MOS Rahayu Mahzam at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting

Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting, Maceió, Brazil and Working Visit to United Kingdom, 12 to 18 September 2024

Singapore, 19 September 2024 – Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, Ms. Rahayu Mahzam represented Singapore at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting (DEMM) on 13 September in Maceió, Brazil. Singapore was invited to participate in the meeting by Brazil, which holds the 2024 G20 Presidency.

2. At the DEMM, G20 Ministers and other invited Ministers discussed four priority issues for the DEMM. MOS made the following key points to share Singapore’s contribution and experiences:

i. Digital Inclusion, Universal and Meaningful Connectivity: It is important for our society to meaningfully participate online, and do so safely and respectfully. Singapore’s Digital Society Report allows us to track the state of our digital society and recommends ways to strengthen our efforts in building an inclusive society. We look forward to working with the international community to develop indicators that can help us sharpen our digital inclusion efforts.

ii. Digital Government: Building a Trustworthy and Inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure: A crucial part of Digital Public Infrastructure is digital identity. More than 97% of Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents aged 15 and above have a digital identity and transact with over 800 organisations across more than 2,700 services. We welcome the Presidency’s effort to develop general principles on the governance of digital identity, and can share our digital identity’s journey.

iii. Integrity of Information Online and Trust in the Digital Economy: We commend the Presidency for highlighting this as an important issue. To combat misinformation and disinformation, Singapore has introduced a suite of targeted legislative levers, including the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) and the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act. Beyond regulation, we also prioritise media literacy, public and regularly engage industry to do more to protect users from misinformation and disinformation. We have established the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS) this year which will allow us to build tools to detect egregious content including deepfakes.

iv. AI for Inclusive Sustainable Development and Inequalities Reduction: Singapore believes in the transformative power of AI and that AI can be used for the public good, for Singapore and the world. Guided by this vision, we released our updated National AI Strategy last December. We thank the Brazilian Presidency for the opportunity to share Singapore’s experience and to learn from others in this G20 Digital Economy track.

Progressing Bilateral Relations

3. MOS Rahayu met her counterparts from other countries including Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Portugal, and Japan at the sidelines of the G20 DEMM. During these discussions, MOS Rahayu reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to digital cooperation. She also discussed new areas of collaboration and knowledge sharing including AI governance, online safety, and digital government.

Working Visit to United Kingdom

4. MOS Rahayu visited the United Kingdom from 15 to 18 September 2024, where she met with her counterparts to discuss how to further bilateral cooperation in the digital and health domains. She also engaged industry and academic experts on online safety and digital inclusion. At these engagements, MOS reiterated the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to ensure a safe and trusted online environment for citizens around the globe. MOS also co-hosted the National Day Reception held for the diplomatic community in London on 16 September 2024.