Digital Futures: Leveraging G20 for UK-India Cooperation

20.500.12592/5v7b15

Digital Futures: Leveraging G20 for UK-India Cooperation

4 Aug 2022

India will assume the presidency of the G20 in 2023. One of the key policy challenges for India and other member states is how to regulate the global digital economy. Once a fringe policy issue, the global digital economy is now central to the G20 agenda, with significant implications for individuals, corporations, and governments. Bilateral cooperation within the G20 system can provide additional resources and capability to any presidency, which is essential for the grouping to demonstrate its relevance in a crowded multilateral environment. This paper outlines four recommendations for cooperation between India and the UK in 2023, focusing on measurement and evaluation, policy best practice, engagement and advocacy, and contemporary digital agenda.Intorduction India is set to take on the G20 presidency in 2023 and will inherit one of the most challenging contemporary policy challenges—digitisation. Initially starting as a marginal policy focus on the sidelines of international policymaking, digitisation now dominates the strategic agenda of the G20 presidencies. If regulated and managed properly, a thriving digital economy has the potential to bring millions of people into the online world of employment, entrepreneurship, education, and consumption. However, poorly regulated and managed, the digital economy can further embed economic and social inequalities.The G20 is well placed to deal with this complexity, especially given its relatively inclusive membership. But it also has its challenges, as escalating geopolitical issues threaten the capacity for large multilaterals to deliver quality policy outcomes. Moreover, in an increasingly complex environment in the Indo-Pacific—with competing priorities driven by the rise of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad; comprising the US, Japan, Australia, and India) and AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) alongside existing frameworks such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)—the G20 must innovate and demonstrate its contribution to leading on the digital economy
india european union international affairs internet governance strategic studies issue briefs and special reports usa and canada the pacific, east and southeast asia cyber and technology international trade and finance

Authors

Erin Watson-lynn

Published in
India

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