Internet Governance > Global Digital Compact News Update
Global Digital Compact Endorsement
Following the consensus adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) on 22 September 2024, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology (OSET) announced that the GDC is open to all stakeholders for endorsement to engage in the realization of an open, safe, and secure digital future for all.
On 24 October 2024, the OSET organized two townhalls to provide an explanation of the next steps for the implementation of the GDC, including the expectations and requirements for the GDC endorsement. As detailed in their timeline, the endorsement will remain open on a rolling basis, but they will begin reflecting the list of endorsers as soon as December 2024. The Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) intends to share the Compact implementation map by Q1 of 2025 (to be annexed in the annual CSTD resolution), with implementation planned for mid-2025 alongside the WSIS+20 Review process through 2027.
How the Internet Society Understands the Endorsement Opportunity
Endorsement of the Global Digital Compact requires organizations to endorse the Compact’s vision (para 1-6) and principles (para 8) and allows organizations to distinguish which objectives and action areas they support. The endorsement also prompts organizations to detail activities that they are carrying out or plan to undertake that are relevant to the Compact’s objectives and commitments. This will inform the EOSG’s implementation roadmap in early 2025.
We understand that by endorsing the GDC, organizations are expressing their support for the vision and principles of the Global Digital Compact, so endorsement would not require organizations to support the implementation of all of the commitments outlined. The OSET has opened endorsements for contributions from the private sector, technical communities, academia, and civil society to achieve digital cooperation. Endorsers will, in effect, become ambassadors of the Compact to champion the principles reflected.
Supporting the Implementation of the Compact
Organizations that are hesitant to endorse the Compact are provided an opportunity to support the implementation of relevant objectives and commitments without endorsing the principles and visions of the GDC. The prompt allows organizations to identify the specific objectives and commitments they would like to support after bypassing the expression of interest in endorsement. We understand this to be, in effect, a way for stakeholders to flag interest in the next steps and signal their priorities to the UN, which will be taken into account in the implementation roadmap.
As mentioned above, those who express interest in endorsement by mid-December will be publicly listed in early 2025 in the annex of the annual CSTD resolution, but the endorsement will remain open on a rolling basis. So, we understand expressions of interest in supporting relevant objectives and action areas, without endorsing the principles and visions of the GDC, will not be disclosed. When the implementation roadmap is shared, we anticipate that the Compact’s ambitions will be supported by working groups designated to address each of the objectives exclusively.
Additionally, during the townhall the OSET clarified that if organizations forgo expressing any interest in supporting implementation or endorsement, they would still be welcomed in the next phases of follow-up and implementation. This week the OSET has shared further detail in their explanatory note for organizations considering endorsing.
Defending the Multistakeholder Model
As outlined in the NETmundial+10 outcome document, multilateral processes must enhance their efforts in sharing the scope of their work and publish a commitment regarding transparency, including timelines, highlighting critical opportunities for participation, and so on. As part of that commitment, the OSET has expressed their intentions to organize regular townhalls to inform and discuss the progress of the whole-of-UN in implementation (contact [email protected] for more information). Additionally, for the GDC follow-up, we see more of an opportunity to better showcase how contributions were made, evaluated, and incorporated into the process, especially in relation to differing and divergent views.
Are you considering endorsing the Global Digital Compact? Let us know at: [email protected].