Trends of Digital Transformation Based on the UN, EU and NATO Experiences

Digital technologies have profoundly affected various aspects of people’s lives from the economy to healthcare. Governments have struggled to implement norms that enable digital innovation while protecting consumers, users, and democratic institutions. In 2016, World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab used the title of his book, !e Fourth Industrial Revolution, as the umbrella term describing the process of how technology has come to impact all aspects of society. Artificial intelligence (AI), fifth-generation mobile networks (5G), three dimensional (3D) printing, cloud computing, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), augmented reality, the Internet offing's (IoT), genomics, biometrics, and blockchain are commonly included in the list of present day emerging technologies anticipated to assist human societies to overcome global challenges. The speed, scope, and scale of digital advances and diffusion in this revolution are unlike anything the world has ever seen before.
The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to build dynamic, sustainable, innovative, and people-centered economies in a transforming world. To this end, governments, international organizations, the business sector, and other non-state actors and individuals should contribute to strengthening developing countries’ scientific, technological, and innovative capacities to move toward more sustainable patterns of
consumption and production. Adopting an innovative and technological agenda is a good way to create new opportunities and find solutions in this changing environment, as well as to take action in line with the international sustainable development goals. Adopting such an agenda can also play a significant role in achieving higher levels of economic productivity.
The expansion of the internet has allowed billions of people access to information and has connected individuals in ways that were not previously possible. As for AI, it is a tool that automates routine technological tasks in different fields (healthcare, education, the justice system, foreign and security policies, etc.) through the use of robots as re-programmable
multi-purpose devices.6 AI is evolving fast. The importance of digital advances has increased during the pandemic; they have become significant instruments in the continual performance of remote tasks.
Given that digitalization is advancing at an unprecedented pace, it is imperative that global and national decision makers understand what is driving digital development and where trends in digitalization will lead the global world. These decision makers must develop clear approaches to governing the digital space. This is especially important since digital transformation is supported by affordable communications and cheap devices that can introduce new risks.
Overall, the digital revolution facilitates cooperation on digital issues in international organizations. International actors are developing digital policies and institutional instruments to achieve their own goals and mitigate technological risks in the 21st century. In this regard, the article examines core elements of digital transformation based on the experiences of global (e.g., the UN) and regional (e.g., EU and NATO) actors. An analysis of digital trends is significant because it illustrates how technological advances shape the structures of both global and regional international organizations. It would promote the development of the international digital agenda with the focus on elaborating new visions for the effective use of technological advances in various fields and overcoming digital challenges in the future.