The Third Ministerial Japan-UK Digital Partnership Council held
- Published:
Published on January 22, 2025
The Third Ministerial Japan-UK Digital Partnership Council took place via videoconference on January 22, 2025. In attendance were the Digital Agency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of the Government of Japan and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology of the Government of the United Kingdom (hereafter "Both Participants”).
Summary of the Council
Japan was represented by Mr. Kishi Nobuchiyo, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Digital Transformation of Digital Agency, Mr. Adachi Masashi, State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and Mr. Koga Yuichiro, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, while the UK was represented by Ms. Margaret Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Future Digital Economy and Online Safety.
During the council, Both Participants affirmed progress of collaboration over the past year in the digital field under the Partnership and issued the Joint Statement outlining the strategic direction for the next phase of the Partnership.
Main points of the Joint Statement
1. Semiconductors
Both Participants commit to continue to cooperate on supply chain resilience and foster R&D and commercial collaboration between Japan and the UK stakeholders in areas including compound semiconductors, semiconductor design, and photonics.
2. AI
Recognizing the importance of international AI governance, Both Participants committed to the Hiroshima AI Process Friends group in May 2024 and agreement of the Council of Europe Convention on AI. Bilateral policy exchanges on AI rules and regulation will also continue to drive interoperability where appropriate.
Japan and the UK’s AI Safety Institutes have built a strong and enduring relationship that has facilitated knowledge exchange on AI safety.
3. Future telecoms and diversification
The Japan-UK Telecoms Policy Dialogue was held in November 2024. This meeting reaffirmed joint objectives on advancing future telecoms technologies (Beyond 5G/6G), promoting supply chain diversification through Open RAN, and exploring the role of governments in shaping future telecom networks through participation in technical standards development.
4. Cyber Resilience
To align with the result of the 8th Japan-UK Cyber Dialogue held in September 2024, Both Participants will focus on ensuring interoperability of schemes for IoT product security, as well as sharing knowledge on security measures evaluation of SMEs.
5. Data
Both Participants continue to work closely in multilateral fora such as the G7 and OECD to champion the operationalization of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and address barriers to cross-border data transfers. They promote interoperability of data governance, which includes deepening their common understanding of data security in the context of DFFT.
6. Digital Government Transformation
In July 2024, the Digital Agency hosted a series of virtual knowledge sharing sessions with the UK’s Government Digital Service. These sessions allowed thematic experts to exchange learning from Japan and the UK, including on the Digital Marketplace and benefits of Government Cloud to reduce costs and increase operational productivity.