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#Tech, Media, Telecom

Global Governance for the Digital Ecosystems

  • November 11, 2022
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Whilst digital innovation is accelerating and the digital economy is growing dramatically, geopolitical frictions and the reassertion of States’ control on cyberspace are changing the landscape of digital regulation, governance and the globalisation process. Strong forces are pushing the global digital economy towards deeper convergence and, at the same time, as illustrated by the US/China technological decoupling, towards segmentation into divergent sub-parts. The outcome of the tension between convergence and segmentation of the digital economy will have a decisive influence on the future of the global economy.

With a view to coming up with a set of policy recommendations focusing on the features of a global governance system that would efficiently address and respond to the above challenges, CERRE is publishing the report of a one-year-long strategic initiative on “Global Governance for the Digital Ecosystems”.

This new initiative has been co-led by Pascal Lamy, President of the Paris Peace Forum, former Director of the World Trade Organisation, and member of the Board of CERRE, and Bruno Liebhaberg, founder and Director General of CERRE.

It has involved some 30 top-level contributors, including not only some of the CERRE academic principals, but also other first-class experts from Europe, the United States, China, and other countries.

In line with CERRE’s bylaws and with its Guidelines on Transparency and Independence, the research team has worked with full academic independence.

Focusing on online platforms, data, infrastructure and digital trade, the authors argue that the general objective for the global governance of digital ecosystems should be to promote convergence as much as possible – to reap the benefits of economies of scale and ensure a level playing field – and organise co-existence – when divergences are legitimate and unavoidable.

For Lamy and Liebhaberg, “globalisation with firewalls would neither benefit the digital economy, nor citizens” and “global, well-regulated, and dense exchanges of data flows and digital technology are crucial”.

The report provides a series of recommendations organised around four policy objectives for optimal global governance: efficiency, compatibility, resilience, and coherence. These recommendations include the establishment of a Digital Stability Board (DSB) by the G20 to which the Board would be reporting. Gathering representatives from governments, regulators, industry, think tanks and relevant non-governmental organisations, it would identify and monitor business practices as well as technological and regulatory developments, and outline policy priorities and options.

The authors acknowledge that their recommendations are not exhaustive and that other actions will certainly be needed as well. They are convinced, however, that provided their recommendations are properly implemented, the proposed measures will constitute important steps towards a new digital order.

Author(s)
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Pascal Lamy
Pascal Lamy
Vice Chair of the Board¹
Vice-President of the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation
Former Director General WTO, former European Commissioner for Trade

Pascal Lamy holds various mandates at the global, European, and French levels. He is notably the Vice-President of the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation, the Paris Peace Forum, the European branch of the Brunswick Group and coordinator of the Jacques Delors Institutes (Paris, Berlin, Brussels).

Pascal Lamy served two terms as Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from September 2005 to September 2013.

He graduated of the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris, of the Faculty of Law (Sorbonne), of the Institut d’Études Politiques (IEP) and of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

He began his career in the French civil service at the General Inspectorate of Finance and the Treasury. In 1981, he became advisor of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Jacques Delors, then Deputy Head of Prime Minister’s Pierre Mauroy cabinet in 1983.

From 1985 to 1994, Pascal Lamy was the chief of staff of the President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, and his « sherpa » at the G7.

In 1994, he joined the team in charge of the recovery of the French bank Crédit Lyonnais, then becoming its CEO up to its privatization in 1999, before returning to the European Commission as Trade Commissioner (Romano Prodi’s Presidency) until the end of 2004.

After his mandate in Brussels, Pascal Lamy chaired for a brief sabbatical period the think tank working on European integration created by Jacques Delors, « Notre Europe » (now « Institut Jacques Delors »). He also became an associate professor at the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris and an advisor to Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the European Socialist Party. In 2005, he was elected to head the WTO.

His recent publications include “Strange New World” (Odile Jacob 2020) and “Où va le monde?” (Odile Jacob 2018).

 

¹Member of the Strategic Committee

Pascal Lamy holds various mandates at the global, European, and French levels. He is notably the Vice-President of the Jacques Delors Friends of Europe Foundation, the Paris Peace Forum, the European branch of the Brunswick Group and coordinator of the Jacques Delors Institutes (Paris, Berlin, Brussels).

Pascal Lamy served two terms as Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from September 2005 to September 2013.

He graduated of the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris, of the Faculty of Law (Sorbonne), of the Institut d’Études Politiques (IEP) and of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA).

He began his career in the French civil service at the General Inspectorate of Finance and the Treasury. In 1981, he became advisor of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Jacques Delors, then Deputy Head of Prime Minister’s Pierre Mauroy cabinet in 1983.

From 1985 to 1994, Pascal Lamy was the chief of staff of the President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, and his « sherpa » at the G7.

In 1994, he joined the team in charge of the recovery of the French bank Crédit Lyonnais, then becoming its CEO up to its privatization in 1999, before returning to the European Commission as Trade Commissioner (Romano Prodi’s Presidency) until the end of 2004.

After his mandate in Brussels, Pascal Lamy chaired for a brief sabbatical period the think tank working on European integration created by Jacques Delors, « Notre Europe » (now « Institut Jacques Delors »). He also became an associate professor at the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris and an advisor to Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the European Socialist Party. In 2005, he was elected to head the WTO.

His recent publications include “Strange New World” (Odile Jacob 2020) and “Où va le monde?” (Odile Jacob 2018).

 

¹Member of the Strategic Committee

Bruno Liebhaberg (Website)
Bruno Liebhaberg
Executive Chairman¹ ²

Bruno Liebhaberg is Executive Chairman of the think tank Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) which he founded in 2010.

From 2018 to 2021, he was also the first Chairman of the European Union Observatory on the Online Platform Economy. He is also an Honorary Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles’ Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM ULB) where he taught from 1979 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he advised former European Commission President Jacques Delors on industry and R&D matters related to the completion of the EU Single Market.

He holds a Master’s in management sciences from SBS-EM ULB and a Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

¹Also representing B.LIEBHABERG S.A., Director General
²Member of the Strategic Committee

Bruno Liebhaberg is Executive Chairman of the think tank Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) which he founded in 2010.

From 2018 to 2021, he was also the first Chairman of the European Union Observatory on the Online Platform Economy. He is also an Honorary Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles’ Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM ULB) where he taught from 1979 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he advised former European Commission President Jacques Delors on industry and R&D matters related to the completion of the EU Single Market.

He holds a Master’s in management sciences from SBS-EM ULB and a Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

¹Also representing B.LIEBHABERG S.A., Director General
²Member of the Strategic Committee

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