The Digital Cooperation Organization Launches the Digital Space Accelerators to Foster Sustainable Inclusive Digital Economy Growth

The Digital Cooperation Organization Launches the Digital Space Accelerators to Foster Sustainable Inclusive Digital Economy Growth 

Riyadh, 23 November 2023 – In a strategic move to catalyze innovation and cooperation across the global digital ecosystem, the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) announces the launch of the Digital Space Accelerators (DSA). The DSA is an innovative cooperation mechanism that brings together experts and decision-makers from various sectors, including governments, private enterprises, and international entities. The DSA’s primary goal is to promote multi-stakeholder collaboration, designing and proposing actionable solutions that dismantle key barriers to a thriving, sustainable, and inclusive digital economy. 

The digital economy is undergoing a rapid evolution, transforming industries, economies, and societies worldwide. Despite the opportunities this transformation presents, there are inherent challenges that require collective action. Following a series of roundtable discussions, the DCO consolidated the findings into the “Bridging the GAP” report, outlining the challenges to equitable digital transformation and providing key recommendations. 

The DSA activities run for a period ranging from six to twelve months, focusing on specific topics derived from the findings of the “Bridging the GAP” report and the focus areas identified in the DCO Strategic Roadmap for 2030. The process includes several steps, starting with the selection of topics that the DSAs will revolve around for each year, with the aim of finding solutions to the challenges faced by the DCO Member States. This is followed by the identification of specialized stakeholders and the engagement of experts through various meetings in addition to local and regional roundtable discussions to curate and design collaborative solutions. The outputs of the DSAs include delivering final reports with recommendations, policy briefs, guidelines and frameworks benefiting the DCO Member States and the and the whole world.  

The DCO Secretary-General, Deemah AlYahya, emphasized the significance of the DSA within the context of global digital cooperation, stating: “The Digital Space Accelerators is a strategic pillar in realizing the goals of the DCO Strategic Roadmap for 2030. Our vision of a world where every country, business, and person has a fair opportunity to prosper in a cross-border and sustainable digital economy can only be achieved if we work to narrow the digital divide. The DSA is our innovative approach to leverage global digital cooperation to overcome the most pressing challenges of today and tomorrow. It is a catalyst for digital transformation, embodying our commitment to foster the growth of a global digital economy that is thriving, sustainable, and inclusive. Through the DSA, we are facilitating a collaborative space where innovation thrives, and actionable solutions emerge to enable digital prosperity for all.” 

Building on the DCO’s four core functions as an information provider, advisor, advocator and facilitator, the DSA has been integrated as a cooperation mechanism to achieve several main objectives: delivering impact by creating practical solutions for the digital economy, in addition to demonstrating thought leadership by reinforcing the DCO as a reliable source of solutions for its Member States and the international community. The DSA also aims to advocate for digital cooperation by encouraging cooperation and knowledge sharing for the betterment of the digital ecosystem. 

For 2023-2024, six DSAs will be activated, focusing on the following topics: online content misinformation, digital rights “intellectual property and safe digital space”, empowering women in and through ICT, digital skills gap for the youth, tax and financial incentives for the ICT sector, and public-private partnerships for the development of the digital economy. Outputs of the DSA will vary based on the specific topic, scope, and objectives, ranging from reports, policy briefs, and collaborative initiatives to guidelines, frameworks, and capacity-building workshops. 

The Digital Cooperation Organization invites all stakeholders to join forces in this transformative journey, shaping a digital future that is equitable, sustainable, and inclusive. 

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