The fourth meeting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on 29-30th August 2022, discussed the draft declaration of the Bali Package.
This will be brought to the Digital Economy Ministers Meeting (DEMM) in Bali from the 1st to the 2nd September 2022.
The Bali Package is the formulation of the agreement made by the delegations of 20 countries in the first to the fourth series of DEWG G20 meetings during Indonesia’s G20 presidency this year. Tthe first G20 DEWG took place in Lombok on 29-30 March 2022, followed by the second G20 DEWG in Yogyakarta on 17-18th May 2022. The third G20 DEWG was in Labuan Bajo on 20th-22nd July 2022, and the fourth G20 DEWG has completed in Bali on 29-30th August 2022
“I am confident with the steps we have achieved so far. Through productive discussions in the next two days, we will together be able to draw up a declaration that will facilitate the progress of our digital agenda,” said Communications and Information Minister Johnny G Plate when opening the 4th DEWG G20 Session at The Mulia Nusa Dua Bali on Monday, 29th August.
This Digital Economy Working Group meeting was held for the first time at the G20 Indonesia Presidency this year, following the elevation from the Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) at the Italian G20 Presidency in August 2021.
Three priority issues were discussed in the DEWG G20 this time. These were:
- Post COVID-19 recovery and connectivity
- Digital skills and digital literacy
- Cross-border data flow and data free-flow with trust.
These three issues are expected to encourage a more useful digital space and economically high-value data. In addition, it also pays attention to aspects of data sovereignty in relation to geopolitics and geostrategy.
“I am grateful that we have discussed the three priority issues of the digital economy working group, each of which has manifested in tangible and meaningful results. I am grateful that we will soon conclude the discussion of the Bali Package document,” Plate added.