On 18 November 2021, the UK’s tech minister led an international summit of digital ministers to discuss the use of technology to help government institutions deliver more for their people and meet the world’s biggest challenges, such as the pandemic, climate change, exclusion and inequality.

The annual Digital Nations summit saw digital ministers from Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Korea and Uruguay meet virtually to discuss the opportunities artificial intelligence, big data, digital identity and other cutting-edge tech could offer.

The ten Digital Nations governments work together on issues relating to the digital transformation of government including the technical design of digital government services, such as the range of online services on GOV.UK and the digital identity systems that enable e-passports to function, digital infrastructure, the development and use of data, digital tools and technologies, and the digital skills of civil servants and end-users.

Ministers agreed to continue to use digital tech to reduce the environmental impacts of government, narrow digital divides, and build trust in digital government services by putting safeguards in place on human rights, data protection, data and AI ethics and transparency.

Following the summit, the ten member nations published a joint Statement reaffirming their commitment to work together to accelerate digital transformation, continue to use technology to break down barriers between government and people, and embrace innovative digital solutions that deliver real-world impact. To read the Government’s press release in full, click here. To read the joint Statement in full, click here.