Havana declaration: G77 focuses on science, technology, and innovation

On 16 September, the G77 Summit adopted the Havana Declaration, which emphasised science, technology, and innovation. The declaration outlines future G77 actions till 2025 when the UN will conduct a 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20). In this context, the Group of 77 proposes the 2025 High-Level Event on Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development during the United Nations General Assembly’s 80th session. 

On the way to 2025, the main stop will be the Summit of the Future in September 2024, when the Digital Global Compact is expected to be adopted. The Havana Declaration says that the WSIS Tunis Agenda and the Geneva Declaration of Principles should be used as guidelines for digital cooperation and the writing of the Global Digital Compact. Additionally, G77 calls for ‘triangulation’ between Agenda 2030, WSIS principles, and the future Global Digital Compact. Given this context, in 2024, the G77 countries will focus on reviewing WSIS-20 and drafting the  Digital Global Compact. 

Other policy aspects

Multi-stakeholder partnership is mentioned once in the context of investment for development of science, technology and innovation. Regarding digital governance, the G77 calls for the leadership of governments and the “active participation” of other stakeholders.

Support for open-source models could shape the G77 approach to negotiating AI governance, where the tension between closed and open source models is becoming increasingly important.

Language and missing aspects

The Havana Declaration combines WSIS terminology (six references to information and communication technology) and digital terminology (thirteen references to digital). Data was only mentioned once.

The absence of single references to artificial intelligence contrasts with AI’s dominance of global public discourse. It is unclear whether this silence is due to apprehension that AI may divert attention from pressing digital divide issues.  

In addition, there is no mention of digital public infrastructure, which India championed during its G20 presidency and made one of the most significant pro-development advances in the G20 New Delhi Declaration. This absence may be attributable to a lack of time for diplomatic negotiations between the G20 and the G77, or to opposition from China, which has a competing Belt and Road initiative. 

There is also no mention of cybersecurity or cybercrime. Other common prefixes, such as online, tech, and e, are also absent from the Havana declaration.

Conclusion

The Havana Declaration puts the UN at the centre of digital governance by anchoring digital debate in the Agenda 2030, the WSIS Tunis Agenda, and the forthcoming Global Digital Compact. It also proposes a timetable with the pinnacle at the 2025 High-Level Event on Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development during the United Nations General Assembly’s 80th session.