The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting, held on December 14–15, 2022, in Gran Canaria, Spain, announced the creation of the Global Forum on Technology (GFTech). The new forum was established as a venue for in-depth dialogue on long-term opportunities and risks presented by emerging technologies, with quantum computing explicitly named among its initial focus areas alongside semiconductors and synthetic biology.
Ministers, policymakers, business representatives, and civil society from nearly 40 countries attended the meeting. According to the ministerial documents, GFTech was tasked with facilitating inclusive, multi-stakeholder, and values-based discussions on technology policy topics where gaps exist in existing international fora. The forum was also charged with exploring nascent policy approaches to challenges posed by emerging technologies.
GFTech’s mandate included identifying and analyzing specific technological developments and their potential societal, economic, security, and sustainability impacts. The announcement marked the OECD’s formal entry into quantum technology governance as a dedicated workstream.