In the context of a NATO Data Mesh, Data Governance Policies encompass rules, practices, and standards that guide how data is managed, accessed, and used across decentralized domains while maintaining organizational-wide alignment and compliance. It ensures that data products are consistently high-quality, secure, and interoperable, supporting decentralized ownership while aligning with overarching governance objectives. Data Governance Policies facilitate collaboration between federated teams by balancing domain-specific autonomy with global alignment, creating a trusted environment for data sharing and innovation. They support a scalable and adaptive governance model that evolves with organizational needs and technological advancements. Key aspects include policies for: * Access Control: Defining how users and systems securely access data based on roles and permissions. * Metadata Standards: Mandating the inclusion of comprehensive metadata to ensure data discoverability and semantic interoperability. * Quality Assurance: Setting benchmarks for data accuracy, completeness, and reliability. * Compliance: Ensuring data handling adheres to regulatory requirements, such as legal, regulatory, and ethical guidelines. * Lifecycle Management: Providing guidelines for creating, publishing, maintaining, and retiring data products.