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G7 Digital and Technology Track – Annex 1:
Framework for G7 Collaboration on Digital Technical Standards

G7 Digital and Technology Ministers, April 28, 2021
[PDF]

See also
Ministerial Declaration
Annex 2: A G7 Roadmap for Cooperation on Data Free Flow with Trust
Annex 3: G7 Internet Safety Principles
Annex 4: Framework for G7 Collaboration on Electronic Transferable Records


Building on the 2017 Italian G7 ICT and Industry Ministerial Declaration, the G7 reiterate the need for technical standards development to continue to be underpinned by transparency, openness of process and participation, relevance, and consensus-based decision-making in line with the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Code of Good Practice and the TBT Committee Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards. We have committed to stronger international cooperation within the G7 and with like-minded partners to support industry-led, inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches for the development of digital technical standards in line with our core values. This framework for G7 collaboration sets out specific areas for constructive G7 engagement on digital technical standards. We firmly state our opposition to any government-imposed approaches that fundamentally seek to reshape the digital technical standards ecosystem. To take this framework forward, we will designate G7 points of contact to improve information sharing and facilitate coordination between G7 members and with wider stakeholders.

G7 Framework for Collaboration

We will strengthen our international cooperation and work with stakeholder groups under the following framework:

  1. Share and Coordinate: We will identify shared interests in the development of digital technical standards and will promote national and international best practice for inclusive engagement in digital technical standards setting. Specifically, we will:
  2. Contribute: At the 2021 G7 digital technical standards multi-stakeholder side event, stakeholders from civil society, industry, academia and Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs) reiterated the view that governments play an important role in supporting standardisation that bolsters open societies and democratic values in specific areas of digital technical standards development.

    We will CONTRIBUTE to specific areas of digital technical standards development as part of the multi-stakeholder community where there are significant real-world implications that could affect our citizens, our shared values as open and democratic societies, or our shared economic prosperity. Specific areas of interest for G7 governments to focus on include technical standards for the Internet, telecommunication and emerging digital technologies. Specifically, we will:

  3. Enable and Empower: We will SUPPORT stakeholders and SDOs to strengthen and uphold integrity in the development of digital technical standards. This includes ensuring that applicable technical standards consider existing internationally recognised digital technology norms and principles, such as: the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence; the OECD Principles for Internet Policy Making; the WTO Agreement on TBT Code of Good Practice; and the TBT Committee Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards. These efforts would seek to add value through international alignment. Specifically, we will:

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Source: Official website of the 2021 UK G7 Presidency


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