History of DFFT

2019 - Japan, G20 OSAKA Summit

At the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in January 2019 at Davos, Japan proposed to create an international order for the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT). After this proposal, the concept of DFFT has been discussed at multiple international diplomatic forums and among private sectors. At G20 OSAKA Summit in 2019, the concept of DFFT was mentioned for the first time among G20 leaders.

2021 - U.K., G7 Roadmap for Cooperation

G7 Roadmap for Cooperation on DFFT was formulated at the G7 Digital and Technology Ministerial Meeting held in U.K., April 2021, and approved at the G7 Summit in June 2021. In addition, after having approval by the G20 Digital and Technology Ministerial Meeting in August 2021, G20 Summit held in October of the same year reaffirmed the importance and challenges of the DFFT.

2022 - Germany, G7 Action Plan

G7 Action Plan for promoting DFFT was also formulated at the G7 Digital Ministerial Meeting held in Germany, May 2022 and outlines an agenda that is expected to be continued at the next G7 in Japan.

2023 - Japan, Establishment of IAP

At the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting in Takasaki, Gunma in April, 2023, it was agreed for the first time to establish an international framework with a permanent secretariat to facilitate the DFFT. At the G7 Hiroshima 2023 the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) was also endorsed by G7 leaders along with the G7 Vision for Operationalizing DFFT and its Priorities, which were attached to the Ministerial Declaration. The IAP brings together governments and stakeholders to implement DFFT through principles-based, solutions-oriented, evidence-based, multistakeholder, and cross-border flow of data.