Zambia Highlights Africa’s Role in Shaping the Global Digital Compact
Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Chola Milambo, has highlighted Africa’s growing leadership in shaping global digital transformation at the inaugural UN Digital Cooperation Day.
Delivering closing remarks on 22 September during the event “The Global Digital Compact One Year On”, held as part of the High-Level Week of the 80th UN General Assembly, Ambassador Milambo highlighted the continent’s role as a driver of innovation and inclusivity in the digital era.
“Africa has not waited for permission to lead,” Ambassador Milambo said, citing Kenya’s pioneering mobile money platforms, Rwanda’s drone delivery systems, Ghana’s digital identity initiatives, and South Africa’s artificial intelligence governance frameworks. “We are writing the playbook for inclusive digital transformation.”
The event marked the first anniversary of the adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), the world’s first comprehensive international agreement on digital technologies and artificial intelligence, adopted by consensus by 193 UN member states on 22 September 2024. Zambia and Sweden served as co-facilitators of the historic negotiations.
Reflecting on progress since adoption, Ambassador Milambo stressed the importance of moving beyond principles. “We have moved from principles to practice, from aspiration to implementation. This year has proven that consensus was not the end—it was the beginning.”
He further reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to digital equity, emphasising the need for inclusion in rural education and broader access to skills that empower meaningful participation in the digital economy.
The event featured addresses from senior global figures including Dr Amandeep Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General for Digital and Emerging Technologies, and Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), alongside leaders from IBM, the East African Community, and Denmark’s Tech Ambassador.
The GDC sets out five key priorities: closing digital divides; expanding inclusion in the digital economy; safeguarding human rights online; promoting responsible data governance; and ensuring equitable development of artificial intelligence.
Ambassador Milambo concluded by reaffirming Zambia’s commitment to ensuring that digital cooperation translates into tangible benefits for all.
