November 14, 2023 Results of 22nd Japan-France ICT Consultations

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), together with the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty (MEFSIN) of the Republic of France, held the 22nd Japan-France ICT Consultations in Paris, France, on Thursday, November 9 (a hybrid meeting)).
These Consultations aimed to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and France on policies in the digital field and to promote collaboration and cooperation. A wide range of agenda items in the field were discussed.
Based on the results of the Consultations, both parties will continue discussing specific details that will contribute to future Japan-France cooperation.

Major achievements of 22nd Japan-France ICT Consultations
In the 22nd Japan-France ICT Consultations, both parties discussed the following matters based on the policy trends in both Japan and France.

i. AI

MIC introduced the International Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct for AI Developers, which were recently published as outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process, and explained that G7 would continue to formulate Guiding Principles for all AI actors, including users, and compile the outcomes as the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy Framework. MEFSIN explained their efforts in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) and the AI safety , pointing out the importance of reflecting the results of the GPAI in national policies and the participation of multi-stakeholders and more countries in discussions on AI. Both parties confirmed the necessity of a common international control to the risk of AI, and exchanged opinions on continued cooperation.

ii. User protection

MIC explained recent efforts regarding measures against illegal and harmful information such as slander and defamation on the Internet. MEFSIN explained their response to the Digital Services Act (DSA) and a bill obligating social networking service providers to verify the age and parental consent of users and to take actions against illegal content. Both sides discussed the state of measures against illegal and harmful information, including the necessity to continuously examine how to strike a balance between ensuring freedom of expression and protecting users.

iii. Telecommunications infrastructure

Based on QUAD’s “Open RAN Security Report,” MIC explained that use of Open RAN, which is currently the subject of growing interest, does not fundamentally alter the security risk landscape for telecommunications, compared to traditional RAN. In addition, MIC explained that Open RAN has advantages, including supply chain resilience and environment protection aspects. MIC also explained the Japanese government’s efforts to support research and development of Beyond 5G/6G and the G7 vision for future networks in the Beyond 5G/6G era shared at the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting this year. MEFSIN explained government support for use case development and R&D related to 5G and 6G and efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of the digital ecosystem. Both parties exchanged views on the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure and the direction of Beyond 5G/6G R&D, and MEFSIN expressed their expectations for continued information sharing.
The next round of the Consultations will be held in 2024.
(Reference) Attendees of Japan-France ICT Consultations (22nd)
MIC: Mr. YOSHIDA Hiroshi, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, and others MEFSIN: Mr. Thomas COURBE, Directorate General for Enterprise, and others