The World Digital Economy Federation (WDEF) today announced its establishment as an independent, non-profit platform dedicated to supporting international dialogue and practical cooperation on the policies, standards, and partnerships that shape the digital economy.
WDEF was created in response to a simple reality: digital transformation is accelerating across every sector, but the benefits—and the risks—are not evenly distributed. As economies adopt data-driven services, platform business models, and AI-enabled tools, governments, businesses, and civil society face shared challenges around trust, security, interoperability, and long-term sustainability. WDEF’s purpose is to help stakeholders move from fragmented discussions to actionable collaboration.
WDEF will focus on four priority areas:
1) Digital governance and trust: promoting responsible approaches to digital policy, transparency, and accountability, including practical guidance that helps organizations implement governance frameworks.
2) Cross-border data flows and security: supporting policy and technical discussions that enable lawful, secure, and efficient data use across jurisdictions, while respecting privacy and legitimate public interests.
3) Digital trade and standards: encouraging interoperable rules, technical standards, and good practices that reduce friction for digitally enabled trade and improve market access—especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
4) Inclusive and sustainable digital development: highlighting pathways that expand digital participation, reduce capability gaps, and align digital growth with sustainability objectives.
In the coming months, WDEF will publish a series of short industry briefings and policy insights, convene expert roundtables, and develop a practical cooperation agenda with partners across the public and private sectors. WDEF also welcomes collaboration with institutions and professionals who share the goal of building a digital economy that is open, secure, and inclusive.
About WDEF
The World Digital Economy Federation (WDEF) is a non-profit organization established to advance international cooperation on digital economy policy, governance, and practical implementation. WDEF supports dialogue, research, and convening to help stakeholders strengthen trust, enable innovation, and expand inclusive participation in the digital economy.
