Digital public infrastructure:
i.Digital public infrastructure is powered by open and interoperable standards, designed and implemented with people at the centre, is stepping in as a critical enabler to shorten the learning curve and lower implementation costs, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
ii.Digital public infrastructure is open for all countries to adopt, reuse and replicate.
iii.The Digital public infrastructure drives innovation, competition and inclusion, and is governed by enabling rules and relies on a technology layer, governance framework and a multistakeholder ecosystem.
Recent Related News:
i.India’s Civil 20 Engagement Group (C20), the official engagement group of India’s G20 (Group of 20) leadership representing the voices of non-profit, voluntary citizens’ groups in service to society, was inaugurated at Amritapuri in Kollam, Kerala.
ii.Meghalaya Governor BD Mishra, announced that as a part of the G20 (Group of 20) programme, Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is set to host the Space 20 programme on 17th and 18th April 2023. The Space20 programme will discuss the contribution of the space partnerships to the economy of the countries.
About G20 India 2023:
India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
Theme– ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth · One Family · One Future’
Secretariat– New Delhi, Delhi
G20 Sherpa– Amitabh Kant
