Internet Policy Research Website

Chapter 4 Regional Digital Governance

Publications

Sophie Hoogenboom, Jamal Shahin, Carlota Morais, Mauro Santaniello

Abstract

This chapter examines the concept of digital governance and its regional institutional arrangements, initiatives, and strategies. It explores the challenges of contemporary political institutions to deal with the 21st-century’s technological developments and highlights the concentration of power in the hands of a few key actors. The authors take a broad understanding of digital governance as the framework established by political actors to facilitate the digital transformation, covering different policy fields. The chapter distinguishes between governance of digital technologies and governance on (or by) digital technologies, emphasising the management of the infrastructure that enables organisational change. The chapter identifies the emergence of digital diplomacy as one of the key areas of high politics in the international arena, blurring the boundaries between political, economic, and technical expertise. The empirical evidence suggests that digital governance is seen as a field where work needs to be done to build or maintain leadership in the regions studied. Regional integration in digital governance aims to build stronger national economies and considers norms and values exercised in the digital space. The chapter concludes by examining the future of digital governance across regions, looking beyond regional developments to global attempts to promote digital cooperation and discussing the emerging policy instrument of digital sovereignty.

See the full text

Mauro Santaniello

Mauro Santaniello is an Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Salerno, where he teaches Internet Governance, Digital Policy, and Local Public Policy. Mauro is also Associate Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), where he works within the Digital Governance Cluster. Mauro is the director of the Internet & Communication Policy Center (ICPC), and the scientific coordinator of the Salerno Winter School on Internet Governance (SWING). Mauro is also Principal Investigator of the PRIN project on "Digital Sovereignty in Comparative Perspective: State Authority, Corporate Power and Fundamental Rights in Cyberspace", funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. He is also the coordinator of the GIG-ARTS international conference series. His main research interests include internet governance, digital sovereignty, digital constitutionalism, cybersecurity policy, and geopolitics of information networks.

You might also like More from author

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More