In 2025, the annual WSIS Forum is branded as the WSIS+20 High-Level Event, to marks the 20th anniversary of the original World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which was held in two phases: Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005). The forum will take place from 7 to 11 July 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCTAD.
The event will serve as a platform for multistakeholder discussions on the implementation of WSIS Action Lines and on related progress, challenges, and opportunities since the adoption of the Geneva Plan of Action in 2003.
The Agenda and Programme for the WSIS+20 High-Level Event are being developed based on official submissions received during the Open Consultation Process (OCP). OCP is an open and inclusive consultation involving WSIS stakeholders, designed to help prepare the event by shaping its programme, identifying gaps in implementing the WSIS Action Lines and the Geneva Plan of Action, and contributing to the overall WSIS+20 review process. The final agenda and programme will be published shortly after the conclusion of the OCP.
The forum will be held ahead of the UN General Assembly High-Level meeting on the overall review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes (the WSIS+20 review), to be held on 16-17 December 2025.
The AI for Good Global Summit is the main event of the AI for Good platform organised by ITU in partnership with 40 UN Sister Agencies and co-convened with Switzerland. In 2025, the summit will be held from 8 to 11 July in Geneva, Switzerland and feature 3 events:
- AI for Good Global Summit from 8 to 9 July,
- AI Governance Day on 10 July, and
- International AI Standards Day on 11 July.
The AI for Good platform is a year-round digital platform with weekly sessions where relevant stakeholders learn, build and connect to help identify practical AI solutions to advance the UN SDGs and other global development priorities. The platform aims to encourage cooperative efforts to assure reliable, secure, and inclusive AI technology development and equal access to its advantages.
The 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), will occur from 14 July to 23 July 2025. The high-level segment of ECOSOC, including the three-day ministerial segment of the HLPF, will convene from 21 July to 24 July 2025.
The theme for the 2025 HLPF and ECOSOC is ‘Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind.’ This year’s Forum will focus on an in-depth review of SDGs 3, 5, 8, 14, and 17, covering issues related to health, gender equality, economic growth, life below water, and partnerships for the goals.
The HLPF serves as the UN’s central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs. It was established during the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) through the outcome document, ‘The Future We Want.’ As part of its mandate, the Forum conducts annual reviews of SDG progress, including Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) where countries share updates on their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda.
The Forum brings together high-level representatives from governments, UN entities, academia, and civil society, alongside other stakeholders, to review progress, identify challenges, and accelerate action. The event will conclude with adopting a negotiated ministerial declaration, highlighting commitments and priorities for advancing sustainable development globally.
The 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) will open on Tuesday, 9 September 2025. The general debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly opened on Tuesday, 23 September, continuing through Saturday, 27 September, and concluding on Monday, 29 September 2025.
The general debate of the UN General Assembly is the opportunity for heads of state and government and ministers to come together at the UN Headquarters and discuss world issues, such as including climate change, sustainable development, and international peace and security.
The presidency of the 80th session will be held by a representative from the Western European and Others Group, following the customary regional rotation.
Blockchain Life 2025, happening October 28–29 at Dubai’s Festival Arena, is a large-scale industry forum focused on cryptocurrencies, mining, and Web3. The two-day event will bring together people working across the crypto and blockchain space—investors, developers, entrepreneurs, traders, and service providers—offering a platform for discussion, business development, and technical exchange.
The agenda spans a wide range of topics: blockchain infrastructure, trading approaches, mining technologies, regulation, tokenization, and more. Speakers include founders, executives, and policymakers sharing updates and projections on industry directions. Alongside the talks, the expo floor features hundreds of booths where companies and startups present tools and services aimed at different segments of the digital asset ecosystem.
The event also includes structured and informal networking options, including meetings arranged through an official app, side events during the surrounding Blockchain Life Week (October 24 – November 2), and an afterparty focused on high-level professional exchange.
The 2025 International AI Standards Summit is scheduled to take place on December 2–3, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea. This global event is jointly organised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with hosting support from the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS).
The summit aims to bring together international stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and technical experts, to discuss and advance the development of global standards for AI.
Key topics will include promoting interoperability, ensuring transparency, and upholding human rights in AI technologies. The initiative aligns with the objectives outlined in theGlobal Digital Compact and responds to calls for enhanced AI governance through international collaboration.
By fostering dialogue and cooperation, the summit seeks to establish a foundation for responsible AI development and deployment worldwide. The event is by invitation only.
In 2025, a UN process will review the implementation of outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Twenty years after the finalisation of the summit (which was held in two phases, in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005), the WSIS+20 review process will take stock of the progress made in the implementation of WSIS outcomes and address potential ICT gaps and areas for continued focus, as well as addressing challenges, including bridging the digital divide and harnessing ICTs for development.
The overall review will be concluded by a two-day high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), to be held on 16–17 December 2025. The meeting will be preceded by an intergovernmental preparatory process that also takes into account input from all relevant WSIS stakeholders. The process will result in an intergovernmentally agreed outcome document, for adoption at the high-level meeting.
For more details, consult the WSIS+20 process dedicated page.
