Proposed Normative Foundations for International Data Governance: Goals and Principles

Endorsed by CEB in November 2024, the "Proposed Normative Foundations for International Data Governance: Goals and Principles," suggests a set of common goals and principles that could form the normative basis for international data governance. The document does not present universally agreed goals and principles but seeks to provide an input to ongoing and future deliberations on the topic, including within the context of follow-up to the Global Digital Compact and other intergovernmental processes. Prepared by the HLCP Working Group on international data governance, the document seeks to complement existing standards and principles and builds on the Group’s previous paper “International Data Governance: Pathways to Progress”,  which outlined a vision and steps towards the promotion of data governance grounded in human rights and sustainable development through a multistakeholder consultative approach.

Central to the document are three overarching goals: value, trust, and equity. Value highlights the necessity for an enabling environment that fosters responsible data use and reuse, alongside the critical importance of interoperability to facilitate effective data sharing. Trust is cultivated through a human rights-based approach, prioritizing data protection and privacy, while ensuring accountability and high standards of data quality throughout the lifecycle. Equity is promoted by empowering individuals and communities exercise control over their personal data and ensuring that the benefits of data access are distributed fairly, particularly to vulnerable and marginalized groups. 

The document outlines a number of steps to be taken by various actors at different levels to promote the uptake and implementation of the principles. It emphasizes the need, among other things, for participatory consultative processes to engage diverse stakeholders, supports visible leadership to drive change in countries, and provides practical guidance to policymakers and data producers to align their practices with the principles. 

Further information on the work of HLCP and CEB on international data governance can be found on the Data and Statistics page.