Access Archives | Page 5 of 339 | Digital Watch Observatory

UNDP scales blockchain-based digital payment solutions

The UN Development Programme and the Stellar Development Foundation have expanded cooperation on blockchain-based digital payment solutions for development and humanitarian use.

The partnership aims to support more transparent, efficient and low-cost digital transfers, including for humanitarian aid, remittances and national cash transfer programmes.

According to UNDP, recent work has tested whether blockchain-based payment flows can function under real operational constraints, including weak connectivity, high transaction friction and limited access to traditional financial services.

Pilot activity has included projects in Haiti, Guatemala and The Gambia, where teams examined how digital transfers could support households, microbusinesses and programme accountability.

The expanded cooperation is intended to help UNDP country offices assess and integrate validated digital payment solutions across areas such as humanitarian response, social protection and financial inclusion.

UNDP said the work will include operational guidance, safeguards and support for country teams considering blockchain-based payment tools.

The Stellar Development Foundation will continue providing technical and ecosystem expertise as the initiative develops.

The effort reflects growing interest in using digital assets and shared-ledger infrastructure for practical development applications, rather than only financial-market activity.

Why does it matter?

The expansion shows that blockchain-based payment systems are being tested for development and humanitarian delivery, not just for crypto trading or private financial markets. If implemented carefully, digital payments can reduce transfer friction, improve traceability and help reach people in areas with limited banking access. The policy challenge is to ensure that efficiency gains do not come at the expense of safeguards, data protection, accountability, user choice, or local financial system resilience.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our chatbot!

UNCTAD says digital divide goes beyond internet access

UNCTAD has warned that closing the digital divide now requires more than expanding internet access, as AI reshapes trade, production and development prospects.

The organisation said digital inclusion increasingly depends on whether developing countries can use digital tools and AI to build productive capacity, support local firms, create jobs and expand trade opportunities.

Its analysis argues that digital skills, institutional capacity, data governance and fairer participation in the digital economy must match connectivity.

UNCTAD said developing countries need stronger local expertise and greater influence over how data is governed, rather than relying only on digital trade arrangements shaped by larger economies.

Building domestic AI and data capacity through skills development, technology transfer and policy support could reduce long-term dependence on foreign platforms, infrastructure and funding.

The article also points to examples of national capacity-building, including Ghana’s efforts to develop local technical expertise for digital policy.

UNCTAD also pointed out its work on e-commerce, digital trade, data governance and the digital economy supports countries in identifying policy options suited to their development needs.

The organisation also highlighted tools such as its Frontier Technologies Readiness Index and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Reviews as ways to help governments assess readiness and strengthen digital policy.

Why does it matter?

UNCTAD’s framing shows that the digital divide is becoming a question of capability rather than connectivity alone. Countries may have internet access but still lack the skills, institutions, data governance and domestic technology base needed to benefit from AI-driven economic change. The issue is therefore moving from infrastructure policy into trade, development, technology transfer and digital sovereignty debates. For developing countries, the risk is not only being offline, but also being dependent on external platforms and excluded from shaping the rules and value chains of the AI economy.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

AI governance must move from principles to practical action, UN dialogue hears

Bridging the global AI divide will require much more than expanding access to AI tools, participants heard during a thematic session of the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance. Speakers argued that countries need digital infrastructure, reliable electricity, skilled workforces, trusted institutions and governance capacity if they are to shape AI on their own terms rather than simply consume technologies developed elsewhere.

Throughout the discussion, governments, UN agencies, academics and industry representatives stressed that the next phase of AI governance should focus on implementation. They called for stronger international cooperation, investment in local capabilities and practical measures to ensure AI contributes to sustainable development instead of reinforcing existing inequalities.

Capacity building means creating AI, not just using it

Opening the session, Robert Opp of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) argued that the world is moving from a digital divide to an AI divide, one shaped not only by access to technology but also by countries’ ability to adopt, govern and develop AI responsibly.

Loretta Hieber Girardet of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) added that governments need trusted institutions, robust data systems and technical expertise if AI is to improve disaster resilience and public services.

The session’s co-chairs, Rashid Khan, Co-Founder of Yellow.ai, and Mark Alexandre Doumba, Gabon’s Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation, reinforced that message by arguing that AI governance should now move beyond high-level principles towards practical action. Khan said the challenge is no longer agreeing that AI should be inclusive and trustworthy, but creating the standards, infrastructure and skills needed to make those principles meaningful.

Doumba argued that developing countries should not try to replicate the resource-intensive path taken by major AI powers. Instead, they should build AI ecosystems suited to their own economies, languages and cultural contexts.

‘We should not measure success by who builds the biggest models,’ he suggested, but by whether AI creates jobs, improves public services and supports local innovation.

Several participants also stressed that capacity development must extend far beyond basic AI literacy. Shikoh Gitau argued that countries should become creators of AI rather than passive users, describing the goal as building AI ‘for us, by us’. That requires investment not only in technical skills, but also in research, standards, financing and local entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Government representatives echoed that assessment. Speakers from South Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman and Ethiopia all identified electricity, connectivity, computing power, public-sector capacity and access to quality data as essential foundations for meaningful AI participation.

Environmental sustainability moves to the centre of AI governance

One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was that environmental sustainability should no longer be treated as a secondary issue in AI governance.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) argued that AI depends on extensive use of electricity, water, minerals and manufacturing while also generating growing volumes of electronic waste. Because these impacts extend across entire supply chains, speakers said governance should address AI’s full environmental lifecycle rather than focusing solely on the operation of AI models.

Participants also highlighted questions of environmental justice. Several speakers warned that many of the environmental costs associated with AI infrastructure, including mining, water consumption and waste, are disproportionately borne by communities in developing countries that receive relatively few of AI’s economic benefits.

Rather than assuming AI will automatically solve environmental challenges, panellists called for internationally comparable methods to measure AI’s environmental footprint, greater transparency from technology companies and stronger accountability across supply chains.

The discussion reflected a broader shift in international AI policy debates, with environmental sustainability increasingly treated as a core governance issue alongside safety, human rights and economic development.

Local languages and cultures must shape AI development

Another recurring message was that AI will only become genuinely global if it better reflects the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Estonian President Alar Karis described how Estonia has invested heavily to ensure that AI systems can operate effectively in the Estonian language, despite the country’s relatively small population. Alongside partnerships with companies such as OpenAI and Google, Estonia has focused on training teachers, integrating AI into education and ensuring that modern Estonian-language content remains available for future AI systems.

Other speakers argued that similar efforts are needed worldwide. They noted that current AI models overwhelmingly favour dominant languages, leaving thousands of languages and many indigenous knowledge systems largely excluded from the AI ecosystem.

Several participants warned that countries lacking local datasets, evaluation benchmarks and language resources risk becoming dependent on technologies designed for entirely different cultural contexts.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of standards and international cooperation. UNESCO presented its ongoing work to implement its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence through large-scale training programmes, language-diversity initiatives and AI competency frameworks for teachers and public officials.

Meanwhile, standards experts argued that participation in international standard-setting should itself be viewed as a form of capacity development, enabling developing countries to help shape the technical foundations of future AI systems.

Trust, children’s rights and implementation now take priority

Beyond infrastructure and capacity, speakers repeatedly argued that trust will determine whether AI delivers a broad public benefit. Participants emphasised that trustworthy AI requires transparent governance, accountable institutions and meaningful public oversight rather than technical performance alone.

Children’s rights received particular attention during the session. UNICEF warned that children are adopting AI technologies faster than adults are learning to regulate them, creating new risks around privacy, safety and development. Representatives called for child-centred benchmarks, stronger safeguards for children’s data and mandatory child-rights impact assessments for AI systems deployed in education, healthcare and other public services.

Several speakers also argued that governance should focus more on AI deployment than on frontier model development alone, ensuring that systems remain accountable throughout their lifecycle and can be adapted to local social and institutional realities.

Closing the session, Khan and Doumba returned to the discussion’s central message: that AI governance should ultimately be judged by practical outcomes rather than technological competition. Countries need the capability to shape AI according to their own priorities, they said, while international cooperation should ensure that no society is left behind.

Participants were encouraged to leave Geneva not simply with new principles, but with concrete commitments on financing, infrastructure, skills and cooperation that can be reviewed when the Global Dialogue reconvenes in 2027.

Track all key moments from the Global Dialogue on AI Governance inaugural meeting on our dedicated page.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Closing the AI divide means building capacity, not just expanding access

The global AI divide is no longer simply about who has internet access or the latest AI tools. It is increasingly defined by who has the infrastructure, computing power, skilled workforce and institutional capacity to develop, govern and adapt AI and who does not.

That was the central message of a discussion on bridging AI divides at the inaugural United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance, where governments, UN agencies and experts argued that narrowing AI inequalities will require a fundamental shift from expanding access to building long-term national capabilities.

From access to capability

Speakers repeatedly argued that AI has exposed a new generation of digital inequalities that extend well beyond connectivity.

Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), distinguished between an access divide and an adoption divide, warning that AI technologies are spreading faster than governments and institutions can build the capacity to use them responsibly.

Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief Risk Knowledge of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), echoed that concern, saying countries need trusted institutions, governance frameworks, digital infrastructure and technical expertise if AI is to strengthen development rather than deepen existing vulnerabilities.

The discussion also highlighted how investment patterns reinforce those divides. Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), noted that AI infrastructure investment is increasingly concentrated in a small number of countries and companies because investors naturally gravitate towards locations offering reliable electricity, high-speed connectivity, skilled workers and predictable governance. Without those foundations, he warned, many developing countries risk being left behind regardless of how quickly AI technologies spread globally.

Several government representatives reinforced that message by pointing to persistent shortages of electricity, broadband connectivity, computing infrastructure, quality datasets and digital skills as barriers to meaningful participation in the AI economy.

Capacity building means creating AI, not simply using it

Participants argued that AI capacity building should be redefined.

Moderator Shikoh Gitau said many current initiatives focus too heavily on teaching people how to use AI applications, while overlooking the broader ecosystem needed to create AI locally. Instead, she advocated an approach centred on ‘AI for us, by us’, combining investment in research, technical skills, financing, standards, entrepreneurship and local innovation.

UNESCO presented several initiatives intended to move countries in that direction. Assistant Director-General Khaled El-Enany highlighted the implementation of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence through training programmes for more than 50,000 public officials and judicial actors, AI competency frameworks for teachers and students, and projects promoting language diversity and responsible AI governance.

El Salvador offered an example of how countries are beginning to build national AI ecosystems. Vice President Félix Ulloa outlined investments in AI-supported education, telemedicine, regulatory sandboxes and a National AI Agency, alongside legislation covering AI, data protection, cybersecurity and robotics. While noting significant progress, he acknowledged that challenges remain in extending connectivity and digital opportunities to rural communities.

Throughout the discussion, speakers stressed that developing countries should become active contributors to AI development rather than remaining consumers of technologies designed elsewhere.

Language, culture and local knowledge matter

Several speakers argued that AI divides are also cultural and linguistic.

Co-chair Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director of Diplo, said discussions about AI often focus on technology while overlooking knowledge itself. He argued that indigenous traditions, oral histories and local knowledge systems should be recognised as valuable resources for AI development, ensuring that technological progress strengthens rather than erodes humanity’s diverse intellectual heritage.

Valts Ernštreits highlighted the scale of linguistic exclusion, noting that only around 1,000 of the world’s roughly 7,000 languages currently have sufficient digital resources to support meaningful AI development. Without targeted investment, he warned, thousands of language communities risk being left outside the AI revolution.

Other speakers similarly argued that AI systems should reflect local cultures, values and institutions instead of simply adapting models developed for dominant markets. Building trustworthy AI, they said, requires communities to participate directly in data governance, research and system design.

A shared responsibility

While speakers differed on specific policy approaches, they broadly agreed that international cooperation will be essential to prevent AI from reinforcing existing global inequalities.

Suggestions included expanding public-private partnerships, strengthening participation by developing countries in international standards-setting, supporting open models and open standards, and creating a global AI fund to help countries invest in computing infrastructure, institutions and human capital.

Closing the session, Kurbalija returned to the discussion’s central theme, arguing that AI should ultimately help preserve and advance humanity’s collective wisdom rather than simply automate knowledge. Co-chair Samba Diouf added that regional cooperation will be particularly important for smaller countries that cannot realistically build every component of the AI ecosystem on their own.

Taken together, the discussion suggested that bridging AI divides will require far more than expanding access to technology. It will depend on whether countries can build the institutions, skills, infrastructure and knowledge needed to shape AI on their own terms, and ensure its benefits are shared more evenly across the world.

Track all key moments from the Global Dialogue on AI Governance inaugural meeting on our dedicated page.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

WSIS session calls for meaningful connectivity as AI and e-governance expand

Speakers at the WSIS Forum 2026 warned that AI strategies, digital identity systems and e-government services are advancing faster than meaningful connectivity in many parts of Africa and the wider Global South, leaving rural communities, low-income groups, women and persons with disabilities at risk of further exclusion.

The session, titled ‘Closing Africa’s Connectivity Gap in the Age of AI and E-Governance’, took place during the WSIS Forum 2026 in Geneva. The annual forum, co-organised by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, brings together governments, international organisations, civil society, the private sector, academia and technical communities to discuss digital cooperation and sustainable development.

Opening the session, Thobekile Matimbe of Paradigm Initiative framed the discussion around evidence from more than 28 countries. She said governments are increasingly adopting AI strategies, digital IDs and online public services, but many people still lack the connectivity, devices and conditions needed to benefit from them. Based on Paradigm Initiative’s work, she argued that the digital divide is widening rather than narrowing.

Bridget Hanani Ndlovu outlined the scale of exclusion, noting that 2.6 billion people remain unconnected globally and that more than half of Africa’s population is still offline. She stressed that the problem is not only missing infrastructure, but also what she described as ‘deliberate disconnection’, including internet shutdowns.

Ndlovu said Paradigm Initiative’s 2025 review of 29 African countries found that nine had implemented internet shutdowns. She cited Kenya and Tanzania as examples where connectivity can be disrupted even when infrastructure exists, arguing that such measures limit people’s ability to access information, public services and economic opportunities.

She also warned that AI-powered digital identity systems can deepen exclusion when introduced in unequal contexts. Referring to Uganda, Ndlovu said elderly people, women and persons with disabilities had faced difficulties accessing services linked to digital ID systems. She said digital systems must be designed and implemented with affected communities in mind, rather than assuming that technology will automatically improve access.

Affordability was another recurring concern. Ndlovu said data costs remain prohibitive in several African countries, giving Zimbabwe as an example where internet access can be unaffordable for low-income users. She also pointed to infrastructure problems in parts of Nigeria, including Zamfara North, where communities continue to experience limited or unreliable access.

Shumaila Shahani, a human rights lawyer, said similar challenges exist in South Asia and urged participants to focus on the human consequences of weak connectivity. She said poor access is not only about slow speeds or failed downloads, but can determine whether people receive essential services. As an example, she said biometric failures can prevent people from receiving food rations.

Shahani also linked connectivity to electricity access, explaining that unreliable power and limited charging options can make mobile devices unusable. She said women and persons with disabilities are often particularly affected when charging points, devices, and digital services are not accessible to them.

Her main warning was that AI-enabled and digital systems become harmful when they replace older offline channels before everyone can use the new systems. She said the ‘new AI door’ is not the problem by itself, but that exclusion occurs when it becomes the only door available.

The panel also discussed Universal Service Funds (USFs), which are intended to support connectivity in underserved areas. Ndlovu said many African countries have USFs in law, but implementation is often weak, transparency is limited and public information on budgets and progress is difficult to find.

She cited several country examples, saying Ethiopia had created a framework without an operational fund, Somalia lacked a functioning USF, Sudan had repeatedly established a fund without effective implementation, and telecom operators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had not made required contributions. She added that South Africa showed stronger transparency around its fund, while Namibia had begun rollout work and Tunisia had pursued alternative coverage models through ‘white zones’.

Shahani suggested that USFs should be complemented by other affordability measures, including reduced taxes on handsets, device financing, targeted support for women’s connectivity and legal obligations requiring private operators to extend rural coverage. She said the connectivity policy should also address the electricity infrastructure, including solar-powered towers.

The speakers also called for stronger accountability before governments deploy AI-integrated public systems. Ndlovu said governments should conduct human rights impact assessments before adopting digital identity or AI systems and should consult affected communities early, not only at the end of the policy process.

She argued that governments and international processes should measure harms and impacts, not only infrastructure rollout or the number of AI tools adopted. Matimbe supported this point, saying implementation must include civil society and other stakeholders at the national level, not only governments and companies.

Shahani added that connectivity statistics should better reflect meaningful access. She said counting someone as connected because they have 2G access does not capture whether they can actually use digital public services, AI tools or online education. Measurement, she argued, should include device capability, speed, affordability and daily use.

She also said national AI strategies must include explicit connectivity budgets, warning that ‘any national AI strategy without a connectivity budget’ is ‘just a press release’.

In the audience discussion, speakers addressed whether women’s connectivity should be treated separately from household access. Ndlovu said women are often specifically disadvantaged in access to technology and should not have to depend on devices controlled by others. Shahani added that if a woman relies on her partner’s phone, that access is not meaningful or independent.

Across the session, speakers agreed that meaningful connectivity in the AI era requires more than network coverage. It also depends on affordability, electricity, devices, protection from shutdowns, functioning Universal Service Funds, inclusive design, offline alternatives and rights-based assessments before new systems are deployed.

The discussion concluded with a shared emphasis on implementation. Speakers argued that governments, companies, civil society and technical experts need to work together to ensure that AI, digital identity and e-governance systems do not deepen exclusion, but instead expand access to services and opportunities for communities that remain offline or underserved.

Track all key moments from the WSIS Forum 2026 on our dedicated WSIS page.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

WSIS session calls for a broader understanding of digital citizenship in the AI era

A WSIS Forum 2026 session on digital citizenship examined how governments, regulators, international organisations, and technical communities can help people participate safely and meaningfully in digital society as AI becomes more widely used.

The discussion took place during the WSIS Forum 2026, held in Geneva from 6 to 10 July. The annual multistakeholder forum, co-organised by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCTAD, brings together governments, international organisations, civil society, the private sector, academia, and technical communities to advance implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and support digital cooperation.

Opening the session, Alik Mikaelian, project specialist at UNDP Egypt, said digital citizenship can no longer be understood only as internet access. Although billions of people are now online, she argued that meaningful participation requires the ability to think critically, understand rights and responsibilities, navigate AI-enabled environments, and engage safely in digital society. She also linked digital citizenship to trusted institutions, resilient infrastructure, and cooperation among governments, the private sector, civil society, and technical communities.

Dr Hoda Baraka, advisor to Egypt’s Minister of ICT for Technology Talent Development and a Professor of Computer Engineering at Cairo University, presented Egypt’s approach to digital citizenship, describing a digitally empowered citizen as someone able to ‘access, understand, use, create, and benefit from digital technologies’ in a safe, ethical, productive, and inclusive way. She said Egypt’s Digital Egypt agenda combines infrastructure expansion, digital government services, digital literacy, skills programmes, online safety, and support for persons with disabilities.

Baraka said Egypt is working across different age groups and professional communities, including school pupils, university students, graduates, public servants, parents, educators, and persons with disabilities. She highlighted initiatives such as Digital Egypt Marvel Schools and the Digital Egypt Cubs Initiative, as well as programmes for advanced skills and public-sector readiness. She added that online safety is becoming increasingly important due to misinformation, deepfakes, privacy risks, and threats to personal data.

Dr Abeer Shakweer, speaking from UNDP Egypt’s perspective, said the focus should shift from simply combating misinformation to strengthening information integrity. She argued that citizens need critical thinking skills and the capacity to make informed decisions in AI-shaped information environments.

Shakweer described a three-pillar UNDP programme in Egypt. The first pillar addresses misinformation and disinformation through an assessment of the information ecosystem and a bilingual Arabic-English toolkit for youth and journalists. She said the toolkit had been used to train more than 120 young people and 25 journalism trainers. The second pillar explores how AI can be used both to spread and to counter false information, while the third embeds capacity development across public-facing digital programmes, including digital transformation, digital public infrastructure, and future intelligence.

Krisstina Rao focused on digital public infrastructure (DPI), describing it as shared, reusable infrastructure that supports services across government rather than separate systems developed by individual ministries or departments. She cited digital identity, payment systems, and consent-based data exchange as examples.

Rao said governments cannot build complex DPI systems alone and need early collaboration with stakeholders who can contribute expertise on inclusion, safety, accountability, and adoption. She warned that if countries continue maintaining both digital and analogue systems, because many people remain excluded, costs remain high, and the full value of DPI is reduced. She referred to examples, including Brazil’s PIX forum and Ethiopia’s early collaboration with UNHCR to connect digital identity systems with refugee registration.

Dr Chafic Chaya stressed that digital citizenship should not be separated from internet infrastructure. He said discussions often focus on individual behaviour, such as staying safe online or protecting data, but that meaningful participation also depends on resilient connectivity, reliable platforms, and secure environments. He added that this is particularly important in the Global South, where access may expand faster than resilience and capacity development.

Her Excellency Lara Khateeb brought a regulatory perspective, saying rules must remain flexible and adaptive because technology changes quickly. She said Jordan benchmarks international practices and uses public consultation to make regulations more workable. She described this as a form of ‘reverse engineering’, starting from available technologies and practical solutions before shaping rules around them.

Khateeb cited Jordan’s work on child online protection as an example, explaining that regulators consulted telecom operators about available technical solutions and international platforms about how those systems interact. She also emphasised data protection, coordination with cybersecurity agencies, and awareness campaigns tailored to different groups, including children, women, businesses, and SMEs.

Nicholas Field highlighted the role of young people in digital citizenship. Drawing on work with Omidyar Network and UNICEF, he said young people often want to engage and are ready to contribute, but are frequently treated as an afterthought in policymaking. He noted that they often help older family members use digital services and argued that governments should reach them through the channels they actually use, including influencers, YouTube, and podcasts.

Field also raised the issue of AI skills among teachers, saying educators cannot be expected to guide responsible AI use if they do not understand the technology themselves. He said institutions should not assume students will avoid AI tools, but should instead define clear parameters for responsible and acceptable use.

The session also discussed sandboxes as practical tools for testing digital systems before full deployment. Field described sandboxes as time-bound technical environments created for a specific learning purpose. He said they can help regulators, companies, and citizens build trust through safe experimentation. He cited the French identity sandbox, which contributed to work around interoperable digital identity, and the GovStack interoperability sandbox, which tests components such as ID, consent, registers, messaging, and workflow.

Shakweer later shifted the discussion from citizens to institutions, arguing that digital transformation requires public bodies to assess their own readiness and invest in capacity development. She said UNDP uses digital and AI readiness assessment tools to help organisations understand their current position and develop practical roadmaps. In Egypt, she said, such assessments had been applied with the Ministry of Justice and started with the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority.

Returning to AI governance, Al-Khateeb said regulators should encourage responsible AI use rather than ban it. She criticised approaches that prohibit AI use outright, arguing that people should instead be taught to use the technology responsibly, including by checking sources and understanding risks. She also described how Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission uses an internal AI system, not connected to the internet, to search regulations and decisions and support regulatory work.

Baraka closed the discussion by outlining Egypt’s responsible AI work. She said Egypt has an ethical charter, a governance framework, guidelines for developers and deployers, and procurement guidance for public institutions buying AI systems. However, she stressed that frameworks alone are not enough and that institutions need practical tools to apply them before and after deployment.

She also highlighted Egypt’s emerging AI Audit Lab, developed with support from UNDP, GSMA, GIZ, and WebSphere, as a way to help move from principles to implementation. The lab is intended to support Egyptian programmers, developers, and SMEs in testing and building responsible AI systems, including around fairness, accountability, transparency, openness, interoperability, and explainability.

Across the session, speakers agreed that digital citizenship in the AI era requires more than connectivity. It depends on critical thinking, trusted public institutions, secure infrastructure, inclusive DPI, flexible regulation, AI literacy, online safety, and practical tools that allow citizens and institutions to use digital technologies responsibly.

Track all key moments from the WSIS Forum 2026 on our dedicated WSIS page.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UNESCO study examines digital platform influence on news in South-East Europe

A new UNESCO-supported study has found that digital platforms are increasingly shaping how news reaches audiences across South-East Europe and Türkiye, creating new opportunities for journalism while increasing publishers’ dependence on platform algorithms.

Published by the South-East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM), the study examines how social media platforms, search engines and recommendation systems influence news distribution and how governments across the region regulate digital media.

The UNESCO-supported study surveyed 71 media organisations across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. It found that digital platforms have become essential gateways to news for digital-native audiences while helping local and public-interest media reach wider audiences.

At the same time, newsrooms are increasingly adapting headlines, publishing schedules and visual content to satisfy platform algorithms, despite often lacking the technical expertise and financial resources needed to keep pace with constantly changing platform rules.

Researchers also documented numerous cases in which journalistic content was removed, downgraded, demonetised or restricted because automated moderation systems failed to understand local languages, cultural context or the public-interest value of reporting.

Many media organisations also reported limited communication with platform operators and ineffective appeal mechanisms, making it difficult to challenge moderation decisions or changes in algorithmic visibility.

The report recommends stronger transparency and accountability requirements for digital platforms, better appeal mechanisms, greater recognition of verified journalistic content, and increased support for media literacy and self-regulation.

UNESCO said the findings will contribute to the EU-funded project ‘Building Trust in Media in South-East Europe: Support to Journalism as a Public Good’, which seeks to promote rights-based digital platform governance while strengthening independent journalism across the region.

Why does it matter?

The study highlights how platform governance is becoming a defining factor in the future of journalism. While digital platforms enable publishers to reach larger audiences, they also shape news visibility through algorithms and automated moderation systems that can significantly affect traffic, revenue and public access to reliable information.

The findings also reinforce calls for more transparent and accountable platform governance. Better moderation processes, effective appeals and greater recognition of public-interest journalism could help ensure that automated systems support rather than inadvertently undermine media pluralism, local journalism and freedom of expression.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

AI for Good Global Commission launches to expand trusted AI access

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff and International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin have announced the launch of the AI for Good Global Commission.

The Commission brings together more than 40 founding members, including heads of state and government, technology executives and heads of UN agencies.

It is co-chaired by Kagame and Benioff, with Bogdan-Martin serving as vice-chair. ITU said the Commission will work to identify practical pathways to strengthen trust, expand access and unlock AI’s potential to address real-world challenges.

The initiative will focus on technical, socioeconomic and policy questions around AI, with an emphasis on responsible innovation, human capability and broad-based economic and social benefits.

Access is a central part of the Commission’s mandate. ITU said 2.2 billion people remain offline, limiting their ability to benefit from AI developments.

The Commission builds on ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, which has focused on connectivity, digital inclusion and economic development.

Its inaugural meeting will take place during the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 from 7 to 10 July. The Summit is part of Digital Week, which also includes the first UN-mandated Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the WSIS Forum 2026.

Why does it matter?

The AI for Good Global Commission places digital inclusion at the centre of global AI governance debates. Its launch highlights a key challenge: many countries and communities cannot benefit from AI if they lack connectivity, infrastructure, skills and institutional capacity. The Commission’s relevance will depend on whether it can move beyond high-level commitments and help turn access, trust and responsible innovation into practical support for developing countries.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

South Africa launches BrainSAT Satellite Services

South Africa has launched BrainSAT Satellite Services as part of its efforts to expand secure and reliable satellite connectivity for government, businesses and communities across the country.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced the launch alongside the South African debut of Thuraya satellite phones in Johannesburg. According to the Presidency, BrainSAT South Africa will provide secure voice, broadband and data services for government, businesses and industrial users.

The launch follows a memorandum of understanding linked to Mashatile’s 2024 visit to the United Arab Emirates. The Presidency said UAE-based Space42 is partnering with BrainSAT South Africa to implement the agreement.

Mashatile said the services are intended to improve connectivity in sectors including energy, mining, maritime operations and humanitarian response, where satellite communications can maintain critical links in remote or challenging environments.

The government also linked the initiative to its Roadmap for Digital Transformation in Government, which aims to simplify access to services such as grants, identity documents, payment systems and school registration. BrainSAT also supports South Africa Connect and the National Satellite Communication Strategy, which seek to expand broadband access and develop a nationally owned satellite capability. Mashatile said the initiative could improve rural service delivery, strengthen economic growth, create new skills and expand digital connectivity.

According to the company’s website, Space42’s YahClick service already provides satellite broadband across Africa, the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Brazil through Ka-band high-throughput satellites.

Why does it matter?

The launch reflects South Africa’s broader effort to strengthen digital infrastructure by expanding satellite connectivity alongside terrestrial broadband networks. Reliable satellite communications can improve resilience in remote regions and support essential services, critical industries and emergency response where conventional infrastructure is limited.

The initiative also highlights the growing role of international partnerships in national digital transformation strategies. By linking satellite infrastructure with public service delivery, broadband expansion and economic development, South Africa is positioning connectivity as a key enabler of digital inclusion and long-term growth.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Saudi Arabia leads world in digital connectivity

Saudi Arabia has ranked first globally in the International Telecommunication Union’s 2025 ICT Development Index, which measures progress towards universal and meaningful connectivity.

The index assessed 164 economies using indicators grouped around universal and effective connectivity. Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space and Technology Commission said the result reflects sustained investment in digital infrastructure and the country’s efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of its technology sector.

CST said advanced telecommunications networks have helped support digital economic growth, attract investment and expand the role of technology across the economy.

According to the regulator, Saudi Arabia’s digital economy reached SAR 495 billion in 2024, accounting for 15% of the national GDP. The country’s ICT market was valued at SAR 180 billion in 2024, according to CST, which described it as the largest and fastest-growing in the MENA region.

The regulator also said mobile subscriptions reached 212% of the population, while average monthly data use per person was more than three times the global average.

The ranking supports Saudi Arabia’s broader digital transformation agenda, which links connectivity investment to economic diversification, emerging technology adoption and the growth of digital services.

Why does it matter?

Connectivity is a foundation for digital transformation. High-performing broadband and mobile networks can support cloud services, AI adoption, digital public services and new business models. Saudi Arabia’s ranking also shows how Gulf states are using telecommunications infrastructure as part of wider economic diversification strategies, with digital markets increasingly tied to competitiveness, investment and technological sovereignty.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our chatbot!