Minister Blade Nzimande on meeting with the UN’s Under-Secretary and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies

Yesterday, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, met with Mr. Amandeep Gill, the Under-Secretary and Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

The meeting primarily focused on South Africa’s participation in the implementation of the United Nation’s Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the opportunities that this presents for the development of South Africa’s digital economy.

The GDC forms part of the UN’s Pact for the Future, which was adopted during the Summit of the Future on September 22, 2024.

This Compact is a comprehensive framework for global digital cooperation and governance, particularly regarding artificial intelligence.

Its primary objective is to harness the potential of digital technology for the benefit of humanity, while also addressing the challenges and risks associated with it.

Emphasizing the importance of digital and emerging technologies, Minister Nzimande stated that “As one of the African countries with the largest public science systems, South Africa recognises the importance of developing our capabilities in digital and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and their potential to help in the development of solutions for some of the challenges of our time such as inequality, climate change and environmental degradation, pandemics and transnational conflict.”

“We also believe that the geopolitical moment we find ourselves in as humanity requires a greater and unwavering commitment to such approaches as international collaboration, the free exchange of scientific knowledge and multilateralism—these we believe present us with a better chance at a sustainable future for humanity. It is for this reason that meaningful partnerships and the development of our capabilities in the Digital Economy are some of the strategic pillars of our country’s Decadal Plan for Science, Technology, and Innovation (2022-2032)" said the Minister.

Outlining the potential benefits for South Africa’s participation in the GDC, the Minister further added that “South Africa’s participation in the UN’s Global Digital Compact (GDC) presents us with a number of unique opportunities to address our national priorities, but also to position our country as a leader in regional digital transformation. We believe our participation in the GDC can further enhance our capabilities in such areas as infrastructure development, digital skills enhancement, digital entrepreneurship and innovation support, digital inclusion, data governance and privacy, and human rights protection.”

Minister Nzimande also used this meeting to update Mr. Gill on the DSTI’s artificial intelligence initiatives, which include the Foundation Digital Capabilities Research (FDCR).

One of the initiatives within the FDCR platform that is AI-focused is the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR).

There is also the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARchi). At the moment, the DSTI has 6 SARChI Research Chairs in ICT, and of these, 2 are in the domain of Artificial Intelligence.

All the DSTI’s AI and Digital Economy initiatives are designed to support the objectives of South Africa’s Digital Economy Masterplan, which is the responsibility of the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies (DCDT).

Enquiries:
Veli Mbele
Mobile: 064 615 0644
Email: Veli.Mbele@dsti.gov.za

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