The Working Group Data Exchange Services within Gaia-X has published specifications for data exchange services. The specifications, aimed to facilitate the exchange of data within Gaia-X, define the vocabulary for data exchange, set the definition of data exchange services, and outline conceptual and operational models, as well as policies and ontologies for data exchange to deliver trust, interoperability, discoverability, and traceability to the data economy.
Gaia-X is an European initiative which brings together the private sector, the scientific community, and policymakers to develop an ‘pen, transparent, and secure federated digital ecosystem, where data and services respond to common rules and can be and securely built, collated, and shared’. The Data Exchange Working Group is dedicated to creating a common understanding on how the infrastructure ecosystem and the data ecosystem connect to each other based on the Gaia-X Trust Framework.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) released a new specification, ETSI GS F5G-011, that defines a telemetry framework and associated requirements for the Optical Access Network. The telemetry, by the data recovered and combined with analytics and artificial intelligence, will unlock the potential of the fifth generation of fixed networks, to provide end users with the optimised quality of experience of their fibre to the home (FTTH) network. Service providers and operators will benefit from the advantages of real-time monitoring with scale, speed, and automation using telemetry. Moreover, the telemetry will allow operators to gain better visibility and insight into the network as it introduces finer granular data points and more frequent data streaming in the Optical Access Network. In addition, telemetry data enable the prediction of network issues and the implementation of preventative measures without impacting the optical line terminal (OLT) performance, further enhancing the network’s operational performance.
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 several leading forecasting centres and national meteorological and hydrological services are now using AI forecasting systems to run alongside their traditional physics-based forecasts. The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting says that its model outperforms physics-based models on many measures, including tropical cyclone tracks, with gains of up to 20% and a reduction of about 1,000 times in energy use when making a forecast.
WMO wants to ensure that, as more Members embrace AI, there is a level playing field and nobody is left behind. AI is now firmly embedded in WMO’s Strategic Plan 2024–2027, and in 2025 it was high on the agenda of both the Executive Council and the World Meteorological Congress Extraordinary Session. Key outcomes included a call to all stakeholders to collaborate on AI and ML environmental monitoring technologies, and the establishment of the Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence (JAG-AI) to coordinate WMO activities on AI, including the development of ethical and data-integrity guidelines by 2027.
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. This is reflected in WMO’s role as a lead partner in the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative, which aims to ensure universal protection from hazardous weather and climate events through multi-hazard early warning systems by the end of 2027.
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.
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.
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.
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.
WHO is a specialised agency of the UN whose role is to direct and coordinate international health.
Founded in 1948, WHO works with countries and partners to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable – so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health.
WHO assists countries in coordinating multi-sectoral efforts of governments and partners to attain their health objectives and support their national health policies and strategies.
Digital activities
WHO is harnessing the power of digital technologies and health innovation to accelerate global attainment of health and well-being. It uses digital technology intensively in its development of activities, ranging from building public health infrastructure in developing countries and immunisation to dealing with disease outbreaks.
WHO has strengthened its approach to data by ensuring this strategic asset has two divisions: (1) the Division of Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact. This has helped strengthen data governance by promoting sound data principles and accountability mechanisms, as well as ensuring that the necessary policies and tools are in place that can be used by all three levels of the organisation and can be adopted by member states. Digital health and innovation are high on WHO’s agenda; it is recognised for its role in strengthening health systems through the application of digital health technologies for consumers/ people and healthcare providers as part of achieving its vision of health for all. (2) WHO also established the new Department of Digital Health and Innovation in 2019 within its Science Division. Particular attention is paid to promoting global collaboration and advancing the transfer of knowledge on digital health; advancing the implementation of national digital health strategies; strengthening the governance for digital health at the global, regional, and national levels; and advocating for people-centred health systems enabled by digital health.
The Division of Data Analytics and Delivery for Impact and the Department of Digital Health and Innovation work closely together to strengthen links between data and digital issues, as well as data governance efforts. Digital health technologies, standards, and protocols enable health systems to integrate the exchange of health data within the health system. Coupled with data governance, ethics, and public health data standards, digital health and innovation enable the generation of new evidence and knowledge through research and innovation and inform health policy through public health analysis.
Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated WHO’s digital response, collaboration, and innovation in emergencies. Some examples include collaborating to use AI and data science in analysing and delivering information in response to the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ (i.e. overflow of information, including misinformation, in an acute health event, which prevents people from accessing reliable information about how to protect themselves); promoting cybersecurity in the health system, including hospitals and health facilities; learning from using AI, data science, digital health, and innovation in social science research, disease modelling, and simulations, as well as supporting the epidemiological response to the pandemic; and producing vaccines and preparing for the equitable allocation and distribution of vaccines. To further its digital transformation, WHO established the WHO Academy, offering professional training modules (including AI ethics and cybersecurity), and the WHO Foundation, an independent grant-making organisation that supports innovative health initiatives worldwide.
Digital policy issues
WHO is a leader among Geneva-based international organisations in the use of social media, through its awareness-raising of health-related issues. It has more than 74 million followers on its social media platforms and has received recognition by the Geneva Engage Awards.
The WHO/International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health (WHO/ITU FG-AI4H) works to establish a standardised assessment framework for the evaluation of AI-based methods for health, diagnosis, triage, or treatment decisions.
Data and artificial intelligence
The response to COVID-19 reinforced the centrality of data and AI for the health sector and WHO’s activities. Data and AI policies are covered by the following instruments:
WHO has established the Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN), which allows countries to verify the authenticity of health information using the International Patient Summary (IPS) ISO standard. The GDHCN uses public key infrastructure (PKI) encryption to keep health credentials verifiable and secure across borders. This initiative enables people to carry internationally recognised health credentials for improved travel and healthcare access.
In 2024, WHO partnered with Saudi Arabia to implement a digital health card for Hajj pilgrims, built on WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network’s infrastructure. Over 250,000 pilgrims from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Oman received Hajj health cards as part of a pilot programme. The network now includes over 80 member states that can verify the authenticity of health information between countries.
WHO hosts the Global Initiative on Digital Health and the Global Initiative on AI for Health, a tripartite partnership with ITU and WIPO launched in 2023. The latter works to enable, facilitate, and implement AI in healthcare, with outcomes including benchmarking frameworks for evaluating AI systems, guidance on integrating AI into national digital health strategies, and meetings to align national agencies on safety and oversight for AI-enabled tools.
AI is increasingly prominent in WHO’s governing bodies. Several resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2025 (WHA78) reference AI-related issues, and WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2027) – extended by WHA in 2025 until 2027 – includes provisions on regulating, benchmarking, and certifying AI and digital health medical devices. At the Executive Board meeting in February 2026, an item on harmonisation of regulatory approaches for data, digital health, and AI in the health sector was discussed, reflecting growing Member State requests for WHO leadership in this area.
Digital standards
Integration of Health Information Exchange (HIE): WHO collaborates with health information exchange standardisation bodies and organisations, such as HIE and Health Level Seven International (HL7®), to promote sustainable investment in interoperable digital health technologies and systems. Digital health technologies, standards, and protocols enable health systems to integrate the exchange of health data within the health system. Coupled with data governance, ethics, and public health data standards, digital health and innovation enable the generation of new evidence and knowledge through research and innovation and inform health policy through public health analysis. Promoting Better Integration of Health Information Systems: Best Practices and Challenges (2015).
SMART Guidelines – Digital Adaptation Kits: Implementation Research and Technical Support: Digital adaptation kits (DAKs) are software-neutral, operational, and structured documentation based on WHO clinical, health system, and data use recommendations to systematically inform the design of digital systems. DAKs include the package of business process workflows, core data needs, decision support algorithms, linkages to indicators, and functional requirements for a health domain area, which can then be incorporated more easily in a digital system. In creating these operational tools derived from WHO guidelines, DAKs provide a unique way to reinforce recommendations and ensure adherence to clinical guidelines and standards within digital systems for improved service delivery.
WHO Guideline: Recommendations on Digital Interventions for Health System Strengthening: Recommendations based on a critical evaluation of the evidence on emerging digital health interventions that are contributing to health system improvements, based on an assessment of the benefits, harms, acceptability, feasibility, resource use, and equity considerations.
Since 2018, gaming disorder has been included in WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD). While the negative impacts of online gaming on health are being increasingly addressed by national health policies, it has been recognised by some authorities, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that some game-based devices could have a therapeutic effect. Given the fast growth of online gaming and its benefits and disadvantages, the implications on health are expected to become more relevant.
The health top-level domain name
Health-related generic top-level domain (gTLD) names, in all languages, including ‘.health’, ‘.doctor’, and ‘.surgery’, should be operated in a way that protects public health and includes the prevention of further development of illicit markets of medicines, medical devices, and unauthorized health products and services. Resolution WHA66.24: eHealth Standardizationand Interoperability (2013).
Net neutrality
The issue of net neutrality (the equal treatment of internet traffic) could affect bandwidth and the stability of digital connections, especially for high-risk activities such as online surgical interventions. Thus, health organisations may be granted exceptional provisions, as the EU has already done, where health and specialised services enjoy exceptions regarding the principle of net neutrality. Resolution WHA66.24: eHealth Standardization and Interoperability (2013).
WHO has dedicated cybersecurity focal points, who work with legal and licensing colleagues to provide frameworks for the organisation to not only protect WHO data from various cyber risks, but also provide technical advice to WHO and member states on the secure collection, storage, and dissemination of data. Health facilities and health data have always been the target of cybercriminals; however, the COVID-19 crisis has brought into sharp focus the cybersecurity aspects of digital health.
Ransomware attacks threaten the proper functioning of hospitals and other healthcare providers. The global Wannacry ransomware attack in May 2017 was the first major attack on hospitals and disrupted a significant part of the UK’s National Health System (NHS). Ransomware attacks on hospitals and health research facilities accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis.
A 2021 global survey found that over one-third of healthcare respondents reported at least one ransomware attack in the preceding year, with one-third of those paying a ransom. Even after payment, 31% did not regain access to their encrypted data. Security researchers identified vulnerabilities in at least 17 biomedical companies involved in COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and therapeutics development, with additional attacks targeting clinical trial software vendors, laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies.
Considering that data is often the main target of cyberattacks, it should come as no surprise that most cybersecurity concerns regarding healthcare are centred on the protection of data. Encryption is thus crucial for the safety of health data: It both protects data from prying eyes and helps assuage the fears patients and consumers may have about sharing or storing sensitive information through the internet.
WHO’s SCORE technical package (Survey, Count, Optimize, Review, and Enable) identifies data gaps and provides countries with tools to precisely address them. SCORE has been developed in partnership with the Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative. As part of SCORE, WHO completed the first-ever global assessment of health information systems capacity in 133 countries, covering 87% of the world’s population.
The project Strengthening National Nutrition Information Systems operated in five countries in Africa and Asia – Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Laos, Uganda, and Zambia – for a period of four years (2020–2024). Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and national nutrition surveys are the major sources of nutrition data for many countries, but they are complex and expensive undertakings that cannot be implemented with the required frequency. It is, therefore, critical to strengthen or establish integrated nutrition information systems (NIS) of countries to enhance the availability and use of routine nutrition data to better support policy development, programme design and monitoring.
A data-driven delivery approach sharpens WHO’s focus to address gaps, close inequalities, and accelerate progress towards national and regional priorities from WHO regions. The WHO Regional Office for the Americas is working to create open data platforms for evidence-based decisions and policymaking. The Core Indicators Portal provides a dataset of around 200 health indicators for 49 countries across the region from 1995 to 2021. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is conducting harmonised health facility assessments and tracking 75 indicators through the Regional Health Observatory (RHO). The WHO Regional Office for Africa has prioritised investments in civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) and digital health. Its integrated African Health Observatory (iAHO) offers high-quality national and regional health data on a single platform and District Health Information Software (DHIS2) is now implemented in all but four African countries. The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia is focused on promoting health equity through workshops that introduce member states to WHO’s Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT). High-quality data on health indicators is available on the Health Information Platform (HIP). The WHO Regional Office for Europe is prioritising support for countries’ national health information systems (HIS) through more robust data governance frameworks. Member states also have access to the European Health Information Gateway, a one-stop shop for health information and data visualisation. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has released a progress report on each member state’s journey to achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Additionally, the Western Pacific Health Data Platform provides a single destination where countries can easily monitor and compare their progress towards national and global health objectives.
Sustainable development
E-waste
WHO recognises e-waste as a growing global health threat, especially for children and pregnant women exposed to toxic substances in informal recycling. In 2021, WHO released its first global report on e-waste and child health, identifying serious risks from lead, mercury, and other pollutants. WHO’s ongoing E-waste and Child Health Initiative – active in Latin America and Africa – develops frameworks for safer recycling, regulatory compliance, and advocacy to protect vulnerable populations.
Strengthening health information systems for refugee- and migrant-sensitive healthcare
Health information and research findings can provide a platform for understanding and responding to the health needs of refugees and migrants and for aligning the efforts of other sectors and sources of international assistance. However, the systematic national data and evidence comparable across countries and over time available for policy- and decision-making on health of refugees and migrants from around the world are inadequate. The WHO Health and Migration Programme (PHM) supports the strengthening of member-state information systems, providing specialised technical assistance, response, and capacity building.
Human rights principles
Improving access to assistive technology
Assistive technology enables and promotes inclusion and participation, especially of persons with disability, ageing populations, and people with non-communicable diseases. The primary purpose of assistive products is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence, thereby promoting their well-being. Despite a growing number of people in need of assistive products in every country, only 5%–15%, or one in 10 people has access to assistive products. WHO coordinates the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) as a step towards realising the SDGs and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and implementing resolution WHA71.8 on assistive technology. The GATE initiative has the goal to support countries in addressing challenges and improving access to assistive products within their context. To achieve this, the GATE initiative is focusing on five interlinked areas (5Ps): people, policy, products, provision, and personnel.
Content policy
Infodemics
An infodemic is an overflow of information, including misinformation, that prevents people from accessing reliable information and hampers the ability of people to know how to protect themselves in the context of health. Infodemics cannot be eliminated, but can be managed by producing engaging, reliable content and using digital, traditional media, and offline tools to disseminate it; engaging key stakeholder groups in cooperative content creation and dissemination; empowering communities to protect themselves; and promoting community and individual resilience against misinformation. Digital health technologies and data science can support these activities by analysing the information landscape and social dynamics in digital and analogue environments; delivering messages; supporting fact-checking and countering misinformation; promoting digital health, media, and health literacy; and optimising the effectiveness of messages and their delivery through real time monitoring and evaluation (M&E), among others.
WHO-trained infodemic managers, over 1,300 of them from 142 countries, are already making great strides in member states and together around the globe as a global community of practice. In Serbia, the Laboratory for Infodemiology and Infodemic Management has been established at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. With the support of the WHO Country Office in Serbia, two infodemic managers working at the Institute of Social Medicine have gathered a multidisciplinary team that will be conducting research and supporting infodemic management in the country and the region.
Digital tools and initiatives
Interdisciplinary
Public health challenges are complex and cannot be effectively addressed by one sector alone. A holistic, multisectoral, multidisciplinary approach is needed for addressing gaps and advancing coordination for health emergency preparedness and health security and is essential for the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.
WHO Classifications and Terminologies: operates a one-stop shop for WHO classifications and terminologies and delivers and scales use of terminologies and classifications. WHO maintains a portfolio of digital tools and methods for emergency preparedness and response, for example:
Go.Data is an outbreak investigation tool for field data collection during public health emergencies. The tool includes functionality for case investigation, contact follow-up, and visualisation of chains of transmission including secure data exchange and is designed for flexibility in the field, to adapt to the wide range of outbreak scenarios. The tool is targeted at any outbreak responder.
Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) is a unique collaboration between various public health stakeholders around the globe. It brings together new and existing initiatives, networks, and systems to create a unified all-hazards, One Health approach to early detection, verification, assessment, and communication of public health threats using publicly available information. Creating a community of practice for public health intelligence (PHI) that includes member states, international organisations, research institutes, and other partners and collaborators is at the heart of the initiative; saving lives through early detection of threats and subsequent intervention is its ultimate goal. Since January 2022, the lead of the EIOS initiative is hosted within the new WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. As one of the Hub’s flagship initiatives, EIOS is one of the main vehicles for building a strong PHI community of practice, as well as a multidisciplinary network supporting it.
Digital proximity tracking technologies have been identified as a potential tool to support contact tracing in outbreaks and epidemics. However, these technologies raise ethical and privacy concerns. The document Ethical Considerations to Guide the Use of Digital Proximity Tracking Technologies for COVID-19 Contact Tracing – provides policymakers and other stakeholders with guidance as to the ethical and appropriate use of digital proximity tracking technologies for COVID-19.
The new Survey Count Optimize Review Enable (SCORE) for Health Data Technical Package was published during one of the most data-strained public health crisis responses ever – that of the COVID-19 pandemic. SCORE can guide countries to take action by providing a one-stop shop for best technical practices that strengthen health information systems, using universally accepted standards and tools.
WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence supports countries, and regional and global actors in addressing future pandemic and epidemic risks with better access to data, better analytical capacities, and better tools and insights for decision-making.
WHO Health Data Hub (WHDH) is a single repository of health data in WHO and establishes a data governance mechanism for member states.
Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) registers all births and deaths, issues birth and death certificates, and compiles and disseminates vital statistics, including cause of death information. It may also record marriages and divorces.
The open-access WHO Snakebite Envenoming Information and Data Platform is already working to shorten the time between a snakebite and receiving antivenom. It does this by mapping the distribution of venomous snakes, known antivenoms, and the proximity to health facilities that stock them.
Public health strategy, planning and monitoring
Global Benchmarking Tool is designed to benchmark the regulatory programmes of a variety of product types, including medicines, vaccines, blood products (including whole blood, blood component and plasma-derived products) and medical devices (including in vitro diagnostics). It is supported by a computerised platform to facilitate the benchmarking, including the calculation of maturity levels. The computerised GBT (cGBT) is available, upon request, to member states and organisations working with WHO under the Coalition of Interested Partners (CIP).
The organisation also integrates digital health interventions in its strategies for certain diseases. WHO’s Global Observatory for e-Health (GOe) aims to assist member states with information and guidance on practices and standards in the field of e-health.
The Health Equity Monitor is a platform for health inequality monitoring, which includes databases of disaggregated data, a handbook on health inequality monitoring, and step-by-step manuals for national health inequality monitoring (generally and specifically for immunisation inequality monitoring).
The Health Assessment Toolkit is a software application that facilitates the assessment of health inequalities in countries. Inequality data can be visualised through a variety of interactive graphs, maps, and tables. Results can be exported and used for priority-setting and policymaking.
Health facilities data
Harmonized Health Facility Assessment (HHFA) is a comprehensive, external review tool for assessing whether health facilities have the appropriate systems in place to deliver services at required standards of quality.
RHIS provides frequent, up-to-date information on service performance at all levels of the health system, enabling regular analysis of progress and timely identification of problems.
Digital health solutions
The Digital Health Atlas is a global registry of implemented digital health solutions. It is open and available to anyone to register and contribute information about digital implementations. The registry provides a consistent way to document digital solutions, and offers functionalities in a web platform to assist technologists, implementers, governments, and donors for inventory, planning, coordinating, and using digital systems for health. The Digital Health Atlas includes a special focus on listing digital technologies related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The repository of information is open to all users to register projects, download project information, and connect with digital health practitioners globally.
Be He@lthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) is helping millions of people quit tobacco, and control diabetes and cervical cancer. It helps people at risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and those who care for older people.
WHO has launched a women’s health chatbot with messaging on breast cancer. The new chatbot uses the Viber platform to deliver health information directly to subscribers’ mobile phones. People subscribing to the new chatbot will find information on how to reduce the risk of breast cancer, symptoms, and treatment options.
WHO’s prototype of a digital health promoter, S.A.R.A.H., started off as a chatbot to fight misinformation around COVID-19 and offered information on living healthily during the pandemic. The platform has since been expanded to provide messages for individuals at risk of hypertension and diabetes, offering accessible health information in multiple languages via messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Health-related research
The WHO BioHub System offers a reliable, safe, and transparent mechanism for WHO member states to voluntarily share novel biological materials, without replacing or competing with existing systems. Sharing of biological materials with epidemic or pandemic potential will be done through one (or more) of the laboratories designated as a WHO BioHub Facility. This will allow WHO member states and partners to work in a better and faster way, to advance research, and to be more prepared for health emergencies as well as ensure fairness in access to benefits arising from this sharing.
Resources
Resolutions and deliberations on eHealth
The Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020-2025) aims to support potential, national or regional digital health initiatives with a robust strategy that integrates financial, organisational, human, and technological resources.
Resolution WHA71.7 (2018): The resolution urges member states to prioritise the development and greater use of digital technologies in health as a means of promoting Universal Health Coverage and advancing the SDGs.
Report EB 142/20 (2018): The Executive Board in January 2018 considered the updated report ‘mHealth: Use of appropriate digital technologies for public health’. This updated version of the report also includes the use of other digital technologies for public health.
Report EB139/8 (2016): The Executive Board considered ‘mHealth: Use of mobile wireless technologies for public health’, reflecting the increasing importance of this resource for health services delivery and public health, given their ease of use, broad reach and wide acceptance.
Resolution WHA66.24 (2013): The World Health Assembly recognised the need for health data standardisation to be part of eHealth systems and services, and the importance of proper governance and operation of health-related global top-level Internet domain names, including ‘.health’.
Resolution WHA58.28 (2005): The World Health Assembly in 2005 recognised the potential of eHealth to strengthen health systems and improve quality, safety, and access to care, and encouraged member states to take action to incorporate eHealth into health systems and services.
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.
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.
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 736). 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, and a further thematic session on the role of international standards for critical and emerging technologies, including AI, took place in November 2025. Members have also notified several AI-related measures to the TBT Committee, including the EU AI Act (G/TBT/N/EU/850, 2021), Kenya’s Code of Practice for AI Applications (G/TBT/N/KEN/1604, 2024), China’s national standard on labelling AI-generated content (G/TBT/N/CHN/1921, 2024), two Indian standards on AI in telecom and digital infrastructure (G/TBT/N/IND/379 and G/TBT/N/IND/380, 2025), and an EU regulation on biotechnology with a chapter on AI (G/TBT/N/EU/1189, 2026).
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 (WPEC). AI first entered WPEC discussions in 2023, with a dedicated session on AI, digital trade, trade policies and development held in April 2025. Members raised the potential for WTO to facilitate dialogue on regulatory frameworks, develop inclusive international standards, support capacity building for developing countries, and gather consensus on a multilateral framework addressing trade-related aspects of AI governance. At MC14 (March 2026), no decision was reached on the future of the Work Programme; members were encouraged to continue discussions in Geneva with a view to reaching a decision by the next General Council meeting.
A group of fourteen members – including Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK – proposed in February–March 2026 the establishment of a WTO Committee on Digital Trade to institutionalise the WPEC and serve as a stable multilateral forum for dialogue on trade policy issues related to global digital trade, including AI and other emerging digital technologies, with a particular focus on the development dimension. The African Group, in a separate communication at MC14, cautioned that digital trade and AI must prioritise development, ensuring inclusion, technology access, and the policy space needed for industrialisation and digital growth, and that emerging issues must not overshadow longstanding development priorities such as agriculture and special and differential treatment.
AI-related trade concerns have also been raised in other WTO bodies. In the Council for Trade in Goods and the Committee on Market Access, China has repeatedly raised concerns about US measures on the semiconductor industry chain and supply chain, most recently in March 2026. The Council for Trade in Services has seen trade concerns relevant to AI raised on several occasions (March, October and December 2025), which, as noted in discussions, often involve politically sensitive matters tied to national security. The General Council has addressed AI in discussions held in October 2024 and April, July and February 2025–2026, with members highlighting the importance of addressing AI and other emerging issues. AI has also featured in trade policy review reports of several WTO members in recent years.
The topic of AI and international trade has been integrated into WTO’s 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.
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.
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.
Artificial Intelligence
The UNECE has published guidance and a declaration on the Compliance of products with embedded AI. One of the key challenges of such products is the possibility that they change over time through remote updates, which could potentially originate 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. The guidance serves as a voluntary framework for regulatory cooperation, providing overarching principles for setting regulatory objectives, assessing risks, identifying relevant standards, and establishing conformity assessment and market surveillance mechanisms. UNECE has also published guidance titled Improving AI Standards for an Equitable Future (2025), which includes recommendations for advancing gender-responsive and equitable AI standards.
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 governing the requirements and use of these technologies (such as the UN agreements on vehicle regulations and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic). Its activities 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.
Within the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), UNECE hosts the Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA), which develops regulatory approaches for automated driving systems, advanced driver assistance systems, vehicle cybersecurity, and related safety requirements. In 2024, GRVA adopted Guidelines and Recommendations for ADS Requirements, Assessments and Test Methods and developed Considerations on AI in the Context of Road Vehicles, addressing definitions and use cases for AI-based systems in automotive products. In January 2026, it adopted a draft UN Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS) and a draft UN Regulation on vehicle approval with regard to ADS, both submitted to WP.29 for adoption in June 2026. The proposals are based on the expectation that ADS software does not rely on online self-learning AI that modifies system behaviour during vehicle operation.
To support this work, UNECE established an Informal Working Group on AI under WP.29 to develop a reference framework and best practices for the use of AI in regulated automotive safety systems. The group focuses on risk-based approaches to AI used in driver-assistance and automated-driving systems and is tasked with reporting its findings to WP.29.
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 harness the power of ML to modernise the production of official statistics. Responding to growing interest in large language models (LLMs), HLG-MOS published a white paper, LLM for Official Statistics (2023), and subsequently launched a project on generative AI (2024–2025) to facilitate the exchange of experiences and lessons learned across the statistical community.
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 interoperability by allowing supply chain actors to integrate a common vocabulary into business tools, including software applications and AI systems, ensuring that data shared between suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, transporters, financiers, and regulators remains consistent and machine-readable. UNECE has also explored the role of AI in trade facilitation through a dedicated UN/CEFACT white paper on the use of AI for trade facilitation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Access to the text of UN Regulations No. 155 and No. 156 and their amendments
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.
Various other standards cover areas such as supply chain management, transport and logistics, agriculture, accounting and audit, travel and tourism, and the environment.
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.
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.
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.
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):
Updated recommendations on the more effective use of electronic information tools aim to assist parties, signatories and other interested states in promoting development, maintaining, enhancing, and using electronic information tools and applying modern digital technologies (blockchain, AI, digital twins, augmented reality, etc.) to support the implementation of the Aarhus Convention (2021)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The SDI is an independent, non-profit foundation established in 2019. In September 2019, the first Swiss Global Digital Summit took place in Geneva to provide a platform to promote in-depth discussions on Ethics and Fairness in the Age of Digital Transformation. This Summit represented the starting point of the Foundation. During the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, the SDI celebrated its official launch and the creation of the foundation.
Rooted in Swiss values yet driven by a global vision, the Foundation is headquartered in Geneva, aiming to strengthen and advance a trustworthy digital ecosystem with diverse stakeholders. Its mission is to bring ethical principles and values into digital technologies through concrete projects such as the Digital Trust Label (DTL).
Digital activities
SDI actively works on tangible projects to implement ethical standards in the digital age, with a primary focus on cultivating digital trust.
The awareness of the importance of digital trust is growing. To foster collaboration among like-minded stakeholders, the SDI has compiled a comprehensive report on the digital trust ecosystem. Labels and Certifications for the Digital World – Mapping the International Landscape takes a closer look at 12 of the most relevant initiatives and analyses success factors as well as similarities and differences compared to the Digital Trust Label (DTL) by the SDI. In addition, it provides a regularly updated interactive overview to keep track of the dynamic Digital Trust Ecosystem.
The Digital Trust White Paper provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamic digital trust ecosystem. The compiled knowledge should form the basis for better cooperation and knowledge sharing. Instead of fragmentation, more cooperation is needed to define internationally valid labels and standards. It also provides the theoretical background for the SDI’s ongoing engagement in different working groups, for example, the Working Group on Digital Trust of the World Economic Forum.
To assess the Swiss population’s mindset regarding trust in the digital world, a qualitative study Digital Trust from the User’s Perspective was carried out in November 2019.
Trust is at the core of every human interaction, and the relationship we have with technology is no exception. The ongoing digital transformation needs to be founded in digital trust to be successful. Users of the digital space are demanding more and more transparency in the technology they use and caring more about the decisions of companies’ leadership. Hence, to address transparency and trustworthiness in digital technology, the SDI developed the first-of-its-kind DTL. Launched in January 2022, the DTL shows that a digital product or service meets mandatory criteria and thus a certain standard of trustworthiness. It also provides more information and transparency for users regarding four aspects: security, data protection, reliability of the application, and fair user interaction (use of AI).
The DTL builds trust between the users and digital technology providers. It benefits all stakeholders:
Complies with a specific standard and puts the user at the centre: The digital application meets 35 different criteria in 4 dimensions.
Offers more transparency and information: Users understand what happens with their data and whether an algorithm makes a decision.
Showcases responsible companies: The DTL shows that a digital application provider takes its responsibilities towards its users seriously.
Priority in addressing digital trust should be given to digital services that are used in fields where
the handled data is very sensitive and the consequences of using digital services matter greatly;
automated decision-making algorithms are used
there is not much choice whether to use a digital service; and
digital services are rolled out at a high pace and on a large scale.
This particularly concerns digital services in healthcare, the public sector, the media sector, banking and insurance, HR, and the education sector.
Artificial intelligence
Ethical Artificial intelligence
As Generative AI is booming, the SDI is committed to further advancing efforts to guarantee that AI is developed in a secure, inclusive, and trustworthy manner for the good and benefit of all.
As part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the importance of digital responsibility and ethics in AI, the SDI has partnered up with the renowned Geneva School of Art and Design (HEAD) to create the interactive experience Adface. The web-based tool uses AI to analyse a person’s face and create a user profile to produce targeted advertisements that fit the assumed profile of the person. This tool shows that AI is already deeply embedded in and influencing everyday life (how AI algorithms influence decisions or automate a person’s decisions) and also how AI algorithms can make incorrect assumptions. Art and design can be valuable allies for raising awareness and stimulating critical thinking around the societal implications of new technologies.
Digital responsibility
The SDI and the Institute for Management Development (IMD) co-developed a resource to help organisations understand Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR). The CDR Starter Kit, based on insights from top organisations and ongoing IMD research, is here to help businesses kick-start their CDR journey and sustain their digital responsibility efforts. Through lessons, common challenges, inspiration, and additional resources, the Starter Kit facilitates the adoption of CDR within and across organisations.
Digital tools
Start your Digital Trust journey with practical tools!
Digital Trust Criteria Catalogue
An expert group led by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has compiled a catalogue of 35 criteria aimed at building trust for users of digital services. The criteria are based on four categories: security, data protection, reliability, and fair user interaction. The Digital Trust Criteria is the base and inspiration of all the SDI’s projects and trust tools. It is also a clear starting point for other organisations to understand what digital trust is and what they should do to make sure they keep it.
Digital Trust Compass
The Digital Trust Compass is an online self-assessment tool to determine whether your organisation respects and protects the interests of its users and to assess the level of digital trust awareness among end users. It serves as a compass, guiding you along your digital trust journey, and providing the right direction.
Digital Trust Guide
Based on the criteria, the SDI has created a user guide to digital trust. This Digital Trust Guide is designed to assist businesses or organisations that handle user data. The primary objective is to support organisations to establish a robust framework of trust that safeguards the interests of users based on this guide and continue their digital trust journey.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other related UN human rights entities, namely the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, and the Treaty Bodies are considered together on this page.
TheUN Human Rights Office is headed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and is the principal UN entity on human rights. Also known as UN Human Rights, it is part of theUN Secretariat. UN Human Rights has been mandated by the UNGA to promote and protect all human rights. As such, it plays a crucial role in supporting the three fundamental pillars of the UN: peace and security, human rights, and development. UN Human Rights provides technical expertise and capacity development in regard to the implementation of human rights, and in this capacity assists governments in fulfilling their obligations.
UN Human Rights is associated with a number of other UN human rights entities. To illustrate, it serves as the secretariat for the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Treaty Bodies. The UNHRC is a body of the UN that aims to promote the respect of human rights worldwide. It discusses thematic issues, and in addition to its ordinary session, it has the ability to hold special sessions on serious human rights violations and emergencies. The ten Treaty Bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor the implementation of the core international human rights treaties.
The UNHRC established the Special Procedures, which are made up of UN Special Rapporteurs (i.e. independent experts or working groups) working on a variety of human rights thematic issues and country situations to assist the efforts of the UNHRC through regular reporting and advice. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), under the auspices of the UNHRC, is a unique process that involves a review of the human rights records of all UN member states, providing the opportunity for each state to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situation in their countries. UN Human Rights also serves as the secretariat to the UPR process.
Certain NGOs and national human rights institutions participate as observers in UNHRC sessions after receiving the necessary accreditation.
Digital activities
Digital issues are increasingly gaining prominence in the work of the UN Human Rights, the UNHRC, the Special Procedures, the UPR, and the Treaty Bodies. The GDC, adopted in September 2024, recognised the central role of human rights in all digitalisation efforts, identifying respect, protection and promotion of human rights as one of its main objectives, and designating UN Human Rights as one of the main implementing UN entities.
A landmark document that provides a blueprint for digital human rights is the UNHRC resolution (A/HRC/20/8) on the promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the internet, first adopted in 2012, starting a string of regular resolutions with the same name addressing a growing number of issues. All resolutions affirm that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online. Numerous other resolutions and reports from UN human rights entities and experts considered in this overview tackle an ever-growing range of other digital issues including the right to privacy in the digital age; freedom of expression and opinion; freedom of association and peaceful assembly; the rights of older persons; racial discrimination; the rights of women and girls; human rights in the context of violent extremism online; economic, social, and cultural rights; human rights and technical standard setting; business and human rights; and the safety of journalists. In 2024, UN Human Rights published an overview report (A/HRC/56/45) mapping the work and recommendations of the UNHRC, UN Human Rights, Human Rights Treaty Bodies, and Special Procedures in the domain of human rights and new and emerging digital technologies, including AI.
Digital policy issues
Artificial intelligence
UN Human Rights works extensively in the AI field. For example, a 2021 report to the UNHRC (A/HRC/48/31) analysed how AI impacts the enjoyment of the right to privacy and other human rights in areas such as policing, delivery of public services, employment and online information management. It clarified the measures states and businesses should take to ensure AI is developed and used in ways that benefit human rights and prevent and mitigate harm.
UN Human Rights also weighs in on specific policy and regulatory debates, such as an open letter on negotiations for the EU AI Act. A brief titled Key Asks for State Regulation of AI, released in 2025, offers recommendations on AI regulation for states. OHCHR also co-signed a Joint Statement on AI and the Rights of the Child (November 2025), together with ITU, UNICEF, ILO, UNESCO, and over 60 other organisations, offering recommendations on child rights-based AI governance, child safety, data protection, and non-discrimination.
In 2018, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression presented a report to the UNGA on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies and Implications for the Information Environment. Among other things, the document addresses the role of AI in the enjoyment of freedom of opinion and expression and calls for a human rights-based approach to AI.
For her 2020 thematic report to the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance analysed different forms of racial discrimination in the design and use of emerging technologies. She followed up with reports examining how digital technologies, including AI-driven predictive models, reproduce and compound racial discrimination. In 2024, the Special Rapporteur published a new thematic report highlighting how the belief that technology is neutral allows AI to perpetuate racial discrimination. In 2023, the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy published a report on transparency and explainability in the processing of personal data in AI (A/78/310), stressing the importance of ensuring AI is ethical, responsible, and human rights-compliant.
Several other special procedures mandate holders have discussed AI and human rights, including in reports on the implications of AI for the right to freedom of thought, the right to education, the right to health, the rights of older persons, and the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as areas such as counter-terrorism and extreme poverty. OHCHR also works with UNIDIR on a Framework of Responsible Industry Behaviour for AI in the Military Domain, aimed at developing voluntary principles and practical guidelines for responsible industry conduct.
In its 2021 report on new and emerging digital technologies, the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee discussed issues associated with AI. In 2020, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination published its General Recommendation No. 36 on preventing and combating racial profiling by law enforcement officials (CERD/C/GC/36), which focuses on algorithmic decision-making and AI in relation to racial profiling by law enforcement officials.
Child safety online
Within the work of the UN Human Rights, ‘child safety online’ is referred to as ‘rights of the child’ and dealt with as a human rights issue.
The issue of child safety online has garnered the attention of UN human rights entities for some time. The 2016 resolution on Rights of the Child: Information and Communications Technologies and Child Sexual Exploitation adopted by the UNHRC calls on states to ensure ‘full, equal, inclusive, and safe access […] to information and communications technologies by all children and safeguard the protection of children online and offline’, as well as the legal protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation online. The Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography, and other child sexual abuse material, mandated by the UNHRC to analyse the root causes of the sale and sexual exploitation and promote measures to prevent it, also looks at issues related to child abuse, such as the sexual exploitation of children online, as addressed in a report (A/ HRC/43/40) published in 2020, but also in earlier reports.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child published itsGeneral Comment No. 25 on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment (CRC/C/GC/25), which lays out how states parties should implement the convention in relation to the digital environment and provides guidance on relevant legislative, policy, and other measures to ensure full compliance with their obligations under the convention and the optional protocols in the light of opportunities, risks, and challenges in promoting, respecting, protecting, and fulfilling all children’s rights in the digital environment.
In 2024, the resolution A/HRC/RES/56/6 on the Safety of the Child in the Digital Environment was adopted by the UNHRC. This resolution requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to hold five regional workshops to assess child safety in the digital environment, involving various stakeholders. UN Human Rights is also asked to prepare a report summarising these consultations with recommendations for a global framework on child safety, to be presented at the Human Rights Council’s sixty-second session, in June 2026.
Human Rights Council resolution 56/6 requested UN Human Rights to convene a series of consultations to assess the risks to the safety of the child in the digital environment and related best practices and to publish a report on these consultations in June 2026.
Data governance
UN Human Rights maintains an online platform consisting of a number of databases on anti-discrimination and jurisprudence, as well as the Universal Human Rights Index (UHRI), which provides access to recommendations issued to countries by Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, and the UPR of the UNHCR.
UN Human Rights is an observer in the Working Group on Data Governance at all levels under the auspices of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, established by the GDC.
Capacity development
UN Human Rights launched the Guiding Principles in Technology Project (B-Tech Project) to provide guidance and resources to companies operating in the technology space with regard to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs on BHR). It also provides advice to states with regard to their duty to protect human rights from adverse impacts stemming from business activities, and the mix of measures of regulatory and policy options for doing so. Following the publication of a B-Tech scoping paper in 2019, several foundational papers have delved into a broad range of business-related human rights issues, from business-model-related human rights risks to access to remedies. At the heart of the B-Tech Project lies multistakeholder engagement, informing all of its outputs. The B-Tech Project is enhancing its engagement in Africa and Asia, working with technology company operators, governments, investors, and other key digital economy stakeholders, including civil society, across Africa in a set of African economies and their tech hubs to create awareness of implementing the UNGPs on BHR. Another thematic priority is B-Tech’s work on women’s and girls’ rights.
Within the work of the OHCHR, ‘extreme poverty’ is dealt with as a human rights issue.
The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights has, in recent years, increased his analysis of human rights issues arising in the context of increased digitisation and automation. His 2017 report to the General Assembly tackled the socio-economic challenges in an emerging world where automation and AI threaten traditional sources of income and analysed the promises and possible pitfalls of introducing a universal basic income. His General Assembly report in 2019 addressed worrying trends in connection with the digitisation of the welfare state. Moreover, in his 2022 report to the UNHRC on non-take-up of rights in the context of social protection, the Special Rapporteur highlighted, among other things, the benefits and considerable risks associated with the automation of social protection processes.
Content policy
Geneva-based human rights organisations and mechanisms have consistently addressed content policy questions, in particular in the documents referred to under the freedom of expression and the freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Other contexts where content policy plays an important role include rights of the child, gender rights online, and rights of persons with disabilities. Moreover, the use of digital technologies in the context of terrorism and violent extremism is closely associated with content policy considerations.
In 2016, UN Human Rights, at the request of the UNHRC, prepared a compilation report exploring, among other issues, aspects related to the prevention and countering of violent extremism online, and underscores that responses to violent extremism that are robustly built on human rights are more effective and sustainable.
Additional efforts were made in 2019 when the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism published a report examining the multifaceted impacts of counter-terrorism measures on civic space and the rights of civil society actors and human rights defenders, including measures taken to address vaguely defined terrorist and violent extremist content. In July 2020, she published a report discussing the human rights implications of the use of biometric data to identify terrorists and recommended safeguards that should be taken.
In August 2022, responding to a request from the General Assembly in resolution A/RES/76/227, the Secretary-General released his Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (A/77/287) report, outlining the challenges of disinformation, the international legal framework and the information and best practices shared by states, UN entities, and others on countering disinformation. A public webpage has been published to highlight the disinformation topic.
In 2023, the Secretary-General published the Report on Terrorism and Human Rights (A/78/269), further analysing the impact of counter-terrorism measures on civic space with a special consideration on the use of new technologies in counter-terrorism efforts.
Interdisciplinary approaches
Collaboration within the UN system
UN Human Rights has led a UN system-wide process to develop a human rights due diligence (HRDD) guidance for digital technology, as requested by the Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and his Call to Action for Human Rights. The HRDD guidance pertains to the application of human rights due diligence and human rights impact assessment related to the UN’s design, development, procurement, and use of digital technologies, and was completed in 2022. The guidance was adopted by the Executive Committee in 2024 and is being rolled out. The HRDD Guidance has sparked interest from other organisations and states.
As part of the implementation of the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, UN Human Rights launched the UN Hub for Human rights and Digital Technology, which provides a central repository of authoritative guidance from various UN human rights mechanisms on the application of human rights norms to the use and governance of digital technologies.
In addition, UN Human Rights is a member of the Legal Identity Agenda Task Force, which promotes solutions for the implementation of SDG target 16.9 (i.e. by 2030, provide legal identity for all, including free birth registration). It leads its work on exclusion and discrimination in the context of digitised identity systems.
The Secretary-General addressed, in his report on human rights in the administration of justice (A/79/296) published in 2024, human rights challenges and good practices of the application of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the administration of justice. The report provides a summary of UN activities to support states and civil society in their efforts to develop and implement digital and AI systems in the administration of justice, with a focus on human rights.
Technical standard settings and human rights
In June 2023, UN Human Rights presented the first UN report systematically analysing the intersection of technical standards-setting and human rights. It sheds light on how technical standards shape how human rights can be enjoyed in a digital environment. It identifies multiple challenges and provides extensive recommendations for the effective integration of human rights considerations into standards-setting processes. UN Human Rights has rolled out a project for the coming years to support the implementation of those recommendations. As part of this project, it works closely with standard-setting organisations, such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and many stakeholders, including states, civil society, the technical community, academic institutions, and businesses.
United Nations Convention against Cybercrime
UN Human Rights participated in the process of the negotiation of the new United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024. The Office supported member states with in-depth analysis and recommendations for aligning the treaty with human rights law, standards and principles, and will continue providing advice in this area.
Neurotechnology
Rapid advancements in neurotechnology and neuroscience, while holding promises of medical benefits and scientific breakthroughs, pose a number of human rights and ethical challenges. Against this backdrop, UN Human Rights has been contributing significantly to an inter-agency process led by the Executive Office of the Secretary-General to develop a global roadmap for the effective and inclusive governance of neurotechnology.
In 2024, at the request of the UNHRC in its resolution 51/3, the Advisory Committee published a study report on the impact, opportunities, and challenges of neurotechnology with regard to the promotion and protection of all human rights (A/HRC/57/61). This report, available in an easy-to-read format, highlights the specific human rights at risk, identifies vulnerable groups, examines settings where individuals are exposed to coercive uses of neurotechnologies, and explores aspects of human augmentation. It also provides insights into solutions to maximise opportunities and outlines a protective framework to mitigate risks.
Two resolutions on neurotechnology and human rights (A/HRC/RES/51/3 and A/HRC/RES/58/6) were published in 2022 and 2025, respectively, emphasising the importance of promoting and protecting human rights in the context of neurotechnology and digital advancements. The resolutions highlight the need for ethical, legal, and societal considerations to ensure human dignity, autonomy, and non-discrimination. The most recent resolution also asked the Advisory Committee to draft a set of recommended guidelines for applying the existing human rights framework to the conception, design, development, testing, use, and deployment of neurotechnologies.
Objective 3 of the GDC highlights the importance of fostering an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects, and promotes human rights. UN Human Rights co-leads the implementation of this objective with UNESCO and safeguards the integration of human rights aspects throughout the text. In the framework of this objective, the GDC acknowledged its human rights advisory service for digital technologies, which aims to bridge the gap in expertise at the intersection of digital technologies and human rights by offering tailored advice, building capacity, and informing states and stakeholders.
Smart cities
‘Making Cities Right for Young People’ is a participatory research project, supported by Foundation Botnar, which examines the impact of the digitalisation of cities on the enjoyment of human rights. It also examines strategies to ensure that ‘smartness’ is measured not solely by technological advancements but by the realisation and promotion of inhabitants’ human rights and well-being, and explores ways to promote digital technologies for civic engagement, participation, and the public good, with a focus on meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes. Launched in 2023, this project surveys the current landscape and details key human rights issues in urban digitalisation. Based on participatory research carried out in three geographically, socially, culturally, and politically diverse cities, it produced a report with initial findings and developed a roadmap for future human-rights-based work on smart cities. Building on this first phase of the project, it will expand its geographical scope and support future youth engagement in urban digitalisation processes.
Migration
In 2020, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance published a report titled Racial Discrimination and Emerging Digital Technologies: A Human Rights Analysis (A/HRC/44/57), outlining the human rights obligations of states and corporations to address it.
In 2021, the Special Rapporteur published a complementary report (A/HRC/48/76), addressing the issue of the development and use of emerging digital technologies in ways that are uniquely experimental, dangerous, and discriminatory in the border and immigration enforcement context. The report highlights that technologies are being used to promote xenophobic and racially discriminatory ideologies, often due to perceptions of refugees and migrants as security threats, and the pursuit of efficiency without human rights safeguards, with significant economic profits from border securitisation and digitisation exacerbating the issue.
In September 2023, UN Human Rights published a study, conducted with the University of Essex, that analyses the far-reaching human rights implications of specific border technologies. It provides recommendations to states and stakeholders on how to take a human-rights-based approach in ensuring the use of digital technologies at borders aligns with international human rights law and standards. The study draws from a collective body of expertise, research, and evidence, as well as extensive interviews and collaborative meetings with experts.
Privacy and data protection
Challenges to the right to privacy in the digital age, such as surveillance, communications interception, and the increased use of data-intensive technologies, are among the issues covered by the activities of the UN Human Rights. At the request of the UNGA and the UNHRC, the High Commissioner prepared four reports on the right to privacy in the digital age. The first report, presented in 2014, addressed the threat to human rights caused by surveillance by governments, in particular mass surveillance. The ensuing report, published in September 2018, identified key principles, standards, and best practices regarding the promotion and protection of the right to privacy. It outlined minimum standards for data privacy legal frameworks. In September 2021, the High Commissioner presented a ground-breaking report on AI and the right to privacy (A/HRC/48/31), in which she called for a ban on AI applications that are incompatible with international human rights law, and stressed the urgent need for a moratorium on the sale and use of AI systems that pose serious human rights risks until adequate safeguards are put in place. In September 2022, the High Commissioner presented a report focusing on the abuse of spyware by public authorities, the key role of encryption in ensuring the enjoyment of human rights in the digital age, and the widespread monitoring of public spaces. The new report, based on resolution 54/21, is expected to be published in September 2025. In 2023 and 2024, UN Human Rights published two briefs titled What is Encryption? and Hacking & Spyware. While the first document explains the encryption process, its restrictions, and its relationship with privacy, the second document emphasises the impact of spyware and human rights and key measures to end abuses.
The UNHRC also tackles online privacy and data protection. Resolutions on the promotion and protection of human rights on the internet have underlined the need to address security concerns on the internet in accordance with international human rights obligations to ensure the protection of all human rights online, including the right to privacy. The UNHRC has also adopted specific resolutions on the right to privacy in the digital age, addressing issues such as mass surveillance, AI, the responsibility of business enterprises, and the key role of the right to privacy as an enabler of other human rights. Resolutions on the safety of journalists have emphasised the importance of encryption and anonymity tools for journalists to freely exercise their work. Two resolutions on new and emerging technologies (2019 and 2021) have further broadened the lens, for example, by asking for a report on the human rights implications of technical standard-setting processes.
The UNHRC has also mandated the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy to address the issue of online privacy in its 2015 Resolution on the Right to Privacy in the Digital Age (A/HRC/RES/28/16). To illustrate, the Special Rapporteur has addressed the question of privacy from the stance of surveillance in the digital age (A/HRC/34/60), which becomes particularly challenging in the context of cross-border data flows. More recently, specific attention has been given to the privacy of health data that is increasingly being produced in the day and age of digitalisation, and that requires the highest legal and ethical standards (A/HRC/40/63). In this vein, in 2020, the Special Rapporteur examined data protection and surveillance in relation to COVID-19 and contact tracing in his preliminary report (A/75/147), in which he provided a more definitive analysis of how pandemics can be managed with respect to the right to privacy (A/76/220). In another2020 report (A/HRC/43/52), the Special Rapporteur provides a set of recommendations on privacy in the online space calling for, among other things, ‘comprehensive protection for secure digital communications, including by promoting strong encryption and anonymity- enhancing tools, products, and services, and resisting requests for “backdoors” to digital communications’ and recommending that ‘government digital identity programmes are not used to monitor and enforce societal gender norms, or for purposes that are not lawful, necessary, and proportionate in a democratic society.’
The Special Rapporteur also addressed the challenges of AI and privacy, as well as children’s privacy, particularly the role of privacy in supporting autonomy and positive participation of children in society, in his 2021 report (A/HRC/46/37).
In 2022, the Special Rapporteur examined developments in privacy and data protection in Ibero-America in her report titled Privacy and Personal Data Protection in Ibero-America: A Step Towards Globalization? (A/HRC/49/55), and published the principles underpinning privacy and the protection of personal data (A/77/196).
More recently, in 2023, at the request of the UNHRC, the Special Rapporteur addressed the issue of the implementation of the principles of purpose limitation, deletion of data and demonstrated or proactive accountability in the processing of personal data collected by public entities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (A/HRC/52/37).
The High Commissioner and his office advocate for the promotion and protection of freedom of expression, including in the online space. Key topics in this advocacy are the protection of the civic space and the safety of journalists online; various forms of information control, including internet shutdowns and censorship; addressing incitement to violence, discrimination, or hostility; disinformation; and the role of social media platforms in the space of online expression.
Freedom of expression in the digital space also features highly on the agenda of the UNHRC. It has often been underlined that states have a responsibility to ensure adequate protection of freedom of expression online, including adopting and implementing measures aimed at dealing with issues such as cybersecurity, incitement to violence, and the promotion and distribution of extremist content online. The UNHRC has also been firm in condemning measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or the dissemination of information online and has called on states to refrain from and cease such measures.
In 2021, at the request of the UNHRC resolution 47/16, the High Commissioner prepared a report on internet shutdowns (A/HRC/50/55), which looks at trends in internet shutdowns, analysing their causes, legal implications, and impact on a range of human rights, including economic, social, and cultural rights. She called on states to refrain from the full range of internet shutdowns and for companies to uphold their responsibilities to respect human rights. She stressed the need for development agencies and regional and international organisations to bridge their digital connectivity efforts with efforts related to internet shutdowns. The UNHRC resolution 57/29 mandated UN Human Rights
to prepare a report on a human rights approach to meaningful connectivity and overcoming digital divides, including addressing threats to individuals’ access to the internet. The report will be presented in June 2026.
In 2020, the Special Rapporteur issued Disease Pandemics and the Freedom of Opinion and Expression, a report that specifically tackles issues such as access to the internet, which is highlighted to be ‘a critical element of healthcare policy and practice, public information, and even the right to life’. Other reports addressed the vital importance of encryption and anonymity for the exercise of freedom of opinion and the threats to freedom of expression emanating from widespread digital surveillance.
The Special Rapporteur, while acknowledging the complexities and challenges posed by disinformation in the digital age, noted that responses by states and companies to counter disinformation were inadequate and detrimental to human rights. In her 2021 report Disinformation and Freedom of Opinion and Expression (A/HRC/47/25), she examined the threats posed by disinformation to human rights, democratic institutions, and development processes, and called for multidimensional and multistakeholder responses to disinformation that are well grounded in the international human rights framework and urged companies to review their business models and states to recalibrate their responses to disinformation.
More recently, in 2022, the Special Rapporteur issued Reinforcing Media Freedom and the Safety of Journalists in the Digital Age(A/HRC/50/29), a report in which she calls on states and the international community to strengthen multistakeholder cooperation to protect and promote media freedom and the safety of journalists in the digital age, and ensure independence, pluralism, and viability of the media. She also calls on digital services companies and social media platforms to respect the UNGPs on BHR.
Online hate speech and discrimination have also been addressed by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief. For instance, a report published in 2019 underscored the online manifestation of antisemitism (including antisemitic hate speech) and shared best practices from the Netherlands and Poland. The report highlights that governments have an affirmative responsibility to address online antisemitism, as the digital sphere is now the primary public forum and marketplace for ideas’. In another document published that same year, the Special Rapporteur assesses the impact of online platforms on discrimination and on the perpetuation of hostile and violent acts in the name of religion, as well as how restrictive measures such as blocking and filtering of websites negatively impact the freedom of expression.
The issue of online blasphemy and undue limitations on expressing critical views of religions and beliefs imposed by governments has also been addressed on a number of occasions, including in a 2018 report.
In 2024, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the request of the UNHRC, prepared a thematic report identifying challenges and best practices in assessing civic space trends, along with recommendations to enhance information-gathering. Based on inputs from states and civil society, the report highlights the roles of various actors, common elements of civic space, gaps, and challenges, and calls for increased data access, safe working conditions for contributors, and improved assessment of online civic space trends. UN Human Rights published a brief titled Tracking civic space trends, related to this report.
The promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in the online space have been repeatedly addressed by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities. A 2016 report underscored that ICTs, including the internet, can increase the participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making processes and that states should work towards reducing the access gap between those who can use ICTs and those who cannot.
Nevertheless, a 2019 report stressed that the shift to e-governance and service delivery in a digital manner can hamper access for older persons with disabilities who may lack the necessary skills or equipment.
The Special Rapporteur also examined the opportunities and risks posed by AI, including discriminatory impacts in relation to AI in decision-making systems. In his 2021 report (A/HRC/49/52), the Special Rapporteur emphasises the importance of disability-inclusive AI and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in conversations about AI.
More recently, in 2024, at the request of the UNHCR resolution 51/10, the High Commissioner prepared a report on cyberbullying against persons with disabilities. The report examines the experiences of persons with disabilities facing cyberbullying, the relevant human rights frameworks, prevailing trends and challenges, promising counter-cyberbullying practices, and provides recommendations for rights-respecting responses and inclusion in the digital environment.
Rights of older persons
The mandate of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons has repeatedly addressed complex issues relating to digital technologies, for example, in the report Robots and Rights: The Impact of Automation on the Human Rights of Older Persons (A/HRC/36/48) and on data gaps concerning older persons (A/HRC/45/14). In 2026, UN Human Rights will publish a report on countering cyberbullying against older persons, as requested by the UNHRC (resolution 57/6).
Freedom of peaceful assembly and association
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association in the digital environment has attracted increased attention in recent years. For example, the High Commissioner presented a report on new technologies such as ICTs and their impact on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of assemblies, including peaceful protests, to the 44th session of the UNHRC. The report highlighted many of the opportunities for the exercise of human rights that digital technologies offer, analysed key issues linked to online content takedowns, and called on states to stop the practice of network disruptions in the context of protests. It also developed guidance concerning the use of surveillance tools, in particular facial recognition technology.
In July 2020, the Human Rights Committee published its General Comment No. 37 on Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (the right of peaceful assembly), which addresses manifold aspects arising in the digital context.
In 2019, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association published a report for the UNHRC focusing on the opportunities and challenges facing the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association in the digital age. In the report, he condemned the widespread practice of internet shutdowns and raised concerns about technologically mediated restrictions on free association and assembly in the context of crises.
Economic, social, and cultural rights
In March 2020, the UN Secretary-General presented a report on the role of new technologies for the realisation of economic, social, and cultural rights to the UNHRC. He identified the opportunities and challenges held by new technologies for the realisation of economic, social, and cultural rights and other related human rights, and for the human-rights-based implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report concludes with recommendations for related action by member states, private companies, and other stakeholders.
The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights has published reports on technology-related topics, including the right to science (A/HRC/55/44 and A/HRC/55/44/Corr.1) and the relationship between human rights and intellectual property rights (A/70/279 and A/70/279/Corr.1 and A/HRC/28/57). The Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of states on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, has presented a report on international financial obligations, digital systems, and human rights (A/HRC/52/34).
UN Human Rights works extensively on the human rights dimensions of development finance, including technology-related aspects, in, for example, a benchmarking study on development finance institutions’ safeguard policies, a study on remedy in development finance and submissions to development finance institutions addressing technology-related policies and practices.
ITU is the United Nations specialised agency for digital technologies, driving innovation in ICTs together with 194 member states and a unique membership in the UN system of over 1,000 companies, universities, research institutes, and international organisations. Established 160 years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communications infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, intelligent transport systems, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based Earth monitoring, as well as the convergence of fixed/mobile phone, the internet, cable television, and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. For more information, visitwww.itu.int.
Some of ITU’s key areas of action include radiocommunication services (such as satellite services, and fixed/mobile and broadcasting services), developing telecommunications networks (including future networks), standardising various areas and media related to telecommunications, and ensuring access to bridge the digital divide and addressing challenges in ICT accessibility. ITU’s work supports emerging technologies in fields such as 5G, AI, intelligent transport systems, disaster management, agriculture, metaverse, quantum technologies, smart sustainable cities, and the internet of things (IoT); access and digital inclusion; accessibility of ICTs to persons with disabilities; digital health; ICTs and climate change; cybersecurity; gender equality; and child online protection. These and many more ICT topics are covered within the framework of radiocommunication, standardisation, and development work, through various projects, initiatives, and studies carried out by the organisation.
Digital policy issues
Telecommunication infrastructure
Information and communication infrastructure development is one of ITU’s priority areas. The organisation seeks to assist member states, sector members, associates, and academia in the implementation and development of broadband networks, wired (e.g. cable) and wireless technologies, international mobile telecommunications (IMT), satellite communications, IoT, and smart grids, including next-generation networks, as well as in the provision of telecommunications networks in rural areas.
The ITU International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) have as an overall aim the facilitation of global interconnection and interoperability of telecommunications facilities. Through the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), ITU is involved in the global management of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, used for telecommunications services, in line with the Radio Regulations.
International standards developed by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) enable the interconnection and interoperability of ICT networks, devices, and services worldwide. It has 10 technical standardisation committees called study groups (SGs), with mandates covering a wide range of digital technologies:
The work on standards is complemented by short-term exploration/incubation ITU-T Focus Groups (FGs) whose deliverables guide the ITU-T SGs in new areas of standardisation work. Some current and recent groups include:
Collaboration among various standards bodies is a high priority for ITU-T. Many platforms have been established to support coordination and collaboration on a range of topics, for example:
Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions
Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI
The Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) establishes an enabling environment and provides evidence-based policy-making through ICT indicators and regulatory and economic metrics, which facilitates benchmarking and the identification of trends in ICT legal and regulatory frameworks. As part of global activities, the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) has published a series of collaborative digital regulation country reviews. All country reviews follow a standard methodology and put forward a set of actionable recommendations on developing a better understanding of the role and impact of collaboration and collaborative governance, as well as the use of new tools for regulating ICT and digital markets.
The Digital Regulation Platform aims to improve the human and institutional capacity of the ITU membership. In 2024, articles were published on data governance, transformative technologies (AI) challenges and principles of regulation, and one is being finalised focusing on a guide for incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) into policymaking and regulation for compliance. Two modules are being reviewed and articles updated: spectrum management and access for all, under the ITU-EU project in Central Africa, supported by the EU Delegation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In 2023, ITU-D launched the Digital Regulation Network DRN, a peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing platform for regulators. The aim of the Network is to accelerate sustainable digital transformation through common approaches to collaborative digital policy, regulation and governance across economic sectors and across borders.
ITU-D sends regulatory and tariff surveys to membership, with data being received and analysed for integration into the ICT Regulatory Tracker and ITU Data Hub and publication in early 2025. Visualisation tools on the G5 Accelerator platform allow for a customised analysis and deep dive into the data on 54 indicators by region or country.
The above activities result in increased awareness and access to regulatory and economic data and analysis to support evidence-based decision-making.
ITU is committed to enhancing both human and institutional capacity within its membership, prioritising the delivery of high-quality training programmes. In this context, training courses were conducted through the ITU Academy and the ITU Academy Training Centres (ATCs), with the aim of making a meaningful impact on ITU membership. From May 2024 to December 2024, the ITU Academy registered 9,500 additional users, bringing the total number of learners to over 58,400, from all member states, with more than 70 per cent coming from developing countries. During this period, over 79 courses were delivered via the platform to over 13,000 registered course participants, of which more than 5,400 had completed their courses by December 2024. Over 1,000 participants also completed course evaluation surveys, and 95 per cent reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience.
During the second year of implementation, in the same period (May – December 2024) ATCs delivered 67 courses, attracting over 2,600 registrations, with more than 1,100 course completions by December 2024. In 2024, BDT organised several training sessions on how to conduct engaging online training, aimed at the instructors of the 14 ATCs. The goal of the initiative was to impact the quality of the training courses by improving facilitation, virtual delivery skills, and allowing for exchanges of best practices among the participating institutions.
The Global Symposium for Regulators 2024 (GSR-24) is a knowledge exchange platform that features topical thematic sessions bringing together regulators, policymakers and digital stakeholders from around the world and providing a global platform for knowledge exchange. GSR also features the Regional Regulatory Associations (RA) and Digital Regulation Network (DRN) meetings, Heads of Regulators’ Executive Roundtable, the Industry Advisory Group on Development Issues (IAGDI-CRO), and the Network of Women (NoW) in the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector.
As part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024, ITU-D leads the interactive session of Action Line C6 (Enabling environment).
Such knowledge exchange platforms result in strengthened partnerships, engagement, and collaboration of regulators, regulatory associations, the private sector, and policymakers from across different sectors, enriching conversations and showcasing collaboration across sectors to accelerate digital transformation.
The impact statement of the Telecommunication Development Bureau’s (BDT) thematic priority on network and digital infrastructure is ‘Reliable connectivity to everyone’.
ITU-D SG1 also focuses on various aspects related to telecommunications infrastructure, in particular, Question 1/1 on ‘Strategies and policies for the deployment of broadband in developing countries’; Question 2/1 on ‘Strategies, policies, regulations, and methods of migration and adoption of digital broadcasting and implementation of new services’; Question 4/1 on ‘Economic aspects of national telecommunications/ICTs’; Question 5/1 on ‘Telecommunications/ICTs for rural and remote areas’; Question 6/1 on ‘Consumer information, protection and rights’; and Question 5/2 on ‘Adoption of telecommunications/ICTs and improving digital skills’.
IMT-2020
ITU plays a key role in managing the radio spectrum and developing international standards for 5G networks, devices, and services, within the framework of the so-called IMT-2020 activities. ITU-R SGs together with the mobile broadband industry and a wide range of stakeholders, established the 5G standards.
The activities include the organisation of intergovernmental and multistakeholder dialogues, and the development and implementation of standards and regulations to ensure that 5G networks are secure, interoperable, and operate without interference.
ITU-T is playing a similar convening role for the technologies and architectures of non-radio elements of 5G systems. For example, ITU standards address 5G transport, with the passive optical network (PON), Carrier Ethernet, and the optical transport network (OTN), among the technologies standardised by ITU-T expected to support 5G systems. ITU standards for 5G networking address topics including network virtualisation, network orchestration and management, and fixed-mobile and satellite convergence. ITU standards also address ML for 5G and future networks, the environmental requirements of 5G, security and trust in 5G, and the assessment of 5G quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE).
Satellite
ITU-R manages the coordination, notification, and recording of frequency assignments for space systems, including their associated earth stations. Its main role is to process and publish data and examine frequency assignment notices submitted by administrations of the ITU member states towards their eventual recording in the Master International Frequency Register (MIFR).
ITU-R also develops and manages space-related assignment or allotment plans and provides mechanisms for the development of new satellite services by determining how to optimise the use of available and suitable orbital resources.
Currently, the rapid pace of satellite innovation is driving an increase in the deployment of non-geostationary satellite systems (non-GSO). With the availability of launch vehicles capable of supporting multiple satellite launches, mega-constellations consisting of hundreds to thousands of spacecraft are becoming a popular solution for global telecommunications.
To this end, during the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19), ITU established regulatory procedures for the deployment of non-GSO systems, including mega-constellations in low Earth orbit. At the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, ITU agreed on orbital tolerances for the operations of such non-GSO systems.
Additionally, ITU held its first Space Sustainability Forum in Geneva in September 2024. Recognising the rapid growth of commercial space ventures, ITU gathered governments, space agencies, and private stakeholders to address the economic, environmental, and operational dimensions of space sustainability.
In 2025, ITU launched the ‘Space Connect’ series, examining low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, focusing on the rapid growth in satellite deployments (rising from roughly 1,000 active satellites in 2014 to nearly 10,000 by 2024) and the market shift toward broadband applications. The episodes investigate different constellation architectures, evolving market dynamics, new players, and the overall impact on radio spectrum usage.
Regarding climate change, satellite data today is an indispensable input for weather prediction models and forecast systems used to produce safety warnings and other information in support of public and private decision-making.
Emergency telecommunications
Emergency telecommunications are an integral part of the ITU mandate. To mitigate the impact of disasters, the timely dissemination of authoritative information before, during, and after disasters is critical.
Emergency telecommunications play a critical role in disaster risk reduction and management. ICTs are essential for monitoring the underlying hazards and delivering vital information to all stakeholders, including those most vulnerable, as well as in the immediate aftermath of disasters to ensure the timely flow of vital information needed to coordinate response efforts and save lives. ITU supports its member states in the four phases of disaster management:
ITU activities in the field of radiocommunications make an invaluable contribution to disaster management. They facilitate prediction, detection, and alerting through the coordinated and effective use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the establishment of radio standards and guidelines concerning the usage of radiocommunication systems in disaster mitigation and relief operations.
ITU-T SG2 plays a role as the lead study group on telecommunications for disaster relief/early warning, network resilience, and recovery. Other study groups are working on emergency telecommunications within their mandates. Examples are shown in the following paragraphs.
ITU standards offer common formats for the exchange of all-hazard information over public networks. They ensure that networks prioritise emergency communications. They have a long history of protecting ICT infrastructure from lightning and other environmental factors. In response to the increasing severity of extreme weather events, recent years have seen ITU standardisation experts turning their attention to ‘disaster relief, network resilience, and recovery’. This work goes well beyond traditional protection against environmental factors, focusing on technical mechanisms to prepare for disasters and respond effectively when disaster strikes.
ITU standards now offer guidance on network architectures able to contend with sudden losses of substantial volumes of network resources. They describe the network functionality required to make optimal use of the network resources, still operational after a disaster. They offer techniques for the rapid repair of damaged ICT infrastructure, such as means to connect the surviving fibres of severed fibre-optic cables. They provide for ‘movable and deployable ICT resource units’ in various sizes, such as emergency containers, vehicles, or hand-held kits housing network resources and a power source – to provide temporary replacements for destroyed ICT infrastructure.
ITU is also supporting an ambitious project to equip submarine communications cables with climate- and hazard-monitoring sensors to create a global real-time ocean observation network. This network would be capable of providing earthquake and tsunami warnings, as well as data on ocean climate change and circulation. This project to equip cable repeaters with climate and hazard-monitoring sensors – creating Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) cables – is led by the ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force (JTF) on SMART Cable Systems, a multidisciplinary body established in 2012. Currently, several projects are ongoing to realise SMART cables.
ITU-T G.9730.2 Recommendation was approved by ITU-T SG15 in August 2024, as the first ITU-T standard on SMART cables. In addition, the work on ‘Impact assessment framework for evaluating how ICT-based subsea infrastructure could support climate, environmental and biodiversity monitoring in the oceans’ (L.SMART) is ongoing within ITU-T SG5.
In ITU-D, a lot of effort is directed at mainstreaming disaster management in telecommunications/ICT projects and activities as part of disaster preparedness. This includes infrastructure development and the establishment of enabling policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks. ITU also deploys temporary telecommunications/ICT solutions to assist countries affected by disasters. After providing assistance for disaster relief and response, ITU undertakes assessment missions to affected countries aimed at determining the magnitude of damage to the network through the use of geographical information systems. On the basis of its findings, ITU and the host country embark on resuscitating the infrastructure while ensuring that disaster-resilient features are integrated to reduce network vulnerability in the event of disasters striking in the future.
ITU is also part of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), a global network of organisations that work together to provide shared communications services in humanitarian emergencies.
ITU-D SQ Question 3/1 ‘Utilising telecommunications/ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management’ was agreed at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 (WTDC-22) and will operate for the 2022–2025 study period. This Question continues the work of Question 5/2 of the 2018–2021 period.
The ITU/WMO/UNEP Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Natural Disaster Management (FG-AI4NDM), established by ITU-T SG2 worked between March 2021 and March 2024 to develop best practices for leveraging AI in data collection and handling, improving modelling across spatiotemporal scales, and providing effective communication. Building on the activities of the FG-AI4NDM, the Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions was created. This Global Initiative is a collaborative effort between ITU, WMO, UNEP, UPU and UNFCCC.
The Guide to Develop a Telecommunications/ ICT Contingency Plan for a Pandemic Response 2020, Focused on Telecommunications/ICT Service Delivery and Business Continuity in the Context of a Pandemic.
With the ETC, ITU developed the Disaster Connectivity Map (DCM), with information critical for first responders on network outages and connectivity gaps following disasters.
ITU joined the Crisis Connectivity Charter(CCC) in 2019, joining the satellite industry and the humanitarian community in making satellite communication more available.
ITU established an ITU Emergency Telecommunications Roster. ITU staff are trained on deployment of ITU telecommunications equipment and on supporting the ETC on the ground.
ITU, with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), launched a Call to Action on Emergency Alerting in 2021, inviting all partners to support countries in implementing CAP. The organisations are supporting the WMO to establish a CAP HelpDesk.
Strengthening the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems, ITU partnered with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), WMO, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), and the World Broadcasting Unions in 2020 to develop Media Saves Lives to reinforce broadcasters’ role in the early warning chain.
Artificial intelligence
ITU works on the development and use of AI to ensure a sustainable future for everyone. To that end, it convenes intergovernmental and multistakeholder dialogues, develops international standards and frameworks, and helps in capacity building for the use of AI.
AI and machine learning (ML) are gaining a larger share of the ITU standardisation work programme in fields such as network orchestration and management, multimedia coding, service quality assessment, operational aspects of service provision and telecom management, cable networks, digital health, environmental efficiency, and autonomous driving.
AI for Good is the UN’s leading platform on Artificial Intelligence for sustainable development. Focused on identifying trustworthy AI applications, building skills and standards, and advancing AI governance for sustainable development, the platform is organised by ITU in partnership with over 40 UN sister agencies and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland.
This AI governance dialogue will facilitate exchanges between key stakeholders on effective approaches to AI governance. The high-level plenary session will explore the changing landscape of AI governance, with a focus on innovative policy implementation across regions. Discussions will address risk management strategies and the emerging role of AI agents, particularly their implications for the future of work, investment, and cross-sector collaboration.
The AI Skills Coalition, spearheaded by AI for Good under the AI for Good Impact Initiative, will serve as the UN-led global, open, trusted, and inclusive platform for AI education and capacity building.
Various ITU-T SGs address aspects of AI and ML within their mandates. The work has so far resulted in ITU-T Recommendations and Supplements, for example, in the L-, M-, P-, and Y-series of ITU-T Recommendations. As of March 2026, 203 AI-related ITU-T standards are in force, and a further 199 are under development, spanning areas from foundation model benchmarking and AI-generated content to security guidelines for generative AI and energy efficiency metrics for large AI models, as catalogued in the AI Standards Exchange Database.
The adoption of Resolution 101 (New Delhi, 2024) at the 2024 World Standardization Telecommunication Assembly (WTSA-24) further emphasises the recognised role of ITU in establishing trusted AI standards. ITU-T SGs are instructed to continue applying AI to telecom/ICTs in their Recommendations, periodically review and update AI-related standards, and facilitate information-sharing among the membership, with particular attention to developing countries.
The World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC 2025, Baku) adopted Resolution 91 on AI technologies in telecommunications development, directing ITU-D to help Member States build foundational telecom/ICT infrastructure as an enabler for AI adoption, assess their readiness, and identify strategic goals for enhanced AI uptake, with a particular focus on developing countries.
The ITU Council has allocated dedicated funding to support AI-related activities. In 2025, the Council approved Resolution 1434, allocating KCHF 500 from 2024 savings to an AI initiatives fund within the General Secretariat and the TSB. The 2026 Council approved Resolution 1439, proposing CHF 1 million to support priority mandates emerging from WTSA-24, to reinforce ITU’s AI for Good platform, and to provide technical guidance to developing countries on implementing international AI standards.
The first International AI Standards Summit, co-organised with ISO and IEC, brought together global experts to advance standards for responsible and inclusive AI. The second summit took place in December 2025 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, where IEC, ISO, and ITU adopted the Seoul Statement, committing to incorporate socio-technical dimensions in standards development, strengthen multistakeholder participation, and enhance public–private collaboration on AI capacity building. An International AI Standards Exchange was also held in July 2025 at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. ITU runs the AI Standards Exchange Database under the World Standards Cooperation framework, comprising an AI Standards Database, AI Standards News, and an AI Standards Capacity Building component planned for 2026.
Under the World Standards Cooperation (WSC) framework, ITU participates in the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards (AMAS) initiative alongside IEC, ISO, C2PA, and other organisations, focused on protecting the integrity of information and fostering trust in the digital ecosystem through robust technical standards. The initiative has produced a technical paper on the landscape of standards related to digital media authenticity and AI, and a policy paper offering recommendations to regulators on the scope and instruments of regulation.
The ITU-T AI/ML in 5G Challenge, introduced in 2020, rallies like-minded students and professionals from around the globe to study the practical application of AI and ML in emerging and future digital communications networks and sustainable development. The second Challenge (in 2021) attracted over 1,600 students and professionals from 82 countries, competing for prizes and global recognition. The 2022 Challenge covered a wide range of topics, including AI/ML in 5G, GeoAI, and tinyML. By mapping emerging AI and ML solutions, the Challenge fostered a community to support the iterative evolution of ITU standards. To learn more, see the Challenge GitHub.
Main activities related to ITU-R SGs and reports include:
ITU-R SG1 covers spectrum management and monitoring, and has published a report on next-generation spectrum monitoring, applying AI and big data technologies to the automation of spectrum monitoring. Question ITU-R 241/1 ‘Methodologies for assessing or predicting spectrum availability’ was approved in 2019 and remains under study.
ITU-R SG6 covers all aspects of the broadcasting service and is working on AI for broadcasting, including the use of generative AI in programme-making workflows and the extraction of audio and video objects during production. SG6 deliverables include Question ITU-R 144/6 ‘Use of artificial intelligence (AI) for broadcasting’ and Report ITU-R BT.2447 ‘Artificial intelligence systems for programme production and exchange’.
ITU-R has established a Correspondence Group on machine learning for propagation studies, providing guidance on the application of ML in the development of radio-wave propagation prediction methods.
During the 40th High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) session in October 2020, the Inter-Agency Working Group on AI (IAWG-AI) was established to focus on policy and programmatic coherence of AI activities within the UN. IAWG-AI, co-led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and ITU, aims to combine the ethical and technological parts of the UN to provide a solid foundation for current and future system-wide efforts on AI, ensuring respect for human rights and accelerating progress towards the SDGs.
ITU also coordinates an annual UN Activities on AI report, a joint effort with almost 50 UN agencies and entities, all partners of AI for Good or members of the IAWG-AI. The report usually presents over 400 cases and projects run by the UN system, in areas covering all 17 SDGs, ranging from smart agriculture and food systems to transportation, financial services, and healthcare. The report contains an Executive Summary that presents an analysis of all the projects submitted to the report, providing a snapshot of the key tracks, trends, and gaps in AI activities within the UN system.
ITU plays a role in global AI governance as part of the secretariats for the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the Scientific Panel on AI, and co-leads the sub-group on AI of the working group on digital technologies. The CWG on WSIS&SDGs has been regularly reviewing the Secretary-General’s report on PP Resolution 214, with members calling for more detailed reporting on how ITU’s AI activities relate to the implementation of that resolution; the January 2026 meeting also consulted with co-chairs of the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, with members emphasising the value of holding the Dialogue alongside the AI for Good Global Summit and WSIS Forum 2026.
The CWG-Internet discussed, at its January 2026 meeting, a proposal by Saudi Arabia and Morocco on Internet-related public policy issues emerging from the WSIS+20 outcome, noting that emerging technologies, including AI, introduce new dimensions to Internet-related public policy and that dialogue among Member States can help identify shared priorities and support capacity-building efforts.
The CWG on Child Online Protection (CWG-COP) has placed increasing emphasis on the implications of AI for child safety online. Its 23rd and 24th meetings (September 2025 and January 2026) addressed AI-enabled risks — including content generation, automated moderation, and algorithm-driven engagement — while highlighting opportunities to embed safety-by-design and child-centred safeguards in digital services. The Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of the Child was also presented to the group.
The Expert Group on International Telecommunication Regulations (EG-ITRs) finalised its report in January 2026, reflecting divergent views on whether the ITRs should be revised to address AI and other emerging issues. Some members supported revision; others cautioned that an inflexible treaty instrument is ill-suited to regulating a dynamic technological landscape, and that whether and how to accommodate emerging technologies within ITU’s mandate remains an open question.
ITU, through its Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), organises the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR), ITU’s flagship annual event, bringing together regulators to address emerging challenges such as data governance, 5G licensing, and cross-border data flows. Key outcomes from GSR24 included the GSR Best Practice Guidelines on a roadmap for regulators to harness transformative technologies (e.g. AI, 5G) by promoting agile, risk-aware policies and stakeholder collaboration.
As part of its ‘Green Digital Action’ initiative, ITU emphasises green AI to reduce data-centre emissions. The AI Climate Institute, operating under the Green Digital Action Hub and supported by ITU, UNESCO, and Brazil’s ANATEL, further anchors this work institutionally.
ITU-D’s regional initiatives approved at WTDC 2025 include several with an explicit AI focus for the 2026–2029 period: AFR2 aims to develop an inclusive, trustworthy AI ecosystem in Africa for socio-economic development; ARB4 supports innovation ecosystems for the adoption of emerging technologies including AI across the Arab States; and CIS5 focuses on the development and implementation of AI technologies in the CIS region, including a planned regional branch of the AI for Good platform.
Critical internet resources
Over the years, ITU has adopted several resolutions that deal with internet technical resources, such as Internet Protocol-based networks (Resolution 101 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)), IPv4 to IPv6 transition (Resolution 180 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)), and internationalised domain names (Resolution 133 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)). ITU has also adopted a resolution on its role regarding international public policy issues pertaining to the internet and the management of internet resources, including domain names and addresses (Resolution 102 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)). In addition, the ITU Council has set up a Working Group on International Internet (CWG-Internet) – related Public Policy Issues, tasked with identifying, studying, and developing matters related to international internet-related public policy issues. This Working Group also holds regular online open public consultations on specific topics to give all stakeholders from all nations an opportunity to express their views with regard to the topic(s) under discussion.
In the work of ITU the issue of digital standards is addressed as ‘International standards’
Presently, 95% of international traffic runs over optical infrastructure built in conformance with ITU standards. Video now accounts for over 80% of all internet traffic; this traffic relies on ITU’s Primetime Emmy-winning video-compression standards.
ICTs are enabling innovation in every industry and public-sector body. The digital transformation underway across our economies receives key support from ITU standards for smart cities, energy, transport, healthcare, financial services, agriculture, and AI and ML.
ICT networks, devices, and services interconnect and interoperate thanks to the efforts of thousands of experts who come together on the neutral ITU platform to develop international standards known as ITU-T Recommendations.
Standards create efficiencies enjoyed by all market players, efficiencies, and economies of scale that ultimately result in lower costs to producers and lower prices to consumers. Companies developing standards-based products and services gain access to global markets. By supporting backward compatibility, ITU standards enable next-generation technologies to interwork with previous technology generations. This protects past investments while creating the confidence to continue investing in our digital future.
The ITU standardisation process is contribution-led and consensus-based. Standardisation work is driven by contributions from ITU members and consequent decisions are made by consensus. The process aims to ensure that all voices are heard and that the resulting standards have the consensus-derived support of the diverse and globally representative ITU membership.
ITU members develop standards year-round in ITU-T SGs. Over 6,000 ITU-T Recommendations are currently in force, and over 300 new or revised ITU-T Recommendations and Supplements are approved each year.
For more information on the responsibilities of ITU SGs, covering ITU-T SG as well as those of the ITU radiocommunication and development sectors (ITU-R and ITU-D), see the ITU backgrounder on study groups.
The ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) is the governing body of ITU’s standardisation arm (ITU-T). It meets every four years to review the overall direction and structure of ITU-T. This conference also approves the mandates of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector Study Group (ITU-T SSGs) (WTSA Resolution 2) and appoints the leadership teams of these groups.
ITU develops international standards supporting the coordinated development and application of IoT technologies, including standards leveraging IoT technologies to address urban development challenges.
WR to TL recognition procedure
Based on an MoU signed by ITU-T, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), ITU recognises testing laboratories (TLs). These are accredited by an accreditation body (AB) that is a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for testing. The scope of accreditation contains ITU-T Recommendation(s). All TLs which meet the criteria are listed in the ITU TL Database. More details are also available in the ITU C&I Portal.
Human rights and human-centric technologies
In recent years, ITU has strengthened its commitment to embedding human rights in the development and deployment of digital technologies, particularly in the context of technical standards. This work is grounded in the recognition that standards have far-reaching implications for privacy, data protection, freedom of expression, accessibility, and non-discrimination. In response to calls from the UN Human Rights Council and the Global Digital Compact, ITU has deepened its collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), engaging in joint dialogues, multistakeholder consultations, and awareness-raising activities to ensure that standards development reflects fundamental rights principles.
At the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), a landmark side event co-organised with OHCHR, the European Union, France, and the Czech Republic emphasised the need to embed human rights from the earliest stages of standardisation. The event was accompanied by a powerful statement from the Freedom Online Coalition, supported by 42 countries, calling for international standards that are not only technically sound but also aligned with the SDGs and human rights. For the first time, resolutions adopted at WTSA explicitly referenced human rights, including those related to emerging technologies such as AI and the metaverse.
Through its standardisation work, ITU has addressed the human dimensions of technologies across several ITU-T study groups. These include the development of standards for e-waste management (SG5), smart sustainable cities and digital inclusion (SG20), and accessible telehealth services (SG21). ITU has also advanced work on AI watermarking and deepfake detection—crucial for safeguarding the authenticity of information and the right to freedom of expression in an era of generative content. The AI for Good platform, convened with over 40 UN agencies, provides a trusted space to promote the development of AI that is inclusive and rights-respecting.
In this effort, ITU promotes inclusive participation by reducing barriers for civil society and experts from the Global South to engage in standardisation, offering fellowships, online participation options, and targeted training. Initiatives such as the Network of Women and Youth Advisory Board aim to diversify the voices shaping the digital future. By anchoring its digital governance and technical standards in human rights, ITU affirms its vision for a digital world that empowers individuals, protects the most vulnerable, and promotes equality and inclusion at its core.
Internet of things
Within the work of ITU, the work related to the IoT also includes ‘Smart cities’.
ITU develops international standards supporting the coordinated development and application of IoT technologies, including standards leveraging IoT technologies to address urban-development challenges.
These standards not only enable the broad range of IoT applications—from smart manufacturing to smart cities and global monitoring systems—but also ensure interoperability and efficient integration of both wired and wireless technologies across networks.
Alongside ITU-T studies on IoT, digital twins, and smart sustainable cities and communities, ITU-R conducts studies on the technical and operational aspects of radiocommunication networks and systems for IoT. The spectrum requirements and standards for IoT wireless access technologies are being addressed in ITU-R, as follows:
Harmonisation of frequency ranges and technical and operating parameters used for the operation of short-range devices.
Standards for wide area sensor and actuator network systems.
Spectrum to support the implementation of narrowband and broadband machine-type communication infrastructures.
Use of fixed-satellite and mobile-satellite communications for IoT.
ITU-D SG2 Question 1/2 ‘Creating smart cities and society: Employing information and communication technologies for sustainable social and economic development’ includes case studies on IoT application and identifies the trends and best practices implemented by member states, as well as the challenges faced, to support sustainable development and foster smart societies in developing countries.
ITU-T SG20 is at the forefront of this effort, driving the development of innovative standards (ITU-T Recommendations), guidelines, methodologies, and best practices for IoT, digital twins, and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C). Its work focuses on accelerating digital transformation in urban and rural areas by addressing IoT-enabled digital services, systems, and applications. This includes developing architectural frameworks, ensuring interoperability, and promoting human-centric approaches in digital health, accessibility, and inclusion.
Between 2022 and 2024, ITU and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture (FG- AI4A), established by ITU-T SG20, explored (1) how emerging technologies including AI and IoT can be leveraged for data acquisition and handling, (2) facilitating modelling from a growing volume of agricultural and geospatial data, and (3) providing communication for the optimisation of agricultural production processes.
United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) Initiative
ITU facilitates international discussions on the public policy dimensions of people-centred smart cities, principally through the U4SSC initiative, an initiative supported by 19 UN bodies with the aim of achieving SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). U4SSC drives global collaboration through its thematic groups, which focus on key areas such as digital transformation, digital wellbeing, digital public infrastructure, city platforms, and artificial intelligence for sustainable cities.
ITU standards have provided a basis for the development of Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable Cities. More than 200 cities worldwide have adopted the indicators as part of the collaboration driven by ITU within the framework of the U4SSC initiative. To promote the work of U4SSC, a series of U4SSC Country Hubs has been set up globally including in Vienna, Austria, hosted by the Austrian Economic Centre (AEC), and in Kyebi, Ghana. U4SSC Hubs provide a unique platform at the national and local level to accelerate cooperation between the public and private sectors and help facilitate the digital transformation in cities and communities while enabling technology and knowledge transfer.
Blockchain
New ITU standards for blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) address the requirements of blockchain in next-generation network evolution and the security requirements of blockchain, both in terms of blockchain’s security capabilities and security threats to blockchain.
ITU reports provide potential blockchain adopters with a clear view of the technology and how it could best be applied. Developed by the FG DLT, these reports provide an ‘assessment framework’ to support efforts to understand the strengths and weaknesses of DLT platforms in different use cases. The Group has also produced a high-level DLT architecture – a reference framework – detailing the key elements of a DLT platform. The FG studied high-potential DLT use cases and DLT platforms said to meet the requirements of such use cases. These studies guided the Group’s abstraction of common requirements necessary to describe a DLT architecture and associated assessment criteria. The resulting reports also offer insight into the potential of DLT to support the achievement of the SDGs.
Blockchain and DLT are also key to the work of the Digital Currency Global Initiative, a partnership between ITU and Stanford University to continue the work of the ITU Focus Group on Digital Currency, including Digital Fiat Currency (FG DFC). The Digital Currency Global Initiative provides an open, neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and research on applications of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) and other digital currency implementations. The initiative will share case studies of digital currency applications, benchmark best practices, and develop specifications to inform ITU standards.
ITU-T SG3 is studying economic and policy aspects when using distributed ledger technologies such as for the improved management of the Universal Service Fund or to handle accounting.
ITU-T SG5 is studying the environmental efficiency of digital technologies, including blockchain. For example, ITU-T SG5 has developed Recommendation ITU-T L.1317 on guidelines for energy-efficient blockchain systems.
Topics of interest for digital financial services (DFS) being studied by Q22/16 and Q7/17 include digital evidence services, digital invoices, and smart contracts. ITU-T SG20 Question 4/20 on data analytics, sharing, processing, and management, including big data aspects, IoT, and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C), is developing a set of standards on emerging technologies such as blockchain to support data processing and management (DPM).
Cloud computing
ITU standards provide the requirements and functional architectures of the cloud ecosystem, covering inter- and intra-cloud computing and technologies supporting anything as a service (XaaS). These standards enable consistent end-to-end, multi-cloud management and the monitoring of services across different service providers’ domains and technologies. They were developed in view of the convergence of telecoms and computing technologies that characterise the cloud ecosystem.
Cloud services provide on-demand access to advanced ICT resources, enabling innovators to gain new capabilities without investing in new hardware or software. Cloud concepts are also fundamental to the evolution of ICT networking, helping networks meet the requirements of an increasingly diverse range of ICT applications.
As innovation accelerates in fields such as IMT-2020/5G and IoT, and digital transformation takes hold in every industry sector, the cloud ecosystem will continue to grow in importance for companies large and small, in developing as well as developed countries.
ITU-D SG1 Question 3/1 of the 2018–2021 period focused on the analysis of factors influencing effective access to support cloud computing, as well as strategies, policies, and infrastructure investments to foster the emergence of cloud-computing ecosystems in developing countries, among others. For 2022–2025, this topic will be studied under Question 2/2 ‘Enabling technologies for e-services and applications, including e-health and e-education’.
Emerging technologies
ITU’s range of work on emerging technologies in fields such as AI, metaverse, virtual worlds 5G, IoT, SSC&C, ITS, quantum information technologies, and others have been covered in various other sections.
ITU-T SG5 on Environment, Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), and the Circular Economy is responsible for ICTs related to the environment, energy efficiency, clean energy, and sustainable digitalisation for climate actions. It carries out work to study the environmental efficiency of emerging technologies.
ITU-T SG20 Question 5/20 on the study of terminology and definitions, study and research of emerging digital technologies , serves as a facilitator with the research and innovation community to identify emerging technologies requiring standardisation for the global market and industry.
U4SSC, through its various thematic groups, explores how leveraging emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, blockchain, and digital twin, can help create a sustainable ecosystem and improve the delivery of urban services to improve the quality of life for inhabitants. In this context, U4SSC has published the following reports:
In June 2024, ITU, together with UNICC and Digital Dubai, launched the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI – Discovering the Citiverse. The Initiative serves as a global platform that aims at fostering open, interoperable, and innovative AI-powered virtual worlds that can be used safely and with confidence by people, businesses, and public services.The UN Virtual Worlds Day is an annual event organised by ITU and other 17 UN entities exploring AI-powered virtual worlds, including the metaverse, to advance the SDGs and the Pact for the Future. The inaugural event held on 14 June 2024, in Geneva, showcased how immersive digital platforms can drive global progress. The second edition will be held on 11-12 June 2025, in Turin, Italy, featuring high-level dialogues, interactive showcases, and collaborative sessions to discuss how virtual technologies can foster sustainability, inclusivity, and digital public infrastructure.
Quantum information technology
Quantum information technology (QIT) improves information processing capability by harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics. Recent development in QIT has promoted the second quantum revolution and will profoundly impact ICT networks and digital security.
ITU’s standardisation work of QIT helps promote its global development. After the ITU-T Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Networks (FG-QIT4N), which provided a collaborative platform for pre-standardisation aspects of QIT for networks and produced nine technical reports, several ITU-T SGs, including SGs 11, 13, and 17 are developing ITU-T Recommendations and Supplements in the Q-, X-, and Y-series of ITU-T Recommendations.
The 2021 webinar series explores innovative QIT applications and their implications on security, classical computing, and ICT networks and the discussion of corresponding roadmaps for quantum networks.
Following the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), ITU-T study groups (SGs) reviewed and updated their mandates, enhancing the scope of quantum-related standardisation work across multiple groups:
ITU-T Study Group 11: To continue studies on network signalling and control architectures for Quantum Key Distribution Networks (QKDN).
ITU-T Study Group 13: To continue studies on quantum networks, covering both networking aspects of QKDN and broader quantum network technologies.
ITU-T Study Group 15: Introduced studies addressing the management and use of QIT in transport networks, as well as network synchronisation, timing, and deployment requirements for QKDN.
ITU-T Study Group 17: To continue leading security-related standardisation for quantum technologies, including QKD and post-quantum cryptography (PQC). WTSA-24 adopted an action recognising the need to promote migration to and utilisation of PQC in telecommunications and ICT networks, reinforcing the role of SG17 in developing necessary recommendations, technical reports, and best practices.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) in New Delhi mandated further exploration of post-quantum cryptography and recognised that robust fiber infrastructure (including fibre-to-the-home networks) could be foundational for quantum communication rollouts.
ITU-T currently hosts a suite of 40 quantum technology standards, primarily focused on QKD, covering its network, security, and signalling aspects. An additional 30+ standards are under development.
The Joint Coordination Activity on Quantum Key Distribution Network (JCA-QKDN), which oversees ITU-T’s quantum standardisation efforts and facilitates collaboration with external standards bodies, held a collaborative meeting in Singapore in May 2024, aligning efforts with GSMA and ETSI events. It also advanced the development of a quantum standards database, providing a structured overview of global quantum information technology standards.
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) by Resolution 78/287, adopted on 7 June 2024. ITU plays a key role in the IYQ Steering Committee, guiding its implementation, planning global events, and overseeing related expenditures.
One initiative supporting ITU’s contributions to the International Year of Quantum is Quantum for Good, which explores how quantum technologies can drive global impact. It launched with a high-level side event, ‘Quantum for Good: Frontier Technology for the SDGs’, on 20 September 2024 in New York during the Summit of the Future Action Days, co-organised with UNICC, WEF, and Quantum Delta NL. The follow-up event ‘Quantum for Good: Setting the Stage for the International Year of Quantum’ in The Hague on 20-21 November 2024, deepened discussions on the role of quantum technologies in addressing global challenges, forming thematic sub-working groups (ITU leads the cybersecurity track). The Quantum for Good initiative will continue as a dedicated track during the AI for Good Global Summit (8-11 July 2025), further integrating quantum technologies into discussions on emerging technologies and sustainable development.
A series of other activities will be launched throughout 2025 as part of ITU’s contribution to raising awareness and fostering international collaboration on quantum technologies.
As part of an expanding global push, ITU is coordinating knowledge transfer so that quantum’s early adopters and advanced research hubs can share breakthroughs widely, avoiding a deep ‘quantum divide’. Moreover, initiatives like ‘Quantum for Good’ aim to link quantum technology with AI for beneficial applications—ranging from drug discovery to machine-learning optimisation—while ensuring that quantum advancement remains inclusive.
Network security
In the work of ITU the issue of network security is addressed as ‘ICT security’.
ITU and the WSIS Action Line C5 – Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs, bringing different stakeholders together to forge meaningful partnerships to help countries address the risks associated with ICTs. This includes adopting national cybersecurity strategies, facilitating the establishment of national incident response capabilities, developing international security standards, protecting children online, and building capacity.
ITU develops international standards to build confidence and security in the use of ICTs, especially for digital transformation, in the context of an ever-growing attack surface and confronted with an unbalanced threat landscape caused by new and emerging technology development. Topics of growing significance to this work include digital identity infrastructure, cybersecurity management, security aspects of digital financial services, intelligent transport systems, blockchain and distributed ledger technology, and quantum information technologies.
ITU-T SG17 (Security) is the lead SG on developing international standards to enhance confidence, security, and trust in the use of ICTs; facilitating more secure devices, edge, cloud, network infrastructure, services, and applications; and coordinating security-related work across ITU-T SGs. Providing security by ICTs and ensuring security for ICTs are both major study areas for SG17. Other ITU-T SGs, such as ITU-T SG9 (Broadband Cable and TV) and ITU-T SG13 (Future Networks, with Focus on IMT-2020, Cloud Computing and Trusted Network Infrastructures) have contributed to fulfilling the ITU mandate on cybersecurity.
ITU-TSG5 (Environment, EMF, and the Circular Economy) studies the security of ICT systems concerning electromagnetic phenomena (High-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP), High power electromagnetic (HPEM), information leakage).
ITU-T SG11 (Protocols, testing and combating counterfeiting) continues its studies on the implementation of security measures, in particular on the use of digital public-key certificates in the signalling level in order to cope with different types of attacks on existing ICT infrastructure and services (e.g., OTP intercept, calls intercept, spoofing numbers, robocalls, etc.). ITU-T Recommendations (e.g. ITU-T Q.3057, Q.3062, Q.3063) define the signalling architecture and requirements for interconnection between trustable network entities in support of existing and emerging networks. More details are available at https://itu.int/go/SIG-SECURITY.
WR to combating counterfeiting and stolen ICT devices: The issue of counterfeit and stolen ICT devices affects all stakeholders and is becoming a big challenge for the entire ICT industry. ITU, as a specialised agency of the UN on ICTs, is facilitating industry to cope with such issues. Since 2013, SG11 has approved 13 standards and non-normative documents and organised 11 Workshops and related events, whose main aim has been to promote ITU-T SG11’s current activities and find a way forward. More details about ITU-T SG11 activities on combating counterfeiting are available on a dedicated webpage https://itu.int/go/CS-ICT.
ITU-T SG20 Question 6/20 on Security, privacy, trustworthiness, and identification of IoT and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C), is working on developing recommendations, reports, and guidelines to enhance the security, privacy, trustworthiness, and identification of IoT and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C).
In 2008, ITU launched a five-pillared framework called the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) to encourage cooperation with and among various partners in enhancing cybersecurity globally. The cybersecurity programme offers its membership, particularly developing countries, the tools to increase cybersecurity capabilities at the national level in order to enhance security and build confidence and trust in the use of ICTs. The 2022 session of the ITU Council approved guidelines for better utilisation of the GCA framework by ITU.
ITU serves as a neutral and global platform for dialogue around policy actions in the interests of cybersecurity.
ITU issues the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) to shed light on the commitment of ITU member states to cybersecurity at the global level. The index is a trusted reference developed as a multistakeholder effort managed by ITU. In the last iteration of the GCI, 150 member states participated.
Alongside the ITU-T’s development of technical standards to support security and ITU-R’s establishment of security principles for 3G and 4G networks, ITU also assists in building cybersecurity capacity.
This capacity building work helps countries define cybersecurity strategies, assists the establishment of computer incident response teams (CIRTs), supports the protection of children online, and assists countries in building human capacity relevant to security.
Strategies
ITU assists member states in developing and improving effective national cybersecurity frameworks or strategies. At the national level, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, which requires coordinated action for prevention, preparation, and response on the part of government agencies, authorities, the private sector, and civil society. To ensure a safe, secure, and resilient digital sphere, a comprehensive national framework or strategy is necessary.
CIRTs
Effective mechanisms and institutional structures are necessary at the national level to deal with cyberthreats and incidents reliably. ITU assists member states in establishing and enhancing national CIRTs. In response to the fast-evolving technologies and manifestation of related threats, incident response must be updated and improved continuously.
Building human capacity
ITU conducts regional and national cyber drills, assisting member states in improving cybersecurity readiness, protection, and incident response capabilities at the regional and national levels, and strengthening international cooperation among ITU member states against cyberthreats and cyberattacks. To date, ITU has conducted cyber drills involving over 100 countries.
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau organises regional cybersecurity forums across ITU regions, helping build capacity for the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) programmes and facilitating cooperation at the regional and international levels.
Through the ITU Academy, ITU offers a number of training courses for professionals in the field of cybersecurity.
In its efforts on cybersecurity, ITU works closely with partners from international organisations, the private sector, and academia, strengthened by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a range of organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Bank, Interpol, World Economic Forum, and several others.
Child safety online
Within the work of ITU, child safety online is addressed as ‘Child online protection’.
As part of its Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), ITU launched the Child Online Protection (COP) Initiative in 2008, aimed at creating an international collaborative network and promoting the protection of children globally from all kinds of risks and harms related to the online environment, all while empowering children to fully benefit from the opportunities that the internet offers. The initiative focuses on the development of child online protection strategies covering five key areas: legal measures, technical and procedural measures, organisational structures, capacity building, and international cooperation.
Approaching child online safety with a holistic child-rights-based approach, the initiative has recently added to its key objectives the participation of children in policymaking processes related to child online protection as well as the digital skills development for children and their families.
Creating a Safe and Empowering Cyber Environment for Children (a 2020 agreement between ITU and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) kicked-off in August 2021 to further strengthen global efforts to implement the ITU COP Guidelines. The programme implements child online safety policies among governments, industry, and civil society and focuses on fostering a culture of child online safety.
ITU has also contributed to the adoption of General Comment 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
ITU is working to disseminate Sango’s messages (COP mascot launched in 2020) to develop relevant content and raise awareness of COP.
Access
The need for sustained efforts to expand internet access at a global level and bring more people online has been outlined in several resolutions adopted by ITU bodies. The organisation is actively contributing to such efforts, mainly through projects targeted at developing countries and focused on aspects such as human and institutional capacity building, education, and digital literacy; the deployment of telecommunications networks and the establishment of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs); the creation of broadband public access points to the internet; and the development and implementation of enabling policies in areas such as universal access. The organisation is also studying access-related issues within its various study groups, and it publishes relevant papers and studies. ITU also monitors the progress made by countries in addressing the digital divide, through its periodically updated statistics and studies such as the ICT Facts and Figures and the series of Measuring Digital Development reports, including its analysis of ICT prices. The ITU DataHub brings together a broad range of indicators and statistics for easy consultation and download. The Connect 2030 Agenda envisions specific targets related to internet access; for instance by 2023, 65% of households worldwide were supposed to have access to the internet; by 2023, 70% of individuals worldwide were supposed to be using the internet; and by 2023, internet access was supposed to be 25% more affordable. In 2024, ITU produced a new ‘Facts and Figures: Focus on Small Island Developing States’ report, showing that although 67% of SIDS populations are online—close to the global average—rural 4G coverage lags significantly. An estimated 43% of rural populations in SIDS still have no 4G signal. Under the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, ITU has mobilised $25 billion of pledges targeting connectivity gaps in SIDS.
To close a $1.6 trillion digital infrastructure gap, ITU collaborates with major development finance institutions. The Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative (DIII) explores innovative financing of broadband networks, data centres, satellite constellations, submarine cables, and 5G/6G expansions—particularly in developing countries. The initiative focuses on: quantifying the financing gap and identifying immediate priorities; addressing structural barriers that deter investors—like fragile regulatory frameworks or limited local markets; and coordinating public-private partnerships and new financing models so that underserved regions can leapfrog into robust connectivity. The DIII ties into the broader Partner2Connect Digital Coalition—an ITU-led movement now boasting billions in pledges to extend connectivity and digital services worldwide.
Access is treated in most meaningful connectivity-related Questions of ITU-D SG1, including:
Question 1/1 on strategies and policies for the deployment of broadband in developing countries.
Question 2/1 on strategies, policies, regulations, and methods of migration to and adoption of digital technologies for broadcasting, including providing new services for various environments.
Question 4/1 on the economic aspects of national telecommunications/ICTs.
Question 5/1 on telecommunications/ICTs for rural and remote areas.
Question 6/1 on consumer information, protection, and rights.
ITU is the facilitator of WSIS Action Line С2 – Information and communication infrastructure.
Giga: UNICEF-ITU global initiative
Giga is a UNICEF-ITU global initiative to connect every school to the internet and every young person to information, opportunity, and choice. Access to broadband internet and digital learning is critical to global efforts to transform education to make it more inclusive, equitable, and effective. Yet right now, the ability to leverage digital resources is far from equitably distributed: 1.3 billion children have no access to the internet at home and only around half of the world’s schools are online.
This digital exclusion particularly affects the poorest children, girls, and those with disabilities. These learners miss out on online resources, the option to learn remotely, and the opportunity to develop digital skills. In 2019, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and ITU joined forces to address this new form of inequality by creating Giga, a unique global partnership with the bold ambition to connect every school in the world to the internet by 2030.
What Giga does
Giga maps schools and their internet access. No one knows how many schools there are in the world (approximately 6-7 million). Giga’s Project Connect map provides a real-time display of access and gaps to guide funders and governments and to enable accountability. Giga has mapped over 2.1 million schools across 140 countries.
It creates models for innovative financing. It could cost over $400 billion to connect every unconnected school. Giga is working with a diverse array of partners to develop solutions for affordable, sustainable connectivity and aims to mobilise $5 billion to catalyse investment in vital connectivity infrastructure.
Giga supports governments contracting for connectivity. It helps governments design the regulatory frameworks, technology solutions, and competitive procurement processes needed to get schools online. Giga and its partners have connected over 2.4 million students in over 5,800 schools.
Learn more at giga.global. Please refer to the chapter on Giga.
Capacity development
ITU is heavily involved in capacity development activities, mainly aimed at assisting countries in developing their policy and regulatory frameworks in various digital policy areas, ranging from the deployment or expansion of broadband networks to fighting cybercrime and enhancing cybersecurity. The ITU Academy provides a wide range of general and specialised courses on various aspects related to ICTs. Such courses are delivered online, face-to-face, or in a blended manner, and span a wide variety of topics, from technologies and services to policies and regulations. ITU also develops digital skills at a basic and intermediate level for citizens through its Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative.
The Digital Regulation Platform is the result of ongoing collaboration between ITU and the World Bank, which started in 2000. Structured by thematic areas, the Digital Regulation Platform aims to provide practical guidance and best practice for policymakers and regulators across the globe concerned with harnessing the benefits of the digital economy and society for their citizens and firms. The content provides an update on the basics of ICT regulation in light of the digital transformation sweeping across sectors, and also includes new regulatory aspects and tools for ICT regulators to consider when making regulatory decisions.
The inclusivity of the ITU standardisation platform is supported by ITU’s Bridging the Standardization (BSG) Programme, as well as regional groups within ITU-T SGs. The BSG hands-on SG effectiveness training builds awareness and understanding of standardisation activities and working methods in highly interactive workshops and webinars, and Guidelines for National Standardization Secretariats (NSS) assist developing countries in developing the practical skills and national procedures required to maximise the effectiveness of their participation. In addition, ongoing enhancements to ITU-T electronic working methods and language support, coupled with fellowship opportunities for experts from developing countries, foster inclusivity in major standards-making meetings. Specific projects, sponsored by voluntary contributions from members, focus on emerging technology issues such as ethics, risks, governance, regulatory and legal aspects of AI/standardisation issues.
Digital services and applications
The Digital Services and Applications programme offers member states the tools to leverage digital technology and ICT applications to address their most pressing needs and bring real impact to people, with an emphasis on increasing availability and extending services in areas such as digital health, digital agriculture, digital government, and digital learning, as well as cross-sectoral initiatives to accelerate sustainable development such as smart villages.
To effectively harness digital services and applications for socio-economic development, the programme facilitates:
development of a national sectoral digital strategy (including toolkits, guidelines, capacity building, action plans, and evaluations);
deployment of innovative digital services and applications to improve the delivery of value-added services, leveraging strategic partnerships as catalysts;
knowledge and best practice sharing through studies, research, and awareness raising, connecting stakeholders in converging ecosystems;
addressing emerging technology trends – such as big data and AI – by collecting and sharing best practices.
Digital ecosystems
ITU works on helping member states create and mature their digital innovation ecosystems. The Digital Ecosystem Thematic Priority has created a framework to help countries develop appropriate ICT-centric innovation policies, strategies, and programmes; share evidence-based best practices; and implement bankable projects to close the digital innovation gap. Countries are empowered to develop an environment that is conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship, where advances in new technologies become a key driver for the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Connect 2030 Agenda.
ITU assists member states through its events, courses, publications, toolkits, and provision of technical advice. Its Ecosystem Development Projects initiative, for example, provides holistic advisory services including ecosystem diagnosis, risk assessment, good practice transfer, and capacity building. Events include its national and regional innovation forums, which bring ecosystem stakeholders together to equip them with the skills to build their national innovation ecosystems; the ITU Innovation Challenges, which identify the best ICT innovators from around the world and equip them with skills to scale their ideas to truly impact their communities; courses on developing and maturing ecosystems (available at the ITU Academy); and Digital Innovation Profiles, which provide asnapshot of a country’s ecosystem status, allowing them to identify and fill the gaps using ITU tools and expertise.egional Innovation Forums, which bring ecosystem stakeholders together to equip them with the skills to build their national innovation ecosystems; the ITU Innovation Challenges, which identify the best ICT innovators from around the world and equip them with skills to scale their ideas to truly impact their communities; courses on developing and maturing ecosystems (available at the ITU Academy); and Digital Innovation Profiles, which provide a snapshot of a country’s ecosystem status and allowing them to identify and fill the gaps using ITU tools and expertise.
Sustainable development
ITU, as the UN specialised agency for ICTs, continues to support its membership and contribute to the worldwide efforts to advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve its SDGs.
The 17 SDGs and their 169 related targets offer a holistic vision for the UN system. The role and contribution of ICTs as essential catalysts to fast-forward achievement of the SDGs is clearly highlighted and has come into focus since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Infrastructure, connectivity, and ICTs have demonstrated their great contribution and potential to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divides, and develop digital societies.
ITU has a key role to play in realising its main goals of universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation, in contributing to achieving the SDGs. ITU contributes to the achievement of the SDGs with four levels of involvement:
ICTs as an enabler: ITU can be seen as a contributor to all SDGs through the benefits that ICTs bring to societies and economies.
Focus: SDGs with no specific reference to ICTs but where ITU has demonstrated a clear impact through the benefits ICTs bring to specific sectors and activities (e.g. e-health, digital inclusion, smart cities, e-waste, climate change). These are SDGs 1, 3, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
Key focus: SDGs where ITU has a particularly strong impact due to its initiatives, and is the custodian of some indicators. These are SDG 4 (Quality Education), with its Target 4b to ‘… expand globally the number of scholarships, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and ICTs, technical, engineering and scientific programmes…’; and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), Target 5.b on ‘…the use of enabling technology, in particular ICTs, to promote the empowerment of women’. Indicator 5b.1 on the ownership of mobile phones, by sex.
Main key focus: SDGs where ITU maximises its contribution, such as SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals). Here, ITU is also the custodian of related Target 9.c on ‘…. ICTs to provide universal and affordable access to the internet…’; and its Indicator 9c.1 on coverage by a mobile network and by technology, as well as Target 17.8 to ‘….enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology’; and its Indicator 17.8.1 about individuals using the internet.
The ITU Connect 2030 Agenda is specifically dedicated to leveraging telecommunications/ICTs, including broadband, for sustainable development. The agenda is built around five goals: growth, inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation, and partnership. In addition, ITU-D works on fostering international cooperation on telecommunications and ICT development issues, and enhancing environmental protection, climate change adaptation, emergency telecommunications, and disaster mitigation and management efforts through telecommunications and ICTs. These and other related issues are explored in reports, guidelines, and recommendations produced by ITU-D SGs.
Additionally, ITU-T SGs such as ITU-T SG5 on Environment, EMF, and the Circular Economy is the lead SG and develops standards on circular economy and e-waste management, ICTs related to the environment, energy efficiency, clean energy, and sustainable digitalisation for climate actions, which help achieve the SDGs.
A list of ITU-R publications in response to Resolution ITU-R 61-3 on ‘ITU-R’s contribution in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ is available online.
The ITU strategic plan is aligned with the WSIS Action Lines and SDGs. Since 2015, the WSIS process has been aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure that ICTs play the enabling role in advancing the SDGs.
Inclusive finance
Within the work of ITU, the issues related to inclusive finance are addressed as ‘Digital Financial Services (DFS)’.
ITU has built a substantial programme of work in support of digital financial inclusion. ITU standards for digital finance address the security of telecommunications infrastructure (Signalling System No. 7 (SS7)) vulnerabilities, SIM vulnerabilities and SIM fraud and the security of mobile payments applications, process for managing risks, threats, and vulnerabilities for digital finance service providers, assessing the quality of service of mobile networks to improve reliability and user experience for digital financial services and methodology for auditing the security of mobile payment applications in order to assess their level of security assurance through the DFS Security Lab. They provide for a high quality service and user experience, and safeguard security to build trust in digital finance.
Pursuant to WTSA Resolution 89, ITU has implemented several activities aimed at enhancing the use of ICTs in bridging the financial inclusion gap through the following:
The Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI)
ITU-T study groups and focus groups work on standardisation activities related to digital financial services
Standardisation activities in the ITU-T study groups related to digital financial services include the following:
ITU-T SG3 approved, Recommendation ITU-T D.263, ‘Costs, charges and competition for mobile financial services (MFSs)’ in May 2019. Additionally, the following reports of the Focus Group on Digital Financial Services (FG-DFS) were published as ITU-T SG3 technical reports:
DSTR-DFSECO: Digital financial services – The Digital Financial Services Ecosystem
DSTR-DFSREG: Digital financial services – Regulation in the Digital Financial Services Ecosystem
DSTR-DFSSNDL: Digital financial services – Impact of Social Networks on Digital Liquidity
DSTR-DFSCA: Digital financial services – Competition Aspects of DFS
DSTR-DFSRP: The Regulator’s Perspective on the Right Timing for Inducing Interoperability
DSTR-DFSPI: Digital financial services – Access to Payment Infrastructures
DSTR-DFSUAAFR: Digital financial services – Review of DFS User Agreements in Africa: A Consumer Protection Perspective
DSTR-DFSCP: Digital Financial Services – Commonly Identified Consumer Protection Themes for Digital Financial Services
DSTR-DFSMR: Digital Financial Services – Main Recommendations
ITU-T SG 12 has developed the following recommendations for quality of service and quality of experience for digital financial services:
Recommendation ITU-T G.1033 highlights important aspects related to quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) that require consideration in the context of digital financial services.
Recommendation ITU-T P.1502 introduces a methodology for testing the quality of experience (QoE) of digital financial services.
Recommendation ITU-T P.1503Extended methodology for cross-country and inter-operator digital financial services QoE testing
The recommendations are based on the results of the ITU-T Focus Group on Digital Financial Services and the FIGI Security, Infrastructure and Trust Working Group.
ITU-T SG 17 has developed the following ITU-T recommendations related to the security of digital financial services based on the reports from the FIGI Security, Infrastructure, and Trust Working Group.
Recommendation ITU-T X.1150 – Security assurance framework for digital financial services (March 2024)
New recommendations determined at the SG 17 meeting in September 2024:
New Recommendation ITU-T X.1456 (X.sgdfs-us): Security guidelines for digital financial service (DFS) applications based on unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) and subscriber identification module tool kit (STK)
New Recommendation ITU-T X.1284 (X.afotak): Authentication framework based on one-time authentication key using distributed ledger technology
ITU-T SG11 agreed on the technical reports:
ITU-T QSTR-SS7-DFS (2019): SS7 vulnerabilities and mitigation measures for digital financial services transactions based on the report approved by the FIGI Security, Infrastructure and Trust Working Group
ITU-T QSTR-USSD (2021): Low resource requirement, quantum resistant, encryption of USSD messages for use in financial services
ITU-T SG 11 published recommendations and new work items, which are ongoing on digital financial services, include:
ITU-T Q.3062 (2022): Signalling procedures and protocols for enabling interconnection between trustable network entities in support of existing and emerging networks
ITU-T Q.3063 (2022) : Signalling procedures of calling line identification authentication
The ITU Digital Financial Services (DFS) Security Lab was set up in 2021 as an outcome of FIGI, with the main objective to collaborate with DFS regulators in emerging economies to adopt the DFS security recommendations (also developed under FIGI) and to provide technical support to DFS regulators in conducting security audits of mobile payment applications used in their country. The DFS Security Lab has organised some 35 DFS Security Clinics attended by over 1,500 participants from emerging economies. The security clinics are aimed at providing an overview of the ITU DFS security recommendations to the regulators from the telecom and financial services regulators, mobile network operators, and DFS providers.
In addition, the knowledge transfer programme of the DFS Security Lab provides technical assistance to regulators in emerging economies to set up the DFS Security Lab in their country, implement the DFS security recommendations including ITU-T X.1150 Recommendation and assist the staff of the regulators to be able to conduct the security audits of mobile payment apps based on the standard methodology of the DFS Security Lab.
The following telecom regulators have so far benefited from technical assistance for knowledge transfer for the DFS Security Lab: Peru, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Lucia. The knowledge transfer programme for these countries is ongoing in 2025. In addition, new requests were received from South Sudan, Lesotho, Eswatini, Gabon, and Burkina Faso in 2025. In 2023, the DFS Security Lab developed a cyber resilience self-assessment framework for critical infrastructure for DFS aimed at regulators to conduct evaluation of the level of cyber resilience of critical infrastructure for digital finance.
In 2020, ITU organised the Insights on Digital Financial Services Webinar Series with the objective of providing insights on the innovative applications of telecommunications services, digital payments, and fintech in addressing COVID-triggered social distancing and lockdown, and sharing lessons learned from governments and DFS stakeholders on the measures they are implementing. Twelve webinars were held between May and December 2020, attracting over 1,000 unique participants from 105 countries. The webinars focused on topics such as digital identity, strong authentication technologies, security of digital financial transactions, handling fraud and scams, tracking digital financial crimes and fraud, digital credit technologies, mitigating telecom infrastructure vulnerabilities for digital finance, and central bank digital currency.
ITU works to develop policies, standards, frameworks, and guidelines for the efficient disposal of e-waste in order to achieve a circular economy. ITU has the mandate to promote awareness of the environmental issues associated with telecommunications/ICT equipment design and encourage energy efficiency and the use of materials in the design and fabrication of telecommunications/ICT equipment that contributes to a clean and safe environment throughout its lifecycle (Res.182 (Rev. Busan, 2014)).
ITU-D has been mandated to assist developing countries in undertaking a proper assessment of the size of e-waste and in initiating pilot projects to achieve environmentally sound management of e-waste through e-waste collection, dismantling, refurbishing, and recycling. To this end, the organisation supports countries in developing national policies on e-waste, and works together with industry partners from the public and private sectors to stimulate coordinated actions towards a circular economy model. ITU-D and ITU-T SGs also explore issues related to ICTs and the environment.
ITU-T has been mandated to pursue and strengthen the development of ITU activities in regard to handling and controlling e-waste from telecommunications and information technology equipment and methods of treating it; and to develop recommendations, methodologies, and other publications relating to sustainable management of e-waste resulting from telecommunications/ICT equipment and products, as well as appropriate guidelines on the implementation of these recommendations. As part of this effort, ITU-T promotes circular economy principles to extend the life cycle of ICT products, encourage resource efficiency, and minimise waste generation.ITU-T SG5 on Environment, EMF, and the Circular Economy is the lead ITU-T SG on the circular economy and e-waste management.
ITU-T SG5 has a dedicated Question (Q7/5) on ‘E-waste, circular economy, and sustainable supply chain management’. This Question seeks to address the e-waste challenge by identifying the environmental requirements of digital technologies including IoT, end-user equipment, and ICT infrastructures or installations, based on the circular economy principles and improving the supply chain management in line with SDG 12, target 12.5 to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse by 2030.
As part of this work, Q7/5 is developing the Digital Product Passport (DPP), a tool designed to enhance transparency and traceability of ICT products by providing key environmental and material data throughout their life cycle, facilitating sustainable resource management and circularity. Additionally, ITU-T contributes to global efforts through its engagement in the Digitalization for Circular Economy (D4CE) initiative, led by the OnePlanet Network, which explores how digital technologies can optimise resource use, improve material flows, and support sustainable business models to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Rights of persons with disabilities
ITU works both to promote globally ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities and to make ITU a more accessible organisation for persons with disabilities – Resolution 175 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022).
Globally, ITU has continued conducting technical work in ITU-R, ITU-T, and ITU-D SGs, advancing the use of telecommunications and ICTs for persons with disabilities; and developing resources to support member states in establishing environments that ensure accessible telecommunications/ICTs – work conducted with the participation of persons with disabilities and aligned with the Connect 2030 Agenda. ITU-D advanced regional initiatives linked to ICT accessibility, with projects, training, and events, and provided support to ITU administrations in almost every region, including organising Accessible Americas and Accessible events. More information is available here.
Within the second area of focus, ITU has made progress in implementing its ITU Accessibility Policy for persons with disabilities, with an updated version endorsed by theITU Council 2021.
ITU-D Study Question 7/1 continues to focus on telecommunications/ICT accessibility to enable inclusive communication, especially for persons with disabilities for 2022–2025, as agreed at WTDC–22.
The year 2021 released SG Question 7/1 report (available free of charge in all UN official languages) with its accompanying video and the focused workshop and webinar confirm the careful attention given to this topic.
ITU-R continues its work in response to Resolution ITU-R 67-2 on ‘Telecommunications/ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities and persons with specific needs’. Further information on the work carried out by the Intersector Rapporteur Group Audiovisual Media Accessibility (IRG-AVA), can be found here.
ITU’s work on accessibility includes regional events, ICT accessibility assessment, and the publication of new resources and handbooks. ITU has developed capacity-building materials to promote the adoption of accessible solutions, including 15 video tutorials on the development and remediation of accessible digital content.
ITU has organised regional events that allow ITU members and stakeholders to share good practices and challenges, and to help develop digitally inclusive societies in these regions.
Accessible Arab Region: ICT for ALL, Egypt, 2021, in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA). Participants identified ways forward to implement and mainstream digital accessibility, showing how technology can ensure inclusiveness and empowerment of all.
Accessible Americas: ICT for ALL, Cuba 2021, featured discussions with policymakers and stakeholders on ICT/digital accessibility in the context of COVID-19.
Accessible Africa, virtual, 2021. Five online, interactive workshops sought to strengthen the capacity of 175 regional focal points from 42 African countries on ICT/digital accessibility.
Accessible Europe: ICT for ALL 2021, virtual, 2021. Over 240 participants from more than 40 countries discussed how to remove barriers to enable the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, through cooperation, programmes, and training.
Accessible Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): In 2021, the CIS Region has shown increased interest in ICT accessibility implementation to ensure equal digital empowerment through ICT.
Assessing and monitoring the implementation of ICT accessibility
WSIS Forum 2021: ICTs and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and Specific Needs
WSIS Forum 2021 featured ICTs and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and Specific Needs, with virtual workshops on innovative technologies, bringing together experts and stakeholders to discuss how to leverage ICTs to help people with blindness and vision impairment and how to provide inclusive education for all – showcasing emerging assistive technologies.
ITU contributed to the first-ever celebration of Universal Design Day in 2021.
ITU shared its expertise on ICT accessibility and disability inclusion with 131 UN Country Team representatives during two webinars on ICT and Digital Accessibility, held virtually in 2021.
Making ITU a more accessible organisation for persons with disabilities
ITU continues to ensure accessibility to persons with disabilities, including staff, delegates, and the general public.
To ensure the structure and content of ITU websites, videos, publications, digital documents, and digital information are all digitally accessible, training events were under preparation (held in February 2022).
To provide fully accessible ITU events, an invitation to bid for the provision of real-time captioning was completed in November 2021. Proposals for captioning in French, Spanish, and Chinese have been submitted.
In 2019, ITU provided captioning across ITU events and major conferences, sign language interpretation at selected ITU-T accessibility meetings and in making ITU websites accessible. ITU has also modified its internal production to generate accessible publications in the six official languages.
COVID-19: Ensuring digital information is accessible to all
In March 2020, ITU issued COVID Guidelines on How to Develop Inclusive Digital Information Products and Services through different digital platforms, in all six official UN languages. The guidelines contain messages and concrete actions to support policymakers and communicators in ensuring that COVID-related messages and vital digital information are accessible to all people, including persons with disabilities. These ITU guidelines were globally disseminated and translated into 22 other languages within the framework of the UN joint COVID-19 response and recovery emergency working group on the health workstream.
Within the work of ITU, gender rights online is addressed as ‘Gender digital divide‘.
ITU is involved in activities aimed at promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through ICTs.
ITU is the custodian of three gender-related SDG indicators: the proportion of individuals who (1) own a mobile phone; (2) use the internet; and (3) have ICT skills. ITU’s Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures 2021 shows that, in all regions, the gender internet divide has been narrowing in recent years, and calls for more action on cultural, financial, and skills-related barriers that impede internet uptake among women. ITU has launched several targeted efforts to bridge the gender digital divide and advance the Connect 2030 Agenda. Below are some highlights of ITU’s work on gender.
Together with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations University (UNU), the GSMA, and the International Trade Centre (ITC), ITU has launched the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age with over 100 partners working together to ensure that women are given access, are equipped with skills, and develop the leadership potential to work in the ICT industry. Under this initiative, ITU contributes with the annual flagship event, the EQUALS in Tech Awards. The awards are presented every year to organisations and individuals working to help girls and women gain equal internet access, learn digital skills, and find opportunities in the tech industry. The initiative is dedicated to encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs.
The African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) was launched in Africa in collaboration with UN Women and the African Union Commission (AUC) with the aim to train and empower girls and young women aged 17 to 20 across Africa to become computer programmers, creators, and designers. The initiative has also been launched in the Americas region with a focus on equipping girls with coding skills and generating interest in the pursuit of ICT careers.
Through a new global initiative on Women in Digital Business, ITU partners with the ILO and Microsoft Philanthropies to equip women entrepreneurs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with digital and entrepreneurial skills. The ‘train-the-trainer’ model has reached over 25,000 women, supporting inclusive online business growth.
ITU WRC-19 also adopted a declaration that promotes gender equality, equity, and parity in the work of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector.
The Radiocommunication Assembly 2023 (RA-23) adopted Resolution ITU-R 72 on ‘Promoting gender equality and equity and bridging the contribution and participation gap between women and men in ITU-R activities’.
Network of Women (NoW): Encouraging gender balance
Encouraging and tracking gender-balanced representation and nominations of women for key roles strengthens women’s participation in ITU meetings. The aim is to build a community where female delegates can network, share their experience, and promote the participation of women – increasing their visibility, empowering them, and encouraging experienced female delegates to mentor ICT professionals in the digital space.
ITU promotes the active participation of women in ITU events and through the Network of Women (NoW) initiatives in each of its three sectors: ITU-R (radiocommunications), ITU-T (standardisation), and ITU-D (development). These efforts aim to increase women’s participation in technical meetings and leadership roles, with activities such as dedicated global campaigns like NOW4WRC27, NOW4WTSA24 , and initiatives such as NOW4WRC27 Mentoring Programme, theEmpowering Women Leaders Mentorship Programme for WTDC-25 in the run-up to key ITU governing conferences. ITU monitors women’s participation in events and activities through the gender dashboard.
ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan-Martin is a member of the Global Board of the International Gender Champions (IGC), a high-level network driving systemic change through concrete actions.
Capacity-building that empowers indigenous communities through technology
Capacity-building training for indigenous communities has empowered indigenous people and communities through technology. The training is tailored to needs and interests and has taken into account self-sustainability aspects and cultural legacy.
The programme has reached 70 indigenous participants throughout the Americas, 21 of whom have completed the full programme – from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru. Thirty per cent of participants are indigenous women.
The course Technical Promoters in Telecommunications and Broadcasting in Indigenous Communities requires one year of study and trains indigenous professionals in maintaining indigenous networks from infrastructure to communication delivery. The module boosts the professional development of professionals and their ability to contribute to their communities’ socio-economic development and self-sustainability.
Working for digital inclusion for older people-raising awareness and building resources
For the first time, ITU has addressed digital inclusion for older people by raising awareness on the topic, leveraging the capacity of ITU members and stakeholders, providing policy and strategy guidelines, and developing resources to support global efforts to overcome this socio-economic challenge.
Resources supporting older persons in the digital world.
A video tutorial covering ageing in a digital world, with captions in all UN languages.
The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2022 (WTISD 2022) was dedicated to the theme: Digital technologies for older persons and healthy ageing.
The ITU Youth Strategy ensures the participation of youth in ITU in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The strategy is built on three pillars: creating a community of young leaders, bringing young people together to engage with ITU and members, and fostering participation in ITU activities. More than 40 Youth Task Force members across ITU are coordinating efforts to implement the ITU Youth Strategy.
The initiatives detailed below have been implemented as part of the ITU Youth Strategy and as part of its continued commitment to engaging and empowering young people in the digital development agenda.
The Robotics for Good Youth Challenge is a global educational robotics championship that invites students aged 10 to 18 to develop AI and robotics-based solutions for global challenges. In the 2024-2025 edition, participants simulate a disaster response scenario using robotics and compete in a global challenge organised by ITU, with the grand finale taking place at the AI for Good Global Summit 2025. This programme offers a unique entry point into STEM disciplines while fostering the problem-solving and teamwork skills that are critical for the next generation of digital leaders. Over 7,000 participants from twenty countries are taking part in the first edition of the global competition, 35% of whom are from least developed countries.
The AI for Good Youth Zone at the AI for Good Global Summit 2024 hosted practical workshops and hands-on sessions focused on AI and robotics. Bringing together educators, students, and professionals, nine workshops were facilitated by 11 partners over two days, attracting 300 participants, including children and professionals. The Youth Zone provided interactive and collaborative learning experiences, covering topics from AI EdTech robots to disaster robotics and autonomous vehicles. Workshops by EPFL provided hands-on experience with AI, computer vision, and machine learning, demonstrating how smart cars detect and analyse their environment. Overall, the AI for Good Youth Zone provided a dynamic and engaging platform for participants to learn, collaborate, and explore the exciting world of AI and robotics.
The ITUAI/ML Challenge is a flagship collaborative platform that enables students, researchers, and developers to design and test AI models in various real-world use cases, including communication networks, Geospatial AI, and other domains. Through real-world problem statements and open datasets, participants are guided to explore the frontier of machine learning in ICT infrastructure, strengthening their technical capacities while contributing to ITU’s standards development work. In 2024, there were a total of 13 challenge problem statements, and a total of 4,196 participants joined these problem statements, contributing more than 30,000 submissions.
The Young AI Leaders Community is a platform launched during WTSA-24 to foster youth participation and leadership in driving the AI revolution, bringing together young people aged 18-30 who leverage AI to drive positive change in their communities. It provides a platform for sharing knowledge, developing skills, and collaborating. With 89 hubs across 46 countries and over 300 members operating on a voluntary basis, this network fosters engagement in joint AI for Good activities and projects that extend beyond individual hubs. It also promotes regional and cross-regional collaborations, aligning local actions and initiatives with the broader goals of AI for Good.
The AI for Good Innovation Factory’s special edition Meet Young Innovators Revolutionizing Agrifood Systems in the Global South, was convened in partnership with the World Food Forum (WFF) to spotlight entrepreneurial youth using digital innovation to tackle challenges in agriculture and food systems. This pitch competition provided a stage for youth-led startups to pitch their AI-based solutions to a global audience of investors, policymakers, and partners, reinforcing the role of innovation in solving the world’s pressing issues and empowering young people to be active drivers of transformation.
TheMetaverse Think-a-Thon 2024, organised by ITU in collaboration with UNICC, FAO, and IAEA, challenged students and recent graduates to design innovative, technology-driven solutions for smart, sustainable cities and communities. Participants developed virtual simulations addressing global challenges in education, disaster preparedness, conflict resolution, and urban sustainability, advancing the UN SDGs.
The 1st UN Citiverse Challenge, launched on 13 February 2025 and co-organised by ITU alongside 16 global partners, invites students and startups to reimagine the future through the citiverse and digital public infrastructure. Focusing on access to public services, sustainability and resilience, and tourism and digital culture, participants are challenged to design bold, innovative solutions that will shape the cities of tomorrow and drive inclusive, technology-driven urban transformation.
The Generation Connect Visionaries Board offers guidance to ITU on its youth-related work. The Board, composed of ITU representatives, eight young leaders, and eight high-level appointees, advises on the Youth Summit and the Youth Strategy.
Road to Addis Series – Digital Inclusion and Youth Events
In 2020, ITU organised the International Centre of Digital Innovation (I-CoDI) Youth Challenge on connecting the unconnected. Winning pitches focused on technology and network development, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, climate change and environment, and capacity building.
ITU: Current co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development
In March 2021, ITU was the co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD) with a one-year mandate. The Network increases the effectiveness of UN work in youth development by strengthening collaboration and exchange across UN entities.
Capacity Building on Meaningful Youth Engagement
Training on Meaningful Youth Engagement for UN staff was delivered to ITU staff in 2020; 174 ITU staff attended, including top management, members of the ITU Youth Task Force, and professional and administrative staff. This training was followed by two Pitch for Youth workshops in 2020, where teams proposed ideas to an ITU jury on youth engagement initiatives.
Collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
ITU works with the Office of the Envoy on Youth to align the ITU Youth Strategy with the United Nations Youth Strategy: Youth 2030. ITU has engaged with the UN Youth Envoy in various ways, including the co-creation of the Digital Technology session of the #YouthLead Innovation Festival and collaboration on how online efforts are helping improve children’s online safety.
The WSIS process was initiated by ITU in 1998, and it led the organisation of the 2003 and 2005 summits in coordination with the UN system. In line with its mandate and the WSIS outcome documents, ITU continues to play a key lead coordination role in WSIS implementation and follow-up.
The WSIS Forum represents the world’s largest annual gathering of the ICT for development community. Co-organised by ITU, UNESCO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line Facilitators/Co-Facilitator, the forum has proven to be an efficient mechanism for coordinating multistakeholder implementation activities, exchanging information, creating knowledge, and sharing best practices. It continues to provide assistance in developing multistakeholder and public/private partnerships to advance development goals. The forum provides structured opportunities to network, learn, and participate in multistakeholder discussions and consultations on WSIS implementation.
The ITU Contribution to the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes is an annual comprehensive report on ITU activities in the WSIS context from all three sectors of the organisation (radiocommunications, standardisation, and development sectors) and the General Secretariat on the activities implemented during the respective year. The report provides updates on the tasks carried out by ITU at the operational and policy levels, covering all assigned mandates with reference to the WSIS process.
ITU plays a leading facilitating role in the WSIS implementation process, in collaboration with more than 30 UN agencies in creating an environment for just and equal information and knowledge societies. As per Resolution 1332 (modified 2019), the ITU membership resolved to use the WSIS framework as the foundation through which it helps the world to leverage ICTs in achieving the 2030 Agenda, within its mandate and within the allocated resources in the financial plan and biennial budget, noting the WSIS- SDG Matrix developed by UN agencies. This close interlink between the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs and targets can serve as an important basis for work on relevant areas outlined in relevant ongoing processes, for example, UN SGs Our Common Agenda, etc.
ITU’s role in the WSIS process, highlighting the varying role along the WSIS Action Lines:
ITU is the sole facilitator for three different WSIS Action Lines: C2 (Information and communication infrastructure), C5 (Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs), and C6 (Enabling environment).
ITU has also taken the lead role in facilitating WSIS Action Line C4 (Capacity building).
ITU contributes to all the remaining WSIS Action Lines facilitated by other WSIS stakeholders.
The WSIS-SDG Matrix developed by UN WSIS Action Line Facilitators serves as the mechanism to map, analyse, and coordinate the implementation of WSIS Action Lines, and more specifically, ICTs as enablers and accelerators of the SDGs. This mapping exercise draws direct links between the WSIS Action Lines and the proposed SDGs to continue strengthening the impact of ICTs for sustainable development. Building on the Matrix, the Agenda and outcomes of the WSIS Forum are clearly linked to WSIS Action lines and the SDGs, highlighting the impact and importance of ICTs for sustainable development.
The WSIS Stocktaking Process provides a register of activities – including projects, programmes, training initiatives, conferences, websites, guidelines, and toolkits – carried out by governments, international organisations, the private sector, civil society, and other entities. To that end, in accordance with paragraph 120 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by WSIS, ITU has been maintaining the WSIS Stocktaking Database since 2004 as a publicly accessible system providing information on ICT-related initiatives and projects with reference to the 11 WSIS action lines (Geneva Plan of Action). The principal role of the WSIS Stocktaking exercise is to leverage the activities of stakeholders working on the implementation of WSIS outcomes and share knowledge and experience of projects by replicating successful models designed to achieve the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The WSIS Prizes contest was developed in response to requests from WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism for evaluating projects and activities that leverage the power of ICTs to advance sustainable development. Since its inception, WSIS Prizes has attracted more than 350,000 stakeholders. Following the outcomes of the UN General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS (Res. A/70/125) that called for a close alignment between the WSIS process and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Res. A/70/1), WSIS Prizes continues to serve as the unique global platform to identify and showcase success stories in the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs.
UNGIS is the UN system’s inter-agency mechanism for advancing policy coherence and programme coordination on matters related to ICTs in support of internationally agreed development goals. Established in 2006 after WSIS, its mandate includes promoting collaboration and partnerships among members of the Chief Executives Board (CEB) to contribute to the achievement of the WSIS goals, providing guidance on issues related to inclusive information and knowledge societies, helping maintain issues related to science and technology at the top of the UN Agenda, and mainstreaming ICT for Development in the mandate of CEB members.
UNGIS remains committed and has contributed to the alignment of the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs.
ITU also works in close collaboration with the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and in 2022 announced a first-ever set of targets for universal and meaningful digital connectivity to be achieved by 2030.
The universal meaningful connectivity targets were developed as part of the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and aim to provide concrete benchmarks for sustainable, inclusive global progress in specified action areas, such as (1) Universality, (2) Technology, and (3) Affordability. These 15 aspirational targets are meant to help countries and stakeholders prioritise interventions, monitor progress, evaluate policy effectiveness, and galvanise efforts around achieving universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030. They are also meant as a contribution towards the Global Digital Compact, as proposed in the UN Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda. A first assessment of how the world currently stands in relation to the targets is available on ITU’s website here.
Kaleidoscope academic conferences
Kaleidoscope is the ITU flagship event for academia, which brings together a wide range of views from universities, industry, and research institutions across different fields to identify emerging trends in technologies for a digital and sustainable transformation that can benefit humanity. Selected papers are presented at the conference and published in the Conference Proceedings and IEEE Xplore Digital Library. By viewing technologies through a kaleidoscope, these forward-looking events also seek to identify new topics for ITU’s work. Kaleidoscope 2024 on Innovation and digital transformation for a sustainable world was held in parallel with the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2024 (WTSA-24), on 21-23 October, in New Delhi, India. This 15th Kaleidoscope edition also highlighted the role of youth in global standards development and the urgency of connecting the last one-third of the world’s population that is not yet online.
The next edition will be held in Geneva in conjunction with the AI for Good Summit in 2026.
ITU Journal
The scholarly ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies (ITU J-FET) provides complete coverage of all communications and networking paradigms. ITU J-FETl considers yet-to-be-published papers addressing fundamental and applied research. It shares new techniques and concepts, analyses, and tutorials, as well as learning from experiments and physical and simulated testbeds. It also discusses the implications of the latest research results for policy and regulation, legal frameworks, the economy, and society. This publication builds bridges between disciplines, connects theory with application, and stimulates international dialogue. Its interdisciplinary approach reflects ITU’s comprehensive field of interest and explores the convergence of ICT with other disciplines.
Under the umbrella of the ITU Journal, a series of webinars has been launched to feature highly cited academics, CTOs, and industry leaders, sharing their pioneering studies and visions, as well as their impactful life lessons learned over the years that might be useful for students and young researchers starting their career in the ICT field. This special series is designed to expand synergies between academia and industry R&D, placing emphasis on 5G and 6G and increasing network intelligence. The recordings are available at the ITU Journal Webinars Series playlist on YouTube.
ITU-Tsinghua University Joint Journal
The Intelligent and Converged Networks (ICN) Journal focuses on the latest developments in communication technology. ICN is co-published by Tsinghua University Press (TUP) and ITU. The journal draws its name from the accelerating convergence of different fields of communication technology and the growing influence of AI and machine learning. An open-access quarterly publication, ICN was launched in 2020. All issues can be downloaded for free at the journal’s online library and on IEEE Xplore. The Journal is indexed in the following databases: Ei Compendex, Scopus, DOAJ, and Inspec.
Digital tools
Conferencing technologies
Various platforms used for online meetings: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and ITU’s MyMeetings platform.
The value of ITU-T’s advanced electronic working environment was highlighted in 2020. Virtual meetings and electronic working methods have come to form the principal platform for ITU standardisation work as part of the global response to COVID-19. ITU members engaged in standard development are making optimal use of ITU’s personalised MyWorkspace platform and associated services and tools (e.g. MyMeetings).
The IEC is the world leader in preparing international standards for all electrical, electronic, and related technologies. A global, not-for-profit membership organisation, the IEC provides a neutral and independent institutional framework to around 170 countries, coordinating the work of some 30,000 experts. We administer four IEC Conformity Assessment Systems, representing the largest working multilateral agreement based on the one-time testing of products globally. The members of each system certify that devices, systems, installations, services, and people perform as required.
IEC international standards represent a global consensus of state-of-the-art know-how and expertise. Together with conformity assessment, they are foundational for international trade.
IEC standards incorporate the needs of many stakeholders in every participating country and form the basis for testing and certification. Experts come from both developed and developing countries. Each member country and all its stakeholders represented through the IEC National Committees have one vote and a say in what goes into an IEC international standard.
Our work is used to verify the safety, performance, and interoperability of electric and electronic devices and systems such as mobile phones, refrigerators, office and medical equipment, or electricity generation. It also helps accelerate digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), or virtual reality applications, protects information technology (IT) and critical infrastructure systems from cyberattacks and increases the safety of people and the environment.
Digital activities
The IEC works to ensure that its activities have a global reach to meet all the challenges of digital transformation worldwide. The organisation covers an array of digital policy issues. IEC international standards and conformity assessment play a crucial role in shaping global AI and digital policies by providing a structured, collaborative, and consensus-driven framework that addresses technical, ethical, and governance challenges.
Digital policy issues
Artificial intelligence
AI applications are driving digital transformation across diverse industries, including energy, healthcare, smart manufacturing, transport, and other strategic sectors that rely on IEC Standards and Conformity Assessment Systems. AI technologies allow insights and analytics that go far beyond the capabilities of legacy analytic systems.
For example, the digital transformation of the grid enables increased automation, making it more efficient and able to seamlessly integrate fluctuating renewable energy sources. IEC standards pave the way for the use of a variety of digital technologies relating to intelligent energy. They deal with issues such as the integration of renewable energies into the electrical network and increased automation.
A joint IEC and ISO technical committee on AI, JTC1/SC 42, brings together technology experts, as well as ethicists, lawyers, social scientists, and others to develop generic and foundational standards (horizontal standards). IEC experts focus on sector-specific needs (vertical standards) and conformity assessment. The committee currently has 41 published standards and 48 under development, covering areas including data quality, trustworthiness, bias, explainability, functional safety, and risks in generative AI systems.
JTC 1/SC 42 addresses concerns about the use and application of AI technologies. Governance standards in AI and the big data analytics business process framework address how the technologies can be governed and overseen from a management perspective. International standards in the areas of trustworthiness, ethics, and societal concerns will ensure responsible deployment.
IEC also participates in the World Standards Cooperation (WSC), a high-level collaboration with ISO and ITU. Under the WSC, the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards (AMAS) initiative works to protect the integrity of information and foster trust in the digital ecosystem through robust technical standards. The 2025 International AI Standards Summit in Seoul produced a joint statement by IEC, ISO, and ITU committing to incorporate socio-technical dimensions in standards development, strengthen multistakeholder participation, and enhance public-private collaboration on AI capacity building.
Quantum computing
The joint IEC and ISO technical committee for quantum technologies, IEC/ISO JTC 3, is working on standards for all aspects of quantum, including computing, metrology, sources, detectors, communications and fundamental quantum technologies.
Infrastructure
The IEC develops standards for many of the technologies that support digital transformation. Fibre optic cables, sensors, semiconductors, cloud and edge computing are examples.
Cloud computing
The joint ISO/IEC technical committee prepares standards for cloud computing, including distributed platforms and edge devices. The standards cover key requirements relating to data storage and recovery.
Network security and critical infrastructure
The IEC develops cybersecurity standards and conformity assessment for IT and operational technology (OT). Cybersecurity is often understood only in terms of IT, which leaves critical infrastructure, such as power utilities, transport systems, manufacturing plants and hospitals, vulnerable to attacks.
Digital tools
The IEC has developed a number of online tools and services designed to help everyone with their daily activities.
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