The first G20 Digital Ministers Meeting, which took place in Düsseldorf on 6 and 7 April, agreed on a ministerial declaration and a roadmap covering 11 fields of action and ambitious goals regarding digitalisation in the coming years.

Economic Affairs Minister Zypries said: “All the countries have greatly welcomed Germany’s initiative to place digitalisation on the G20 agenda. The G20 group embraces two-thirds of the world’s population and 90% of its GDP. This is the first time it has addressed the issue of digitalisation. We have succeeded in arriving at a joint understanding of what fields of action on global digitalisation need to be discussed and progressed together in the coming years. The decisions on the roadmap, and the agreement that the next, Argentinian, presidency should build on it, are a great success. The roadmap has defined 11 clear fields of action, and we have agreed in it to build a fast internet for everyone by 2025. The agreed principles on the issue of trade mean that we can strengthen open markets and multilateral cooperation in the leading industrial countries, thus helping to foster a fair trading system. This G20 Digital Ministers Meeting sends out a clear signal that we want to shape the digital revolution together in everyone’s interest.”

The G20 Digital Ministers adopted a ministerial declaration and a roadmap in Düsseldorf. The roadmap identifies 11 key fields of digital policy and agrees on a specific way forward for the future work of the G20.

Key issues include fast internet for everyone by 2025, inclusive growth and higher employment due to digital trade, agreement on stipulating common and open international technical standards, a commitment to lifelong digital education, and the aim of overcoming the digital gender gap.

The key points in the ministerial declaration, the roadmap and the two declarations on digital skills and digital trade can be found below.