Further Reflections on the Journey Towards an International Framework for Data Governance

Abstract

The use of data is paramount both to inform individual decisions and to address major global challenges. Data are the lifeblood of the digital economy, feeding algorithms, currencies, artificial intelligence, and driving international services trade, improving the way we respond to crises, informing logistics, shaping markets, communications and politics. But data are not just an economic commodity, to be traded and harvested, they are a personal and social artifact. They contain our most personal and sensitive information – our financial and health records, our networks, our memories, and our most intimate secrets and aspirations. With the advent of digitalization and the internet, our data are ubiquitous - we are the sum of our data. Consequently, this powerful treasure trove needs to be protected carefully. This paper presents arguments for an international data governance framework, the barriers to achieving such a framework and some of the costs of failure. It also articulates why the United Nations is uniquely positioned to host such a framework, and learning from history, the opportunity available to solve a global problem.