World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

The first WSIS+20 preparatory meeting with Member States and observers will be held on 30 May 2025 at 3:00 p.m. in Conference Room 1 to discuss expectations and inform the intergovernmental process. In December 2003, the global community gathered in Geneva at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) , declaring a shared commitment to “build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society.” This milestone launched a sustained effort to harness information and communication technologies (ICTs) for sustainable development , initially contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The resulting Geneva Plan of Action established 11 Action Lines to guide progress in key areas. The United Nations General Assembly recognized the outcomes of the Geneva phase in its resolution 59/2202 . The second phase of WSIS, held in Tunis in 2005, built upon the Geneva outcomes and adopted the Tunis Agenda, which addressed additional dimensions...

 The aim of the following recommendations is to operationalize the five principles into actionable steps for stakeholders across the information ecosystem. Intended as a holistic blueprint, these recommendations range from the legal obligations of States to the responsibilities of the technology sector to best practices for media and civil society. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAKEHOLDERS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ACTORS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADVERTISERS   RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER PRIVATE SECTOR ACTORS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEWS MEDIA, RESEARCHERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STATES AND POLITICAL ACTORS  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

  Every time you turn on the radio or television, board a plane, call home, go online, use GPS, check the weather, or view satellite images, you use a vital service coordinated by ITU. Tune in to #ITU160 years of tech for humanity and how you are #ConnectedByITU via land, sea, and space! On  May 17th ,  World Telecommunication and Information Society Day , join us for a first-ever light show projected onto the iconic ITU Tower, opposite the United Nations Office at Geneva, as part of Geneva Museum Night . Sixteen slides projected on the 15-storey ITU Tower will show highlights of 160 years of technology for humanity , embodying innovation, countries, organizations and people working together, shared achievements and resilience. You will hear from inspiring speakers as to how they are #ConnectedByITU , from the sea to the sky. How to participate? If you’re in Geneva, come to the Esplanade adjacent to the ITU headquarters buildings , near the Place des Nations. If y...

  Large technology companies, many headquartered in locations where technology regulation is limited, wield immense power. They profit from vast troves of data harvested on user behaviour, allowing them to shape transnational information flows and control digital experiences on a global scale. To redress this power imbalance, a framework is needed that prioritizes both transparency and independent oversight. Users deserve control over their data and online experiences, with clear avenues for complaint and redress. Accountability mechanisms are needed to address the responsibility of technology companies for the consequences of the design and use of their products and services on human rights and social cohesion, including in crisis and conflict situations. This will require a critical and transparent assessment of platform architecture to identify features that erode information integrity and undermine human rights. Strategies to prevent and mitigate such erosion should be impleme...

  Government, private and public sector actors involved in at least one stage of the artificial intelligence system life cycle. As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies rapidly evolve, these capabilities are poised to reshape our world. From automating everyday tasks to aiding scientific discovery, the potential benefits are vast. However, alongside this progress lies a critical need to ensure safe, secure and trustworthy AI design , development, deployment and decommission. Bias and lack of diversity in training data can lead AI systems to generate misleading information and perpetuate unfairness. This ability to generate realistic content can be misused at scale to create risks to the integrity of the information ecosystem. Emerging risks can be mitigated by prioritizing transparency and fairness in the life cycle of AI technologies. A collaborative effort across government, technology companies and academic and research institutions is needed to ensure that AI is designe...

  Recommendations  Advertisers can exert singular influence on the integrity of the information ecosystem by helping to cut off financial incentives for those seeking to profit from disinformation and hate. In doing so, advertisers can better protect their brands and address material risk, boosting their bottom line while conducting business in line with their corporate values.  a. Establish human rights-responsible advertising . Establish safeguards to ensure that advertising does not drive risks to information spaces and upholds human rights, including the rights of children. Avoid discriminatory targeting practices based on sensitive data and perceived user traits. Advertise with media outlets and platforms that bolster information integrity, including public interest journalism, through methods such as inclusion and exclusion lists, ad verification tools and manual vetting. Require ad tech companies to publish criteria that a website or channel must adhere to before t...

May 17th marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).