The Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI) and Co-Develop co-organized a side event at Open America on December 06, 2024. The “Multi-stakeholder approaches to govern and design new Digital Public Infrastructure” event featured a panel aimed at discussing challenges and opportunities for effective collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society to leverage DPI to strengthen democratic institutions. 

Panelists included Dr. Stefaan Verhulst (Co-founder of The GovLab and The Data Tank); Henrique Dolabella (Director of the Rural Environmental Registry – CAR at the Brazilian Ministry of Management and Innovation); Breno Lobo (Management of Pix Operations and Governance at the Central Bank of Brazil); and Matthew McNaughton (Director, Inclusion, Safety & Civil Society Engagement at Co-Develop).

The panel was followed by a workshop facilitated by Pedro Saliba from Data Privacy Brasil and Maria Luciano from CDPI, where participants reflected on the Brazilian Rural Environmental Registry (CAR). Drawing from the 100 Questions Initiative, they raised questions about the dilemmas and challenges faced by the different stakeholders affected by this policy, hoping to establish priorities and allocate scarce public resources.

Some key points raised in the discussions:

  • Connectivity, affordability and capacity building must be central to making policies inclusive and effective;
  • Building trust and providing efficient public policy communication call for people and context-centered strategies rooted in collective knowledge;
  • Data governance practices must ensure people’s rights and give back to communities whose data is being used;
  • Brazil presents some additional challenges for coordination considering regional differences and its three federative levels – municipal, state and federal.

This convening is part of CDPI’s commitment to promoting open, population-scale and people-centered digital systems, and Co-Develop’s dedication to foster the adoption of safe and inclusive shared digital public infrastructure. 

Manuel Aguilera, regional lead for Latin America and the Caribbean at CDPI, argues that, “If we want to drive exponential change, technology is just the tip of the iceberg. Successful DPI implementation needs to be complemented with transparent, accountable and participatory governance, with robust public and private innovation.”

Dr. Stefaan Verhulst emphasized, “Digital public infrastructures must be built on a foundation of strong data governance, enabling the responsible exchange of data for the benefit of all. This requires a shift from a narrow focus on data sovereignty to embracing digital self-determination, where people and communities actively shape how their data is used and reused—fostering trust, equity, and agency in the digital age.” 

Pedro Saliba stated, “As new DPIs become part of everyday life, transparency and open dialogue take on even greater importance. During the CAR workshop, we explored the interests and conflicts surrounding the system, identifying pathways for its application in environmental policies. These convenings are crucial for fostering multi sectoral dialogue and making decisions that have major social implications.”

About the CAR use case, Henrique Dolabella highlighted “Managing CAR as a Digital Public Infrastructure is essential for Brazilian environmental improvement. The more society uses CAR data, the more effect it will have on the actual implementation of initiatives related to the maintenance, restoration and protection of forest areas, water resources and biodiversity.