Ministerial and Other Meetings
G7/8 Digital and Technology Ministers

G7 Digital and Technology Track – Annex 2:
G7 Roadmap for Cooperation on Data Free Flow with Trust

G7 Digital and Technology Ministers, April 28, 2021
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Building on the 2019 G20 Osaka Leaders' Declaration, the 2019 G20 Ministerial Statement on Trade and Digital Economy, and the 2020 G20 Leaders' Riyadh Declaration, the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers have identified four areas for cooperation to facilitate data free flow with trust and drive benefits for our people, our businesses and our economies. We will do this while continuing to address challenges related to privacy, data protection, intellectual property rights, and security. We set out a Roadmap to deliver tangible progress on this agenda.

Roadmap

Graphic with parallel tracks on data localisation, regulatory cooperation, government access and data sharing approaches over the last three quarters of 2021

Key areas of cooperation

This Roadmap sets out the plan for joint action between the G7 in four cross-cutting areas:

Data Localisation: The ability to move and protect data across borders is essential for economic growth and innovation. Data localisation can impact data flows, with possible consequences for businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). We need further evidence and robust analysis of the economic and societal impact of data localisation measures across a globally distributed data ecosystem. To gather this, we will:

BUILD an evidence base on the impact of data localisation measures and alternative policy responses to these approaches (recognising consistency with the Trade Ministerial Track). This will bring together evidence from national authorities and external stakeholders, such as academia and business groups, with information from other fora to help inform future multilateral and plurilateral discussions. These will include the G20 Digital Economy Task Force, the Working Party on Data Governance and Privacy in the Digital Economy of the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy, and the Working Party of the OECD Trade Committee, as well as the Internet and Jurisdiction Policy Network.

Regulatory cooperation: Differences in domestic approaches can impact cross-border data flows, creating uncertainty (including legal uncertainty) for governments, businesses and individuals. The G7 Digital and Tech officials will promote work to identify commonalities in regulatory approaches to cross-border data transfers, as well as good regulatory practices and cooperation between nations. We will:

BUILD on OECD analysis including 'Going Digital III - horizontal project on data governance for growth and well-being' and 'Mapping commonalities in regulatory approaches to cross-border data transfers'. We will highlight best practice case studies, enhance cooperation on data governance and data protection, identify opportunities to overcome differences, explore commonalities in regulatory approaches and promote interoperability between members.
ORGANISE an event comprising, and developed in collaboration with, all G7 Data Supervisory Authorities and/or other competent authorities for data, led by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office. The event, to take place in 2021, will consider regulatory cooperation with a potential focus on innovative approaches, enforcement of regulation and regulation enabling cross-border data flows.
ORGANISE a separate cross-sectoral regulators' event in 2021, that will bring together Data Supervisory Authorities and/or other competent authorities for data, and other regulators from across the digital sphere to share best practice and support international cooperation.

Government Access to Data: There is a clear link between robust data protection, privacy and lawful access regimes, and the valid need for governments to access personal data in the private sector. We are committed to maintaining domestic data protection and privacy standards, reasonable principles underpinning lawful access regimes, as well as legal powers and arrangements that facilitate access across borders. We will engage with like-minded initiatives and groups on this, including to:

SUPPORT the aims and objectives of the OECD's drafting group working on trusted 'Government access to personal data held by the private sector'.

The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the value and need for like-minded states to find consensus on approaches to data sharing in priority sectors such as healthcare. The G7 is collaborating on interoperability and standards for health data as part of the Health Ministerial Track. We will work to meaningfully accelerate the development of mutually acceptable data sharing practices for a broader set of priority sectors. We will:

COLLABORATE via a series of focused workshops between policy-makers to identify the priority areas where data sharing has the most potential for delivering societal benefits for G7 members. This may include: transport; net zero emissions ambition; innovation, science and research; education; and natural disaster mitigation.
SHARE knowledge and, where developed, best practice on those factors which can aid or hinder data sharing and innovation. We will do this via an expert-led forum, with evidence shared in advance. This may include approaches to data intermediaries, data foundations, ensuring trust, and considering the adoption of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs).

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Source: Official website of the 2021 UK G7 Presidency

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	Please send comments to: g7@utoronto.ca This page was last updated August 15, 2024.