Minister Kono Visited France, Belgium, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany

From January 8 to 16, 2023, Minister for Digital Transformation Kono, visited France, Belgium, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. During the visits, Minister Kono exchanged views with digital ministers and prominent experts in each country on concrete measures to promote Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT).

Looking ahead to the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting in Takasaki, Gunma, scheduled for April 29 and 30, 2023, Minister Kono advocated for the establishment of an "Institutional Arrangement for Partnership" to operationalize DFFT. He engaged in extensive dialogues to secure international cooperation for this initiative, receiving strong expressions of expectation for Japan's leadership from many countries.

Additionally, Minister Kono exchanged views with industry representatives and visited local companies and facilities involved in the digital sector.
Leveraging the insights gained from this visits and the robust relationships of trust built with digital ministers globally, the Digital Agency will continue ongoing dialogues to ensure the success of the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting.

1. Visit to France

Minister Kono visited France from January 8 to 9.

(1) Meeting with Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Digital Transition and Telecommunications

Minister Kono visited the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty to meet with Minister Delegate Jean-Noël Barrot. Following their online discussion in December 2022 on advancing DFFT and G7 cooperation, this in-person meeting in Paris allowed for a more detailed and meaningful discussion. They addressed the necessity of cooperation on promoting data utilization and interoperability, cloud adoption, and strengthening cyber resilience. Regarding DFFT, both ministers agreed on the critical need to develop a secure international data distribution environment by emphasizing technological solutions alongside regulatory aspects.

(2)Meeting with Mr. Knudsen, Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD

Minister Kono visited the OECD headquarters to meet with Deputy Secretary-General Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen. During their first meeting since the previous year’s G20 Digital Economy Ministers' Meeting, they, along with subject matter experts, engaged in a substantive discussion on the operationalization of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and the promotion of international public-private partnerships. The participants also addressed the significance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and the metaverse. Deputy Secretary-General Knudsen expressed appreciation for Japan’s leadership in advancing DFFT since its introduction by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2019. He conveyed strong expectations for Japan, as the current G7 presidency, to guide the development of a framework for implementing DFFT.

2 Visit to the European Union (EU)

Minister Kono visited the European Union in Belgium from January 9 to 10.

(1) Meeting with Ms. Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission

Minister Kono visited the European Commission and met with Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. They exchanged views on a broad range of digital policies, sharing their assessments of current digital markets, regulatory responses to emerging technologies, and strategies for advancing DFFT to resolve existing challenges. They aligned their perspectives on deepening cooperation based on the Japan-EU Digital Partnership concluded last year, with the shared goal of channeling these bilateral achievements into the G7 framework.

3. Visit to the United States

Minister Kono visited the United States from January 10 to 12.

(1) Meeting with Ambassador at Large Fick, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, U.S. Department of State

Minister Kono met with Ambassador of Large Nathaniel Fick to discuss Japan's Digital Agency initiatives and shared interests in digital affairs and cybersecurity. Ambassador of Large Fick recognized the differences in national regulations and expressed strong support for advancing secure, reliable international data flows through technical solutions. Both committed to enhancing bilateral cooperation and look forward to meeting again at the upcoming G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting.

(2) Meeting with Mr. Graves, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce

At the Department of Commerce, Minister Kono met with Deputy Secretary Don Graves. He conveyed his vision for advancing DFFT, leading to a discussion on enhancing bilateral economic relations. They also exchanged views on emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing, and strategies on Open RAN and cybersecurity.

(3) Meeting with Mr. Silvers, Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Minister Kono visited the Department of Homeland Security to meet Under Secretary Robert Silvers. They exchanged information on cybersecurity and strategies to safeguard critical technologies. Both affirmed the paramount importance of "Trust" within DFFT from a security perspective and confirmed their shared understanding of the increasing significance of electronic identification (eID) in the future.

(4) Meeting with Ambassador Tai, United States Trade Representative (USTR)

Minister Kono met with Ambassador Katherine Tai at the USTR. This was their first in-person meeting since their online dialogue in December. They discussed mechanisms to ensure privacy and trust in international data flows, including potential applications of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs). They also considered opportunities for both nations to strengthen global collaboration, with a focus on engaging the Global South.

(5) Meeting with Mr. Mathur, Chief Delivery Officer, U.S. Digital Service (USDS)

Minister Kono visited the USDS and met with Chief Delivery Officer Ankit Mathur. The USDS integrates private-sector expertise into the government's digital transformation by directly employing and contracting highly skilled digital professionals and is undertaking procurement reforms to improve governance. As peer organizations leading government digitalization, they exchanged valuable information about their initiatives and agreed to continue sharing best practices.

(6) Lecture at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

At CSIS, Minister Kono delivered a lecture and met with Director Hamre for a productive discussion. He presented our perspectives on the global and Japanese digital society, highlighted the Digital Agency’s leadership in digital transformation, advocated for establishing the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) to advance DFFT, and shared our vision to engage the G7 and other interested countries.
The lecture is available for viewing below.
Leading Japan's Digital Transformation: A Discussion with Kono Taro CSIS Events

(7) Lecture at Georgetown University

Minister Kono returned to his alma mater, Georgetown University, to deliver a lecture on the Digital Agency's initiatives and the concept of a "Trusted Web." He addressed the challenge of "securing trust through technology" for the free and reliable flow of data, detailing approaches to ensure trust in international data flows by leveraging decentralized technologies and PETs. The session included an active Q&A with students and faculty, fostering a warm, engaging, and often humorous dialogue.

4. Visit to the United Kingdom

Minister Kono visited the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from January 13 to 15.

(1) Meeting with Ms. Donelan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

Minister Kono visited Wiltshire to meet Secretary of State Michelle Donelan. They discussed the operationalization of DFFT, online safety, and the advancement of emerging technologies such as AI. Their in-depth discussions enhances mutual understanding. Noting that the UK, as G7 President two years ago, published the "DFFT Roadmap" as an annex to the leaders' declaration, both ministers committed to close cooperation to ensure continued implementation of these outcomes.

(2) Government Digital Service (GDS) Office Visit

Minister Kono visited the UK GDS, an organization with which the Digital Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) last December. During his visit, he met with GDS Chief Executive Officer Tom Read and his team to discuss public personal authentication, such as Japan's My Number Card system, as well as the recruitment and empowerment of digital talent in the public sector. Minister Kono was inspired by the modern office environment. He noted innovations like a real-time dashboard showing daily transaction volumes and amounts processed by the GDS-operated government online payment system. Both parties agreed to continue holding regular workshops and advancing personnel exchanges.

5. Visit to Germany

Minister Kono visited Germany from January 15 to 16.

(1) Meeting with Dr. Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport

Minister Kono visited the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport to meet with Minister Volker Wissing. As representatives of the G7 Presidencies for the previous and current years, they discussed the critical importance of promoting Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), enhancing data interoperability, and fostering system synergies. They also addressed the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN). Minister Wissing acknowledged Japan's leadership in the digital sector. Minister Kono affirmed his commitment to building upon the digital milestones achieved during Germany's presidency. Both ministers agreed to reconvene at the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting in April. Additionally, they exchanged perspectives on mutual domestic challenges, including the removal of analog regulations to facilitate comprehensive digital transformation across society.

6. Visit to Digital-related Companies and Industry Dialogue

During the visit, Minister Kono actively engaged in dialogue with industry representatives. Many globally operating companies expressed strong expectations for the promotion of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT). Minister Kono also visited start-up companies with advanced technical capabilities, particularly in data analysis, AI, and image analysis, which have received government contracts. The visit highlighted examples of start-up companies evolving into global enterprises while enhancing their technical expertise. He also showed interest in exploring ways to increase opportunities for start-up companies to apply their technologies in government procurement in the future.