Blog 3 – The Role of Data Infrastructure: The Global Digital Compact Lens

The United Nations (UN) Global Digital Compact (GDC) presents a comprehensive framework of principles, objectives, and actions for a trustworthy, safe, and inclusive future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as highlighted in Blog 1 of this series. One of the core ideals of this vision lies in the strength and accessibility of data infrastructures. These systems – responsible for collecting, storing, managing, and sharing vast amounts of data – are the foundation of emerging technologies.

Data Across the GDC Objectives

Data governance and infrastructures are core components of the modern digital ecosystem, which includes the convergence of technologies. The GDC commits to advancing responsible, equitable, and interoperable data governance approaches. This objective reiterates the urgency for strengthened data governance cooperation between national, regional, and international frameworks.

The GDC has outlined several critical priorities to address data governance from the lens of accessibility and equity. It emphasizes that common data standards and interoperable exchanges are essential to overcoming data divides, including gender and geographical gaps, which can lead to biased results and unequal distribution of benefits. To mitigate these risks, the GDC advocates for open data initiatives that are managed collaboratively by all stakeholders, including communities and individuals, thereby promoting more equitable access to data.

Furthermore, the GDC recognizes the importance of secure and trusted cross-border data flows as a key driver of the digital economy, particularly benefiting micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. It calls for the development of innovative, interoperable, and inclusive mechanisms to facilitate data flows between countries, ensuring mutual benefit while upholding data protection, privacy safeguards, and relevant legal frameworks. These efforts are aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17, which advocates for global partnerships to foster sustainable development.

Beyond this objective, which specifically addresses data governance, the GDC highlights various data-related initiatives to support its other objectives. For example, the first objective of the GDC is to “close all digital divides and accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.” A critical aspect of this is addressing the data divide, which refers to the widening gap between parties who have access to and control of data and those who do not.

Significantly, under this first objective, the GDC recognizes data initiatives for Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) as ‘key drivers of inclusive digital transformation and innovation” and calls for renewed attention and investment by 2030.’

Digital Public Infrastructures

DPGs and DPIs are tangible goods and services that can empower societies and individuals by giving them greater control over innovation and digital development. Often compared to roads and bridges, DPIs are the building blocks of a core digital system curated to serve people. DPGs include open-source software, open data, and open artificial intelligence models. Open models can offer more accessible pathways to innovation, giving new and diverse developers greater control and fostering inclusive growth in emerging technologies. While there are various models of DPIs, the GDC does not prescribe a single approach. Instead, it facilitates the development of diverse and trustworthy models, recognizing that countries are at different stages of progress in building their own infrastructures. Alongside prioritizing investment in DPI initiatives for developing nations, the GDC promotes multi-stakeholder partnerships to design and implement solutions that leverage them to advance the SDGs.

A recent publication and podcast episode with Dr. Pramod Varma by the Centre for Trustworthy Technology assesses the potential of one promising model: Open Transaction Networks (OTN). OTNs are a decentralized approach to network architecture driven by open protocols allowing for a more dynamic exchange of information and resources. OTNs hold vast potential for scaling more collaborative, efficient, and inclusive systems by upholding the tenets of accessibility and interoperability in their structure. Pilot initiatives across continents have showcased the potential for countries with early-stage DPIs to unlock inclusive growth through OTNs. The paper showcases progress in Brazil, India, and the Gambia to build more inclusive digital commerce ecosystems for small businesses through OTNs. For instance, Brazil has introduced the first city-wide OTN to unlock transactions in upskilling and employment opportunities. OTNs are a salient example of how innovative approaches to DPIs can spark innovation and inclusive growth in economies while allowing communities to drive equitable development.

Given the range of DPI models, a principled values-based approach to governance and design is appropriate guidance rather than implementation guidance. Different models may suit the needs of a people or user base. DPIs are still in their early stages, presenting a unique opportunity to develop these systems with a focus on human-centered, empowered design. To complement the adoption of the GDC, the Universal Digital Public Infrastructure Safeguards Framework has been introduced as a guide for building safe and inclusive DPIs. The framework provides a set of actionable guidelines with 300 processes and practices to help practitioners address “structural vulnerabilities, such as digital distrust, weak rule of law, weak institutions, technical shortcomings, and unsustainability.” The framework hopes to offer actionable guidance for the promise of the inclusive digital transformation that digital public infrastructures can hold.

Forging An Inclusive and Sustainable Data Future

The GDC bridges the principles of an inclusive and sustainable data future to tangible objectives and a range of actions, from technical to political. The guidance of the GDC and the DPI framework offers a renewed urgency and agency in the field of data infrastructures. This moment presents a critical opportunity for renewed research, advocacy, and the piloting of innovative programs that can unlock the full potential of these systems.

As the foundation of emerging technologies like AI, data infrastructures must be designed, governed, and managed with transparency, accessibility, and security to advance societal trust. It is this steadfast commitment that will enable data systems to function with integrity, ensure that AI evolves ethically, and guarantee that DPIs and DPGs are inclusive and equitable for all. The GDC’s framework paves the way for a future where data is not only a tool for innovation but also a force for good—driving sustainable development, fostering inclusive growth, and ensuring that the digital age benefits all of humanity.