By: Van
Soul Addey
Senegal has reaffirmed its
commitment to an inclusive and sovereign digital transformation agenda at the
Digital Silk Road Development Forum held in Xi’an, China, where Minister of
Telecommunications and Digital Affairs Samba Diouf presented the country’s
vision for global digital cooperation.
The forum, organised by the
World Internet Conference (WIC), was held under the theme “Pooling Intelligence
on the Silk Roads, Embarking on a Digital Future – Jointly Building a Community
with a Shared Future in Cyberspace.”
Delivering the opening
keynote address, Minister Diouf highlighted Senegal’s New Deal Technologique as
a strategic framework for accelerating the country’s digital transformation. He
called for stronger international cooperation based on trust, knowledge sharing
and capacity development to ensure that digital progress benefits all
societies.
Following the opening
session, the Senegalese minister participated in a high-level ministerial
meeting that brought together government leaders and policymakers to discuss
priorities for international digital cooperation.
The discussions focused on
expanding connectivity as a foundation for economic and social development,
strengthening collaborative innovation, investing in digital skills and
promoting a secure and trusted cyberspace.
Senegal emphasized the need
to reduce digital inequalities through increased access to connectivity and
digital opportunities, while encouraging partnerships that support innovation,
technology transfer and capacity building.
The country also highlighted
the importance of developing future-ready digital talent and strengthening
cybersecurity frameworks, alongside responsible artificial intelligence
governance to maximise the benefits of emerging technologies.
