[digital.global] in dialogue
The [digital.global] network brings together more than 100 stakeholders from politics, the private sector, civil society and academia in Germany, our partner countries and our multilateral partner system.
As a platform for all stakeholders driving a socio-ecological and feminist digital transformation, the network thrives on its strong partnerships and continuous exchange. Its aim is to harness the innovative power of the digital economy for development policy goals by responding to the needs of partner countries. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is in constant dialogue with its initiatives and partners to adapt technical and financial cooperation to the constantly changing challenges of the ongoing digital transformation in all areas of life.
-
Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2025
The Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) is a global gathering of leaders and changemakers from governments, international organisations, businesses, civil society, and academia. Together, they co-create innovative solutions for a sustainable and fair future. The next conference is scheduled for 2-3 June 2025.
HSC is organised by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Michael Otto Foundation and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
One of the focus areas of the HSC is responsible artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation. This initiative promotes responsible and accessible AI that fosters sustainable development, is human-centered, advances gender equality and protects the climate and environment. During the 2024 conference, UNDP, BMZ and partners announced a global platform to harness the potential of responsible AI for sustainable development.
Key milestones include:
- Agreement on shared principles for the human-centric design and use of AI to support the SDGs.
- The launch of the AI SDG Compendium, a global database showcasing how AI can contribute to sustainable development.
The upcoming Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs represents a collaborative effort to define how AI can create meaningful development outcomes for all. The Declaration promotes an optimistic vision: fostering equal partnerships across all sectors and societies, with a special emphasis on empowering emerging communities. It includes a set of voluntary commitments endorsed by a diverse group of stakeholders and will be finalised at the 2025 HSC.
more InformationWatch 2024’s Panel
-
World Bank Global Digital Summit 2025
The World Bank‘s Global Digital Summit 2025 will take place in Washington DC, USA from 17 to 20 March 2025 under the theme ‘Digital Pathways for All’. It is the second edition of the Global Digital Summit, which was launched in March 2024. The Summit is funded through the Digital Development Partnership (DDP), which serves as a platform for exchange between DDP partners, the World Bank and World Bank clients on digital development.
High-level speakers include:
- Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank
- Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of IFC
- Sangbu Kim, Vice President for Digital Transformation of the World Bank
- Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation
- Vivek Badrinath, Director General of GSMA
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of ITU
The latest projects and innovations in the digital sector are part of an exhibition with 24 private companies and partners, including the BMZ initiative GovStack, which will be exhibiting on 19 March.
The Digital Development Partnership is a World Bank initiative supported by development partners aiming to advance digital transformation in low- and middle-income countries by building strong digital foundations and enablers while facilitating use cases for digital economies to thrive. BMZ and GIZ are supporting the Multi-Donor-Trust-Fund since 2021, with a focus on the digital and green twin transition.
You want to learn more about our partnership with the World Bank on digital development? Have a look at last year’s results in the Digital Development Partnership (DDP) Annual Review 2024.
-
Creative Bureaucracy Festival: Digital Kick-Off Day
As a prelude to the Creative Bureaucracy Festival in June, the Digital Kick-Off Day on 13 March will showcase innovative and creative solutions for administration. The event is free of charge and will take place online.
Workshop ‘Data to Policy Simplified: Mapping Challenges, Crafting Solutions’
10-11:30 a.m.Data2Policy and UNDP will host an interactive session, designed to bridge the gap between data and policymaking. Led by Alena Klatte (UNDP) and Geeti Patwal (GIZ), the workshop explores global challenges such as climate change and youth employment, and how data is being leveraged for better governance in addressing them. Participants will gain hands-on insights and learn about practical strategies and tools—like the Data to Policy Navigator—to strengthen data-driven policy approaches within their organisations.
MORE INFORMATION Register here for the workshop
-
GSMA Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2025
The Mobile World Congress (MWC), one of the world’s largest events in the field of mobile communications and connectivity, will take place in Barcelona from 3 to 6 March. The annual congress is organised by the GSM Association (GSMA), an international association for the mobile communications industry.
Under this year’s theme ‘Converge. Connect. Create.’, over 2,700 international representatives from business, government and technology companies and more than 100,000 visitors will come together to discuss technical innovations.
This year’s focus is on the following six key topics:
- 5G Inside
- Connect X
- AI+
- Enterprise Re-invented
- Game Changers
- Our Digital DNA
We look forward to:
- Roundtable organised by Smart Africa in the run-up to the congress on 2 March
- Session ‘Digital Agriculture for the Underserved: Adaptive User Research and Impact’ | 5 March, 10:30-11:30 CET
The session will focus on digital solutions for the agricultural sector that are specifically tailored to farmers’ needs. Practical examples will be used to show how user-centred research and monitoring and evaluation can help to design and scale digital solutions more effectively. FAIR Forward will present the ‘Agricultural Information Exchange Platform’ (AIEP), co-funded by the Gates Foundation.
-
RightsCon 2025
The 13th edition of RightsCon will take place from 24 to 27 Frebruary in Taipei, Taiwan and online. This global event brings together policymakers, private sector representatives, academics, digital ecosystem stakeholders, and activists to discuss pressing challenges and innovative solutions at the intersection of technology and human rights.
With over 550 sessions on topics such as “Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies”, “Internet Access and Inclusion”, “Governance, Politics, and Elections” and many more, RightsCon serves as a platform for dialogue and collaboration towards a more open and inclusive digital future.
We look forward to our contributions:
FAIR Foward will participate in the session “Navigating GeoAI for climate action: potential and pitfalls”, hosted by the Digital Futures Lab. Speakers include:
- Ruth Schmidt, FAIR Forward, GIZ
- Dona Mathew, Digital Futures Lab
- Pyrou Chung, Knowledge for Development (K4D) Foundation
- Katya Abazaijan, Local Data Futures Initiatives
KfW will present the Digital Rights Check, a tool developed by KfW and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in collaboration with the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR). The aim is to sensitise professionals to potential human rights impacts in digital projects in intergovernmental financial development cooperation.
Together with ARTICLE 19, GIZ will host the session “Discourse, data, disinformation—exploring ideas for protecting information integrity together”, bringing together experts to discuss key regulatory reforms, self-regulatory measures, and multi-stakeholder approaches to combat disinformation and strengthen information integrity.
-
Handelsblatt GovTech Summit 2025
The Handelsblatt GovTech Summit will take place from 19-20 February under the motto ‘Germany on a digital race to catch up’. The annual event brings together representatives from politics, administration and the digital economy to develop strategies for a sustainable, digital state. The focus is on best practices, fostering partnerships and innovation for the digitalisation of the public sector.
Global Cooperation, Local Resilience: Strengthening Digital Public Infrastructure
On 20 February 2025, 2:40 – 3:10 p.m. (CET), leading experts will discuss the crucial role of digital public infrastructure (DPI) in advancing digital sovereignty and societal resilience in the session ‘Digital Public Infrastructure: Open Source as a Driver of Digital Sovereignty’. This session will explore national and international initiatives—including the GovStack Initiative, the Sovereign Tech Agency (STA), and the Center for Digital Sovereignty (ZenDiS)—and how open source solutions and global collaboration can drive the future of DPI.
Speakers:
- Andrea Donath, GovStack Initiative
- Adriana Groh, Sovereign Tech Agency
- Jutta Horstmann, ZenDiS
Join us for this insightful discussion!
-
AI Action Summit Side Event: “Towards the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs”
UNDP and BMZ are organizing a side event called “Towards the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs” at the AI Action Summit in Paris on 11 February.
Contribute Your Voice: Shaping Responsible AI for the SDGs
Join key stakeholders and innovators at this pivotal side event to explore how AI can drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This interactive session is your opportunity to shape the upcoming Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs, ensuring AI is leveraged responsibly and inclusively for sustainable development.
What to expect
This event is a follow-up to the ‘Responsible AI’ session at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (7-8 October 2024). It is an informal convening bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to exchange ideas and identify concrete inputs for the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. It aims to foster a shared understanding of how AI can be responsibly and inclusively leveraged to support the SDGs.
© Hamburg Sustainability Conference The discussion will focus on gathering concrete inputs aligned with the five key areas of action — People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership — of the 2030 Agenda, which form the foundation for sustainable development. A draft declaration will be shared in advance, which will allow participants to review and provide informed comments during the discussion. Participants will therefore have the opportunity to actively contribute to shaping the Declaration.
The event serves as a pivotal steppingstone leading up to further discussions (possibly at the Global AI Summit in Africa in April in Rwanda) and the adoption of the declaration at the next Hamburg Sustainability Conference in June 2025.
How to participate
UNDP and BMZ cordially invite interested stakeholders from all sectors to participate in the side event. Committed to diversity and inclusivity, we encourage active engagement, particularly from stakeholders from the Global South.
For inquiries, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
-
World Economic Forum 2025: Launch of the “FemAI Leaders for Africa Initiative”
The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will take place from January 20 to 24 in Davos, Switzerland, under the theme ‘Collaboration for the Intelligent Age’. This annual event brings together around 3,000 leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society to address global challenges and explore pathways for positive change.
Anna Sophie Herken, Managing Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, will open the launch event of the ‘FemAI Leaders for Africa Initiative’. This initiative is a collaboration between GIZ and the global network Women Political Leaders (WPL) with the aim to empower African women political leaders with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to drive inclusive and ethical artificial intelligence (AI) governance, to bring diverse perspectives to global AI discussions, and to promote innovative solutions.
Panelists include:
- Anna Sophie Herken, Managing Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
- Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO, Smart Africa
- Annemarie Hou, Executive Director, United Nations Partnerships
- Silvana Koch-Mehrin, Founder and President, Women Political Leaders (WPL)
- Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Chair, WPL Board
- Nima Elmi, Vice President, Strategy and Policy, EMEA, Circle Internet Financial; Co-Founder, The Africa Dialogues
-
Internet Governance Forum 2024
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024 will take place from 15 to 19 December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and online under the theme of ‘Building Our Multi-Stakeholder Digital Future’. As the most important multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue on internet governance, the IGF brings together representatives from politics, business, academia and civil society to discuss key issues at the intersection of digitalisation and society.
A special highlight this year: UNDP and BMZ will launch the consultation process on the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs on 15 December from 11:30 to 12:30 CET. After further consultations, the declaration will eventually be presented at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2025 on 2 and 3 June. The aim of the declaration is to develop common principles and concrete commitments for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI). Topics such as justice, inclusion and sustainability are at the centre of this action. All stakeholders are kindly invited to join the consultation process.
MORE INFORMATIONgo to Livestream
-
Webinar: Digital labour platforms—Bridging economic development and worker protection
Digital labour platforms are a growing form of work, offering new opportunities for income generation but also posing challenges to achieving universal social protection (SDG 1) and decent work for all (SDG 8). The first webinar in the series on Social Protection and the Platform Economy, organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the International Social Security Association (ISSA) underscores the importance of shaping policies that balance economic growth with worker protection in the rapidly evolving platform economy.
The digital labour platform economy is transforming labour markets and economic structures globally. Digital Platforms contribute significantly to GDP in many countries, with recent studies estimating the global value in 2023 to be worth 455 billion US dollars. These platforms offer new income-generating opportunities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, being attractive drivers of economic and social transformation. However, the lack of adequate labor and social protections for platform workers presents significant challenges. It is estimated that both location-based and online platform workers present low rates of social protection coverage.
This first webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the platform economy’s development, exploring its potential as a driver of economic growth while examining the inherent challenges it poses, particularly in terms of labour rights and social protection. Discussing how governments can harness the platform economy’s potential while addressing the regulatory gaps to safeguard workers’ rights.
-
Smart Africa Delegation trip Berlin – Brussels 26.11.-5.12.2024
Meeting among good friends: The centrepiece of Smart Africa's visit was the exchange on intensified cooperation with the BMZ - including within the framework of the EU-AU lighthouse on data governance. © copyright “AI is no longer a dream of the future – it is happening now and we need to be prepared. Those who don’t adapt to AI will be left behind by those who do”.
Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa at the BMZ Digital Forum
Artificial intelligence is also a hot topic for Smart Africa at the moment – which is why Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, gave an inspiring speech at the BMZ Digital Forum on 26 November in Berlin, passionately promoting African AI solutions. Koné’s appearance also marked the start of the Smart Africa delegation’s visit to Berlin and Brussels to deepen the partnership between Germany, Europe and Africa in the field of digital transformation. Smart Africa is an association of 40 African countries committed to digitalisation and is one of the most important contacts for German development cooperation in this area.
Further Information: BMZ Digital Forum: AI revolution in development cooperation?
November 26-27, 2024, Berlin
© copyright
© copyright
© copyright
28 November – 29 November 2024, Berlin
Smart Africa, Nice Budani
Smart Africa, Nice Budani
Smart Africa, Nice Budani
2 Dec – 4 Dec 2024, Brussels
After intensive and successful talks in Berlin, Smart Africa travelled on to Brussels, where it met with the EU and the Digital for Development Hub to exchange ideas for an African digital single market and closer cooperation between Africa and the EU. The concrete result: the signing of an agreement to support the digital transformation on our neighbouring continent. With: Koen Doens, Director General of DG INTPA of the European Commission and Renate Nikolay, Director General of DG CONNECT.
© copyright
© copyright
© copyright
“This ground-breaking collaboration with the European Commission is a powerful alliance that combines the strengths of both organisations. This agreement will open up significant opportunities to improve digital infrastructure, skills development and digital innovation across Africa. Our combined commitment and resources will create concrete pathways to digital inclusion and ensure that every African community can participate in and benefit from the digital economy.”
Lacina Koné, CEO Smart Africa
4 Dec. 2024, Berlin
Back to Berlin: Development Minister Svenja Schulze invited Lacina Koné to the conference Rethinking Development Policy: How to deal with coloniality. The aim of the BMZ’s current process of overcoming colonial continuities is to learn from the legacy of colonialism and to build on this to create fair, partnership-based relations with the countries of the Global South.
© Nils Meinhardt
“Whether you speak Portuguese, French or English, digitalisation is a cross-cutting issue that you don’t necessarily learn from the colonial power, because the colonial power itself is usually too late. That is why we take digitisation in Africa very seriously. Colonial development affected the whole physical infrastructure. It will be difficult to tackle technology. I think the decolonisation of development and knowledge is crucial.”
Lacina Koné, CEO Smart Africa
About Smart Africa
Smart Africa, an alliance of 40 African heads of state and government, aims to transform Africa into a knowledge-based economy through affordable broadband access and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The aim is to create a digital single market on the African continent by 2030. The main players: African member states, private companies such as Google, Orange and Huawei, political partners such as the German Development Ministry (BMZ), the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), the World Bank and the European Union.
-
International Digital Dialogues Conference
The German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport cordially invites you to the first International Digital Dialogues Conference under the theme “Shaping digital policy together”. It will take place on 21 and 22 November 2024 in Berlin.
The conference will convene over 100 selected representatives from all Digital Dialogues’ partner countries – from the public and private sector, civil society and academia. The event will stimulate an international dialogue on current digital policy issues. Focus topics include sustaining a free internet, digital public infrastructure (DPI), the digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI) in the super election year 2024.
The GovStack initiative will be part of the working group “Digital Public Infrastructure for Social Inclusion”. Katharina Mänz, Deputy Head of Division – Digital Technologies, is taking part in the working group as a panellist.
-
GovStack at the Tallinn Digital Summit
The Tallinn Digital Summit 2024, hosted by the Prime Minister of Estonia, will take place on 19-20 November at the Tallinn Creative Hub (Kultuurikatel) under the theme “Securing the Digital Tomorrow”. This annual event brings together political leaders, representatives from international organisations, academia, and the private sector to advance the vision of a connected, digital future.
GovStack will be hosting the session “Bridging the Digital Divide: GovStack as the DPI Implementation Stack for Global Interoperability and Digital Governance”, exploring how open, modular digital building blocks can create interoperable, inclusive, and scalable digital ecosystems to bridge the global digital divide. The session will be held on 19 November, 1-2:30 CET in the small hall.
As the adoption of digital public infrastructure (DPI) grows, a key question emerges: Can global frameworks like GovStack become the standard for DPI, fostering secure, cross-border collaboration that strengthens digital governance and empowers communities? We will dive into this question, sharing insights into GovStack’s innovative building-block approach and its impact on sustainable digital transformation in regions from Rwanda to India. We are excited to announce that Katharina Mänz, Deputy Head of Division for Digital Technologies at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) will kick off the GovStack session with her opening remarks on the power and potential of DPI.
Join the discussion with the following experts:
- Katharina Mänz, Deputy Head of Division – Digital Technologies, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Dr Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Kristo Vaher, CTO, GovStack
- Claudia Olivieira, Programme Manager, EU Policies, European Commission (DG DIGIT)
- Maria Leek, Team Lead, European Commission, DG DIGIT
- Chloe Teevan, Head of Digital Economy and Governance, ECDPM
- Laura Sigelmann, Digital Government Lead, USAID
-
5th UN World Data Forum
The aim of the UN World Data Forum is to promote data innovation, strengthen partnerships, mobilize political and financial support for data, and create a pathway to better data for sustainable development.
This year’s Forum will take place from November 12 to 15, 2024, in Medellín, Colombia. The BMZ Data Lab will participate at the advisor level and moderate the panel “Empowering Vulnerable Entrepreneurs: DataDriven Business Strategy for Inclusive Digital Transformation” organised by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Colombia.
-
Paris Peace Forum | 7th Edition
From 11-12 November 2024, the seventh edition of the Paris Peace Forum will take place in Paris, this year under the theme “Wanted: A Functioning Global Order”. In addition to topics such as global crises, political tensions and multilateralism, future shaping digital topics of will also play a decisive role. These include global governance on artificial intelligence and digital public goods and their influence on cooperation between the global North and South.
The global programme Data2Policy will showcase the Data to Policy Navigator at a dedicated stand alongside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). As the first GIZ project selected for the SCALE-Up programme by the Paris Peace Forum, Data2Policy will present the Navigator as a certified digital public good, highlighting its role in fostering North-South collaboration and advancing evidence-based policymaking. This milestone underscores the Navigator’s unique contribution to bridging data and policy for sustainable global development.
