Geneva served as the centre of global digital dialogue this week as technology leaders, policymakers, and innovators reviewed 20 years of progress and the future of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
Co-hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Swiss Confederation, the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, held this week at Palexpo convention center alongside the AI for Good Global Summit, contributed to a combined total of over 11,000 participants from 169 countries.
The week-long event laid the groundwork for the United Nations General Assembly’s 20-year review of the WSIS Forum, a multi-stakeholder platform addressing challenges in digital development driven by advancing technologies.
Participants at the event agreed that WSIS principles — rooted in human rights, development, and multilateral cooperation — should guide how the world manages technological progress. Delegates also highlighted the importance of the WSIS process and its role in uniting diverse voices to create solutions.
“After two decades of progress, the multi-stakeholder WSIS community can be proud of our collaborative efforts to build a more inclusive and sustainable information society,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
“At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, governments, the private sector, academia, civil society, the technical community, and the United Nations reaffirmed our commitment to keep the WSIS spirit alive beyond 2025,” he added.
