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UN leaders at WSIS Forum 2026 showcase coordinated push for inclusive and trusted digital transformation

WSIS+20 mandate puts cooperation at the centre

Leaders from across the United Nations system used the WSIS Forum 2026 to demonstrate how digital technologies and AI are already supporting sustainable development, while stressing that stronger cooperation will be essential to deliver on the renewed WSIS+20 mandate through 2035. The dialogue brought together heads and senior officials from more than a dozen UN agencies, highlighting a shared commitment to building inclusive, trusted, and people-centred digital transformation.

Opening the session, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin reminded participants that, despite two decades of progress, 2.2 billion people remain offline, underscoring the importance of continued cooperation across the UN system.

‘The past 20 years have proven that multistakeholder cooperation works,’ she said, describing the WSIS framework as a platform that continues to unite governments, civil society, academia, the private sector and international organisations around common digital goals.

She challenged the UN system to use technology not only to better serve member states but also to strengthen the organisation itself, arguing that digital transformation should support wider UN reform efforts.

Beyond connectivity: Trust, capacity and governance

A recurring theme throughout the first panel was that digital transformation extends far beyond expanding internet access.

Masahiko Metoki, Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), argued that post offices remain essential digital access points, particularly in rural communities. While postal operators increasingly provide e-commerce, digital financial and government services, he noted that around 100,000 post offices worldwide still lack meaningful internet connectivity, limiting their ability to support local communities.

For WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, digital inclusion is inseparable from public health.

‘The digital divide is a health divide,’ he warned, arguing that countries lacking connectivity, digital skills and governance risk seeing inequalities widen as healthcare becomes increasingly digital.

He highlighted WHO initiatives, including the Global Digital Health Certification Network, which now supports more than 80 countries representing over two billion people, alongside efforts to develop ethical and trustworthy AI for health.

The importance of trustworthy data was echoed by Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), who argued that AI systems are only as reliable as the data underpinning them.

Pointing to WMO’s WIS2 open data platform, now connecting more than 90 countries, Saulo said international cooperation on data sharing remains the foundation for trustworthy AI applications, particularly in weather forecasting and disaster resilience.

‘Weather data is a global public good,’ she said, adding that ‘trustworthy AI does not begin with algorithms but with open data.’

Making digital transformation meaningful

Several speakers argued that connectivity alone is no longer sufficient.

Pedro Manuel Moreno, Acting Secretary-General of UNCTAD, said the real question is whether digital technologies create economic opportunity.

‘The phone in your pocket can either entertain or employ,’ he observed, noting that many people in developing countries primarily use digital devices for social media rather than productive economic activities.

He pointed to UNCTAD’s eTrade for All initiative, which now includes 35 partner organisations, helping developing countries strengthen payments, logistics, legal frameworks and digital entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, Executive Director of UNITAR, introduced the concept of a growing ‘capacity divide’, arguing that countries increasingly need leadership, institutions and policy expertise, not just technology, to benefit from digital transformation.

UNITAR now reaches nearly 600,000 learners across 105 countries annually through executive education, AI governance training and digital capacity-building programmes.

Adding a social perspective, Magdalena Sepúlveda of the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) argued that AI should ultimately be judged by its contribution to society rather than its technical capabilities.

‘Social justice cannot be an afterthought,’ she said, insisting that questions of who benefits, and who risks being left behind, must remain central to AI governance.

From strategy to implementation

The second panel shifted from high-level principles to practical implementation across the UN system.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General Mariya Gabriel highlighted the organisation’s work on AI governance and public-sector capacity-building, noting that more than 35,000 civil servants have completed UNESCO’s AI and Digital Transformation in Government programme.

UNICEF Chief Information Officer Kaan Cetinturk presented Ahead of the Storm, an AI-powered initiative that combines climate forecasts with vulnerability data to help governments better protect the 1.1 billion children exposed to climate hazards by enabling earlier humanitarian action.

Child protection also featured prominently in UNICRI’s presentation. Irakli Beridze, Head of the Centre for AI and Robotics, described the AI for Safer Children initiative, which has trained more than 3,500 law enforcement officers from 60 countries and contributed to rescuing over 100 children and arresting more than 250 offenders involved in online child exploitation.

Other agencies highlighted practical digital innovations already being deployed across the UN system.

The UN Joint Staff Pension Fund presented its digital identity solution, which enables more than 80,000 pensioners across 192 countries to verify their identities remotely, while UNICC showcased shared AI infrastructure designed to help UN agencies safely deploy AI applications in line with common governance standards.

UNOPS demonstrated shared procurement and grant management platforms used across multiple UN agencies, while UNDP outlined how digital transformation has been embedded across its new strategic plan as a cross-cutting accelerator for development.

A shared agenda for the next decade

Despite representing organisations with different mandates, speakers consistently converged around several common priorities.

Trustworthy AI, high-quality data, digital skills, human rights, and stronger institutional cooperation were repeatedly identified as prerequisites for responsible digital transformation. Capacity building emerged as equally important as connectivity, while many participants stressed that digital inclusion must ultimately be measured by improvements in people’s lives rather than technology deployment alone.

Closing the dialogue, Bogdan-Martin said trust had become the common thread linking all contributions, from health and climate to trade, education and public services.

‘The UN system succeeds when we work together,’ she said, describing the WSIS process as proof that coordinated multistakeholder cooperation remains one of the strongest foundations for advancing digital development worldwide.

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

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Experts at WSIS Forum 2026 call for rethinking education in the AI era

AI is forcing educators to rethink not only how students learn but also what skills matter most in the digital age, speakers concluded during a WSIS Forum 2026 session on the future of education. Participants from academia, international organisations, aviation, and student communities agreed that while AI can enhance learning, it cannot replace the human qualities that underpin creativity, critical thinking, and meaningful knowledge creation.

Moderated by Hao Liu, the discussion explored how education systems should evolve as AI becomes increasingly integrated into classrooms and workplaces, drawing on both European and Chinese perspectives on learning.

Storytelling and apprenticeship remain at the heart of learning

Opening the discussion, Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director of Diplo, argued that human learning has historically relied on two fundamental methods, which are apprenticeship, learning by observing others, and storytelling, through which people construct and communicate knowledge.

While AI has the potential to strengthen apprenticeship by supporting practical learning, he warned that it increasingly threatens storytelling. With tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek capable of producing polished essays in minutes, students may bypass the intellectual process of organising ideas, building arguments, and developing their own voice.

‘The question is not whether AI can write an essay,’ Kurbalija suggested. ‘The question is whether we still value the human process of creating one.’

Responding from a Chinese perspective, Hao Liu noted that storytelling has long played a central role in Chinese history as well, helping leaders inspire people and build shared visions. That motivational power, he argued, cannot simply be generated by AI.

Universities should focus on asking better questions

Hong Guan, from the School of Global Governance at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), presented a framework of five ‘meta-capabilities’ that universities should prioritise in the AI era: learning agility, execution capability, communication skills, leadership potential, and critical judgement.

Rather than competing with AI in delivering information, universities should concentrate on helping students evaluate information, solve complex problems, and make sound decisions.

‘AI shouldn’t replace education,’ she said. ‘AI should push us to make education better.’

Guan also described how BIT increasingly relies on oral examinations and project-based learning rather than traditional written exams, making it much harder for students to rely exclusively on AI-generated answers.

Students warn of growing dependence on AI

Some of the session’s strongest interventions came from students themselves.

A Stanford University student described classmates uploading entire textbooks into AI systems shortly before exams, achieving excellent grades while retaining little of what they had supposedly learned.

‘What’s the point of being in school if you’re just going to do this?’ she asked.

More fundamentally, she questioned how future scientific discoveries would emerge if students increasingly relied on AI-generated summaries instead of developing original understanding.

Another student highlighted a different concern, that AI often provides answers that appear convincing even when users lack sufficient background knowledge to evaluate them critically. Instead of accepting AI outputs at face value, students should first clarify what they do not understand and develop questions before turning to AI for assistance.

Several speakers agreed that prompting AI effectively has itself become an important communication skill, but stressed that good prompts cannot substitute for genuine understanding.

Critical thinking becomes more valuable as information becomes cheaper

Drawing on her experience leading digital innovation initiatives at UNIDO, Ana Paula argued that AI is changing the value of human skills rather than eliminating them.

As information becomes abundant and inexpensive through AI, the ability to evaluate competing sources, exercise judgement, and adapt continuously becomes increasingly valuable.

‘Critical thinking is coming at a premium because information is now cheap,’ she observed.

She also challenged the widespread assumption that adaptability is an innate personal characteristic, arguing instead that it can be deliberately developed through continuous learning.

From the aviation sector, former ICAO officials Catalin Radu and Nabil Naoumi echoed the importance of embracing AI while maintaining human oversight. Both described AI as an indispensable professional tool capable of improving productivity, drafting documents, and supporting complex operational decisions, but insisted that human vision, responsibility, and face-to-face collaboration remain irreplaceable.

Humanity’s strengths cannot be automated

Closing the discussion, speakers shifted from practical education reform towards broader philosophical questions about humanity’s role in an AI-driven world.

Maricela Muñoz argued that curiosity, compassion, creativity, and ingenuity remain uniquely human qualities that should anchor education and professional development. Technology, she said, should free people from routine work rather than diminish opportunities for reflection and innovation.

Kurbalija concluded by describing AI as ‘a mirror’ that reveals what makes people uniquely human. Drawing on philosophical and religious traditions from around the world, he argued that education should not aim to optimise students into machine-like efficiency but instead preserve the human capacity for imperfection, reflection, and independent thought.

Across the discussion, speakers reached broad agreement that AI will continue transforming education, but its success will ultimately depend on whether schools and universities place greater emphasis on critical thinking, storytelling, adaptability, and lifelong learning, skills that remain fundamentally human despite rapid advances in AI.

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

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WSIS Forum 2026 opens with calls to turn digital commitments into action

The WSIS Forum 2026 opened in Geneva with a high-level appeal for stronger international cooperation to ensure that AI and digital transformation benefit everyone, not just the countries leading the technology race. Leaders from governments, the UN, academia, and civil society argued that the next phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) must focus on implementing long-standing commitments on connectivity, digital inclusion, and AI governance rather than creating new principles.

Moderated by ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the opening plenary brought together UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, Estonian President Alar Karis, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, and AI Academy Asia CEO Bolor-Erdene Battsengel to discuss how leadership can shape a more inclusive digital future.

Multilateral cooperation remains essential

Opening the discussion, Annalena Baerbock warned that multilateralism is under increasing pressure, making the recently adopted WSIS+20 consensus resolution an important demonstration that countries can still work together on digital issues.

She argued that AI governance cannot be separated from broader development challenges, stressing that discussions about responsible AI have little meaning where people still lack reliable internet access or electricity.

‘We can have the best AI governance systems in the world, but they will not matter if millions remain disconnected,’ she suggested, pointing to Tanzania’s digital health initiatives, which have connected almost two million people with healthcare services through WSIS-supported projects.

Baerbock also called for stronger cross-regional partnerships and warned that digital inequality increasingly intersects with broader challenges relating to development, peace, and human rights.

Estonia outlines principles for trusted digital governance

President Alar Karis shared Estonia’s experience as one of the world’s most digitally advanced governments, presenting five principles for building trusted digital societies.

According to Karis, digital infrastructure should remain open, secure, and interoperable, while governments should embrace inclusive multistakeholder governance involving the private sector, civil society, academia, and technical communities. He also stressed that human rights must be protected online just as they are offline, digital development should include skills and literacy alongside connectivity, and global initiatives such as WSIS and the Global Digital Compact should reinforce rather than duplicate one another.

Karis also highlighted Estonia’s investments in AI education, noting that all upper secondary school teachers and students are now being introduced to AI tools and literacy as part of a nationwide programme.

Kazakhstan showcases rapid digital transformation

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev outlined his country’s digital transformation strategy, describing digital infrastructure as the foundation for economic growth.

More than 90% of Kazakhstan’s public services are now available online, he said, supported by a digital ecosystem that includes over 2,000 technology companies and dedicated digital leadership across government ministries.

Madiyev also highlighted recent legislative reforms, including a constitutional amendment protecting digital rights and personal data, alongside plans to build one gigawatt of AI computing capacity within the next three to five years.

He argued that AI should increasingly be viewed as basic infrastructure, comparable to electricity, water, and internet connectivity, rather than simply another emerging technology.

Compassion must become part of AI

The session’s strongest moral appeal came from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who challenged participants to think beyond technical capabilities and focus instead on whom AI ultimately serves.

Satyarthi argued that technology is never neutral because it reflects the values of those who create it. He urged developers to embed compassion, justice, and human dignity directly into AI systems, particularly for the benefit of vulnerable children.

One of his most striking proposals was that AI engineers should spend time working with children living in poverty, conflict zones, or remote communities before designing new systems.

‘When they return to their laboratories,’ he suggested, ‘they will write different code.’

His proposal received immediate support from Bolor-Erdene Battsengel, who said she would gladly encourage her own engineers to participate.

AI skills become the new economic infrastructure

Battsengel argued that digital inclusion today depends as much on skills as on connectivity.

Drawing on AI Academy Asia’s work across Mongolia and Central Asia, she described how training around 1,000 teachers enabled those educators to introduce AI tools to approximately 50,000 children living in remote communities.

Rather than treating AI education as a standalone technical programme, she described it as an investment in future economic competitiveness.

‘We no longer simply train people to use AI,’ she explained. ‘We build economic opportunity.’

Kazakhstan similarly reported training around one million people in AI-related skills during the past year and announced plans to launch a dedicated AI University later in 2026.

From dialogue to delivery

Closing speakers from UNESCO, UNCTAD, and UNDP argued that the international community should now shift from discussing digital inclusion to implementing it.

UNESCO stressed that people, not technology, remain at the centre of the WSIS vision, while UNDP highlighted ongoing work supporting national AI strategies and public-sector capacity development across dozens of countries.

Meanwhile, UNCTAD warned that although the world is expected to invest around $800 billion in AI infrastructure this year, most of that investment remains concentrated in a small number of countries. Developing economies, speakers argued, risk arriving ‘after the rules have already been written’ unless international cooperation accelerates.

The session concluded with broad agreement that the next phase of WSIS should focus less on developing new declarations and more on delivering measurable progress in connectivity, AI skills, trusted digital infrastructure, and inclusive governance.

Twenty years after the original WSIS process began, participants agreed that the challenge is no longer defining a vision for an inclusive information society, but ensuring that vision becomes reality.

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

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Australia’s National AI Centre lists Microsoft Copilot training sessions for workers

Australia’s National AI Centre has listed two in-person Microsoft Copilot training sessions in Queensland aimed at helping participants build practical workplace AI skills.

The first session, Intro to Copilot, is scheduled for 7 July from 10:00 to 11:00 at The Precinct in Fortitude Valley. It is designed as an introductory session covering Microsoft Copilot Chat features, strengths and practical workplace uses for people with personal or business accounts.

The second session, Microsoft Copilot Workshop, will be held later the same day from 17:30 to 19:00 at the same venue. It is intended for people who already have access to Copilot at work but use it infrequently or want to build confidence using the tool.

Both Microsoft Copilot training sessions cover the fundamentals of generative AI, Copilot access, interface features, differences between personal and business versions, chat management, prompting techniques, Pages, Agents and responsible AI use. Participants in the workshop are asked to bring a device for hands-on exercises.

The events are hosted by the Queensland Government, with early-bird tickets priced at AUD 25 and general admission at AUD 40. The National AI Centre notes that registration is handled through third-party websites and that it does not endorse or take responsibility for their content.

Why does it matter?

The training sessions reflect a broader shift from introducing generative AI to helping employees use it effectively in day-to-day work. As tools such as Microsoft Copilot become more widely available, organisations are increasingly investing in practical skills such as prompting, workflow integration and responsible AI use.

The initiative also highlights the growing importance of AI literacy as a workforce capability. Building confidence in using AI tools may help organisations improve productivity while encouraging safer and more informed adoption across different sectors.

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AI is reshaping work more through job transformation than job loss, WSIS panel hears

AI is changing the world of work in more complex ways than simply replacing workers, according to experts speaking at the WSIS Forum 2026. Panellists from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) argued that while AI will automate some tasks, its broader impact will be felt through changing job quality, workplace surveillance, recruitment practices and skills requirements, making human-centred policies essential to ensure workers benefit from the digital transition.

The discussion highlighted that governments, employers and workers all have a role in shaping the future of work, with speakers calling for stronger labour protections, social dialogue and investment in digital skills to prevent AI from deepening existing inequalities.

AI is changing tasks and working conditions more than eliminating jobs

Sher Verick, Head of the Employment Strategies Unit in the Employment Policy Department of the ILO, challenged the widespread narrative that AI will trigger mass unemployment. Presenting findings from the ILO’s AI exposure index, he said around one in four workers worldwide are exposed to AI, yet only 3.3% of global employment falls into occupations that are highly vulnerable to automation.

‘The focus shouldn’t only be on job losses,’ Verick argued, explaining that AI is transforming how work is organised rather than simply eliminating occupations. Jobs involving a diverse range of tasks are more likely to change than disappear, while new roles are already emerging across AI supply chains, including data annotation and other support functions.

He stressed that the most significant impact may be on job quality rather than job numbers. Automated recruitment systems, algorithmic task allocation and AI-driven performance monitoring are already reshaping working conditions across sectors, while productivity gains could eventually create new employment opportunities through wider economic growth.

Algorithmic management raises new concerns for workers

Uma Rani Amara, Senior Economist at the Research Department of the ILO, argued that the conversation about AI should extend well beyond generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to include the algorithmic management systems increasingly used across workplaces.

Drawing on examples from manufacturing and healthcare, she explained that AI-powered surveillance tools, CCTV systems and digital performance dashboards are allowing employers to monitor workers more closely than ever before. While companies often present these technologies as efficiency tools, she warned that they can increase workplace stress, intensify workloads and reduce workers’ autonomy.

In hospitals, digital workflow management systems may improve patient scheduling and resource allocation, but they also place nurses and doctors under greater pressure by increasing workload intensity and extending on-call responsibilities. Even commonly used tools such as messaging applications can create new privacy risks when sensitive information is shared outside secure systems.

Rani also drew attention to what she described as AI’s ‘invisible workforce’, the millions of people, largely based in the Global South, who label data, moderate content, and perform other essential tasks that allow AI systems to function.

‘We should stop calling it AI and start calling it ‘human-in-the-loop intelligence’,’ she said, arguing that AI’s apparent autonomy obscures the human labour underpinning every stage of its development.

She called for stronger protections for these workers through measures such as fair labour standards, mandatory disclosure of AI supply chains and certification systems showing where training data originates and under what working conditions it was produced.

Governments must shape the future of work

Juan Chacaltana, Senior Employment Policies Specialist at ILO, argued that technological change should not be viewed as an inevitable force to which societies simply adapt.

‘The future of work should be shaped through policy,’ he said, presenting findings from an ILO review of 75 employment policy documents that found governments increasingly integrating digital technologies into employment services, labour market information systems and skills programmes.

However, he cautioned against viewing digital tools as a solution in themselves. While technologies can help modernise public employment services and support labour market formalisation, they cannot replace traditional drivers of economic development such as productivity growth, investment and strong institutions.

Chacaltana also warned that governments should avoid using digital tools primarily for surveillance or enforcement. Instead, introducing digital identity systems, AI-assisted public services and labour market technologies should involve workers, employers and other stakeholders through meaningful social dialogue.

The discussion also highlighted groups facing particular risks during the AI transition. Rani warned that young workers could lose the entry-level jobs that traditionally provide experience and career progression, while women risk a ‘double whammy’ of displacement from automation alongside discrimination embedded in biassed AI recruitment systems. Older workers and people in informal employment could also face new forms of exclusion or reduced autonomy as algorithmic systems increasingly influence workplace decisions.

Skills and cooperation are key to an inclusive AI transition

Praachi Kumar, Capacity Development Officer at ITU, said demand for AI-related training has grown rapidly, with interest in AI courses through ITU Academy tripling over the past five years.

The Academy now serves more than 115,000 ICT professionals, the majority from developing countries, while ITU’s Digital Transformation Centres initiative has reached around 700,000 people in underserved communities through digital skills programmes.

Kumar said lifelong learning must remain human-centred, combining technical knowledge with practical experience and peer learning. She also highlighted new multilingual AI governance courses developed in partnership with UNESCO to help address widening skills gaps.

Throughout the discussion, speakers agreed that preparing workers for AI requires far more than technical training. They called for coordinated action across labour, education and technology ministries, alongside stronger partnerships between governments, employers, trade unions and international organisations.

Closing the session, moderator Maria Prieto Berhouet said the debate had consistently returned to one central principle: AI should serve people, not the other way around. Rather than allowing technological change to dictate the future of work, participants argued that governments and social partners must actively shape AI’s role so it enhances productivity while protecting workers’ rights, dignity and opportunities.

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

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WSIS panel calls for a broader approach to youth mental health online

A WSIS Forum 2026 session called for a broader approach to young people’s mental health online, warning that screen time alone is an insufficient measure of digital well-being.

The session, ‘Young people’s mental health in an online world’, examined the impact of digital devices and social media on young people’s mental health, with speakers addressing regulation, education, psychological support and legal remedies.

Alexandre Carette, Information Specialist at the UN in Geneva and moderator of the session, said digital use is not only a concern for young people or experts, but for everyone who relies on digital tools. He linked the discussion to wider UN debates on access, privacy and the role of digital technologies in everyday life.

Niels Weber, a psychologist and psychotherapist in Switzerland specialising in hyperconnectivity, said screen time gives only limited information about young people’s mental health. He argued that the more important questions are what young people do on screens, what they do away from screens, and how digital practices fit into their wider development.

Weber also cautioned against describing most problematic digital use as addiction. He said many platforms are designed to prolong use, but that such a design should be understood as a retention problem rather than automatically as addiction. In clinical terms, he said the more relevant marker is suffering, either for the young person or for families who experience digital use as a constant source of conflict.

Tatiana Debrabandere, Project Manager at the High Council for Media Literacy in Belgium, said that francophone Belgium’s media education framework allows authorities and educators to study children’s and young people’s digital practices across life stages. She said young people are often informed and can have positive online experiences, but that policy debates still focus too much on limiting time online rather than understanding what they actually do there.

Debrabandere said media education should start from young people’s own practices, including what they watch, whom they follow and how they access information. She pointed to influencers and content creators as an important area for media literacy, especially where young people may struggle to distinguish journalism, opinion and commercial promotion.

Daniella Esi Darlington, CEO and co-founder of Alleina AI in Ghana and a member of ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board, said young people are among the most active internet users and are therefore often exposed to digital harms. She argued that many platforms are not designed safely enough for young users and that algorithms are built to keep people engaged for long periods.

Darlington also stressed that technology can be part of the response. She cited awareness-raising, advocacy, reporting tools, access to counsellors and AI systems that can help identify cyberbullying as examples of how digital tools can support young people when combined with human oversight.

The panel also discussed loneliness and AI companions. Darlington warned that chatbots should not replace qualified professionals when young people discuss depression, anxiety or other forms of distress. Instead, she said systems should redirect users towards appropriate support and keep humans involved.

Speakers favoured education, dialogue and co-created policy over blanket bans. Debrabandere described political moves in Belgium towards smartphone bans in schools and possible social media restrictions, while Darlington argued that banning social media or internet access would not address the root causes of harm. She said young people also use the internet for research, business, opportunities and communication.

Darlington called for stronger governance frameworks, including child-specific human rights impact assessments in AI and digital policy. She said young people, parents, schools, governments, industry and other stakeholders should be involved in designing safer digital environments.

Weber gave a practical example from therapy, explaining that video games can sometimes help rebuild dialogue between young people and families. By opening a game during a therapy session, he said adults can better understand young people’s emotions, relationships and digital experiences.

Audience interventions raised additional concerns, including neurodivergent children, cyberbullying, individualised media consumption and peer accompaniment models. A participant from Colombia’s regulator asked whether there is sufficient evidence about technology’s impact on mental health and how platforms could be made to take greater responsibility.

Carette said science often shows correlation rather than clear causality, but warned that waiting for definitive proof could delay action. He argued that the lack of transparency in platform business models and algorithms is already a sufficient reason for regulatory attention, not only for young people but for society as a whole.

The session concluded that young people’s digital well-being should be understood in context, taking account of platform design, family life, education, loneliness, social pressure and access to support. Rather than relying only on bans or addiction labels, speakers pointed to media literacy, dialogue, youth participation and stronger accountability for technology providers.

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

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Portugal links AI literacy to lifelong digital skills strategy

Portugal has linked Europe’s new digital education agenda with its national efforts to expand AI literacy and lifelong digital skills.

The government’s digital portal said digital education is becoming a strategic priority for both the EU and Portugal, as technology becomes more central to schools, work, public services and civic participation.

The update follows the annual event of the European Digital Education Hub, an initiative of the European Commission under the Digital Education Action Plan.

One focus was the new AI Literacy Framework, developed by the European Commission and the OECD with support from international experts.

The framework is designed for primary and secondary education and aims to help schools, teachers and policymakers integrate AI responsibly into learning environments.

It is structured around four areas: engaging with AI, creating with AI, managing AI, and designing and shaping AI.

Portugal said AI education should include personal data protection, critical thinking, the fight against misinformation and the ethical, safe and responsible use of AI tools.

The national agenda is linked to the Portugal Digital Strategy and the Digital Skills Pact, which aims to train 2.8 million people by 2030.

Planned measures include Community Digital Agents, mobile digital training units and a digital training wallet integrated into the Gov.pt app, with particular attention to vulnerable groups, rural areas and citizens aged 45 to 70 with lower education levels.

Why does it matter?

Portugal’s approach shows how AI literacy is becoming part of wider digital inclusion policy, not only school curricula. Linking the EU AI Literacy Framework with lifelong digital-skills programmes could help citizens use digital public services, participate more confidently online and understand AI-related risks such as privacy, misinformation and unsafe use. The strategy also reflects a broader European shift from basic digital skills towards continuous training across education, employment and public administration.

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UNESCO highlights civil servants’ role in AI governance

UNESCO’s AI literacy training for civil servants has highlighted the importance of public-sector capacity in responsible AI governance.

The programme focuses on AI ethics, governance, risk management and responsible use, rather than only on productivity tools or prompt-writing skills.

UNESCO said many participants initially expected practical training on AI tools, but later connected issues such as accountability, transparency, bias, procurement and oversight to their own public-sector responsibilities.

The experience showed that meaningful human oversight depends not only on technical safeguards inside AI systems, but also on the capacity of officials involved in procuring, deploying, regulating and monitoring those systems.

UNESCO said participants often finished the programme with more questions than they had at the beginning. The organisation framed that as a sign of growing awareness of the complexity of AI governance, not as a lack of understanding.

Localisation also proved important. Through the AI Ethics Experts Without Borders network, training was adapted to national contexts and delivered in languages used by officials in their daily work, including cohorts in Egypt and Tunisia.

UNESCO said AI literacy should be seen as a foundation for broader institutional readiness, including risk assessment methods, procurement guidance, monitoring processes, internal governance structures and cross-government coordination.

Why does it matter?

AI governance often focuses on principles, laws and technical safeguards, but implementation depends on the officials who must apply those tools in practice. Civil servants involved in procurement, regulation, service delivery and oversight need enough AI literacy to ask informed questions, identify risks and challenge vendor or institutional assumptions. Without that capacity, “human oversight” can become a procedural checkbox rather than a meaningful accountability mechanism.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hong Kong launches AI privacy sandbox for schools

Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Digital Policy Office have launched an AI privacy sandbox to support responsible AI adoption in schools.

The Safeguarding Personal Data AI Sandbox will provide a collaborative platform for schools exploring AI solutions while managing the risks to personal data protection.

The first phase will run for six months and select 15 school applicants. It is open to publicly funded primary and secondary schools, with applications accepted until 30 October 2026.

Selected schools will receive guidance from the Privacy Commissioner’s office on compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

They will also receive support from the Digital Policy Office on Hong Kong’s Generative Artificial Intelligence Technical and Application Guideline.

Cyberport, Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Productivity Council will provide technical advice.

A briefing session for interested schools is scheduled for 28 August 2026.

Why does it matter?

Schools are increasingly exploring AI tools, but their use of student data creates specific privacy, safety and governance risks. Hong Kong’s sandbox offers a practical way to test AI adoption in education while giving schools regulatory and technical support. The initiative also shows how governments can move beyond broad AI principles by creating sector-specific support mechanisms for institutions that may lack in-house expertise.

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