World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

This event provides a space for stakeholders to reflect on the WSIS+20 decisions, assess their implications, and examine how they intersect with the Global Digital Compact (GDC). The UN General Assembly is expected to approve the WSIS+20 Outcome Document, marking a decisive moment for future global digital cooperation. With WSIS as the foundational architecture for Internet and digital development, and IGF as the unique global platform for multistakeholder dialogue, it is significant to explore how these mechanisms are connected and can support the implementation of the GDC. Key Issues: ● Can WSIS and IGF be the overarching frameworks for digital cooperation after 2025? What advantages and disadvantages of this approach? ● Can the IGF's permanent status strengthen efforts to serve as the overall policy platform? ● Where do the WSIS+20 Outcome Document and the GDC converge in the areas of Internet Governance, IGF and the technical community role? ● What practical roles can NRIs play...

This side-event offers a unique opportunity to present the outcomes of the Paris AI Action Summit held in February 2025 and the progress made since in their implementation, outline key priorities and themes for the Delhi AI Impact Summit to be held in February 2026, and engage stakeholders in a forward-looking dialogue on transitioning from action to impact in the AI era. Watch the WSIS+20 Side Event: "From Action to Impact" A Curtain Raiser to the AI Impact Summit! Meetings & Events

This activity will be organized in close collaboration not only with member countries of La Francophonie that actively support this fight for diversity, but also with other interested institutional and non-institutional partners, as well as other language groups (in particular Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking groups). The Francophonie seeks to make the voices of French speakers heard and to put the priorities of its member countries at the forefront of discussions. In particular, we want to emphasize the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity in digital content as a tool for digital inclusion. The digital environment must reflect the reality and diversity of the world so that the benefits of digital technologies are not reserved for a small minority of individuals and countries that are mainly monocultural and monolingual. This challenge is even more pressing at a time of exponential growth in AI tools that are built on the corpus of data from the internet. The objec...

Bridging regional WSIS+20 reviews with global negotiations, this event explores strategies to translate digital commitments into national action, aligning with the Global Digital Compact and SDGs to drive an inclusive digital society. The WSIS+20 Review represents a defining global process to assess two decades of progress toward a people-centered and development-oriented Information Society. As Member States emphasize the need for a joint implementation roadmap, this high-level side event serves as a forward-looking platform to link regional experiences specifically the outcomes of the Cotonou Declaration on Accelerating Africa's Digital Transformation with ongoing global negotiations. By aligning regional priorities with the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the 2030 Agenda, this session will examine how public institutions can anchor multi-stakeholder collaboration, trust, and human rights in the implementation of WSIS+20 outcomes. Discussions will address critical policy gaps,...

  A world of AI haves and have-nots would be a world of perpetual instability. We must never allow AI to stand for “advancing inequality”. Only by preventing the emergence of fragmented AI spheres can we build a world where technology serves all humanity. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. AI Panel and Dialogue. On 26 August 2025, the United Nations General Assembly established the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in Resolution A/RES/79/325 , following intergovernmental negotiations and broad consultations with diverse stakeholders.  Inputs. View submissions from organizations here . The submission form for inputs is now closed (1 Feb – 21 Feb 2025). Resources. Independent International Scientific Panel on AI - Website Global Dialogue on AI Governance - Website Terms of Reference and Modalities for the Establishment and Functioning of the Independent Inter...

The  20th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum  is hosted by the Government of the Norway in Lillestrøm from 23 to 27 June 2025. The Forum's overarching theme is:  Building Digital Governance Together. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups as equals, in discussions on public policy issues relating to the Internet. While there is no negotiated outcome, the IGF informs and inspires those with policy-making power in both the public and private sectors. Related Sites and Documents IGF 2025 website IGF 2025 schedule Watch The  Closing Ceremony, IGF 2025 !

The 20th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum is hosted by the Government of the Norway in Lillestrøm from 23 to 27 June 2025. The Forum's overarching theme is: Building Digital Governance Together. This session, organized by the Policy Network on AI (PNAI) will explore these questions and contribute directly to PNAI's ongoing work in preparing a report and suggesting an action plan on how the IGF can maximize its impact as the central platform for inclusive and bottom up multi-stakeholder discussions on AI governance. The session will examine the role the IGF can play in the broader context of WSIS+20 review and implementation of the Global Digital Compact AI-related work, with a forward-looking perspective from 2026 and beyond. SPEAKERS: Ivana Bartoletti, Vice-President, Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer, Wipro (WEOG) Mario Nobile, Director General, AgID Agency for Digital Italy (WEOG)William Bird, Director, Media Monitoring Africa (Africa) Shuyan Wu...

  AI governance refers to the policies, standards, and processes ensuring AI systems are developed and used safely, ethically, and responsibly, addressing risks like bias, privacy, and misuse while fostering innovation by setting rules for transparency, fairness, and accountability across the AI lifecycle, involving developers, users, and policymakers. Key frameworks include the EU AI Act and ISO standards , focusing on risk-based approaches, continuous assessment, and human oversight to align AI with human values and regulations. Core Principles Fairness & Bias Mitigation : Preventing discrimination and ensuring equitable outcomes. Transparency & Explainability : Understanding how AI makes decisions. Accountability : Assigning responsibility for AI outcomes. Privacy & Security : Protecting data and systems. Human Oversight : Maintaining human control over critical AI functions. Key Components Risk Management : Identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential ...

  AI RISKS Regulatory design challenges Opacity, Explainability, Interpretability Challenfe of tracking and monitoring decentralized AI Systems Inter-related risks from data and cybersecurity Inter-related risks from copyrights and IP Growing AI Divide Lack of effective enforcement Disproportionately large role of non-state actors Inclusivity Labour force displacement, income inequality Environmental Footprint of AI.

  The UN Inter-Agency Working Group on AI (IAWG-AI), co-led by ITU and UNESCO, is to bring together UN system expertise on AI in supporting system-wide policy coherence and programmatic coordination. It combines the ethical and technological pillars of the UN to provide a solid foundation for current and future AI efforts with a view to ensuring respect for human rights and accelerating progress on the SDGs. The  IAWG-AI , established during the 40th HLCP session in October 2020, focuses on advancing policy and programmatic coherence of AI activities within the UN. It currently has 40 UN agencies and bodies as members, and several workstreams such as capacity development, procurement guidelines, education, justice, industry, foresight, and other areas. UNITED NATIONS HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE ON PROGRAMMES (HLCP) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON AI (IAWG-AI) :