It is clear that peace and prosperity of in the digital century will require new ethics, norms and principles to govern behaviour in cyberspace. Home to over a billion citizens and consumers, Africa’s voice in scripting these norms will be critical to the collective success of these governing principles. In this endeavour, contributing to initiatives like the UN Secretary General’s high level panel on digital cooperation will be critical in bringing African concerns to the forefront. This pillar will explore points of convergence between African nations on key questions like privacy, AI and ethics, protection of civilian infrastructure and the rules of digital trade.
The world is struggling to balance the commercial opportunities of big data and the human rights and security of individuals in cyberspace. This pillar will explore emerging models of data governance from around the world. The pillar will also take stock of efforts from both the private and the public domain — like the Digital Peace campaign and the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace — and what they mean for the emerging world. It will curate perspectives from African nations around individual privacy, freedom of expression and regulation of social media. It will also ask how these conversations can be made inclusive – to accommodate new voices, actors and concerns.
Information communication technologies have allowed local cultures to go global. Africa is a rich repository of histories, languages, stories and cultures. This pillar will ask how Africa’s artists, musicians and entertainers can leverage technologies to reinvent dissemination pathways and reimagine the future of art and culture. It will ask who the key local and global partners are that can help carry these narratives out of Africa.
Emerging technologies will reshape societies in multifaceted ways. From genetically engineered humans to AI driven criminal justice systems, human societies will have to grapple with fundamental changes in the way we live, work and organise. In the midst of these changes, Africa must deliver pay checks, protection and purpose to over 1.2 billion individuals in an era of technological disruption. This pillar will explore the potential for emerging technologies to create new pathways for economic growth and social mobility. Discussions will centre on how individuals and communities must respond to and manage the pervasive influence of digital technologies.
21st century Africa is home to a burgeoning class of entrepreneurs and innovators that are rewriting the continent’s trajectory through technology. From IoT enabled agriculture to 3D printing healthcare products, young African are building affordable and scalable solutions for the world. This pillar showcases home-grown innovations and identifies new financial pipelines to bolster their growth. It examines regulatory approaches that makes this possible and pathways to enable international collaboration. Synthesising developments in the field of economics, emerging technologies and development studies, it will help cross-pollinate development solutions between communities from emerging economies and those in the developed world.
