Guidance

UK-Japan Digital Partnership: Progress Report (January 2024)

Updated 18 January 2024

Preamble

1. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Digital Agency of the Government of Japan and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology of the Government of the UK (hereafter “Both Participants”) held the second Ministerial Japan-UK Digital Council on 16 January 2024.

2. Both Participants value their bilateral digital partnership, which is based on shared democratic values, including the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the protection of privacy and personal data. Under the Hiroshima Accord: An Enhanced Japan-UK Global Strategic Partnership, issued by the leaders of both countries, Both Participants will continue to accelerate bilateral collaboration across all areas of the Japan-UK Digital Partnership.

3. During the second Digital Council, Both Participants reviewed progress and confirmed future initiatives on Joint Actions as follows:

Pillar one: Digital infrastructure and technologies

Telecoms diversification

a. Both Participants have taken leadership positions in global efforts to diversify 5G supply chains, notably through efforts to mature open and interoperable Radio Access Network architectures and technology (“Open RAN”).  These include MIC’s participation in the Quad, notably the publication of its Open RAN Security Report. The UK has published its Open RAN Principles, which have since been endorsed by other governments and industry leaders.

b. Both Participants have also cooperated on a series of efforts including a number of The Ministry for Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC) and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) working groups focused on vendor diversification. They have also taken this further through mutual participation in the new Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT). This includes equivalent government institutions from Australia, Canada and the United States. The GCOT seeks to drive international cooperation across a range of telecoms topics including activity focused on supporting open, secure and innovative telecoms networks.

c. The UK-Japan partnership is also developing through investments into Open RAN R&D. The UK’s Open Networks Programme (ONP) is a £250 million investment in accelerating the maturity of Open RAN solutions, and includes projects involving Japanese partners such as NEC and Toshiba. Likewise, MIC has invested in UK-based R&D project conducted by Rakuten Mobile which built the Rakuten Open RAN Customer Experience Centre in the UK. MIC will also conduct a research project on infrastructure sharing in the UK.

d. In line with our ongoing efforts to enhance telecommunications infrastructure and vendor diversification, MIC and DSIT are renewing their commitment to the UK-Japan Telecommunications Supply Chain Diversification Collaboration Framework in 2023.

e. A key mechanism for delivery under the Collaboration Framework is the UK-Japan Working Group on Telecommunications Supplier Diversity, a platform for regular engagement and progress tracking. Through this Working Group, MIC and DIST are strengthening cooperation on promoting the deployment of Open RAN in third countries.

f. In addition, The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and DSIT have supported projects for Open RAN-related technologies. Some of the technologies developed in METI projects have been leveraged in DSIT-funded activity. METI and DSIT welcome this substantial and mutually beneficial progress, and concur in the need to pursue continuous cooperation to enhance supplier diversity in telecommunication infrastructure.

g. Given that ensuring the security, resilience, and innovation of telecommunications networks has become a global issue, the importance of initiatives on vendor diversification is increasing. Thus, Both Participants recommit to further joint working on vendor diversification through bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

Increasing Cyber Resilience

a. METI and DSIT will continue to work towards mutual recognition of respective schemes for ensuring the security of Internet of Things (IoT) products.

b. Based on the UK-Japan Cyber Partnership which was established in May 2023 under the Hiroshima Accord, Both Participants have developed a variety of cooperative activities leading to strengthen public-private partnerships, advance shared international interests and enhance our cyber capabilities.

c. Under the UK-Japan Cyber Partnership, Both Participants have been holding consultations in various levels on Cyber issues.

d. In February 2023, the Governments of both countries issued Joint Statement an ensuring app security and privacy^{[footnote 1]}.

e. The Governments of both countries contributed with international partners to a joint Secure by Design product, “Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software.” This joint guidance urges software manufacturers to take urgent steps necessary to develop products that are secure by design and default and revamp their design and development programs to permit only secure by design and default products to be shipped to customers^{[footnote 2]}.

f. The Governments of both countries are further collaborate on delivering the cyber leaders of the future through initiatives like the Japan Cyber Security Fellowship and piloting the Cyber First Competition in Japanese schools^{[footnote 3]}.

Semiconductors

a. METI and DSIT issued a joint statement on semiconductor partnership on 19 May 2023, aiming to deliver: ambitious joint semiconductor research and development activity in areas of mutual strength, including sharing of expertise, skills exchanges, and opening up access to key infrastructure; joint activity with industry to launch a UK-Japan semiconductor industry dialogue that promotes further cooperation; expert missions to facilitate exchanges between industry, academia and government; and joint activity to strengthen the resilience of semiconductor supply chains.

b. Alongside this announcement, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) announced a joint investment of up to £2 million for early-stage research into semiconductors.

c. METI and DSIT have jointly committed to UK-Japan R&D cooperation including in semiconductors.

d. METI and DSIT have had policy dialogues to exchange information on semiconductor promotion strategy, to deepen mutual understanding of the semiconductor landscape, and to discuss possible further areas of cooperation.

e. METI and DSIT have also discussed an industry-academia-government workshop between the UK and Japan for exploring possible further semiconductor cooperation initiatives and concurred in pursuing holding the workshop in the first quarter of 2024.

Artificial Intelligence

a. Under the Hiroshima AI Process, established by the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) for discussions on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), Both Participants cooperated with international like-minded partners and agreed on the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy Framework. This included the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI System and the Hiroshima Process International Guiding Principles for All AI Actors and Work Plan to advance the Hiroshima AI Process.

b. Both Participants welcome the outcomes of AI Safety Summit hosted by the UK in November. The publication of the Bletchley Declaration was an ambitious and inclusive landmark commitment which sets the path for a safer world. In addition, the Summit led to commitment to develop a State of the Science Report, AI Safety Testing Principles and will be followed by future Summits in the Republic of Korea and France.

c. Following the AI Safety Summit and the publication of the guidelines for secure AI by NCSC which are supplementary to the work of G7 Hiroshima AI Process, Both Participants will work together to ensure security of AI models is by design and applies across the whole of the system lifecycle.

d. Given the importance of interoperability among AI governance frameworks, international discussions on AI governance is important. To help address the challenges and opportunities brought by advanced AI systems, Both Participants concurred in advance Hiroshima AI Process and to endeavour to engage in outreach regarding the outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process based on the decided Work Plan. In addition, Both Participants collaboratively encourage the commitment of relevant stakeholders to the Hiroshima Process international Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI System and the Hiroshima Process International Guiding Principles for All AI Actors.

Pillar Two: Data

a. The Digital Agency (DA) and DSIT have been collaborating closely, alongside other international partners, to advance our shared vision for Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT). Under Japan’s G7 presidency we have been working towards the establishment of the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) to operationalise DFFT. DA provided DSIT with information regarding ongoing work with the OECD for the establishment of the IAP in the Director-level meeting held in September 2023. At the same time, DA and DSIT confirmed that the structure of the IAP would be a multi-stakeholder expert group to communicate and work together with governments to address the issues on data flow of cross-sectoral nature.

b. Japan and the UK are implementing a bilateral project under the Digital Partnership, specifically looking at the issue of data flows for AI development and use. The project, which will get underway in 2024, is a joint evidence-gathering exercise to enhance recognition of the impacts of barriers to cross-border data transfers (including data localisation) across AI lifecycle in specific sectors. Discussion between DA and DSIT policy leads is underway with a view to launching a joint project as early as possible in 2024.

c. Japan and the UK are collaborating to ensure we maintain and increase safe and trusted data flows between our two jurisdictions. In March 2023, the Personal Information Protection Commission of Japan (PPC) continued to designate the UK as a foreign country that has a personal information protection system that PPC recognises as having standards equivalent to those of Japan in terms of protecting the rights and interests of individuals, based on Article 28 of the Protection of Personal Information Act. As a result, the mutual adequacy arrangement between Japan and the UK, which regard their respective data protection laws as equivalent, continues to facilitate the smooth transfer of personal data between the two countries. Building on the recent reforms of the Japanese data protection framework that extended its safeguards to new areas such as the academia and the public sector, the two sides have begun discussions to explore the possibility of expanding the scope of the UK data bridge with Japan.

d. Japan and the UK also continue our collaboration to develop and enhance privacy protections for our citizens. For example, we continue to discuss the issues on data protection and privacy in use of emerging technologies, such as PETs with support from Japan PPC and the UK Information Commissioner Office (ICO). Our independent data protection authorities are also working together to ensure our strong regulatory and enforcement regimes work as effectively as possible. To this end, the PPC and the Information Commissioner of the U.K. signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the protection of personal information in October 2023.

e. The Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum has been another arena for UK-Japan collaboration on international data governance. Japan welcomed the UK’s accession in June 2023 as an Associate of the Global CBPR Forum, which aims to promote interoperability and help bridge different regulatory approaches to data protection and privacy. The UK and Japan are supporting efforts alongside other Members to operationalise the Global CBPR Systems, gain broader awareness by stakeholders, and to seek enhancement of the program requirements of the Systems in order to improve interoperability, ensure high standards of data protection in the participating jurisdictions and increase uptake.

Pillar Three: Digital Regulation & Standards

Online Safety

a. MIC and DSIT have held several administrative level meetings to discuss online safety measures, including legislative and non-legislative approaches.

b. MIC and DSIT will continue to share information on our respective approaches and, where possible, work towards shared principles and standards in common areas of interest, such as user redress and platform transparency, to promote a safe and inclusive online environment, in particular for children.

Digital Markets

a. Both Participants have deepened their cooperation by sharing challenges and experiences in policy development and implementation to achieve more effective digital competition policy, legislation and regulation, complementing the achievements to further multilateral cooperation through the 2023 G7 Joint Enforcers and Policymakers Digital Competition Summit.

b. Both Participants will continue to work together to further accelerate our cooperation in digital competition policy, including the cooperation in line with the joint statement^{[footnote 4]}, which was announced by the Secretariat of the Headquarters for Digital Market Competition, the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan and the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in February 2023.

Digital Technical Standards

a. MIC and DSIT held an administrative level meeting to exchange their views and promote mutual understanding on the priorities for the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA), the general assembly of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector of International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), scheduled to be held in October 2024. Both Participants continue to work closely together at the ITU.

Internet Governance

a. Both Participants welcome the outcome of multi-stakeholder discussions of public policy issues related to Internet governance at the excellent UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF, held in Kyoto last October) hosted by Japan.

b. Given the importance of international discussion on preserving an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet, Both Participants will further collaboration in multi-stakeholder and multi-lateral fora, reflecting the outcome of the G7 Digital and Tech Ministers’ Declaration of 2023, concurred in Gunma during Japan’s G7 Presidency.

c. Both Participants will, therefore, strengthen collaboration in the UN Summit of the Future, the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the ITU. In the course of such work Both Participants will also provide input into the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +20 Review and Global Digital Compact processes in collaboration with their multi-stakeholder communities.

d. Both Participants will also work together in the ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) to advance the vision of an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet, including stopping domain name system (DNS) abuse.

Pillar Four: Digital Transformation

Digital Government Transformation

a. The Government Digital Service (GDS) visited Japan in 2022. The visit was focused on signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to strengthen cooperation between GDS and DA in the area of digital government.

b. GDS and DA pledged to exchange knowledge and strategies to promote the adoption, design and diffusion of digital tools and services across public sectors in the UK and Japan. It was also decided that cooperation would focus on sharing best practices in training and building technical capabilities across government departments and agencies, and delivering greater efficiencies in government procurement and spending.

c. Since then, GDS and DA have collaborated and exchanged learnings at various point throughout 2023, on:

i. Digital Marketplace and Procurement Reform: DA has incorporated advice and lessons learnt from GDS’s Digital Marketplace, to develop a site that will enable Japanese government bodies to find cloud software for digital projects in the public sector.

ii. Government Cloud: GDS had a meaningful discussion with DA, sharing insights to help inform Japan’s development of digital based cloud services for their government.

iii. User-centered design and service design: DA and GDS hold monthly 1. meetings where they share knowledge and exchange ideas on how best to boost service design across their respective communities.

d. In July 2023, DA also visited the National Cyber Security Centre in the UK to discuss digital AI and ZTA policies.

Digital Identity

a. Both Participants have shared information about their respective digital identity legislative programmes, such as the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework. Both Participants look forward to further dialogue and collaboration.

b. GDS’s international engagement is critical for the development of the GOV.UK One Login programme. GDS has presented to Japanese delegations in London, sharing priorities for the One Login for Government programme. GDS looks forward to continuing to share knowledge and insights with DA to solve common policy challenges related to digital identity.

1. Joint statement between the United Kingdom and Japan on ensuring app security and privacy (28 February 2023), available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-statement-between-the-united-kingdom-and-japan-on-ensuring-app-security-and-privacy ↩

2. Secure-by-Design - Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software (October 2023), available at https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-10/SecureByDesign_1025_508c.pdf (PDF) ↩

3. Memorandum of cooperation between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Japan on people-to-people exchanges (10 November 2023), available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-japan-memorandum-of-cooperation-on-people-to-people-exchanges/memorandum-of-cooperation-between-the-foreign-commonwealth-and-development-office-of-the-united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-northern-ireland-and-the (see para 2(5)) ↩

4. Joint statement between the United Kingdom and Japan on ensuring App Security and Privacy (28 February 2023), available at: https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/houdou/20230209securty_privacy_en.html ↩