Digital Inclusion: From Ideas to Action

Inclusion is the lighthouse of Brazil’s G20 presidency. In the few months following the handover of the G20 leadership after India’s presidency, Brazil has spearheaded an inclusive process providing a space for a wide range of stakeholders, especially the civil society, to engage with the G20 deliberations. As digital transformation and the spread of new and emerging technologies gathers pace, Brazil’s inclusive approach and leadership of the G20 will set the agenda for the foreseeable future.

Cities are at the heart of the ongoing digital transformation. They are not only innovation hubs but also testbeds of new ideas and their implementation. With urban populations in the Global South set to increase significantly over the coming decades, ideas and innovation originating in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Jakarta, Bangalore and many others will determine the future of digital economies and societies.

Cities are also digitally contested spaces – civic action often involves mobilization through mobile networks and social media, which has its benefits as well as its downsides. Brazil’s focus on inclusion is therefore vital to make sure that that future is inclusive and benefits those who are currently marginalized and vulnerable, especially women, indigenous groups and those without meaningful connectivity.

In this context, the Rio WebSummit and Startup20 meetings in April will contribute to the digital inclusion agenda in G20 and beyond. This side event will complement these gatherings, providing a space for discussion and debate as well as outlining a course of action. Taking advantage of the presence of a wide range of stakeholders, this forum will bring together thought leaders, innovators and the policy community to surface ideas vis-a-vis both the “what” and the “how” of inclusive digital transformation. As a concrete outcome, the ideas and suggestions from this meeting will feed into the deliberations of T20 Task Force on Inclusive Digitalization and the Digital Economy Working Group of the G20 Sherpa Track.

Programme

09:00 - 09:15 (BR)

Welcome Remarks

• Lucas Padilha, Head of International Relations, Mayor’s Office, Rio de Janeiro City Hall, Brazil
• Anit Mukherjee, Senior Fellow, ORF-America 

09:15 - 09:30 (BR)

Keynote Address

• Luisa Cruz Lobato, Adjunct Professor and Coordinator of the Digital Humanities Laboratory, PUC-Rio

09:30 - 10:30 (BR)

Panel Discussion: Data and Technology for Inclusive Development: Reality or Utopia?

• Paula Guedes, Researcher, Data Privacy Brasil, Brazil
  
• Ramiro Albrieu, Principal Researcher, Red Sur, Argentina
• Denise Direito, Coordinator of Information Management and Digital Transformation, IPEA, Brazil
• Juliana Moura Bueno, Manager, Government Affairs and Public Policy

Moderator:

• Anit Mukherjee, ORF America 

10:30 - 11:00 (BR)

Break

11:00 - 12:30 (BR)

Presentations and Ideas Square

• Raphaël Pouyé,  Lecturer, Sciences Po, France
• Fabricio de Paula, Chief Executive Officer, Amazônia Lab, Brazil
• Rajeesh Menon, Head of Strategy & Growth, FIDE, India

12:30 - 14:30 (BR)

Lunch

14:30 - 16:30 (BR)

Open Forum

Digital Inclusion for a Just Society: What would it take to put ideas into action?

16:30 - 16:50 (BR)

Special Lecture

• Cristina Kiomi Mori, Vice Minister, Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, Government of Brazil

16:50 - 17:00 (BR)

Closing remarks and Vote of Thanks