Sustainable development

World Meteorological Organization

WMO marks its 75th anniversary in 2025 as a specialised agency of the UN dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources. It boasts a membership of 193 member states and territories. Weather, climate, and water respect no national boundaries, and so cooperation is key.


National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) work around the clock to provide early and reliable warnings of severe weather. WMO also measures and forecasts air quality and monitors and projects climate change. The overriding priority is to save life and property, protect resources and the environment, and support socioeconomic growth. With this work, WMO supports NMHSs and meets their international commitments in disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development.

Digital activities

Data is in WMO’s DNA. Data is gathered from one of the most diverse data-gathering systems worldwide, consisting of more than 10,000 manned and automatic surface weather stations, national radar networks, ocean observing stations, and weather satellite constellations. Data exchange underpins all WMO core functions from weather forecasting to climate,  hydrological, and ocean monitoring. Supercomputers and global telecommunications systems power the ever-growing appetite for data.

WMO also explores the role of new technologies and their relevance for public weather services, including the use of AI approaches. AI complements complex numerical weather prediction algorithms that process vast amounts of data and calculate the behaviour of weather patterns, providing short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate predictions.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

Impressive technological advances have taken place in relatively short time frames: satellites, big data, IT, and, of course, AI. WMO has evolved accordingly. To better serve society. 

WMO recognises the potential power of Artificial Intelligence to revolutionise weather forecasts and early warnings. WMO Members traditionally made weather-related predictions via an observation system such as the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). That is changing rapidly, and a number of leading forecasting centres and national meteorological and hydrological services are now using AI forecasting systems to run side by side with their traditional physics-based forecasts. The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting says that its model outperforms physics-based models for many measures, including tropical cyclone tracks, with gains of up to 20% and with a reduction of about 1,000 times in energy use in making a forecast.

WMO wants to ensure that, as more Members embrace AI, there is a level playing field and nobody is left behind. 

WMO is co-sponsoring the AI Weather Quest, a global competition organised by ECMWF to advance sub-seasonal weather forecasting using AI and machine learning (ML). The AI Weather Quest has been approved as a WIPPS (WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System) Pilot Project. This initiative aligns with WMO’s mission to foster innovation and collaboration in numerical weather prediction for the benefit of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and end users worldwide.

WMO recognises that, even with AI and ML advancements, human expertise remains central to effective Early Warning systems.

Digital standards

WMO maintains one of the most comprehensive standardisation systems with a detailed explanation of each step in the data cycle. WMO guidelines range from issues such as the position or the type of surface (e.g. grass) over which weather observation stations should be placed to uniform and structured standards on data sharing.

WMO has updated its Guidelines on Good Practices for Data Rescue (WMO-No. 1182), replacing the 2016 technical document. The updated guidelines incorporate the data rescue guidelines of the European Union Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and now include WMO Guidelines for Hydrological Data Rescue (WMO-No. 1146). The guidelines cover rescue of meteorological, hydrological, marine and other environmental data, providing practical assistance on archiving original media, imaging, digitisation, and archiving digital images and digital data.

Data rescue provides additional benefits, including:

  • Making agrometeorological, disease vectorisation, and hydrological/climatological numerical models more credible
  • Enabling better projections of future climate
  • Allowing current weather and climate to be better placed within historical context
  • Providing basis to assess historical sensitivities of natural and man-made systems to environmental variability

WMO collaborates with organisations such as the International Environmental Data Rescue Organization (IEDRO) and Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE) on data rescue initiatives.

Data governance

WMO Unified Data Policy

The 2021 Extraordinary World Meteorological Congress approved the WMO Unified Data Policy to dramatically strengthen the world’s weather and climate services through a systematic increase in much-needed observational data and data products across the globe.

The Unified Data Policy was painstakingly developed through extensive consultation with thousands of experts and other global stakeholders to meet the explosive growth in demand for weather, climate, and water data products and services from all sectors of society.

Approval of the Unified Data Policy provides a comprehensive update of the policies guiding the international exchange of weather, climate, and related Earth system data between the 193 WMO member states and territories. The new policy reaffirms the commitment to the free and unrestricted exchange of data, which has been the bedrock of WMO since it was established more than 70 years ago.

Why has WMO updated its data policy?

Recent decades have seen explosive growth in the demand for weather, climate, and water monitoring and prediction data to support essential services needed by all sectors of society, as they face issues such as climate change, increasing frequency and impact of extreme weather, and implications for food security.

The free and unrestricted exchange of observational data from all parts of the world and of other data products among all WMO members must be updated and strengthened to accommodate this growing demand. As the responsibilities of NMHSs continue to expand, a growing list of application areas beyond the traditional weather, climate, and water activities needs to be supported by WMO observing and data exchange and modelling systems. WMO data policy must evolve to accommodate atmospheric composition, oceans, the cryosphere, and space weather.

What are the benefits of updating the WMO data policy?

The new WMO Unified Data Policy will help the WMO community to strengthen and better sustain monitoring and predicting all Earth-system components, resulting in massive socioeconomic benefits. It will lead to an additional exchange of all types of environmental data, enabling all WMO members to deliver better, more accurate, and timely weather and climate-related services to their constituencies.

In addition to data sharing, the overall importance of data has been further highlighted by the WMO’s Guidelines on Climate Data Rescue, published in 2004. The document tackles why data rescue (i.e. preservation of vast amounts of collected climate data and digitalisation of current and past datasets for easy access) is crucial. It explains that practitioners of data rescue might encounter obstacles such as the high cost of data rescue operations and the lack of digital skills and competencies to use the necessary tools in data preservation. The Guidelines were updated in 2016 to reflect the changes in digital technologies since they were first published. They now outline some of the necessary steps in the data rescue process, such as creating digital inventories and digitising data values.

Over the years, WMO has also engaged in the following data governance developments:

  • Cooperation on data in scientific circles through cooperation between the International Science Council (ISC) and the WMO World Data Centres and discussion on data at the World Conference on Science.
  • Cooperation with the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC), whose Resolution 6 specifies that ‘member states shall provide timely, free, and unrestricted access to all data, associated metadata, and products generated under the auspices of IOC programmes’.
  • Discussion with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on WMO datasets and competition provisions in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
  • Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), which was established in 2003 to derive data policies for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems based on the WMO data exchange system.
  • Close work with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the need to protect radio frequencies vital for weather forecasting and data exchange.

WMO’s Unified Data Policy can be leveraged for the integration of climate and health information systems. The WMO Information System (WIS.20) is an established platform that can support improved data collection, sharing, and accessibility in climate and health contexts.

Sustainable development

Climate change is an increasingly recognised global threat. But what risks does it pose exactly? And how will climClimate change is an increasingly recognised global threat. But what risks does it pose exactly? And how will climate change and its impacts affect sustainable development? The complexity of the global climate system often contributes to significant gaps between scientific and policy-oriented understandings of how climate-change-related risks cascade through environmental, social, and economic systems.

WMO has addressed these gaps by connecting changes in the global climate system, as measured by the state of the climate indicators, to the SDGs based on extensive data collection. The aim is to improve risk-informed decision-making by aiding policymakers, the scientific community, and the public to grasp the interconnected and complex nature of climate change threats to sustainable development, thereby encouraging more comprehensive and immediate climate action.

Digital technologies have also played an essential role in the advancement of the World Weather Watch, a flagship WMO programme that allows for the development and improvement of global systems for observing and exchanging meteorological observations. The programme has evolved thanks to developments in remote sensing, private internet-type networks, supercomputing systems for data analysis, and weather, climate, and water (environmental) prediction models.

World Weather Watch consists of the following main building blocks:

  • National Meteorological Services collect data on land, water, and air worldwide. The WMO Information System (WIS) coordinates the data collection and transmission through its national, regional, and global centres.
  • Regional organisations that act as global hubs include, for example, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

To produce a successful weather forecast, it is essential to ensure the timely delivery of observational data from as many stations worldwide as possible in the shortest time. What follows is an example of the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) showing a map of observation stations worldwide.

Digital tools and initiatives

The Global Telecommunication System (GTS), as part of the WIS, carries data from observation stations to national, regional, and global actors. Most of the data is exchanged via the GTS in real time. Given the critical relevance of this data in dealing with crises, the GTS must be highly reliable and secure.

Smart data for evidence-based decision-making

In recent years, WMO has digitised its performance monitoring through the development of strategic and thematic dashboards as well as through the increased use of infographics and story maps, all tools conducive to evidence-based decision-making. In addition to a Key Performance Indicators Dashboard, WMO has launched a Hydro Dashboard, which provides valuable information on operational hydrological services worldwide. It is developing similar thematic dashboards on climate services and global data processing, and forecasting. Internally, WMO has created a centralised data repository that brings together data from various systems, surveys, and sources, providing easy access to reliable data and related data analytics. The data repository is essential to facilitating the flow of objective, evidence-based, timely performance information.

The global website, https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/home.html, serves as a platform presenting official weather observations, forecasts, and climatological information for selected cities worldwide. These data are provided by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) globally. The website includes links to official weather service websites and tourism boards whenever possible. The information covers 3,458 cities, with forecasts available for 3,307 cities from 139 members, and climatological information for 2,216 cities from 171 members as of September 2023.

The International Cloud Atlas is the official classification system for clouds and meteorological phenomena adopted by all WMO members. This Atlas extends beyond clouds to include hydrometeors, lithometeors, photometeors, and electrometeors. It serves as a universal language for communicating cloud observations, ensuring global consistency in reporting. The Atlas is a valuable training tool for meteorologists, aeronautical and maritime professionals, and is popular among weather enthusiasts and cloud spotters, fostering a shared enthusiasm for observing atmospheric phenomena.

Digital WMO community

WMO established the WMO Community Platform, which consists of several digital tools that allow for cross-analysis and visualisation of information from all WMO member states regarding weather, climate, and water to provide better insights into the work and needs of the community and to contribute to greater participation in good governance. The WMO e-Library is another tool that gathers and maintains different publications, including reports and WMO standards.

Green WMO

WMO has both virtual and in-person events. WMO experts are also working to reduce the impact of global observing systems and other operations on the environment. WMO is among the first UN organisations to do completely paperless sessions (all governance meeting documentation has been digital for many years). We experimented at the latest Executive Council meeting (EC-75) with translating the INF documents (information documents) using AI tools. It may also be relevant to mention that the draft Strategic Plan 2024–2027 has a new strategic objective (SO) targeted at environmental sustainability, including green IT and green meetings.

Useful documents where you can find many links:

Social media channels

Facebook @World Meteorological Organization

Flickr @World Meteorological Organization

Instagram @wmo_omm

LinkedIn @world-meteorological-organization

X @WMO

YouTube @worldmetorg

University of Geneva

With almost 18,000 students of 150+ nationalities, the University of Geneva is one of the largest universities in Switzerland. It offers 194 study programmes (103 Bachelor and Master programmes; 91 doctoral programmes) and 372 continuing education programmes covering an extremely wide variety of fields: exact sciences, medicine, humanities, social sciences, law, etc.

Digital activities

The University of Geneva (UNIGE) places great emphasis on digital research and education, recognising the impact of digital technologies and AI across all disciplines and in preparing students for their professional life. The Computer Science Department and the Centre Universitaire d’Informatique (CUI) conduct cutting-edge research in key areas such as digital imaging, multimedia, high-performance computing, distributed systems, AI, bioinformatics, software engineering, and theoretical computing. They also conduct Interdisciplinary research, with collaborations in fields like biology, psychology, linguistics, physics, medicine, economics, and finance. These research activities are reflected in teaching at all levels, as researchers bring their expertise, methodologies, and results into basic and advanced academic programmes as well as continuing education.

UNIGE is one of the few universities to have a Vice-Rector dedicated to digital transformation and artificial intelligence, reflecting the strategic importance of these fields. In addition, the University is strongly engaged in maintaining and developing digital infrastructures, tools, and services. At the same time, it actively supports its community in adopting and effectively using digital tools, and offers specialised training programmes and workshops to equip students, academic staff and administrative personnel with essential and advanced digital skills. Finally, UNIGE is committed to promoting responsible digital practices and ensuring the security of its digital infrastructures. 

In the field of artificial intelligence, the University leverages AI to enhance teaching methods and support research. At the same time, UNIGE acknowledges the ethical challenges posed by AI. It addresses these concerns through a thoughtful, critical approach to the development and use of AI, ensuring that these technologies are implemented responsibly and ethically.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

The University has published an official statement on the use of AI, based on principles of legality, academic integrity, transparency, economy, and ecology. According to a recent survey by the Observatory of Student Life, 56% of UNIGE student respondents have already used generative AI text tools in their studies, primarily to better understand subjects (81%), rephrase content (45%), and for translation (31%).

To support AI adoption, UNIGE has developed several resources, including a dedicated web portal for AI, a practical guide on AI use, ‘Pedagogical Lunches’ focused on AI and continuing education courses on AI. The University library has also issued a practical guide for referencing AI in academic work.  

UNIGE is participating in the ‘Young AI Leaders’ programme launched by the ITU’s ’AI for Good’ initiative. A Geneva Hub for this programme has been created, led by a doctoral student in sociology at UNIGE. The programme encourages young people (18-30 years old) to develop AI skills while contributing to the SDGs.

The University of Geneva is part of the Swiss AI Research Overview Platform (SAIROP), a joint initiative launched by ten Swiss partner organisations and coordinated by the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences. The platform provides a detailed overview of the AI research landscape in Switzerland and aims to encourage the exchange of knowledge between disciplines and fields, while helping to initiate future innovation projects.

As a research-intensive university, UNIGE integrates AI across various disciplines. AI enhances research by enabling advanced analysis and modelling, accelerating discoveries, and opening new perspectives in most academic domains, such as drug development, physics research, environmental science, medicine, neuroscience and linguistics, to name just a few.

Capacity development

As part of its core educational mission, UNIGE offers several Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs focused on or related to digital technologies. In particular, the Computer Science Department of the Science Faculty provides several Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes. Other faculties or institutes have also recently developed academic programmes integrating digital science. For instance, the Faculty of Humanities offers a Bachelor’s and a Master’s programme in Computer Science for the Humanities, while the Global Studies Institute (GSI) has launched a Bachelor’s degree in Computational Sciences and International Relations, a unique interdisciplinary programme in Switzerland.

Beyond its academic programmes focused on or related to digital technologies, UNIGE seeks to enhance digital literacy across its entire community by implementing a series of measures to meet the needs of its students, researchers, administrative staff, and other community members. For example, the University offers an optional transversal course called ‘Comprendre le numérique’ (‘Understanding digital technologies’) which covers the technical, social, ethical, cultural, economic, and legal aspects of digital technologies. Additionally, the University provides a self-assessment tool for its community, allowing students and teachers to test their digital skills, view their digital profile and receive personalised training suggestions. Another example of capacity development is the UNIGE ‘Take Over’ initiative, a week of digital training sessions provided by and for students. Student trainers are compensated and receive certificates, while participants receive attestations for the new skills they have acquired. 

The University also offers continuing education courses on digital technologies, including topics such as data science, machine learning, AI and ethics, legal issues of generative AI, digital innovation in humanitarian action, digital health, data privacy, etc. It also offers a range of MOOCs (massive open online courses) open to everyone, covering subjects such as human rights, global health, water resources management, human rights, political citizenship, internationalisation of education, language and diversity, international organisations for interpreters, water cooperation and diplomacy, migration, etc.

Together with ETH Zurich, UNIGE recently created a Lab for Science in Diplomacy (SiDLab). As part of this initiative, it created two professorships in Computational Diplomacy, developed jointly by the Global Studies Institute (GSI) and the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Science. 

When students are positioned as partners in university communities, they become active participants with valuable expertise to contribute to shaping the process of digital transformation. The Partnership Projects Program (P3) and Hackademia hackathons are two initiatives that allow students, alongside academic and professional staff, to bring forward their ideas to improve the digital tools and services at the University. Students and staff collaborate on projects they designed, working together towards the shared goal of learning from their partners and developing solutions that meet the University’s needs. 

The students of the University also serve as partners for local businesses and organisations. Through the ‘Adopt a Skill’ programme, an initiative of the Centre Universitaire d’informatique (CUI), students are connected with regional companies to collaborate based on shared interests, in exchange for a monthly payment.

Sustainable development

The University participates in several initiatives that promote the responsible use of digital technologies. For instance, UNIGE takes part in the ‘D-Tox numérique’ (Digital Detox) Day, which is part of the international ‘Digital Cleanup Day’ initiative aimed at reducing digital data and extending the lifespan of computing devices. This event is organised with 17 public and private partners, including the Canton and City of Geneva. UNIGE also hosts once a year the ‘Journée du numérique responsable’ (Responsible Digital Day) with the Canton of Geneva, HES-SO Genève, and the Graduate Institute. This event aims to raise awareness and engagement among the UNIGE community on issues of digital sustainability, sovereignty, accessibility and inclusion.

Digital tools

UNIGE maintains an IT Service Catalogue where students and staff members can access all digital tools the university provides, such as the UNIGE Mobile App, Moodle, UNIGE’s data storage system, Mediaserver, and many others.

Digital tools for teaching and learning

Digital tools are an integral part of learning and teaching. These include tools for designing courses, supervising students, teaching remotely, assessing students, conducting exams, fostering interactivity, as well as storing and sharing educational content.

Research tools and infrastructures

Thanks to funding from the Canton of Geneva, the university was able to establish new infrastructures and services to address the growing needs of research. This includes the creation of a Data Repository for the preservation and archiving of research data (Yareta) and the provision of facilities for high-performance computing, designed to support increasingly complex computational needs.

Conferencing technologies

UNIGE events are places where experts can meet and exchange ideas, where knowledge and information can be passed on to the university community and society at large. They are living pillars of UNIGE’s research, teaching and public service missions. Many UNIGE events are now being organised in a virtual or hybrid format. A dedicated website helps UNIGE community members willing to organise virtual or hybrid events.

Social media channels

Facebook @unigeneve

Instagram @unigeneve, @unigenumerique

LinkedIn @universite-de-geneve

Twitter @UNIGE_en, @unigenumerique

YouTube @Université de Genève

World Trade Organization

WTO is an intergovernmental organisation that deals with the rules of trade among its members. Its main functions include administering WTO trade agreements, providing a forum for trade negotiations, settling trade disputes, monitoring national trade policies, providing technical assistance and training for developing countries, and ensuring cooperation with other international organisations.
WTO members have negotiated and agreed upon rules regulating international trade, fostering transparency and predictability in the international trading system. The main WTO agreements relevant to trade-related digital issues are the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the Information Technology Agreement (ITA and ITA II), the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), and the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).

Digital activities

Several internet governance and digital trade, and AI policy-related issues are discussed in the WTO. E-commerce discussions are ongoing under the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and among a group of WTO members that have negotiated an Agreement on Electronic Commerce under the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce. Discussions have focused on several digital issues, including consumer protection, personal data protection, capacity building, and customs duties on electronic transmissions. Discussions on AI and other critical emerging technologies (e.g. advanced semiconductors, biotech, etc.) are increasingly raised and discussed in various WTO settings, including in particular the TBT Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, the TRIPS Council, and the Work Programme on E-commerce. Digital trade and AI also feature prominently in WTO research. 

As part of its outreach activities, WTO organises numerous events such as the Aid for Trade Global Review and an annual Public Forum, which brings together governments, NGOs, academics, businesses, and other stakeholders for discussions on a broad range of issues, including many relating to the digital economy and AI.

Digital policy issues

Telecommunications infrastructure

In 1997, WTO members successfully concluded negotiations on market access for basic telecommunications services. The negotiations, which were an extension of the Uruguay Round of WTO negotiations that led to the creation of the GATS, resulted in specific commitments in the sector for a significant part of  WTO  membership. These negotiations also resulted in the Reference Paper, a set of regulatory principles for basic telecommunication services that various members have inscribed in their schedules of commitments. Since 1997, the number of members that have undertaken market access commitments on telecommunications and subscribed to the Reference Paper has continued to increase as a result of new economies joining the WTO through the process of accession. Under the plurilateral draft Agreement on Electronic Commerce, participants have developed disciplines that add to the provisions of the Reference Paper.

Digital standards

The issue of digital standards is addressed as ‘standards and regulations’ within the work of WTO.

International standards are important to the global digital economy as they can enable interconnectivity and interoperability for telecommunications and internet infrastructures. The WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (TBT Agreement) aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures affecting trade in goods (including ICT  products and AI-embedded products, for instance) are non-discriminatory and do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade. The TBT Agreement strongly encourages that such regulatory measures be based on relevant international standards. The TBT Committee serves as a forum where governments discuss and address concerns with specific regulations, including those affecting digital trade. Examples of relevant TBT measures notified to or discussed at the TBT Committee include (1) measures addressing the internet of things (IoT) and related devices in terms of their safety, interoperability, national security/cybersecurity, performance, and quality; (2) measures regulating 5G cellular network technology for reasons related to, among others, national security and interoperability; (3) measures regulating 3D printing (additive manufacturing) devices; (4) measures regulating drones (small unmanned aircraft systems) due to risks for humans/consumers, interoperability problems, and national security risks; (5) measures dealing with autonomous vehicles, mostly concerned with their safety and performance, and more recently (6) measures regulating AI.

Given the increasing relevance of international standards for the regulatory governance of digital tech products, renewed attention has been paid to ‘Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations’ adopted by the WTO TBT Committee in 2000, which include six specific principles:

1. Transparency

2. Openness

3. Impartiality and consensus

4. Effectiveness and relevance

5. Coherence

6. Development dimension

These principles aim to avoid conflicting standards and provide guidance for WTO members when developing international standards. They have become widely accepted by WTO members both multilaterally and regionally, with a growing number of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) not only incorporating these principles but making them mandatory. Some international standardising bodies like ISO and IEC have embraced these principles.

In 2024, the WTO TBT Committee adopted new ’Guidelines on Conformity Assessment Procedures’ (CAP Guidelines) that recognise the importance of digital technologies in product certification and emphasise the need for flexibility in rapidly changing technological environments.

The TBT Agreement also explicitly recognises ’the contribution which international standardisation can make to the transfer of technology from developed to developing countries’.

The TBT Committee has recently started receiving notifications specifically related to AI. In particular, in the last five years, the TBT Committee has been receiving notifications of, and debating concerns raised with respect to, a significant number of regulations by members addressing cybersecurity, a cross-cutting issue essential for the deployment of, and trust in, emerging technologies such as AI. 

The TBT Committee has held several ‘thematic sessions’ where members shared regulatory experiences with respect to various digital tech-related issues, including: ‘digital solutions for conformity assessment procedures’ (2022); ‘conformity assessment and e-commerce’ (2023), ‘cybersecurity’ (2023), ‘intangible digital products’ (2023); and ‘use of digital technologies and tools in good regulatory practices’ (2023). Topics of upcoming relevant sessions include: ‘international standards for AI and machine learning’ and ‘interoperable data standards’ (2025 or 2026).

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity issues have been addressed in several WTO bodies. For example, the TBT Committee has discussed national cybersecurity regulations applicable to ICT products and their potential impact on trade. In the TBT Committee, WTO members have raised specific trade concerns related to cybersecurity regulations. Some of the specific issues discussed include how cybersecurity regulations discriminating against foreign companies and technologies can negatively impact international trade in ICT products.

In 2023, the WTO’s TBT Committee organised its first-ever specific thematic session focused on cybersecurity. 38% of all cybersecurity-related Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) raised in the TBT Committee since 1995 were raised just in the last three and a half years, showing increasing focus on this issue.

During the 2023 thematic session, participants emphasised that unilateral government interventions in cybersecurity could undermine global cybersecurity efforts. The session highlighted the need for better coordination between governments and the private sector to address regulatory fragmentation in cybersecurity.

The Agreement on Electronic Commerce negotiated under the Joint Initiative on E-commerce contains provisions on cybersecurity, which facilitate cooperation and encourage the development of national capabilities and risk-based approaches to cybersecurity with a view to reducing potential trade barriers.

More than 90 cybersecurity-related TBT measures have been notified to the TBT Committee, with approximately 65% of these notifications occurring in just the last three and a half years.

Data governance

The growth of the global digital economy is fuelled by data. Issues related to data flows have also been raised by members in various contexts at the WTO, such as under the JSI on e-commerce and in the Council for Trade in Services, for instance, when national cybersecurity measures adopted have been considered by some members as trade barriers.

According to a joint OECD and WTO (2025) report, the economic costs of fragmentation of data flow regimes along geo-economic blocks would amount to a loss of more than 1% of real GDP. If all economies fully restricted their data flows, it could result in a 4.5% reduction in global GDP and a 8.5% decrease in exports.

Intellectual property rights

The TRIPS Agreement is a key international instrument for the protection and enforcement of IP and is of relevance to e-commerce. The technologies that underpin the internet and enable digital commerce, such as software, routers, networks, switches, and user interfaces, are protected by IP. Balanced measures to enforce IPRs are important tools to ensure legitimate trade in digitally ordered goods. In addition, e-commerce transactions can involve digital products with IP-protected content, such as e-books, software, or blueprints for 3D printing. As IP licences often regulate the usage rights for such intangible digital products, the TRIPS Agreement and the international IP Conventions that are incorporated into it provide much of the legal infrastructure for digital trade.

The role of IP in promoting innovation and trade in the digital age has been highlighted in recent WTO World Trade Reports.

IP-related issues have also been discussed in the framework of the JSI, for example with regard to the access or transfer of source code. The source code or the data analysis used in the operation of programmes or services is often legally protected by IP law through copyright, patent, or trade secret provisions. Future discussions may further address this and other IP-related matters under Article 35 of the JSI stabilised text, which foresees further negotiations on outstanding issues.

Electronic commerce

WTO agreements cover a broad spectrum of trade topics, including some related to e-commerce, which has been on the WTO agenda since 1998 when the ministers adopted the Declaration on Global Electronic Commerce. The Declaration instructed the General Council to establish a Work Programme on electronic commerce. In that Declaration, members also agreed to continue the practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions (the ’moratorium’). The Work Programme provides a broad definition of e-commerce and instructs four WTO bodies (Council for Trade in Goods, Council for Trade in Services, TRIPS Council, and the Committee on Trade and Development) to explore the relationship between WTO Agreements and e-commerce. The Work Programme and the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions have been periodically reviewed and renewed. At its 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in March 2024, WTO members agreed to reinvigorate the Work Programme, with a particular focus on its development dimension. They agreed to hold further discussions and examine additional empirical evidence on the scope, definition, and the impact that a moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions might have on development, and how to level the playing field for developing and least-developed country members to advance their digital industrialisation. Furthermore, members agreed to maintain the current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions (the moratorium) until MC14. Members are continuing their discussions under the Work Programme with a view to presenting recommendations for action to the next Session of the Ministerial Conference. The focus has been on the digital divide and ways of addressing it, and on the legal and regulatory frameworks that support an enabling environment for the development of e-commerce. Discussions will also continue with regard to the moratorium. Members have also expressed interest in discussing the relation between trade and artificial intelligence (AI) as well as other emerging technologies.

At MC11 in 2017, a group of members issued the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-Commerce to explore work towards future WTO negotiations on trade-related aspects of e-commerce. Following the exploratory work, in January 2019, 76 members confirmed their ‘intention to commence WTO negotiations on trade-related aspects of electronic commerce’ and to ‘achieve a high standard out-come that builds on existing WTO agreements and frameworks with the participation of as many WTO members as possible’. As of June 2024, there were 91 WTO members participating in these discussions. In July 2024, the joint statement co-conveners (Australia, Japan and Singapore) confirmed that after five years of negotiations, participants had achieved a stabilised text. The text builds on the WTO Agreements by establishing rules aiming at facilitating electronic commerce, ensuring an open environment for digital trade, and promoting trust in e-commerce. Some of the issues addressed by the provisions of the agreement include electronic transactions frameworks, paperless trading, online consumer protection and personal data protection, electronic payments and customs duties on electronic transmissions. The Agreement also recognises that some developing and least-developed members may require extended periods of time or the acquisition of capacity to implement some of the provisions of the agreement. It therefore envisages support in response to members’ efforts. In this regard, in June 2022  the co-convenors of the JSI, together with Switzerland, launched the E-commerce Capacity Building Framework to strengthen digital inclusion and to help developing and least developed countries to harness the opportunities of digital trade. As of February 2025, the Agreement on Electronic Commerce is supported by 71 WTO members. The co-sponsors of the text have requested its incorporation into the WTO framework as a plurilateral agreement under Annex 4 of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization.

Access

The issue of arbitration is referred to under the issue of ‘market access’ within the work of WTO.

Access to information technology infrastructure and equipment

The Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products, commonly known as the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) was signed at the WTO’s Singapore Ministerial Conference in December 1996. The ITA has eliminated tariffs on around 200 information technology products, including computers, semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, telecommunication apparatus, instruments and apparatus, data storage media and software, and parts and accessories. Initially signed by 29 participants, the ITA has witnessed a significant rise in its membership in the past 28 years, covering 85 WTO Members in 2025. In the same period, world ITA exports have more than tripled in value, to approximately USD 2.5 trillion in 2021.

In response to the dramatic evolution of the ICT sector since 1997, 54 WTO Members decided to expand the product coverage of the ITA to further liberalise trade in the ICT sector. These expansion negotiations were concluded in December 2015 at the WTO’s Tenth Ministerial Conference, in Nairobi, Kenya. Under the ITA Expansion (ITA II), import duties and other charges were reduced to zero on 201 additional high-tech products, such as new generation integrated circuits, GPS navigation equipment, telecommunication satellites, and medical equipment. Many of these products play a key role in health emergencies and crises, as they did during the fight against COVID‑19.

Through complete elimination of customs duties and other charges on covered products, the ITA has contributed to reducing prices and thus improved consumer access to key products such as mobile phones and computers, lowered the cost of establishing ICT infrastructure domestically, thereby improving digital connectivity, and eliminated costly administrative burdens at customs and reduced delays for goods crossing borders. In the right circumstances, ITA participation can ultimately facilitate the greater integration of developing economies into global production networks, while spurring innovation in other sectors. 

Additionally, in November 2024, Members agreed that the TBT Committee will hold joint thematic sessions with other WTO bodies on topics of relevance to the TBT Agreement, based on proposals from Members and in coordination with relevant other WTO bodies. The purpose of such joint meetings would be to enhance Members’ understanding of (and explore possible synergies with) work in other areas of the WTO, bearing in mind the scope of the TBT Agreement. Among various cross-cutting topics to be explored jointly with other committees, members agreed to hold one with the ITA Committee specifically on non-tariff measures (NTMs) under the ITA. See document G/TBT/56, para. 3.7(b)(i), pages. 14-15. Besides ICT tariff elimination, the ITA Committee also has a work programme on addressing NTMs affecting ICT products.

Artificial intelligence

Discussions on AI have started to emerge in several WTO bodies. 

In 2022–2023, the draft EU ‘AI Act’ was discussed in the TBT Committee in the context of a ‘specific trade concern’ (STC). In June 2023, TBT Committee Members organised a thematic session to discuss regulatory experiences with respect to so-called ‘intangible digital products’, in particular AI-embedded products. Further thematic sessions on the role of international standards for ‘critical emerging technologies’, including AI, are planned for 2025 or 2026. China and Kenya have also notified their respective AI regulations to the TBT Committee (2024).

The interplay between AI and IP has been discussed in the WTO Council for TRIPS under multiple agenda items, including the items on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, IP and innovation, technology transfer to LDCs, notification, and technical cooperation, over the past years. 

Discussions on the interplay of AI, international trade and development have also emerged in the context of the Work Programme on e-Commerce. A dedicated discussion on the topic will be held in 2025. 

The topic of AI and international trade has been integrated into WTO various technical cooperation activities and is a key focus of the WTO research agenda. The first WTO report on AI – ‘Trading with Intelligence: How AI Shapes and is Shaped by International Trade’  – was launched in November 2024 at a dedicated conference.

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World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a not-for-profit foundation whose membership is composed of large corporations from around the world. We engage political, business, academic, and other leaders of society in collaborative efforts to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. Together with other stakeholders, we work to define challenges, solutions, and actions in the spirit of global citizenship. The Forum also serves and builds sustained communities through an integrated concept of high-level meetings, research networks, task forces, and digital collaboration.

Digital activities

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is one of the Forum’s key areas of work. Under this focus, we carry out a wide range of activities covering digital policy issues, from telecom infrastructure and cybersecurity to the digital economy and the future of work. We have set up multiple platforms and global forums focused on bringing together various stakeholders and initiatives to advance debates and foster cooperation on the issues explored. We also publish reports, studies, and white papers on our focus areas, and feature discussions on the policy implications of digital technologies in the framework of the Forum’s annual meeting in Davos and other events organised around the world.

The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is one of the Forum’s key centres of thematic work, with digital technologies as a core priority. Building on this focus area, we lead a diverse set of initiatives spanning digital governance, AI, digital safety, and the broader implications of technological advancements on society and the economy. We convene global stakeholders through dedicated platforms and partnerships to shape discussions, build consensus, and drive responsible innovation. Our work includes publishing reports, insights, and policy frameworks on key technology topics, as well as curating discussions on their societal and economic impact at the Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos and other global events.

Digital policy issues

Telecommunications infrastructure

The Forum’s work in the area of telecom/digital infrastructure is broadly dedicated to shedding light on the need to advance connectivity and evolve towards new network technologies as a way to support the transition to the fourth industrial revolution and support the growth of digital economies. For instance, the Global Future Council of New Network Technologies, active between 2018 and 2020, explored, among others, incentives for network development and the role of new network systems in driving value and innovation. The Forum also promotes the role of digital public infrastructures in enabling digital inclusion and advancing sustainable development. 

A specific focus area for the Forum is 5G. We have identified 5G as an issue of global importance and work on analysing the impacts of 5G on industry and society. In our report titled The impact of 5G: Creating new value across industries and society, we note that 5G will be critical because it will enable unprecedented levels of connectivity, allowing for superfast broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communication, massive machine-type communications, and high reliability/availability and efficient energy usage, all of which will transform many sectors, such as manufacturing, transportation, public services, and health. In another example, the 5G Outlook Series: Enabling inclusive long-term opportunities looks at what can be done to ensure that 5G is a technology that benefits people, businesses, and society. The role of satellites in delivering connectivity and the challenges associated with growing competition in Earth orbit are other areas explored by the Forum. The Global Future Council on the Future of Space explores ways in which international cooperation and public-private partnerships can drive sustainable and inclusive use of space resources.

Artificial intelligence

WEF is shaping the future of AI through initiatives focused on responsible governance, collaborative development, and cross-sector engagement. At the core of these efforts is the AI Governance Alliance (AIGA), a flagship initiative of the Forum. With over 600 members from more than 460 organisations worldwide, AIGA fosters a trustworthy, equitable, and responsible AI ecosystem, bringing together leaders from industry, government, academia, and civil society. The Alliance provides a global platform to develop policy frameworks, enhance AI safety measures, and promote innovative approaches to ensure AI’s positive societal and economic impact aligns with evolving regulatory environments.

To achieve its mission, AIGA focuses on several key areas:

  • Resilient Governance and Regulation – Supports policymakers in shaping AI regulatory frameworks and fostering global regulatory alignment. This includes engagement with key regulatory frameworks such as the European Union’s AI Act and evolving AI strategies in the US, Canada, Brazil, the African Union, Japan, and China. The initiative is focused on creating actionable solutions to bridge the gap between AI governance ideals and their practical implementation. This includes developing best practices for AI policy adoption and fostering international cooperation on AI governance.
  • Safe Systems and Technologies – Brings together Chief Science Officers and AI producers to advance technical governance solutions, particularly in areas such as AI agents, safety mechanisms, and standardised best practices. This initiative fosters a consensus on AI development safety, ensuring that AI systems align with ethical and operational best practices.
  • AI Transformation of Industries – In collaboration with multiple Forum centers, this initiative explores AI’s impact across sectors including healthcare, financial services, energy, and manufacturing. In 2025, AIGA will focus on empowering global and regional AI leadership by providing a platform for country and regional leaders to develop AI capabilities, share insights, and adopt global best practices. This initiative aims to strengthen AI strategies, ecosystems, and coordination to ensure equitable AI access. AIGA will also support cross-industry collaborations that leverage AI to drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainability across sectors.
  • AI Competitiveness through Regional Collaboration – Focuses on strengthening AI capabilities at the regional level by addressing infrastructure disparities, fostering AI talent development, and ensuring responsible AI adoption in different economic contexts. This work is supported by regional AI activation networks that provide tailored strategies for AI implementation in emerging economies.

In addition to convening stakeholders, the Forum produces influential thought leadership on AI governance, ethics, and applications. Recent publications include the AI Governance Alliance’s Briefing Paper Series, which establishes foundational focus areas for steering AI’s development, adoption, and governance. Additionally, the ‘Governance in the Age of Generative AI: A 360° Approach for Resilient Policy and Regulation’ white paper equips policymakers and regulators with implementable strategies for resilient generative AI governance within a comprehensive framework. Navigating the AI Frontier: A Primer on the Evolution and Impact of AI Agents examines AI agents – autonomous systems powered by advances in large language and multimodal models – and their transformative impact across industries.

At the Annual Meeting 2025, the Forum released ‘Blueprint for Intelligent Economies’, a white paper outlining AI’s role in sustainable growth and inclusive prosperity. Additionally, the ‘Industries in the Intelligent Age White Paper Series’ explored AI’s transformative impact across multiple industries, providing a roadmap for responsible and innovative AI integration.

In 2025, MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions) program was launched to identify and scale high-impact AI solutions that address global challenges. This initiative fosters collaboration, drives innovation, and shares success stories, guiding the adoption of transformative AI applications. The first cohort of MINDS will be announced at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025, with a focus on AI-driven solutions for equitable healthcare access, climate change mitigation, sustainable energy transitions, resilient supply chains, and workforce transformation. By scaling replicable, high-impact AI use cases, the MINDS program exemplifies the Forum’s commitment to harnessing AI’s transformative potential for societal and economic progress.

As AI continues to evolve, the AI Governance Alliance remains committed to ensuring its responsible and transformative development. By uniting industry, government, academia, and civil society, AIGA drives innovation, strengthens governance, and maximises AI’s benefits while mitigating risks.

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies

The Forum works on governance issues related to the equity, interoperability, security, transparency, and trust of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT). We also analyse the relationship between blockchain and cybersecurity and international security, as well as the future of computing. We publish papers on issues such as blockchain data storage, the challenges blockchain faces and its role in security, as well as guides such as the Blockchain Development Toolkit to guide organisations through the development and deployment of blockchain solutions.

Internet of things

The Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation explores various issues related to the implications of connected devices and smart technologies. For example, the Council on the Connected World focuses on strengthening innovation and the global governance of connected technologies to maximise the positive benefits and minimise harm for all. One specific area of work for the Council is the security of IoT devices; in 2022, the Forum facilitated a joint Statement of Support on consumer IoT device security outlining key security requirements for consumer-facing devices. In 2023, the Council published the State of the Connected World report, which tracks governance gaps related to IoT. 

The Global New Mobility Coalition explores issues related to sustainable mobility, including when it comes to the governance of shared, electric, and automated mobility. 

Other IoT-related issues that the Forum has been exploring through various publications and initiatives include the industrial internet, the safety of smart home products, and challenges associated with the concept of the internet of bodies. In cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), we published a report on Realizing the Internet of Things – a Framework for Collective Action, outlining five pillars for the development of IoT: architecture and standards, security and privacy, shared value creation, organisational development, and ecosystem governance. 
We also lead the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance, dedicated to promoting the responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies.

Emerging technologies

Virtual/augmented reality

The Forum’s Global Future Council on Virtual and Augmented Reality focuses on raising awareness of the positive and negative aspects of the widespread adoption of VR/AR technologies. We carry out policy research and analysis related to the impact of VR/AR on society and its security implications in publications on issues such as immersive media technologies, AR innovation in manufacturing, and privacy in the context of VR use.

The Forum also pays attention to developments related to the metaverse and issues various publications on this topic. For instance, Exploring the Industrial Metaverse: A Roadmap to  the Future provides a framework for discussing steps towards a valuable ecosystem for the industrial metaverse, while the reports on Social Implications of the Metaverse and Privacy and Safety in the Metaverse explore the implications of metaverse adoptions for individuals and society at large. These and similar publications are issued in the context of the Defining and Building the Metaverse Initiative, whose focus is on ‘guiding the development of a safe, interoperable, and economically viable metaverse’.   

Quantum computing

Within the Centre of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Quantum Economy Network is an initiative and global platform that brings together governments, businesses, and academia to explore the potential of quantum technologies, shape their development, and prepare for their integration into the quantum economy. It focuses on identifying, deploying, and advancing near-term quantum applications for business and sustainability while developing tools to ensure a secure transition. The Network operates through two key workstreams: the Quantum Economy Blueprint, which democratizes access to quantum resources and guides policymakers in building a responsible quantum ecosystem, and the Quantum Application Hub, an experiential platform showcasing societal and industry applications of quantum technologies.

The Forum publishes regularly on matters related to quantum computing and quantum technologies. A few examples include the Quantum Technologies:Key Strategies and Opportunities for ICT Leaders, Embracing the Quantum Economy: A Pathway for Business Leaders, and Quantum Computing Governance Principles.

Cybercrime

Under its Centre for Cybersecurity, the Forum runs the Partnership against Cybercrime project, focused on advancing public-private partnerships (e.g. between law enforcement agencies, international organisations, cybersecurity companies, and other actors) to combat cybercrime. Outputs of the partnership include, for instance, the Recommendations for Public-Private Partnership against Cybercrime and the Cybercrime Prevention Principles for Internet Service Providers. 

We host a Cybercrime Atlas Initiative dedicated to strengthening coordination between the private sector and law enforcement in fighting cybercrime. 

Cybercrime also constitutes the focus of various studies and articles we have published, which delve into issues such as emerging threats and ways to tackle them.

Network security/critical infrastructure/cybersecurity

The Forum has launched a Centre for Cybersecurity dedicated to ‘fostering international dialogues and collaboration between the global cybersecurity community both in the public and private sectors’. Multiple projects are run under this platform, such as the Cybersecurity Learning Hub and the Digital Trust initiative. The cyber resilience of critical sectors, such as electricity and the oil and gas industry, is also a focus area for us. 

The Centre also issues reports and other publications covering various cybersecurity topics. Examples include the Global Cybersecurity Outlook; the insight report on Cybersecurity, Emerging Technology, and Systemic Risks; and the Principles for Board Governance of Cyber Risk.

The Forum hosts a Global Future Council on the Future of Cybersecurity, which explores modalities for strengthening cyber risk management across economies and societies. Quantum security and digital trust are among the Council’s focus areas. 

Every year, we bring together actors from the public and private sectors to foster collaboration on making cyberspace safer and more resilient, in the framework of the Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity. 

Data governance

The Forum has established a Data Policy Platform under our Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, dedicated to developing innovative approaches to enable the responsible use of data. Within this platform, the Data for Common Purpose Initiative aims to support the creation of flexible data governance models, oriented around common purposes. Examples of white papers published by the initiative include Data for Common Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust and Towards a Data Economy: An Enabling Framework. 

The Cross-Border Data Flows project under the Forum’s Digital Trade Initiative looks at how policymakers can advance data transfer governance arrangements while ensuring policy interoperability for data flows. 

The Forum regularly publishes reports and papers on data governance issues such as restoring trust in data, cross-border data flows, data protection and security, among others.

E-commerce and trade and digital business models

Several activities and projects run by the Forum focus on e-commerce and broader digital economy-related issues. Under our Digital Trade initiative (part of the Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics), we have been exploring opportunities and challenges associated with digital trade, while also engaging in the shaping of global, regional, and industry agendas on digital trade. Projects run within the initiative include, among others, the Digital Economy Agreement Leadership Group – which aims to contribute to the growth of inclusive and sustainable digital economies, and the TradeTech project – which facilitates dialogue on public policy and regulatory practices related to digital trade. The Digital Payments for Trade and Commerce Advisory Committee – also part of the Digital Trade initiative – is dedicated to fostering interoperability, inclusivity, and coherent regulatory reforms for digital payments.

E-commerce is also tackled in studies, white papers, and events we produce, which address issues such as e-commerce in emerging markets, the impact of e-commerce on prices, and digital currencies. 

Under the Centre for the New Economy and Society, we bring together various stakeholders to promote new approaches to competitiveness in the digital economy, with a focus on issues such as education and skills, equality and inclusion, and improved economic opportunities for people.

Future of work

The future of work is a topic that spans multiple Forum activities. For instance, under the Centre for the New Economy and Society, several projects focus on issues such as education, skills, upskilling and reskilling, and equality and inclusion in the world of work. We have also launched a Reskilling Revolution Initiative, aimed at contributing to providing better jobs, education, and skills to one billion people by 2030. Projects under this platform include, among others, Education 4.0 (focused on mapping needed reforms to primary and secondary education systems), Education and Skills Country Accelerators (dedicated to advancing gender parity, promoting upskilling and reskilling, and improving education systems), and Skills-first (focused on transforming adult education and workforce skills). Also part of the Reskilling Revolution is the Future Skills Alliance, whose main objective is to facilitate the adoption of skills-first management practices and give workers a fair and equal opportunity to excel in the labour market. 
The Forum publishes regular reports on the Future of Jobs, exploring the evolution of jobs and skills and how technology and socioeconomic trends shape the workplace of the future. Other notable publications and tools developed by the Forum include the white paper on Putting Skills First: A Framework for Action and the Global Skills Taxonomy.

Digital inclusion

The EDISON Alliance, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, drives a holistic, ecosystem-led approach to digital inclusion. Part of the Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Alliance launched the 1 Billion Lives Challenge, an ambitious goal to enhance the lives of 1 billion people by 2025 through affordable and accessible digital solutions in education, financial services, and healthcare. Since its launch in 2021, the Alliance has mobilised over 350 initiatives across 130 countries, successfully impacting 1 billion lives. However, as global focus shifts to emerging technologies like AI, there is a growing risk of declining investment in digital inclusion, potentially widening the digital divide. Tools developed by the Alliance include principles for digital health inclusion, a guidebook for digital inclusion bond financing, and a Digital Inclusion Navigator that provides access to case studies and best practices related to bridging digital divides.

Cryptocurrencies

The Forum is also active on issues related to digital currencies and their policy implications. For instance, its Digital Currency Governance Consortium focuses on exploring the macroeconomic impacts of digital currencies and informing approaches to regulating digital currencies. The Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Policy-Makers Toolkit, published in 2020, is intended to serve as a possible framework to ensure that the deployment of CBDCs takes into account potential costs and benefits. Various publications have been issued that explore topics such as the macroeconomic impact of cryptocurrency and stablecoins, cryptocurrency regulation, and the links between stablecoins and financial inclusion.

Digital tools

Digital platforms

Strategic Intelligence: The Forum’s platform provides access to transformation maps – mappings of ‘hundreds of global issues and their interdependencies’.

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United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

UNECE is one of five regional commissions of the UN. Its major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. To do so, it brings together 56 countries in Europe, North America, and Central Asia, which discuss and cooperate on economic and sectoral issues.

UNECE works to promote sustainable development and economic growth through policy dialogue, negotiation of international legal instruments, development of regulations and norms, exchange and application of best practices, economic and technical expertise, and technical cooperation for countries with economies in transition. It also sets out norms, standards, and conventions to facilitate international cooperation.

Digital activities

UNECE’s work touches on several digital policy issues, ranging from digital standards (in particular, in relation to electronic data interchange for administration, commerce, and transport) to the internet of things (IoT) (e.g. intelligent transport systems). Its activities on connected vehicles and automated driving systems are essential to seize the benefits of technical progress and disruptions in that field and to operationalise new mobility concepts such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS). Within the Trade sub-programme, guidance has been developed on the Compliance of products with embedded artificial intelligence, as well as ensuring gender mainstreaming of relevant standards.  Its UN/CEFACT develops trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards, covering both commercial and government business processes. UNECE also carries out activities focused on promoting sustainable development, in areas such as sustainable and smart cities for all ages, sustainable mobility and smart connectivity, and measuring and monitoring progress towards the SDGs.

UNECE’s work in the field of statistics is also relevant for digital policy issues. For example, the 2019 Guidance on Modernizing Statistical Legislation – which guides countries through the process of reviewing and revising statistical legislation – covers issues such as open data, national and international data exchanges, and government data management.

UNECE also pioneers digitalisation efforts towards sustainable transformation of the energy system, by enabling a constructive dialogue to help bridge the gap between academic research, industrial innovations, and policy needs.

UNECE carries out extensive work in the area of sustainable transport, leading on several UN Conventions. Accession to the conventions continues to increase as more and more member states realise the benefits in the time taken and associated costs in the movement of goods. Numerous digitised systems have been developed, and are maintained, hosted, and administered under the auspices of UNECE. For a number of other tools and mechanisms, work is underway.

Digital policy issues

Digital standards

UNECE’s intergovernmental body UN/CEFACT continues making great strides in the area of digital standards. In a recent collaboration with the International Federation of Freight-Forwarders Associations (FIATA), it developed the electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (eFBL) data standard. The basis of the mapping of the Negotiable FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FBL) with the UN/CEFACT Multimodal Transport (MMT) reference data model, allows the exchange of BL data in a standardised way, facilitating interoperability between all modes of transport and industry stakeholders. Similar to other data standards developed by UN/CEFACT, the data standard is offered as open-source for all software providers and industry stakeholders to implement. UNECE’s standardisation work builds on a family of reference data models in alignment with its strategy to become the next generation of global standards for trade and transport information exchange. Other digital standards in the areas of supply chain management, agriculture, and travel and tourism (e.g. Buy Ship Pay Reference Data Model, Textile and Leather Data Model (Part 1 and Part 2), and Travel and Tourism Experience Programme Data Model) are a great step toward paperless trade and benefit all actors of the supply chain by reducing costs, increasing security, and gaining efficiency.

Artificial intelligence and internet of things

The UNECE has published a guidance and declaration on Compliance of products with embedded AI. One of the key challenges of such products is the possibility that it changes over time with distant updates which could potentially be coming from outside the market of consumption; market surveillance agencies will need to ensure that these products remain compliant with safety and security regulations throughout their lifecycle.

As the UN centre for inland transport, UNECE hosts international regulatory platforms in the field of automated driving and intelligent transport systems. It hosts multilateral agreements and conventions ruling the requirements and the use of these technologies (such as the UN agreements on vehicle regulations and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic). Its activities (e.g. facilitating policy dialogue and developing regulations and norms) contribute to enabling automated driving functionalities and ensuring that the benefits of these technologies can be captured without compromising safety and progress achieved in areas such as border crossing and interoperability. It also collaborates with other interested stakeholders, including the automotive and information and communications technology (ICT) industries, consumer organisations, governments, and international organisations.

Another area of work for UNECE is related to harnessing smart technologies and innovation for sustainable and smart cities. In this regard, it promotes the use of ICTs in city planning and service provision, and it has developed (together with ITU) a set of key performance indicators for smart sustainable cities. UNECE also works to facilitate connectivity through sustainable infrastructure. For instance, it assists countries in developing smart grids for more efficient energy distribution, and it administers international e-roads, e-rail, and e-waterway networks.

UNECE launched the Advisory Group on Advanced Technology in Trade and Logistics (AGAT) in 2020 on topics, such as distributed ledger technologies (DLT) including blockchain, IoT, and AI.

The UNECE High-Level Group on Modernisation of Official Statistics (HLG-MOS) has been at the forefront of modernisation initiatives in the field of official statistics. These initiatives include innovative areas such as big data, synthetic data, and machine learning (ML) and AI. A UNECE guide, Machine Learning for Official Statistics (2021), can help national and international statistical organisations to harness the power of ML to modernise the production of official statistics. Responding to the growing interest in LLM, HLG-MOS published a white paper, LLM for Official Statistics (2023), to establish a common understanding of LLM’s potential within the statistical community by exploring implications and opportunities for official statistics. Building on its ongoing efforts to provide a platform for experts to exchange experiences and lessons learned in implementing AI solutions, HLG-MOS has launched a project on generative AI (2024-2025) and is organising the ‘Generative AI and Official Statistics’ in May (2025).

In trade, the newly released UN/CEFACT JSON-LD Web Vocabulary complements and enhances the capabilities of AI systems for trade-related exchanges. It aims to support the interoperability of trade by allowing supply chain actors to more easily integrate a common vocabulary in their business tools (e.g. software applications, AI algorithms) to ensure that data shared between different entities (e.g. suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, transporters, financiers, and regulators) is consistent and easily interpretable, reducing errors and misunderstandings.

Artificial intelligence for energy

AI and other technologies are inspiring energy suppliers, transmission and distribution companies, and demand sectors (buildings, industry, transport) to establish new business models to generate, deliver, and consume energy in a more sustainable way.

UNECE established a task force on digitalisation in energy to offer a platform for cross-industry experts from the energy sector and digital innovation to develop a unified voice on digitalisation in energy.

With systemic efficiency in view, the Task Force addresses a broad range of technical topics and policy issues beyond AI, from smart infrastructure and digital demand-side optimisation solutions for buildings also addressing behavioral barriers, to cyber resilience and overall governance of digitalisation in energy, extending activities across all sectors and aligning with the broader mission of UNECE.

Documentation and publications 2020-2025 include:

In 2025, the Task Force advances research on the issues of interoperability and open source, explores the intersection between large-scale digitalisation and environmental sustainability focusing on data centres, launches its regional survey on Digitalisation in Energy, and continues studies and initiatives on the twin transition.

The group found that AI and digitalisation have the potential to reduce residential and commercial buildings’ energy use by as much as 10% globally by 2040 if applied throughout a building’s value chain and life cycle. In particular, applications of AI may help optimise a building’s orientation for solar heat gain and predict power and heat needs, thus increasing overall energy security and maximising the integration of renewable energy sources.

The group also found that AI and digitalisation could help achieve energy savings of at least 10%–20% in the industrial sector (which consumes around 38% of global final energy and produces 24% of greenhouse gasses).

UNECE has partnered with the University of Zürich to develop a beta-mode AI-powered tool (chatenergy.ia) that would offer a real-time interactive compendium of information and data resources on the resilience of energy systems. The platform showed how policymakers could benefit from a cutting-edge tool that could inform their policy decisions by facilitating knowledge management and dissemination capabilities. It could also help identify technology and policy breakthroughs and mobilise financial flows for resilience. The European Investment Bank, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the International Energy Agency, ITU, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Bank, and other organisations contributed their knowledge base to support and shape this beta-mode tool. 

Automated driving

Blockchain

UNECE’s subsidiary body UN/CEFACT has been exploring the use of blockchain for trade facilitation. For instance, work carried out within the Blockchain White Paper Project has resulted in two white papers: one looking at the impact of blockchain on the technical standards work of UN/CEFACT and another looking at how blockchain could facilitate trade and related business processes. The ongoing Chain Project is focused on developing a framework/mechanism for the development and implementation of blockchain services infrastructure, and creating a whitepaper on a strategy for the development and implementation of interoperable global blockchain technology infrastructure. Another blockchain-related project looks into the development of a standard on the creation of a cross-border inter-customs ledger using blockchain technology.

Critical infrastructure

UNECE achieved a transformative milestone with regard to cybersecurity in the broad automotive sector with the adoption of UN Regulation No. 155 (Cyber Security and CSMS) and UN Regulation No. 156 (Software Updates).

Before that, cyber risks related to connected vehicles were apparent but not systematically addressed. Security researchers alerted the public to them by revealing various vulnerabilities. There were only narrow standards and guidelines for securing vehicles, such as standards for secure communication among Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and for hardware encryption.

UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) WP.29) adopted two important new regulations on cybersecurity and over-the-air software updates and led to the situation where cybersecurity became non-negotiable for securing market access via type approval for those countries applying this regime. GRVA also developed recommendations on uniform provisions concerning cybersecurity and software updates for countries applying the self-certification regime.

Under the 1958 Agreement (binding to 54 countries)

Data governance

UNECE carries out multiple activities of relevance for the area of data governance.

First, its work on trade facilitation also covers data management issues. For example, it has issued a white paper on data pipeline concept for improving data quality in the supply chain and a set of Reference Data Model Guidelines. Several projects carried out in the framework of UNECE’s subsidiary UN/CEFACT also cover data-related issues. Examples include the  Buy-Ship-Pay  Reference Data Model (BSP-RDM), the Supply Chain Reference Data Model (SCRDM), the Multi-Modal Transport Reference Data Model (MMT-RDM), the Cross-border Management Reference Data Model Project (to provide a regulatory reference data model within the UN/CEFACT semantic library in order to assist authorities to link this information to the standards of other organisations), the Sustainable Development and Circular Economy Reference Data Model Project, and the Accounting and Audit Reference Data Model Project.

Second, UNECE has a statistical division, which coordinates international statistical activities between UNECE countries and helps to strengthen, modernise, and harmonise statistical systems under the guidance of the Conference of European Statisticians. Its activities in this area are guided by the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, adopted in 1992 and later endorsed by the ECOSOC and the UNGA. Areas of work include economic statistics, statistics on population, gender and society, statistics related to sustainable development and the environment, and modernisation of official statistics. In 2019, UNECE published a Guidance on Modernizing Statistical Legislation to guide countries through the process of reviewing and revising statistical legislation. The guidance covers issues such as open data, national and international data exchanges, and government data management.

Third, UNECE keeps abreast of external developments (e.g. in Europe or an OECD country) related to challenges related to AI, privacy, and human rights. This is the case, for example, with the activities on transport and automated vehicles. The GRVA is reflecting on the impact of general AI policies in its activities and developed possible ways to add layers in its multi-pillar approach to validate the performance of the Automated Driving System, and therefore to integrate considerations on data management in the context of AI agent training, support features, and functions of automated driving, and collaborate with the automotive sector on this matter.

E-commerce and trade

UNECE’s subsidiary, UN/CEFACT, serves as a focal point (within ECOSOC) for trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards, covering both commercial and government business processes. In collaboration with the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS), UNECE developed the Electronic business using eXtensible Mark-up Language (ebXML). Another output of UNECE is represented by the UN rules for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/ EDIFACT), which include internationally agreed upon standards, directories, and guidelines for the electronic interchange of structured data between computerised information systems. UNECE has also issued recommendations on issues such as Single Window, electronic commerce agreements, and e-commerce self-regulatory instruments. In addition, UN/CEFACT works on supporting international, regional, and national e-government efforts to improve trade facilitation and e-commerce systems.

Recommendation 33 – Single Window Recommendation

In addition, UN/CEFACT is reviewing its mandates and developing white papers analysing how AI can be used to facilitate trade processes. This includes examining how AI technology could be used to facilitate trade and related processes in the international supply chain including the study of areas such as data privacy, AI-based trade policies, the use of AI in e-Commerce and payments; how existing UN/CEFACT deliverables could be used in AI applications; and possible changes to existing UN/CEFACT deliverables, or new deliverables, that could be considered to support AI trade facilitation applications.

The UNECE Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP.6) is currently reviewing the challenges that online marketplaces pose to regulatory agencies at entry into the market. The increase of small parcels each containing a small number of products poses significant challenges to market surveillance agencies in order to ensure that goods entering the market are safe for consumers; WP.6 is currently working on guidance based on best practices in the United Kingdom and other economies to address this issue.CT deliverables, or new deliverables, that could be considered  to support AI trade facilitation applications.

Digital and environment

UNECE’s work in the area of environmental policy covers a broad range of issues, such as air pollution, transboundary water cooperation,  industrial safety,  environmental democracy, the green economy, environmental monitoring and impact assessment, and education for sustainable development. Much of this work is carried out by the Committee on Environmental Policy, which, among other tasks, supports countries in their efforts to strengthen their environmental governance and assesses their efforts to reduce their pollution burden, manage natural resources, and integrate environmental and socio-economic policies. UNECE has put in place an Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Programme to assist member states in working with environmental data and information and enable informed decision-making processes. As part of this programme, it promotes the use of electronic tools for accessing information and knowledge on environmental matters and supports the continued development of a Shared Environmental Information System across the UNECE region. The system is intended to enable countries to connect databases and make environmental data more accessible.

The INForest database offers the most up-to-date source of information about the size of the forest area in the UNECE region, how it has changed over decades, the structure of forests, the goods and services forests provide, as well as their contribution to the economy, society, and the environment.

UNECE has developed policy guidance to support the digital inclusion of older people. In the Rome Ministerial Declaration on Ageing, adopted in June 2022, Ministers pledged to ‘promote age-friendly digitalisation, products and services, and support innovation for the silver economy’.

Recognising the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) traceability in achieving SDG 12 and considering the rich body of expertise and standards already available through UNECE, it  broadened the focus of the Team of Specialists (ToS) on sustainable fisheries to ESG traceability of sustainable value chains in the circular economy.

UNECE Environmental Conventions and Protocols (not necessarily covering digital issues directly, but relevant):

Other valuable resources on the environment include:

Sustainable development

UNECE assists countries in its region to address sustainable development challenges (in areas such as environment, connectivity, and urbanisation) through offering policy advice, leveraging its norms, standards, and conventions, and building capacities. It focuses on driving progress towards the following SDGs: good health and well-being (SDG 3), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). Gender equality (SDG 5) and partnerships (SDG 17) are overarching for all UNECE activities. Activities undertaken by UNECE concerning these SDGs converge under four high-impact areas: sustainable use of natural resources; sustainable and smart cities for all ages; sustainable mobility and smart connectivity; and measuring and monitoring progress towards the SDGs.

UNECE has developed a series of tools and standards to support countries in measuring and monitoring progress towards the SDGs. It has also put in place an Innovation Policy Outlook, which assesses the scope, quality, and performance of policies, institutions, and instruments promoting innovation for sustainable development.

AI in sustainable Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and infrastructure finance

The UNECE launched a new 2-year workstream on the use of AI in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for the SDGs. This work will consider the transformative potential of AI in PPP and infrastructure projects by exploring the opportunities and challenges of leveraging AI to advance the SDGs. The UNECE will release a series of forward-looking policy briefs and organise webinars that will discuss key focus areas. In 2025, the following topics will be addressed:

  • Harnessing the power of data in PPPs: opportunities and challenges.
  • Enhancing PPP project identification and planning through AI.  
  • Improving PPP stakeholder engagement and fostering transparency in public consultation using AI. 
  • Transforming PPP financial modelling and investment decision making with AI. 
  • Leveraging AI to optimise the longevity and safety of infrastructure assets.

This workstream was approved by the Working Party on Public-Private Partnerships at its eighth session on 25–26 November 2024.

Privacy and data protection

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations has included guidelines on cybersecurity and data protection in its consolidated resolution on the construction of vehicles, including principles of lawful, fair, and transparent processing of personal data: (1) respecting the identity and privacy of the data subject; (2) not discriminating against data subjects based on their personal data; (3) paying attention to the reasonable expectations of the data subjects with regard to the transparency and context of the data processing; (4) maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of information technology systems and in particular not secretly manipulating data processing; (5) taking into account the benefit of data processing depending on the free flow of data, communication and innovation, as far as data subjects have to respect the processing of personal data with regard to the overriding general public interest; and (6) ensuring the preservation of individual mobility data according to necessity and purpose.

These guidelines were referred to in the Resolution on Data Protection in Automated and Connected Vehicles adopted during the 39th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, Hong Kong, 25–29 September 2017.

Digital tools

UNECE hosts several portals, applications, and digitalised conventions.

eTIR International System Application

The Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Carnets (TIR Convention, 1975) is one of the most successful international transport conventions. It is the only universal customs transit system in existence.

The TIR system, used by over 34,000 transport and logistics companies in its 77 contracting parties, has already reduced cross-border transport time by up to 80%, and costs by up to 38%. The eTIR international system aims to ensure the secure exchange of data between national customs systems related to the international transit of goods, vehicles, or containers according to the provisions of the TIR Convention and to allow customs to manage the data on guarantees, issued by guarantee chains to holders authorised to use the TIR system.

ITDB: International TIR Data Bank

The ITDB is an international online repository of information for all those authorised by contracting parties to use the TIR procedure. It is an integral part of the eTIR International system since only users approved in the ITDB can use the eTIR system. The main goal of the ITDB is to foster the exchange of information between competent authorities of contracting parties and national associations.

eCPD

The Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD) system (i.e. a passport card for your vehicle) facilitates the temporary importation of private and commercial vehicles. The CPD system is based on two international conventions: the 1954 Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Private Road Vehicles and the 1956 Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Commercial Road Vehicles. Hosted by UNECE, the conventions combined have 96 contracting parties. Work has started to prepare the appropriate amendments to the 1954 and 1956 conventions describing the eCPD; prepare the high-level architecture, including the concepts and functional and technical specifications of the future eCPD application; and develop the eCPD system based on these specifications.

eCMR

The eCMR is based on the provisions of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) (1956) and especially on the provisions of the Additional Protocol to CMR Concerning the Electronic Consignment Note (2008). UNECE, which administers the CMR Convention, has been mandated by governments to administer the eCMR protocol and to establish a formal group of experts on the operationalisation of the eCMR procedure.

PIERS online platform

The PIERS online platform is a publicly available digital tool accessible to governments and other stakeholders, enabling them to assess the sustainability of their Public-Private Partnerships and infrastructure projects, using the UNECE PPP and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS). The PIERS methodology establishes a set of core sustainable indicators deriving from the SDGs, ensuring that PPP and infrastructure projects create ‘value for people’ and ‘value for the planet’, with a focus on the world’s most vulnerable.

Digital visualisation

International Transport Infrastructure Observatory (ITIO)

The observatory will be developed on a geographic information systems (GIS) platform with three main pillars of services: it offers an electronic repository of UNECE inland transport conventions, an innovative tool to finance transport infrastructure, and a way to promote sustainable regional and interregional connectivity.

ITIO GIS Platform

Climate Change Adaptation and Transport Infrastructure Tool – The ITIO GIS platform assists in the analysis of possible future impacts of climate change on transport networks. The tool enables experts to identify sections of transport networks potentially exposed to the effects of climate change.

Digital enabler

SITCIN: Sustainable Inland Transport Connectivity Indicators tool

The SITCIN tool allows countries to measure their degree of transport connectivity, both domestically and bilaterally/sub-regionally, as well as in terms of soft and hard infrastructure.

UNECE Dashboard of SDG Indicators

UNECE digital tools facilitating access to statistical information:

UNECE online platforms and observatories gather updates and policy resources to help member states respond to the COVID-19 crisis:

Social media channels

Facebook @UNECE

Flickr @UNECE

Instagram @un_ece

LinkedIn @ United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

X @UNECE

YouTube @UNECE

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United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip diplomats from newly independent UN member states with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the diplomatic environment.

Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering a variety of training activities. It has become a leading institute in the provision of customized, creative learning solutions to institutions and individuals from both the public and private sectors.

UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries, with special attention to least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing states (SIDS), and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable, including those in conflict situations.

In 2020, UNITAR provided learning, training, and knowledge-sharing services to 322,410 individuals, representing a 142% increase from 2019 figures. This increase is attributed largely to the continued delivery of the introductory e-Learning course on climate change administered in partnership with agencies of the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership, and due to many programmes turning to online offers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the learning-related beneficiaries, 78% came from developing countries, of which 15% are LDCs and SIDS.

Digital activities

Of UNITAR’s activities, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related travel and physical meeting restrictions, approximately 80% of events were delivered online, as compared to 38% in 2019. Most of UNITAR’s face-to-face activities take place in field locations, and the remainder are conducted from UNITAR’s headquarters in Geneva and through its out-posted offices in New York City and Hiroshima.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

UNITAR’s work is driven by its programmatic divisions, of which some have made extensive use of artificial intelligence (AI). UNITAR’s Satellite Center (UNOSAT) and its Rapid Mapping Service first introduced AI-based methods (UNOSAT FloodAI) during the rainy season in the Asia-Pacific region with a targeted focus on countries affected by the southwest monsoon season from June to September 2020. It was in that context, in July 2020, that an AI algorithm became operational for the first time following a request by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) after heavy monsoon rains around the Brahmaputra River and in the Sylher district in Bangladesh. Going forward, UNOSAT intends to further develop AI applications for rapid mapping by focusing on the user experience and scaling up how it monitors flood-prone areas. This entails further training for the machines and automatic communication between the AI algorithm outputs (disaster maps) and the visualization dashboard developed by UNOSAT.

UNITAR’s Division for Prosperity looks at AI and several emerging technologies such as blockchain and augmented reality, and considers their impact on individuals, societies, and inclusive and sustainable economic growth. One example is its Frontier Technologies for Sustainable Development: Unlocking Women’s Entrepreneurship through Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Afghanistan and Iraq course.

Cybersecurity

UNITAR tackles cybersecurity issues through education and training activities, as well as events. Its training and education activities cover areas such as cybersecurity, cyberwarfare, cyber operations and human rights, digital diplomacy, and broader capacity building initiatives (e.g. e-workshops and the ‘in-focus series’). Particular courses and workshops include Digital Diplomacy and Cybersecurity, Diplomacy 4.0, the In-Focus Series on International Humanitarian Law and Cyberwarfare, as well as the Cybersecurity and Information Technology Series.

Intellectual property law and data governance

UNITAR also covers copyright, patent, and trademark issues in courses such as the Introduction to International Intellectual Property Law, which considers the role of intellectual property in the modern economy, while examining the fundamentals of copyright protection and patent law in the international community.

Furthermore, UNITAR tackles issues related more broadly to data governance (e.g. official statistics, data governance, communities and partnerships, and the data value chain) through massive online open courses (MOOCs) such as the Introduction to Data Governance for Monitoring the SDGs, which analyses effective data governance systems for monitoring progress in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and explores how to manage data-related partnerships, capabilities, and resources in the context of the SDGs.

Capacity development

Being one of the UN’s main training organizations, most of UNITAR’s activities fall in the category of capacity development.

UNITAR offers online, face-to-face, and blended-format courses for both institutions and individuals. Since the launch of its 2018–21 strategic framework and extended through its current 2022–25 strategic framework, its work is guided by strategic objectives organized around four thematic pillars of the 2030 Agenda, namely Peace, People, Planet, and Prosperity, in addition to the cross-cutting divisions on Multilateral Diplomacy and Satellite Analysis and Applied Research (UNOSAT) as well as the health-focused Defeat-NCD Partnership. Some of the division’s capacity-building and training programmes cover internet- and digital-policy-related areas, such as privacy and data protection, cybersecurity, and cybercrime, new emerging technologies (blockchain, AI, and augmented reality), and digital diplomacy.

UNITAR also offers a wide range of Master’s programmes and graduate certificates related to diplomacy, peace and security, human rights, and humanitarian interventions.

Furthermore, UNITAR organizes special events such as the Geneva Lecture Series, which consists of open lectures that are held on a regular basis at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to raise awareness of specific global challenges and deepen and broaden the participation of citizens and civil society.

Privacy and data protection

Privacy and data protection are two interrelated internet governance issues. Data protection is a legal mechanism that ensures privacy, while privacy is a fundamental human right. UNITAR deals with legal mechanisms ensuring data protection and privacy in numerous courses and events. One example is the course on Introduction to Privacy and Data Protection Law (2020), where different legal mechanisms that protect privacy worldwide are analyzed in depth.

Digital tools

UNITAR offers its training and courses through its e-learning platform as well as a number of different online platforms that provide users with tools and resources in specific thematic areas.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNITAR published a number of resources on online learning and online event management addressing how to make online events more inclusive, or to turn face-to-face into online events, designing learning events and online facilitation cards.

Social media channels

Facebook @UNITARHQ

Flickr @UNITAR

Instagram @unitarhq

LinkedIn @UNITARHQ

X @UNITAR

YouTube @UNITAR

UN International Computing Centre

The United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) is the largest strategic partner for common, trusted, and cyber secure digital foundations across the entire UN system. Through state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure, digital tools, cybersecurity, cloud, data and AI solutions, UNICC promotes progress toward a more connected, secure, and sustainable UN.

With over 50 years of experience, UNICC supports the digital transformation and future of the UN family and other international organisations, delivering scalable and innovative solutions through a cost-effective and shared services model. This approach empowers our partners and clients to accelerate the adoption of required technologies to better serve global needs.

Digital activities

UNICC provides the digital foundations that support the digital transformation and future of the UN system and other international organisations.

These digital foundations consist of a comprehensive, modular, and integrated set of secure, scalable, and adaptable technology, infrastructure, tools, platforms, and services that underpin and support digital transformation and digital-native initiatives. They provide a robust yet flexible blueprint for implementing digitalisation across the UN and international organisations.

UNICC is committed to accelerating the UN’s digital transformation in alignment with UN 2.0 and promoting digital-native processes and solutions. Impactful solutions must be built on strong and secure digital foundations, designed and governed by principles and structures unique to the UN ecosystem.

Digital policy issues and tools

UNICC has over 50 years of experience in ICT, digital, and cybersecurity services. As the largest digital strategic partner for the UN system, UNICC designs and deploys transformational digital tools and programmes to support over 100 UN and international organisations in fulfilling their mandates. Its model maximises the shared services approach and generates economies of scale to benefit its partners. UNICC has been the go-to strategic partner for digital business solutions for UN programmes, funds and entities since its inception.

UNICC offers a full range of services and solutions built upon industry best practices, international standards, and documented business processes subject to a Continuous Process Improvement cycle. The unique business environment of UNICC requires a workforce that is versatile and skilled in deploying and supporting diverse technologies. It demands knowledgeable staff who are familiar with UN goals, ethics, regulations, business, and technology environments.

Artificial intelligence 

A dynamic hub of resources for efficient and responsible AI deployment

AI presents a significant opportunity to modernise and streamline the United Nations system, enhancing its capacity to address critical global challenges. By leveraging AI, the UN family can strengthen and improve its support to Member States, ultimately driving greater efficiency, better results, and accelerated progress toward the SDGs. The UNICC AI Hub offers expertise, resources, and a collaborative environment to advance AI initiatives across the UN system and other international organisations. It operates in alignment with UN standards, principles, and ethical frameworks to ensure the responsible use of AI. 

The AI Hub will connect the UN system with cutting-edge AI technologies and key leaders in the AI sector. UNICC is cultivating strategic partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders – including leading technology providers, academia, governments, and technology-focused foundations—to enhance support for its partners and clients in AI deployment. In that regard, SandboxAQ, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services have joined the UNICC AI Hub as technical partners.

UNICC and Humane Intelligence have also joined forces to develop AI governance tools and infrastructure for the efficient and responsible deployment of AI within the UN system. This partnership aims to create a structured approach for assessing the societal impact of AI models, establish a foundational AI governance framework, and promote sustainable AI solutions globally. 

UnifyHR: GenAI transforming HR operations across the UN family

In a significant leap forward for HR operations within the United Nations, various UN agencies have collaborated to develop and deploy UNifyHR, an advanced Generative AI tool to streamline human resources (HR) operations and policy management. Initially conceptualised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), this tool benefits from the technical support and development expertise of the UNICC and the participation of 13 UN agencies: IAEA, ICAO, IOM, ITU, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNRWA, UN Women, and WFP.

The UNifyHR Chatbot is powered by advanced Generative AI technology and offers HR operations teams rapid, multilingual access to critical HR policy information from across the participating UN organisations. This innovative tool leverages cutting-edge AI capabilities to simplify the retrieval of complex policy data, enabling HR professionals to respond more quickly and accurately to inquiries. The result is enhanced productivity and better data-driven decision-making, aligning with the UN’s broader goals of improving institutional effectiveness and digital transformation efforts.

UNDP’s AIDA portal 

Artificial Intelligence powers UNDP’s Evaluation Office solutions

Independent evaluation offices play a major role in gleaning and sharing years of evaluation knowledge and experience for UN agency programme delivery. This is never an easy task. Finding valuable information is time-consuming, methodical, and often manual, with multiple sources and document types to process.

In partnership with UNICC and Amazon Web Services, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched AIDA 2.0 (Artificial Intelligence for Development Analytics), with new analytical capabilities in 2023. This cutting-edge solution streamlines the scanning of more than 6,000 evaluation reports to understand keywords, context, and intent using AI capabilities, returning meaningful answers to complex questions. New features include sentiment analysis, pattern detection, topic modelling and summarisation, and data visualisation.

With UNICC’s support, UNDP’s AIDA portal is accessible to Evaluation Office staff who want to learn from past evaluations to improve programme design and delivery, offering an innovative solution to search, find, and share lessons learned and build on successes from country programmes worldwide.

UN Digital ID

UN Digital ID to provide the UN workforce with a universal, easy-to-use, system-wide identity

UN Digital ID is a unique identity for each UN staff member, from onboarding to retirement. Having a unique identification across the UN system not only reduces data fragmentation and duplication but also simplifies and streamlines processes and transactions across all business functions between staff and organisations, and among UN organisations themselves. As a data exchange platform, UN Digital ID will allow staff from participating organisations to share any of their HR and related information with complete visibility, consent, and security.

UN Digital ID is part of UN 2.0, the UN Secretary-General’s push to achieve an efficient and data-driven transformation. 

Cloud computing 

UNIQCloud – A secure private cloud environment for the UN system

UNIQCloud is a private cloud solution specifically designed for the UN system and other international organisations. UNIQCloud is built on open-source technology using the OpenStack platform, ensuring end-to-end transparency, flexibility and accountability.

UNIQCloud features include multi tenancy for efficient resource utilisation, on-demand access, and continuous improvement, as well as agility, resilience, scalability, and security. It was developed using energy-efficient practices and carbon offsets in line with the Greening the Blue initiative.

UNIQCloud is designed to enhance and complement diverse cloud models adopted by UN entities and provide support for business continuity strategies. It offers pricing stability and predictable terms governed by UNICC’s Management Committee. 

Cybersecurity

A cyber secure digital environment for the UN family

UNICC’s cybersecurity services cover oversight, governance, and threat intelligence sharing, as well as advisory services and a spectrum of programmatic and operational components. UNICC Cybersecurity has grown its global programme to serve over 50 UN partners and international organisations since its inception in 2017. 

Services range from the Common Secure Threat Intelligence Network of over 40 UN organisations to maturity assessments, ISO certification support, SOC and SIEM support, as well as security incident response and forensics, business continuity management, and industry-standard operational processes.

UNICC is certified with ISO 27001 and was awarded a 2020 and 2017 CSO 50 Award for its Common Secure Information Security services, demonstrating outstanding business value and thought leadership. 

The Cybersecurity Fund for the UN System

Bolstering cyber-resilience across the UN family

UNICC’s Cybersecurity Fund (CSF) is a direct action to address the recommendations made by the UN Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and is designed to complement UNICC’s capacity as the UN system’s ‘Cyber Hub’, developing and offering shared services and solutions to enhance the UN cybersecurity posture. Over the next several years, the CSF will be supported by voluntary contributions from Member States to provide a dedicated stream of

funding for critical cybersecurity functions, achieving a baseline standard of security and capabilities, aligned with UN system-wide priorities and best practices.

International Criminal Investigations

Innovative technology and partnerships for international criminal investigations

The United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) partnered with UNICC and Microsoft to support advanced data management for accountability in UNITAD criminal investigations, with UNICC offering Microsoft Azure hosting services, development, data and analytics, and cognitive services.

UNICC Data and Analytics, Application Development, and Cloud Infrastructure teams supported the collection, preservation, and storage of evidence in the form of images, audio, video, and digital text files that have been recovered from sources in the field. This solution streamlines evidence in independent criminal proceedings to hold members of ISIL accountable for the crimes they may have committed.

The partnership helps UNITAD fulfil its mandate in a more efficient and cost-effective manner by creating new business opportunities for UNICC clients and partner organisations to leverage for similar challenges with this innovative technology.

Social media channels

Facebook @unicc.ict

LinkedIn @UNICC

Twitter @unicc_ict

YouTube @UN International Computing Centre

United Nations Trade and Development

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a UN body dedicated to supporting developing countries in accessing the benefits of a globalised economy more fairly and effectively. It provides analysis, facilitates consensus-building, and offers technical assistance, thus helping countries use trade, investment, finance, and technology to support inclusive and sustainable development.

UNCTAD also works to facilitate and measure progress towards achieving the SDGs, through a wide range of activities in areas such as technology and innovation, trade, investment, environment, transport and logistics, and the digital economy. It places special emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable developing countries, including least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), small island developing states (SIDS), and African countries to build resilience to economic shocks and to achieve structural economic transformation.

UNCTAD’s work often results in analyses, statistics, and recommendations that inform national and international policymaking processes, and contribute to promoting economic policies aimed at ending global economic inequalities and generating human-centric sustainable development.

Digital activities

UNCTAD is particularly active in the field of e-commerce, digital trade, and the digital economy, carrying out a wide range of activities from research and analysis to providing assistance to member states in developing adequate legislative and regulatory frameworks and facilitating international dialogue on the development opportunities and challenges associated with the digital economy.

UNCTAD also works to facilitate and measure progress towards achieving the SDGs, particularly through (but not limited to) its activities in the field of STI for development. Consumer protection online, gender equality, digital business and trade facilitation, and privacy and data protection are other relevant policy areas where UNCTAD is active.

Digital policy issues

Data governance

As data has become a key resource in the digital economy, data governance is a fundamental part of the work of UNCTAD. This is illustrated, for example, in the research and analysis work of the Digital Economy Report 2019, which focused on the role of data as the source of value in the digital economy and how it is created and captured and the Digital Economy Report 2021, which analysed cross-border data flows and development. Moreover, some of UNCTAD’s work on e-commerce and digital trade touches specifically on privacy and data protection issues. For instance, the eCommerce and Law Reform work dedicated to supporting developing countries in their efforts to establish adequate legal frameworks for e-commerce also covers data protection and privacy among the key issues addressed. The Global Cyberlaw Tracker offers information on data protection laws in UNCTAD member States.

Also relevant for data governance discussions is UNCTAD’s work on statistics, as the organisation collects and analyses a wide range of data and statistics on issues such as economic trends, international trade, investment, development, and the digital economy. UNCTAD’s statistical capacity development activities help countries enhance their statistical and data infrastructures and often address issues of data governance, such as statistical confidentiality, access to data, and privacy protection. UNCTAD also contributes actively to global work to enhance data governance in statistics and beyond and to develop universal principles to guide the collection, dissemination, use, and storage of data.

UNCTAD makes its data and statistics available as open-source in the UNCTAD Data Hub and the UNCTADstat data centre. Statistics underpin UNCTAD’s analytical work and are featured in many publications. The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics disseminates key messages from UNCTAD’s statistics, including infographics, and UNCTAD’s SDG Pulse offers statistical information on developments related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  To provide timely information on the global economy and trade, UNCTAD Statistics publishes a weekly Trade and Economy Nowcast.

UNCTAD is also running several projects focused on improving the efficiency of data management, (for example, by supporting customs operations with the Automated System for Customs Data). UNCTAD’s own statistical activities are governed by the UNCTAD Statistics Quality Assurance Framework, which is aligned with principles governing international statistical activities.

At the 2024 annual session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), countries agreed to create a dedicated working group within the CSTD to engage in comprehensive and inclusive multistakeholder dialogue on fundamental principles of data governance at all levels, as relevant for development under the auspices of the UN. See also the dedicated web page on the CSTD.

E-commerce and trade

UNCTAD’s work programme on e-commerce and the digital economy (ECDE Programme) encompasses several research and analysis, consensus-building, and technical assistance activities, as follows:

Research and analysis

UNCTAD conducts research and analysis on e-commerce and the digital economy and their implications for trade and development. These are mainly presented in its flagship publication, the Digital Economy Report (formerly known as the Information Economy Report), and in its Technical Notes on ICT for Development. The Technology and Innovation Report, another flagship publication, highlights the need to build science, technology, and innovation capabilities as prerequisites to enable developing countries and LDCs to adopt and adapt frontier technologies, including digital technologies.

UNCTAD has published the Digital Economy Report 2024 titled ‘Shaping an environmentally sustainable and inclusive digital future’ that focuses on the environmental sustainability aspects of digitalisation. The report highlights that digital technology and infrastructure depend heavily on raw materials, with production and disposal of devices and growing water and energy needs taking an increasing toll on the planet. It notes that the production and use of digital devices, data centres and ICT networks account for an estimated 6% to 12% of global electricity use. The report also highlights the negative environmental impacts of bitcoin mining.

The report identifies that developing countries bear the brunt of the environmental costs of digitalisation while reaping fewer benefits – exporting low value-added raw materials and importing high value-added devices, along with increasing digital waste. UNCTAD is now advocating for a global shift towards a circular digital economy, focusing on circularity by design through durable products, responsible consumption, reuse and recycling, and sustainable business models.

UNCTAD has published data showing business e-commerce sales grew nearly 60% from 2016 to 2022, reaching $27 trillion (based on data from 43 countries). UNCTAD is highlighting concerns about digital waste, noting that waste from screens and small IT equipment rose 30% between 2010 and 2022.

UNCTAD has published the Technology and Innovation Report 2023, which analyses the market size of 17 green and frontier technologies, such as AI, the IoT and electric vehicles, and their potential to spur economic growth in developing countries. The Technology and Innovation Report 2025: Inclusive Artificial Intelligence for Development explores ways for countries to strategically position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI.

UNCTAD has published research on distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), examining their potential to revolutionise economic and data transactions, including applications beyond cryptocurrency in areas such as trade facilitation.

Consensus building on e-commerce and digital economy policies

UNCTAD’s Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy meets regularly to discuss ways to strengthen the development dimension of e-commerce and the digital economy. The group’s meetings are usually held in conjunction with UNCTAD eWeek – a biennial event, fostering multistakeholder dialogue on the development opportunities and challenges associated with the digital economy.

UNCTAD serves as a knowledge partner to the deliberations of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group, as well as to the BRICS Digital Economy Working Group.

Under the auspices of the CSTD, UNCTAD provides substantive work on the follow-up to WSIS – a unique UN summit that was initiated to create an evolving multistakeholder platform to address the issues raised by information and communications technologies (ICTs) through a structured and inclusive approach at the national, regional, and international levels. See also the dedicated section on the CSTD in this Atlas.

UNCTAD hosted the eWeek 2023 with the theme ‘Shaping the future of the digital economy’. UNCTAD supports the GDC process through its e-commerce and digital economy programme. 

eTrade Readiness Assessments and strategy formulation

About 40 eTrade Readiness Assessments (eT Readies) have been conducted to assist LDCs and other developing countries in understanding their e-commerce readiness in key policy areas to better engage in and benefit from e-commerce. The assessments provide specific policy recommendations to overcome identified barriers and bottlenecks to growth and enjoy the benefits of digital trade.

UNCTAD’s work on E-commerce Strategies Development helps countries to elaborate e-commerce strategies on the basis of comprehensive assessments, most often an eTrade Readiness Assessment. Policy advice is offered to partner countries as well as regional bodies that are requesting assistance in building and maintaining a dynamic and inclusive e-commerce ecosystem that can support sustainable development gains.

Legal frameworks for e-commerce

UNCTAD’s e-commerce and law reform work helps to develop an understanding of the legal issues underpinning e-commerce through a series of capacity-building workshops for policymakers at the national and regional levels. Concrete actions include assistance in establishing domestic and regional legal regimes to enhance trust in online transactions, regional studies on cyber laws harmonisation, and the global mapping of e-commerce legislation through its Global Cyberlaw Tracker.

Measuring the e-commerce and digital economy

UNCTAD’s work on measuring e-commerce and digital economy includes statistical data collection and the development of methodology, as well as linking statistics and policy through the Working Group on Measuring E-commerce and the Digital Economy, established by the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-Commerce and the Digital Economy. Figures are published in the biennial Digital Economy Report and the UNCTADstat Data Centre. Technical cooperation here aims to strengthen the capacity of national statistical systems to produce better, more reliable, and internationally comparable statistics on the following issues: ICT use by enterprises, size and composition of the ICT sector, and e-commerce and international trade in ICT-enabled services. To support statistical compilers in their efforts to measure digital trade, the IMF-OECD-UNCTAD-WTO Handbook on Measuring Digital Trade was published. A Task Group on Measuring E-commerce Value (TG-eCOM) under the Working Group on measuring e-commerce and the digital economy, works on developing internationally agreed guidelines on measuring the value of e-commerce transactions.

Smart partnerships through eTrade for all

The eTrade for all initiative is a global collaborative effort of 35 partners to scale up cooperation, transparency, and aid efficiency towards more inclusive e-commerce.  Its main tool is an online platform (etradeforall.org), a knowledge-sharing and information hub that facilitates access to a wide range of information and resources on e-commerce and the digital economy. It offers a gateway for matching the suppliers of technical assistance with those in need. Beneficiaries can connect with potential partners and learn about trends, best practices, up-to-date e-commerce indicators, and upcoming events, all in one place. The initiative also acts as a catalyst for partnership among its members for increased synergies. This collaboration has concretely translated into the participation of several partners as key contributors to the various UNCTAD eWeek organised by UNCTAD and in the conduct and peer review of eTrade Readiness Assessments.

Empowering women digital entrepreneurs: eTrade for Women

The eTrade for Women initiative works at the junction of gender, technology and entrepreneurship to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in an increasingly digital economy and society. It combines the opportunities offered by digitalisation with the transformative power of female entrepreneurship to advance decent work and economic growth and promote social cohesion in developing countries.  The strategy of eTrade for Women relies on a ‘domino effect’ and leverages women-led digital SMEs to inspire and empower a larger group of successful female entrepreneurs and shape more gender-inclusive digital economies. In collaboration with the eTrade for Women Advocates, a small group of influential women leaders in the digital sector, the initiative raises the profiles of successful women digital entrepreneurs, helps to change stereotypes and brings their perspectives to the forefront of policy making on e-commerce and the digital economy for development.

ECDE Programme interventions are funded by a dozen funding partners, with about two-thirds of the extra-budgetary resources provided by five core donors – namely Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Consumer protection

Consumer protection and competition are jointly addressed in the work of UNCTAD.

Through its Competition and Consumer Policies Programme, UNCTAD works to assist countries in improving their competition and consumer protection policies. It provides a forum for intergovernmental deliberations on these issues; undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection; and provides technical assistance to developing countries. The Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy monitors the implementation of the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection, and carries out research and provides technical assistance on consumer protection issues (including in the context of e-commerce and the digital economy). UNCTAD’s work programme on consumer protection is guided, among others, by the UN Conference of Competition and Consumer Protection (held every five years).

Given the significant imbalances in market power in the digital economy, competition policy is becoming increasingly relevant for developing countries. UNCTAD addresses this issue in the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy.

UNCTAD also runs the Research Partnership Platform on Competition and Consumer Protection, aimed at contributing to the development of best practices in the formulation and implementation of competition and consumer protection laws and policies.

UNCTAD serves as co-lead of the One Planet Network ‒ Consumer Information for Sustainable Consumption and Production Programme, along with the German government and Consumers International, which implements and supports projects, undertakes research, identifies and encourages policies, and provides collaboration opportunities for anyone looking to engage and assist consumers in sustainable consumption.

Creative economy

The UNCTAD Creative Economy Programme recognises the importance of cultural and creative industries and their contribution to the global economy. UNCTAD is mandated to conduct research and policy analysis, consensus-building, and technical cooperation.

The increased digitalisation of creative goods and services heavily influences this vibrant sector. The Creative Industry 4.0 report looks at the implications for the creative economy of the rapid changes in automated technology and advanced internet communication that came to be known as Industry 4.0. Using a sustainable development lens, the report looks at economic and social development opportunities driven by digitalisation and advanced technologies for developing countries.

UNCTAD supports countries in measuring the economic contribution of their creative economy and developing appropriate policies for an increasingly digitalised environment. 

Sustainable development

UNCTAD works to facilitate and measure progress towards achieving the SDGs. It is a custodian agency and partner for nine SDG indicators related to trade, tariffs, development finance, debt, investment, illicit finance, and enterprise sustainability. This entails a global responsibility for UNCTAD to develop concepts and methods to track progress with these indicators, and to support member States in strengthening their capacity to measure and analyse progress to effectively target policy efforts towards meeting the SDGs. UNCTAD releases data-driven analyses on progress towards the SDGs in the areas of trade, development, investment, finance, and technology, including ICTs and digital trade in its annual SDG Pulse online publication.

UNCTAD’s work to facilitate and measure progress towards the SDGs includes (but is not limited to) activities in the field of STI for development. The organisation supports countries in their efforts to integrate STI in national development strategies, through initiatives such as Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Reviews and capacity-building programmes (such as the Innovation Policy Learning Programme). UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development provides guidance for policymakers in formulating national investment policies and in negotiating investment agreements. The organisation is also part of the Toolbox for Financing for SDGs – a platform launched in 2018 at the initiative of the President of the UNGA to assist countries and financial actors in exploring solutions to the challenges of financing the SDGs.

UNCTAD’s Productive Capacities Index (PCI) is a dynamic and practical tool to support developing countries in understanding the status of their productive capacity and how this can be improved. It builds on UNCTAD’s long-standing work on productive capacities essential for generating inclusive and sustained economic growth and achieving sustainable development. The PCI covers 194 economies for the period 2000‒2022. The set of productive capacities and their specific combinations are mapped across 42 indicators. This makes our PCI multidimensional in its analytical abilities. 

The index can help diagnose areas where countries may be leading or falling behind, spotlighting where policies are working and where corrective efforts are needed. It suggests a roadmap for future policy actions and interventions under each of its eight components: human capital, natural capital, energy, ICTs, structural change, transport, institutions, and the private sector.

It was developed in response to the ECOSOC resolution (E/RES/2017/29) encouraging UNCTAD ‘to pursue its methodological work to measure progress in and identify obstacles to the development of productive capacities in developing countries’. 

The PCI has been peer-reviewed and validated at national and regional levels by leading technical experts across the UN system, as well as by academics and government stakeholders. Stakeholders in select countries have been trained in how to use the index in their development policymaking processes. UNCTAD stands ready to conduct more training sessions at the request of countries.

Other UNCTAD activities designed to contribute to sustainable development cover issues such as climate change, the circular economy, and intellectual property, with a focus on the most vulnerable developing countries, including SIDS, LDCs, LLDCs, and African countries.

Capacity development

Many activities undertaken by UNCTAD have a capacity development dimension. For instance, its work on e-commerce and trade includes supporting developing countries in establishing adequate legal frameworks in these areas (e.g. its eCommerce and Law Reform work) and in producing statistics that can guide effective policymaking (e.g. Measuring e-commerce and the Digital Economy activities, the Productive Capacities Index and e-commerce Strategies). UNCTAD’s e-Learning on Trade platform provides courses and training on issues such as trade, gender, and development and non-tariff measures in trade.

The TRAINFORTRADE programme has launched a project on blended learning strategy to boost the digital economy in SIDS. The project is structured to encompass the legal aspects of e-commerce, digital economy statistics, and digital identity for trade and development.

UNCTAD also works to build capacity in STI policymaking in developing countries, through initiatives such as the Innovation Policy Learning Programme and STI training provided in the context of the P166 programme.

Additionally, UNCTAD’s Virtual Institute – run in cooperation with universities worldwide – is dedicated to building knowledge for trade and development. Another area where UNCTAD provides capacity building for developing countries is that of statistics: The organisation and its partners assist national statistics organisations in the collection, compilation, and dissemination of their statistics in domains such as trade, sustainable development, and investments.

Gender rights

UNCTAD runs a Trade, Gender, and Development programme dedicated to assisting countries in developing and implementing gender-sensitive trade policies, conducting gender impact analyses of trade policies and agreements, and strengthening the links between trade and gender. One notable initiative is the eTrade for Women initiative, dedicated to advancing the empowerment of women through ICTs.

UNCTAD works to strengthen countries’ capacity to develop and use gender-relevant statistics to inform trade policy. In 2018, UNCTAD developed a conceptual framework to measure gender and trade to support policymakers and national statistics offices in assessing gender equality in international trade and reviewing existing data in this field. Guided by this framework, UNCTAD is working on a project with the economic commissions for Africa (ECA) and Europe (ECE) to strengthen the capacity of interested countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to develop and use statistics for more gender-responsive trade policy and to inform the analysis of the gendered impacts of COVID-19 through trade. A pilot in Georgia provided new gender-in-trade indicators for trade policy by reusing existing data; work in four additional countries is ongoing in Africa. This work has given the basis for preparing compilation guidelines on gender and trade statistics to help scale up this work globally. UNCTAD also leads a work stream to include gender equality and inclusiveness considerations in the update of the United Nations Trade Statistics manuals used by all countries globally.

Other initiatives undertaken in this area include capacity building on trade and gender, the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Changing the Narrative Dialogues, and the project Data and Statistics for More Gender Responsive Trade Policies in Africa, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Within its analytical work on trade and gender, in a policy review, UNCTAD analysed the implications of e-commerce for women small entrepreneurs in developing countries. The study is addressed to a variety of stakeholders, but especially policymakers, to provide guidance on how to design policies and measures that enhance women’s beneficial participation in the economy by leveraging e-commerce.

Through its online courses on trade and gender, UNCTAD bridges knowledge gaps in the links between trade policy and gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. With around 2,000 alumni from 180 countries, this online capacity-building initiative remains a particularly effective and inclusive tool to enhance knowledge in a still relatively new field of trade policy.

Digital tools

eGovernment portals

UNCTAD’s easy-to-use digital government platforms enable civil servants to quickly build online public-facing services so their governments can deliver on and mobilise funding for climate, jobs, environment, health, food, and other SDGs. Service delivery can include registering carbon emitters and removers as part of the Paris Agreement; delivering certificates of incorporation and business permits in hours, not weeks; tracking extended producer responsibility; simplifying the delivery of production permits for vaccines and pharmaceuticals; helping farmers access key government services; and much more.

Civil servants use the intuitive drag-and-drop system to create online public services. They don’t require any prior IT knowledge or equipment. It works for any service in any ministry and is compatible with existing digital IDs and government websites to ensure a seamless user experience. 

The system is quickly scalable. Civil servants have access to the Digital Government Academy and can train colleagues to develop digital services across ministries and governments while avoiding the costs, timelines, consultants, and complexities traditionally associated with digital government projects. 

Detailed data generated by these systems show important increases in access to public services by demographics such as young people, women, and rural populations. Governments use this data to fine-tune delivery.

Additional digital tools and online platforms:

Many of UNCTAD’s publications are released as digital publications only.

Social media channels

Facebook @UNCTAD

Flickr @UNCTAD

Instagram @unctad

LinkedIn @UNCTAD

Twitter @UNCTADYouTube @UNCTADOnline


South Centre

Established in 1995, the South Centre is an intergovernmental policy research think tank composed of and accountable to developing country member states. It researches key policy development issues and supports developing countries to effectively participate in international negotiating processes that are relevant to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The South Centre promotes the unity of the Global South in such processes while recognising the diversity of national interests and priorities.

The South Centre works on a wide range of issues relevant to countries in the Global South and the global community in general, such as sustainable development, climate change, South-South cooperation (SSC), financing for development, innovation and intellectual property, traditional knowledge, access to medicines, health, biodiversity, trade, investment agreements, international tax cooperation, human rights, gender, and the fourth industrial revolution.

Within the limits of its capacity and mandate, the South Centre also responds to requests for policy advice and technical and other support from its members and other developing countries.

The South Centre has observer status in several international organisations.

Digital activities

Innovation and development are some of the issue areas the South Centre works on. As part of its efforts within this domain, it focuses on information technologies. Moreover, digital issues are also tackled in the domain of, inter alia, taxation and the digital economy, data governance, e-commerce, and the fourth industrial revolution.

The South Centre has produced deliverables/research outputs in the following areas: digital and financial inclusion, digital economy, digital taxation, digital industrialisation, and digital trade, among others.

The South Centre continued to monitor discussions and new regulatory developments at the country level, undertake research and participate in multiple forums on digital governance including the negotiations of the UN GDC adopted by the UNGA in September 2024, the discussions in the CSTD, on digital health in the G20 Health Working Group, WIPO Conversations on Intellectual Property and Frontier Technologies, AI resolutions in the UNGA, the UNESCO AI Ethics Work, digital regulation and governance issues in ITU, and the AI for Good Summit held in Geneva in May 2024. On the sidelines of these meetings, the Centre discussed areas for cooperation with the ministries of member countries.

Digital policy issues

Intellectual property rights

In June 2019, the South Centre published a policy brief on Intellectual Property and Electronic Commerce: Proposals in the WTO and Policy Implications for Developing Countries,  which provided an overview of discussions within the WTO on IP and its potential implications for the digital economy.

In September 2020, the Centre published a research paper on Data in Legal Limbo: Ownership, Sovereignty, or a Digital Public Goods Regime? and in 2022, a research paper titled The Liability of Internet Service Providers for Copyright Infringement in Sri Lanka: A Comparative Analysis.

The South Centre continued to collaborate with a network of academic research institutions from the North and South, led by American University, Washington School of Law, and participated in the annual meeting of the global network of experts on the right to research and copyright in June 2024 in Washington DC that dealt, inter alia, with the intersection of AI, copyright and information law.

The South Centre also provided inputs to the First Open Consultations Process Meeting held on 18 November 2024, within the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025.

In light of the global health pandemic, the South Centre, as part of its publication series SouthViews, shared the perspectives of developing countries on digital health, challenges and recommendations to overcome these, and the use of digital technology for education in developing countries. A SouthViews on Access to Medical Equipment in a Pandemic Situation: Importance of Localized Supply Chains and 3D Printing was also published.

E-commerce and trade

The digital economy is another issue researched by the South Centre in the context of development. For instance, in 2017, it published an analytical note, The WTO’s Discussions on Electronic Commerce, which explores the stance of developing countries (i.e. readiness in terms of infrastructure, upskilling, etc.) to engage in cross-border e-commerce. Among other things, it highlights challenges such as low IT adoption and the lack of electricity supply, which limit the uptake of e-commerce activities in Africa, for instance. Another analytical note published that same year tackles the impact of the digital economy on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and looks into the type of e-commerce rules that could best serve the interests of MSMEs. In 2019, it addressed issues on the regulation of the digital economy in developing countries, namely, the future of work, market dynamics, and data and privacy protection.

The South Centre also provides analyses and organises many meetings to discuss issues such as the WTO E-Commerce Moratorium and the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) plurilateral discussions on e-commerce.

The South Centre has published a research paper on the WTO Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions. This paper highlights the adverse impacts of the continuing moratorium on developing and least developed countries. The moratorium is causing almost all developing and least developed countries to lose tariff revenues at a time when they are most needed. With no clarity on the definition of electronic transmissions and thereby on the scope of the moratorium, its continuation can lead to substantive tariff revenue losses for developing and least developed countries in the future.

The South Centre has issued a statement on the landmark shift of the United States Trade Representative’s decision to rein in the Big Tech digital trade agenda under the E-Commerce JSI negotiations.

In 2024, the South Centre actively engaged in discussions on the WTO e-commerce moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, a critical issue for developing countries facing revenue losses and diminished policy space in the digital economy. The Centre prepared a detailed commentary on the WTO’s mapping of quantitative studies related to the moratorium, highlighting the fiscal implications and addressing gaps in existing analyses, particularly the unequal impact on developing economies. This work aimed to equip member states with insights to advocate for evidence-based decisions that preserve their ability to implement national policies in the digital era. 

During the WTO Information Session on the moratorium, the Centre also responded to member inquiries, clarifying technical issues and offering strategies to mitigate long-term trade and policy challenges. The Centre emphasised the importance of balancing global trade objectives with the need to safeguard the fiscal stability and policy autonomy of developing countries. These contributions underscore the South Centre’s dedication to ensuring that the evolving digital trade framework is equitable and inclusive for the Global South.

The South Centre provided technical support by preparing draft negotiating texts on the Work Programme on E-commerce and the moratorium on electronic transmissions at the WTO Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13). Our comprehensive commentary on the MC13 Decision (Policy Brief No. 130 ‘Unpacking the WTO MC13 Decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce’) further assisted developing countries in understanding the implications of the decisions and refining their negotiation strategies.

The South Centre also monitors developments and participates in discussions on the ground and across international organisations in Geneva, including the UNCTAD eTrade for All initiative.

In 2022, the South Centre organised/co-organised two sessions during UNCTAD eCommerce week: Data Regulation: Implications for the Digitization of the Economy and Development and Exploring a Global Framework for Data Governance. The South Centre Executive Director also participated in the eTrade for All Leadership Dialogue. See the Centre’s contribution here.

The South Centre has launched a policy brief analysing the EU-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Digital Trade Chapter, assessing its alignment with development priorities. This research aims to provide actionable recommendations to member states, ensuring that regional trade agreements reflect the interests of developing countries and promote sustainable growth. Through these efforts, the Centre continues to drive inclusive digital development and foster equitable participation in the global digital economy.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) marks a historic achievement in Africa’s quest for economic integration, with the ambitious goal of establishing the world’s largest free trade area by uniting 54 African countries. As digital trade emerges as a critical engine of economic growth, the formulation of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol has become a cornerstone of this broader framework. The Digital Trade Protocol aims to harmonise regulations across member states, streamline cross-border digital transactions, and position African countries to compete effectively in the global digital economy. However, the diversity in digital infrastructure and regulatory environments across the continent presents significant challenges, making the negotiations both intricate and sensitive. Ensuring that the protocol fosters inclusive growth while respecting national digital sovereignty is paramount. The South Centre has had an active role in this process by providing technical expertise and drafting negotiating texts to support African delegates to advocate for their countries’ interests. The analyses and contributions to the development of the Digital Trade Protocol, along with comments on its annexes, have contributed to shaping a framework that balances regional cooperation with national priorities. Additionally, the South Centre has convened strategic meetings with some African delegates, facilitating collaboration and building consensus on key issues.

Taxation

The taxation of the digital economy is the single biggest issue in international taxation today. Countries around the world are trying to find solutions for taxing Big Tech companies that operate with very different business models, owing to which they can escape taxation under outdated international tax rules meant for a brick-and-mortar economy. The key solution being negotiated is known as Amount A of Pillar One of the OECD’s Two Pillar Solution. The South Centre has been actively involved in Amount A negotiations, briefing its member states and submitting comments on every single set of Model Rules that have been put out for public comment, articulating the concerns and issues of developing countries. In 2022, we published the world’s first set of country-level revenue estimates on Amount A, contrasted with the UN solution of Article 12B of the UN Model Tax Convention. Revenue estimates were published for the member states of the South Centre and the African Union, with whom the study was jointly conducted. In October 2023, we published another policy brief titled Beyond the Two Pillar Proposals: A Simplified Approach for Taxing Multinationals, which offers an alternative policy solution different from those of the UN and the OECD. We also published a policy brief in June 2023 titled Taxation of Digital Services: What hope for the African States? which argues that African countries need to improve digital connectivity to be able to collect more taxes under the OECD digital tax solution of Amount A. This is because the revenue sourcing rules of Amount A allocate profits using digital indicators such as viewing of advertisements, IP addresses, etc.

At the UN Tax Committee, we participated in the 26th Session in New York, where we mobilised developing country members through peer exchanges and briefings and also participated in the negotiations to promote the interests of our member states and other developing countries, inter alia, on the taxation of the digital economy. Ahead of the UN Tax Committee session, we published a study on the taxation of computer software. The study on computer software showed that 34 of the South Centre’s member states could have collected $1 billion in taxes in 2020 from computer software sales had there been the corresponding standards by the UN. The study helped mobilise support from developing countries and brought to a close a 20-year negotiation on the taxation of computer software.

We also published a policy brief titled Conceptualizing Remote Worker Permanent Establishment, which provided an innovative solution for taxing the emerging phenomenon of work from home/work from anywhere. 

The UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the Digital Economy invited the South Centre to present the policy options for taxing the digital economy to UN member states. Our presentation was so appreciated that the governments of Palestine and Cambodia immediately requested capacity building on the subject.

Given our expertise in the taxation of the digital economy, in June 2023, we co-organised a G20-South Centre event on international taxation. This was on capacity building for Indian tax officials on the Two Pillar Solution and the international tax standards being negotiated in the UN. This was also our first G20 event, and was widely praised and appreciated by Indian participants. We mobilised international tax experts from across Asia, Africa, and Latin America to share their perspectives on these topics with Indian officials.

In May 2023, we partnered with the UNDP to co-organise a Capacity Building Workshop on the taxation of the digital economy in May 2023. The two organisations shared the policy options available to Sri Lanka to tax the digital economy, which included a digital services tax. The workshop was so impactful that within a few days, the government introduced a digital services tax and, in the record time of two months, got it passed by Parliament. We remained engaged and provided technical briefs to the Sri Lankan Parliament, particularly the Finance Committee.

We were also invited to participate in the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI) General Assembly in Zambia, where we provided capacity building on ATI member states on the taxation of the digital economy. After the workshop, the Finance Ministry of Zambia reached out to the South Centre Tax Initiative (SCTI) for detailed policy advice.

The SCTI recognised that it was of prime importance that South Centre member states and other developing countries make an informed decision on whether or not to sign the Amount A Multilateral Convention (MLC), and also to contrast it with feasible alternatives. Hence, in collaboration with the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF), in June 2024, the South Centre released Research Paper No. 199 titled A Toss Up? Comparing Tax Revenues from the Amount A and Digital Service Tax Regimes for Developing Countries, which provided key information to decision makers and was reported in the international media. In October and November 2024, partnership with WATAF and ATAF, teh South Centre held technical briefings for their members on their aforementioned joint publication, showcasing the country level revenue estimates for all South Centre and African Union members under Amount A and Digital Service Taxes (DSTs) and available policy options for the taxation of the digital economy. The study indicates that Amount A is unlikely to result in tangible revenue gains for developing countries due to high thresholds and restrictive provisions of the rules, among others. On the other hand, DSTs can provide, on average, three times higher revenues from Amount A for South Centre and African Union member states.

The SCTI participated as a panellist in a meeting organised by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group in October 2024 to discuss the status of taxing e-commerce in the context of the WTO Moratorium, where they presented SCTI’s research on revenue estimates from the OECD vs UN solutions for taxing the digital economy. The SCTI also served as a panellist on the GDC during the 32nd International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) Conference and as a speaker at a conference on Taxation Without Borders organised by the University of Gothenburg in October 2024, where they discussed the OECD solution for taxing the digital economy and other alternatives like DSTs and revenue implications.

In August 2024, the Centre, together with UNDP, organised a workshop for Angola on the taxation of the digitalised economy.  

During the 57th Session of the Human Rights Council in September 2024, the South Centre made a statement on ‘Realizing the right to development: The case for a United Nations Framework Convention On International Tax Cooperation’, highlighting the possible content of protocols to the United Nations Tax Convention for taxing illicit financial flows and digital services.

The SCTI published reports on how the two early protocols for the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (FCITC) could be structured and the potential areas of priority. In December 2024, the South Centre published a policy brief titled ‘Towards a UN Protocol for Taxing Cross-Border Services in a Digitalized Economy’, which was first published in November 2024 as a Think20 (T20) Brasil Road map.  

Multiple news channels and agencies regularly solicit the South Centre’s views on the concerns of the developing countries in international tax negotiations on the taxation of the digital economy.

Sustainable development

The South Centre has delved into the interplay between digital technologies and development on several occasions through its research outputs. In 2006, it published an analytical note titled Internet Governance for Development, arguing that affordable access to the internet allows for better education opportunities, greater access to information, improved private and public services, and stronger cultural diversity. More specifically, the document provided recommendations on issues such as openness (e.g. leaving policy space open for developing countries), diversity (e.g. multilingualism), and security (e.g. funding of computer security incident response teams (CSIRTs)) to maximise the outcomes of discussions for developing countries at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

A year later, the South Centre published the research paper Towards a Digital Agenda for Developing Countries, which looks into the conditions, rights, and freedoms necessary for developing countries to benefit from digital and internet resources. By bringing together several different strands of ongoing discussions and analyses at the national and international levels, it provides a direction for further research and policy analysis by laying the groundwork and creating awareness of the relevance and scope of digital and internet content for policymakers in developing countries.

In 2020, the South Centre continued to research the impact of digital technologies in the context of development. Its research paper, The Fourth Industrial Revolution in Developing Nations: Challenges and Roadmap, tackles trends in emerging technologies such as big data, robotics, and the IoT, and identifies challenges, namely, the lack of infrastructure, a trained and skilled workforce, scalability, and funding faced by developing countries. It goes on to propose a strategic framework for responding to the fourth industrial revolution, which focuses on capacity building, technology incubations, scientific development, and policymaking.

Discussions towards the adoption of the GDC had been included as one of the proposals made by the United Nations Secretary-General in his report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). The main objective of this proposal was ‘to protect the online space and strengthen its governance’ based on ‘shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all’. The issue of digital governance is quite complex and includes the need to reaffirm the fundamental commitment to connecting the unconnected, avoiding fragmentation of the internet, providing people with options as to how their data is used, applying human rights online, and promoting the regulation of AI. 

The need to guarantee the implementation of human rights online required discussions leading towards the GDC to be conducted with utmost transparency, public disclosure, and accountability. Likewise, the private IT sector must respect human rights, apply human rights due diligence and increased accountability, and allow broader oversight from the state and civil society. In some instances, public-private partnerships (PPPs) can be a useful tool to support an inclusive digital transformation, but public participation and oversight of PPPs, guided by strong principles of transparency and the protection and respect for human rights, are necessary to support the transfer of technology, skills, and knowledge needed to promote inclusive digital transformation. The South Centre was actively engaged with other partners to strengthen multilateralism in this process and to limit the detrimental impacts of multistakeholderism in global governance.

The South Centre combines expertise in global matters of governance in the discussion of the GDC to strengthen multilateralism through an intergovernmental process that protects the voices of developing and least developed countries. We prepared a submission to the GDC on applying human rights online. 

In 2020 and 2021, SouthViews on Technology and Inequality: Can We Decolonise the Digital World?, on Digital Transformation: Prioritizing Data Localization, and An Introduction to the UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries were also published.

For developing countries, the priority continues to be the bridging of the digital divide and strengthening capacities to harness new technologies and connectivity by upgrading infrastructure, skills, and education. Policies and regulatory frameworks must be context specific, such as on data privacy and data flows, and adaptable in light of the rapid pace of technological change, including generative AI and its effects. At the UNGA, there is continued discussion on the future of AI governance, with one resolution on AI safety being adopted in May 2024, led by the United States, and another resolution on international cooperation on AI being under negotiation, led by China (later adopted in July). The South Centre provided analysis on the first resolution of the UNGA on Artificial Intelligence, as well as, the second resolution of the UNGA on Artificial Intelligence, focused on enhancing international cooperation for capacity-building on AI.

The discussions leading up to the GDC highlighted the digital divide and the need for an inclusive and equitable digital future. Developing countries’ access to digital technologies for education, health, agriculture, and other activities is crucial for their development. Robust national policy space is needed to regulate the digital economy.

As part of the preparations for the adoption of the GDC and the Summit of the Future, the South Centre underscored the importance of addressing the digital divide and ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation are shared equitably. The Centre has strongly warned about the implications of a multistakeholder approach to digital governance, as it may not sufficiently recognise developing countries’ diverse needs and interests. It continues to favour developing countries’ access to digital technologies and data, as well as robust policy space to regulate the digital economy.

TheSouth Centre gave inputs on the third revised draft of the GDC. The Centre also published an article that considered some of the shortcomings of the Zero Draft of the GDC, particularly in attaining equitable international data governance and democratic participation in a digital multistakeholder scenario to avoid data monopolies and ensure inclusive policymaking processes, while recentring the objectives of internet governance for inclusive and development-oriented information societies. The Centre also published a research paper on the Pact for the Future and organised a dialogue with the G77 and China on the Summit of the Future, to analyse and share ideas on the risks and opportunities for developing countries.

The Centre engaged in collaborations to further its digital development agenda. At the IT for Change side event during the CSTD Working Group on Data Governance and AI, the Centre contributed insights into how governance structures can address the digital divide, supporting inclusive and equitable development across the Global South. 

Digital tools

The South Centre has general and specific email lists and is moving to become a paperless organisation. To subscribe to our email lists, please visit our main website or contact us. 

Future of meetings
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Centre has continued to hold occasional virtual meetings and webinars. To learn more about these events, please visit: https://www.southcentre.int/category/events/the-south-centre-events; https://taxinitiative.southcentre.int/event/; https://ipaccessmeds.southcentre.int/event/. 

Social media channels

Facebook @South Centre

Instagram @southcentre_gva

LinkedIn @South Centre, Geneva

X @South_Centre

YouTube @SouthCentre GVA

Kofi Annan Foundation

The Kofi Annan Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation, established in Switzerland in 2007 by the late former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Kofi Annan. Its board is composed of prominent personalities from the public and private sectors, and it has a small team based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Kofi Annan Foundation wants a fairer and more peaceful world, where no one is left behind, where democratic principles and the rule of law are upheld, and divides are bridged through dialogue and international cooperation.

The Foundation works closely with partners from international and regional organisations, foundations, universities, and civil society. It channels expertise, convenes all stakeholders around the table, and forges coalitions of trusted influence that can make change happen.

The Kofi Annan Foundation has three strategic objectives:

  • Strengthening democracy and elections, because popular legitimacy provides the basis for democratic governance, accountability, and respect for human rights and the rule of law.
  • Empowering youth to build a peaceful, sustainable future because they are active agents of change and must be given the opportunity to shape the world they will inherit.

Advocating for a more effective, inclusive, and equitable multilateral system, and promoting Kofi Annan’s core belief that structured international cooperation is key to solving challenges in today’s interconnected world.

Digital activities

The Kofi Annan Foundation addresses digitalisation within the scope of youth, and peace, as well as elections and democracy in the follow-up to the Kofi Annan Commission on Elections and Democracy in the Digital Age (KACEDDA).

The Commission has proposed a series of actions to mitigate the negative impact of social media on elections and democracy, several of which the Foundation is directly implementing. These include new models to counter political disinformation, pre-electoral pledges regarding digital behaviour and activities, and the gauging of digital vulnerabilities of elections. The Foundation is also mobilising digital tools and platforms to increase the representativeness and inclusivity of elections and democratic decision-making, particularly for young people.

The Kofi Annan Foundation leverages digital platforms and technology to advance its mission of promoting peace, sustainable development, and human rights. Through our online presence, the Foundation disseminates information, engages with global audiences, and implements initiatives that harness digital tools for greater impact. 

Some of our digital activities include:

Extremely Together: This global youth-led initiative empowers young people to prevent violent extremism. Utilising digital storytelling, social media campaigns, and online resources, Extremely Together engages youth in promoting peace and countering radicalisation narratives.

Kofi Annan Changemakers: Facilitating intergenerational dialogue, this programme connects young leaders with experienced mentors through virtual platforms. The digital format allows for widespread participation, fostering a global exchange of ideas and strategies for positive change.

Kofi Annan Commission on Elections and Democracy in the Digital Age (KACEDDA): The Commission has proposed a series of actions to mitigate the negative impact of social media on elections and democracy, several of which the Foundation is directly implementing. These include new models to counter political disinformation, pre-electoral pledges regarding digital behaviour and activities, and the gauging of digital vulnerabilities of elections. The Foundation is also mobilising digital tools and platforms to increase the representativeness and inclusivity of elections and democratic decision-making, particularly for young people.

Electoral Vulnerability Index: The Kofi Annan Foundation has developed the Electoral Vulnerability Index (EVI), a predictive tool designed to assess the risk of election-related violence. This initiative aims to identify elections that may be particularly susceptible to violence, thereby enabling international and domestic actors to prioritise resources and interventions effectively.

Digital policy issues

Capacity development

While the Foundation does not use this terminology to describe its work, we have adopted it in line with our internal taxonomy. Its use in this publication is for consistency and clarity within that framework.

Fostering youth leadership

Sharing the leadership values, wisdom, and lessons of Kofi Annan with the next generation is an important element of the legacy work of the Foundation. Digital tools allow us to reach young people in every corner of the globe who would otherwise not be able to benefit from his advice and that of the people who worked closely with him. Two cohorts of Kofi Annan Changemakers – young leaders from different fields and backgrounds – have now harnessed digital communications tools and platforms to improve their leadership skills and build critical capacities.

The Foundation has expanded its youth and peace projects to regions including Colombia, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. New initiatives include:

• Bridges to Peace – Preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism in Uganda

• Environment of Peace – Youth-led research on climate, environment, and peace

• Voices of Reconciliation – Using music to strengthen youth’s resilience to violence in Colombia

• Champions for Peace – Empowering young people in Southeast Asia

The Foundation has launched the Leadership Excellence in Politics (LEiP) initiative focused on rebuilding trust in political leadership for the 21st century. Additionally, the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize has been established to recognise exceptional leadership in defending, renewing, and promoting democracy.

Ethical and democratic leadership

The WYDE Civic Engagement – Accountability Hubs brings together a group of exceptional young leaders from sub-Saharan Africa in a comprehensive digital and in-person training and networking programme to enhance their skills in ethical and democratic leadership, project management, advocacy, and communications and develop pilot actions to put their project ideas into practice with dedicated seed grants.

Digital tools and AI

The Foundation works with civil society, electoral management bodies, and the private sector to develop capacity and tools to counter electoral-related disinformation. It has developed a tool, the Electoral Vulnerability Index, to identify elections at risk from digital threats and predict election-related violence.
The Foundation has published a report titled ‘GenAI at the Ballot Box: A Review of Generative AI Use in the 2024 European Parliament Elections’ and convened discussions with policymakers and civil society in Brussels to identify strategies to protect future elections from the malicious use of AI.

Human rights issues

Digital rights and youth participation

The Digitalise Youth Project, part of the Digital Democracy Initiative, aims to address the shrinking civic space and rampant disinformation in the Sahel and neighbouring regions by empowering local youth activists and civil society organisations. Launched in January 2025, it focuses on enhancing digital skills, promoting civic tech solutions, and raising awareness about online political engagement. By connecting human rights defenders and the tech community, the project equips young activists and media organisations with the knowledge and tools to navigate the digital ecosystem, protect themselves from surveillance, and fight against disinformation. In addition to its capacity-building work, Digitalise Youth’s advocacy efforts seek to promote digital rights at local, regional, and international levels.

Ensuring the protection of human rights in the digital era

The Foundation works with electoral stakeholders to mitigate the impact of online disinformation and hate speech and to ensure that threats from the digital space do not undermine citizens’ rights to political participation and that digital tools increase voters’ ability to make informed and educated electoral decisions.

The Foundation has also established a gender, equality, and inclusion initiative to ensure these principles are integrated across all its work.

Violent extremism

The Extremely Together programme consists of young people from around the world working to counter the impact of extremism in their communities. The initial cohort of ten impressive leaders has grown to include national hubs throughout South and Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Sahel. Digital tools allow these young people to draw on the network and support of the Kofi Annan Foundation and share experiences to improve the impact of their work.

Interdisciplinary approaches

While the Foundation does not use this terminology to describe its work, we have adopted it in line with our internal taxonomy. Its use in this publication is for consistency and clarity within that framework.

Supporting elections with integrity

Regarding its activities on elections and democracy, the Foundation’s digital work is based on KACEDDA’s findings. The Commission was first established in 2018 and was composed of members from civil society and government, the technology sector, academia, and the media. The objectives of the Commission were to identify and frame the challenges to electoral integrity arising from the global spread of digital technologies and social media platforms, develop policy measures to tackle these challenges and highlight the opportunities that technological change offers for strengthening electoral integrity and political participation, and define and articulate an advocacy programme to ensure that the key messages emerging from the Commission were widely diffused and debated around the world.

The Kofi Foundation has joined the Global Network for Securing Electoral Integrity (GNSEI), which convenes election stakeholders to advance electoral integrity in the face of critical threats to democracy.

The Foundation’s Elections and Democracy projects are active in countries including Ghana, Kenya, the DRC, Malaysia, Nigeria, and more broadly in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022, the Foundation urged Kenyan electoral candidates to pledge to appropriate and peaceful online behaviour, including avoiding all forms of gender-based violence, as part of its project ‘Securing the Digital Environment for the 2022 Election in Kenya’, funded by UNDEF.

In addition to articles addressing issues such as the interplay between democracy and the internet, the impact of digital on elections and democracy in West Africa, and digital dangers to democracy, the Commission published an extensive report titled Protecting Electoral Integrity in the Digital Age. It addresses, among other things, hate speech, disinformation, online political advertising, and foreign interference in elections. The report proposes a set of 13 recommendations that address capacity building, norm building, and actions to be taken by public authorities and social media platforms. The Foundation is now working to implement certain recommendations, in cooperation with key stakeholders from civil society, academia, the private sector, and government.

The Foundation has published additional reports, including ‘Eliminating Violence Against Women in Politics’, and has hosted workshops addressing online gender-based political violence, such as a two-day multistakeholder workshop with the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-Kenya) in Nairobi in November 2021.

In 2022, the Foundation joined the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) network to reinforce European actions promoting democracy worldwide. It regularly convenes discussions in Brussels to strengthen and inform EU mechanisms that play a role in protecting digital rights, such as the Media Freedom Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act.

Advancing multilateralism

The Foundation has expanded its focus to include a dedicated area of multilateralism that advocates for a fairer, more inclusive multilateral system. Key initiatives include:

• Multilateralism and Democracy – Understanding how democratic leadership is essential to solving global challenges

• Kofi Annan Commission on Food Security – Calling for urgent action to reform global food governance

The Foundation is collaborating with the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy on a project titled ‘Understanding the Links Between Multilateralism and Democracy to Tackle Global Challenges More Effectively’, which includes thematic roundtables on topics such as ‘Artificial Intelligence and Democracy’.

Digital tools

Conferencing technologies

Raising awareness of Kofi Annan’s legacy

The Kofi Annan Foundation uses digital tools to raise awareness of Kofi Annan’s legacy, by providing electronic access to selected speeches and quotations, as well as to a collection of his papers compiled by the City University of New York on our website and to some of his recorded statements and discussions via our official YouTube channel.

Through our podcast, Kofi Time, we promote Kofi Annan’s values and their relevance today to a global audience. In Kofi Time, Ahmad Fawzi, one of Kofi Annan’s former spokespersons and communications advisors, examines how Kofi Annan tackled a specific crisis and its relevance to today’s world and challenges. Kofi Annan’s call to bring all stakeholders to the table – including the private sector, local authorities, civil society organisations, academia, and scientists – resonates now more than ever with many who understand that governments alone cannot shape our future.

In the first 10-part series, Fawzi interviews some of Kofi Annan’s closest advisors and colleagues, including Dr Peter Piot, Christiane Amanpour, Mark Malloch-Brown, Michael Møller, and others. Kofi Time is available to stream via the Kofi Annan Foundation website, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Social media channels

Facebook @KofiAnnanFoundation

Instagram @KofiAnnanFoundation

LinkedIn @Kofi Annan Foundation

YouTube @Kofi Annan Foundation