The speakers were representatives of civil society, the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, the University of Amsterdam.
At this session, an attempt was made to answer questions about what changes are needed in existing policy and management standards in order to transform the technology frameworks for the planet.
In 2022, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the report on the practical application of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to the activities of technology companies[1] states that when a company cannot prevent or mitigate human rights violations within the framework of existing business models, these models need to be adapted or even transformed.
In line with the development of this document, a number of governments have deployed strategies and adopted policies aimed at contributing to the solution of the issue and allowing various models in the technology sector that contribute to planetary justice and sustainability to exist and develop.
The role of governments was criticised at the event, since the financing of traditional BigTech models, in fact, provokes the situation and thereby demonstrates the lack of support for alternative technological business models, which leads to the persistence of inequality in the distribution of resources and hinders the use of innovative technologies.
During the discussion, it was announced that it is necessary to create alternative models of "digital economies" and demonstrate that there are other ways to "illustrate" digital transformation. There are a number of business models that are not explicitly, but nevertheless closely related to the IGF agenda and such issues should also be included in the Organization's agenda.
Summing up, the speakers called for responsible and sustainable practices of digital transformation, for strengthening alternative business strategies, and also stressed the importance of accountability in the management of electronic waste.
