G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting Held
On December 1, 2023, the Digital Agency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry jointly held the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting via videoconference. The G7 members, as well as relevant international organizations participated in the meeting and discussed the Hiroshima AI Process (chair: Mr. Suzuki Junji, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications) and the DFFT (Data Free Flow with Trust) (chair: Mr. Kono Taro, Minister for Digital Transformation). Hiroshima AI Process G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Statement and DFFT G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Statement were adopted as deliverables of this meeting.
Main results of discussions at the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting
In this meeting, the G7 Digital Tech Ministers (chair: Mr. Kono Taro, Minister for Digital Transformation) discussed the outcome on the G7 vision and proposals to establish an Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP), which is an international mechanism for operationalising DFFT as was endorsed by the Hiroshima Summit in May. At the end of the meeting, "G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Statement on Operationalisation of Data Free Flow with Trust" was adopted.
The main points of the "G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Statement on Operationalisation of DFFT”, chaired by Digital Minister Kono, are as follows.
- The G7 reaffirmed that the IAP will bring together a community of data governance experts from various backgrounds, including governments, stakeholders, and data protection authorities, to contribute to the promotion of the cross-border flow of personal and non-personal data to operationalise DFFT, including the proposal of practical solutions to support policy development and other responses to a variety of problems related to data transfer and sharing in a cross-border context.
- The G7 calls on the IAP to be built upon the vision and proposals outlined in the Ministers’ Statement and in the Annex (“Concept Paper on Establishing an Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) on Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and Note on G7 Expectation”), launching initial projects and making tangible progress, collaborating with other international and regional organizations in terms of broadening expertise and inclusiveness of participants according to the themes of projects, and update and exchange on progress, next steps and priorities and collaborate with G7 upon invitation to support our collective efforts to operationalise DFFT.
- Based on the G7’s view that the OECD is well-suited to advance these international efforts, G7 welcomes discussions regarding the establishment of an IAP at the OECD. In this regard, G7 looks forward to Japan's chairmanship at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in 2024.
- The G7 welcomes Italy as the next G7 Presidency, entrusting them with the responsibility of taking over and advancing the agenda for DFFT and establishing the IAP, which Japan has been promoting during its G7 Presidency.
In our increasingly digitalized world, data is vital to people's lives. It is crucial to promote the free flow of data while protecting privacy, security, and intellectual property. The focus is on trust, particularly in the "T" of DFFT. Globally, major countries are stepping up their efforts to ensure proper acquisition and use of data generated within their borders. They are also investing in technology and data linkage platforms to efficiently produce and utilize data.
Ensuring stable and reliable access to data generated both domestically and internationally is crucial for the growth of the Japanese economy and the maintenance of social infrastructure as the country advances with digitalization. We aim to contribute to the structuring of international data governance by operationalising DFFT, protecting the fundamental interests such as privacy and security effectively in digitalization while allowing industries and various stakeholders to innovate and compete in fair and secure conditions.
G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Statement
- G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Statement on Operationalisation of Data Free Flow with Trust （PDF/156KB）
- Annex: Concept Paper on Establishing an Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) on Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and Note on G7 Expectation （PDF/164KB）