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Digitalization

Digitalization
(OSCE)
Daily technological progress has led to the digital transformation of the global economy, strongly impacting all aspects of our lives and our economic security. New technologies that underpin the Fourth Industrial Revolution are having a major impact on business, trade, transport as well as the traditional ways of employment, working time and space. Beyond significant lifestyle changes, these technologies are leading to the formation of new economic models as well as new forms of governance. The emerging and fast-evolving implications of digital transformation are not only leading to progress and prosperity, but also to the emergence of new or enhanced security threats and challenges.

Following the comprehensive concept of security, that encompasses political–military, economic and environmental, as well as human rights issues, at the OSCE we work on supporting participating States to respond to the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation, enhancing thus security and stability in the region, and promoting international co-operation on economic issues. This is achieved by working closely with all stakeholders, from the public and private sectors to academia, civil society and international organizations, supported also by our extensive field presences.

Mandate

The forefathers of the OSCE included “technological co-operation on computer, communication and information technologies” as one of the elements of the “second basket” of the Helsinki Final Act.  Technological cooperation has been further emphasized in the Concluding Document of the 1989 Vienna Meeting, where participating States also emphasized the impact of economic and technological change on the workplace, underlining their readiness to encourage co-operation in the field of vocational training.  Later Ministerial Council Documents, such as the Bonn Document of 1990, the 2003 Maastricht Strategy Document, Ministerial Council Decision 11/06 on Future Transport Dialogue, Ministerial Council Decision 6/09 on Strengthening Dialogue and Co-Operation on Energy Security, put emphasis on the benefits of environmental technologies and advanced energy technologies.

As a precursor to the Ministerial Declaration on the Digital Economy and the Decision on Human Capital Development in the Digital Era agreed upon in 2018 in Milan, references to the role of new and innovative technologies have been made in the 2012 Dublin Declaration on Strengthening Good Governance and Combating Corruption, Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism, and in Decision 6/14 on Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction. 

The role of the OSCE

The OSCE supports its participating States in:

  • Building capacity to increase transparency and accountability in public administration at the national and local level through the use of innovative digital tools, online trainings and platforms that present, analyze, and monitor open data.
  • Making the best use of smart port technologies to promote trade facilitation and sustainable connectivity.
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