Source: BMDV
On November 21 and 22, Federal Digital Minister Dr. Volker Wissing invited his partner countries to the first conference of the international digital dialogues in Berlin. During the two-day conference, international representatives from politics, science, civil society and business discussed how international cooperation on key digital policy issues can be strengthened in the interests of democratic values.
The conference focused on the topics of artificial intelligence, the fight against disinformation and safeguarding the free and open internet worldwide. Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing: “Digitalisation offers enormous opportunities for innovation, growth and progress. However, international coordination is essential to fully exploit this potential. At a time when authoritarian states are trying to control the Internet, it is crucial to forge global alliances to protect the free and open Internet. Only through coordinated action can we counteract network blocking and censorship, ensure fair international competition and guarantee legal certainty for companies. The rules for the global Internet must not be dictated by a few countries, but must be developed jointly. We agree with our partner countries that we will strengthen the multi-stakeholder approach and coordinate our efforts internationally.” The Digital Dialogues of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDV) are a key instrument for promoting digital policy cooperation with third countries outside the European Union. They provide a framework for the exchange of digital agendas and the development of common positions for multilateral forums. The overarching goal is to help shape internet governance at an international level, create innovation-friendly framework conditions and strengthen economic cooperation.