October 3, 2025 Results of the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting and the AI Task Force Ministers’ Meeting

　The G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting and the AI Task Force Ministerial Meeting were held in Cape Town, South Africa, from Monday, September 29, 2025, to Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Imagawa, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, attended the meetings as a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). At the meetings, G20 member countries and regions, along with invited countries and international organizations, participated in discussions on policy issues concerning the digital and AI sectors. A Ministerial Declaration was adopted as the outcome document.

1. Dates the meetings were held

From Monday, September 29, 2025, to Tuesday, September 30, 2025

2. G20 member countries and regions, as well as invited countries and international organizations

[G20 member countries and regions]
AU (African Union), Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa (Presidency), Turkey, the UK, and the USA
[Invited countries]
Algeria, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, Spain, and the UAE

[Invited international organizations]
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UNODET), Research ICT Africa (RIA), the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the South Centre, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), and the World Trade Organization (WTO)

3. Summary of outcomes of the meetings

　The G20 Digital Economy Minister’s Meeting has been held since 2017 to promote policy discussions on the digital economy sector, as digitalization has had a broad and significant impact on economies and societies, leading to the recognition of a wide range of newly emerging policy issues.
　At this year's meeting in South Africa, the following four themes set by the Presidency were discussed: "Universal and Equitable Digital Inclusion through Connectivity, Use, and Supportive Conditions," "Digital Public Infrastructure as a Key Element of Digital Transformation," "Digital Innovation Ecosystems: Unleashing the Potential of MSMEs," and "Fair, Inclusive, Trustworthy, and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for Good and for All People."
　Regarding the theme of "Universal and Equitable Digital Inclusion through Connectivity, Use, and Supportive Conditions," Imagawa, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, emphasized the importance of continuous evolution of digital infrastructure to ensure high-quality, secure, and sustainable networks, and introduced Japan's efforts in this area. He also expressed Japan’s commitment to contributing to the improvement of connectivity among G20 countries.
　Regarding the theme of "Fair, Inclusive, Trustworthy, and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for Good and for All People," he introduced Japan's initiatives, such as the "Hiroshima AI Process" led by Japan and those in accordance with the AI Promotion Act passed in May this year. Emphasizing the importance of reliable and free data distribution and a multi-stakeholder approach to discussions, he expressed Japan’s commitment to contributing to international deliberations on realizing "safe, secure, and reliable AI" and to continuing cooperation with the international community.
　This year, the Task Force on AI, Data Governance, and Innovation for Sustainable Development (AI Task Force) was established under the South African Presidency. The Task Force serves as a forum for multidisciplinary discussions on AI across various meetings. Its discussions were held in parallel with those in the digital economy area.
　Imagawa, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, commended the South African Presidency for bringing together multidisciplinary and cross-border AI discussions, and emphasized the importance of developing AI models that reflect linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as developing human resources in the AI field.
　Following the ministerial discussions, the Chairman’s Statement was issued as the outcome of both meetings.
[Attachments]
・Chairman’s Statement of the Working Group on the Digital Economy [Original]
・AI Task Force Chairman's Statement [Original]

4. Overview of bilateral meetings

　Taking advantage of the opportunity to attend these meetings, Vice Minister Imagawa held bilateral meetings with the following ministers and officials to deepen the dialogue on policy issues shared by each party:
　・Mmoba Solomon “Solly” Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, South Africa
　・Darío Leandro Genua, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Argentina
　・Frederico de Siqueira Filho, Minister of Communications, Brazil
　・Special Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill, UNODET