Ghana, Denmark strengthen ties in digital space

Digital trends challenge the way states govern in the 21st century because rapid technological progress and multinational tech-companies pressure traditional governance structure and disrupt sectors.

To reach the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, closing digital divides, ensuring affordable internet access for all, including women and girls, and safeguarding human rights will be paramount for the international community.

Ghana and Denmark are already close partners in a number of key areas but they have taken the next step to strengthen cooperation in the area of digitalisation and emerging technologies to boost partnership on technology.

At the welcome reception in Accra in honour of the Danish Tech Ambassador to the Silicon Valley in the United States of America, Mr Casper Klynge, the Denmark Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs Tove Degnbol, said: “Although we are apart in geographic terms, in the digital age, Ghana and Denmark are closer together than ever before. As a leading and increasingly global voice on digital issues, Ghana is an important ally for Denmark. We share democratic values. We see eye to eye on many topics, and along with Danish companies we are already working together in areas such as digitalisation of the public sector, cooperation on data and statistical services and transparency efforts.”

Theme

The event, which was on the theme: ‘Bridging the digital divide - role of young entrepreneurs’, brought together tech entrepreneurs and government officials to discuss the promises and perils of modern technology and share views on how Ghana was becoming a digital leader, regionally and globally.

She said “it is, therefore, the only natural that we work closer together – bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the United Nations - to address the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow.”

Mrs Degnbol added that in Ghana, the digitalisation process was moving very fast and that the current government was making a concerted effort to promote it through the introduction of the Ghana Card, the paperless port and digitalisation of many government services such as the Driver’s Vehicle License Authority (DVLA).

The Tech Ambassador, Mr Casper Klynge, for his part, explained that digitalisation and technology were paramount to almost all societies around the world in the 21st Century.

“Whether you live in Ghana or Denmark, the Fourth Industrial Revolution would transform all sectors, labour markets and everyday lives in ways we cannot fully predict. Technology is rapidly becoming a defining factor that would shape the global balance-of-power in many years to come. That is why Denmark has elevated technology to foreign policy priority. We need to form alliances that are fit for the digital age,” he stated.

Cybersecurity top on the agenda

Mr Klynge explained that cybersecurity was becoming a major security concern for countries around the world, adding that it was important that like-minded countries worked together to establish ‘rules of the road’ in the form of norms for responsible state behaviour in cyber space.

“We look forward to working with Ghana and in particular Ghana’s National Cyber Security Advisor on these very important issues,” he noted.