As established by the 2023 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the GGE is to ‘further consider and formulate, by consensus, a set of elements of an instrument, without prejudging its nature, and other possible measures to address emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapon systems, taking into account the example of existing Protocols within the Convention, proposals presented by High Contracting Parties and other options related to the normative and operational framework on emerging technologies in the area of lethal. autonomous weapon systems, building upon the recommendations and conclusions of the Group, and bringing in expertise on legal, military, and technological aspects’.
For more information about the meeting, refer to the dedicated webpage.
The Summit of the Future is a high-level UN event aimed at forging a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future. The Summit is scheduled for 22-23 September 2024, preceded by a preparatory ministerial meeting on 18 September. The event will bring together UN member states, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions, the private sector, and youth under the theme, ‘Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’.
The main objectives of the Summit of the Future are:
To forge a new global consensus on what our future should look like and what we can do today to secure it;
To adopt a concise, action-oriented Outcome Document, ‘A Pact for the Future,’ which will be agreed in advance by consensus;
To establish a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations;
To address other institutional reforms and initiatives.
The Summit is described as a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity to recommit to fundamental principles and further develop the frameworks of multilateralism so they are fit for the future’. It follows on from a series of UN Summits and aims to strengthen global governance for the sake of present and future generations.
For more information about the summit, please refer to the dedicated web page.
The Global Standards Symposium (GSS) provides a high-level forum for discussion and coordination open both to ITU members and non-members. The theme of GSS-24 is “Charting the Next Digital Wave: Emerging Technologies, Innovation, and International Standards”.
The GSS24 will be held on 14 October 2024 in New Delhi and will be chaired by Dr Raj Kumar Upadhyay, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Project Board at Centre for Development of Telematics.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly is held every four years and defines the next period of study for ITU-T. The WTSA-24 is planned to take place from 15 to 24 October 2024 in New Delhi, India.
Regional preparatory meetings are organized by the regional telecommunication organizations in coordination with ITU.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit 2024 is scheduled for November 18 and 19, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This annual meeting brings together the heads of state and government from the 19 member countries, plus the African Union and the European Union. Brazil will hold the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024. The G20 Summit represents the conclusion of the work carried out by the country that holds the rotating presidency of the group. It is the moment when heads of State and Government approve the agreements negotiated throughout the year.
Three overarching priorities will define Brazil’s presidency: combating hunger, poverty, and inequality; focusing on the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, and environmental); and advocating for international governance reform. The theme of Brazil’s presidency over G20 is ‘Building a just world and a sustainable planet’,
The second UN open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security will hold its seventh substantive session from 2-6 December.
The OEWG is tasked with study of existing and potential threats to information security, and possible confidence-building measures and capacity building. It should also further develop rules, norms, and principles of responsible behaviour of states, discuss ways of implementing them, and explore the possibility of establishing regular open-ended institutional dialogue under the auspices of the UN.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the 19th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh on 15-19 December 2024.
Just-in-time reporting from the IGF
As we always do, the Digital Watch Observatory will provide just-in-time reporting from the IGF. Keep this page bookmarked for reports from all main and high-level sessions, workshops, and best practice forums (BPFs).
IGF 2024 Call for Thematic Inputs
All IGF stakeholders are invited to submit inputs to the IGF Secretariat to assist with the planning of thematic focus of IGF 2024 process and its 19th annual meeting.
Inputs can be submitted through the form until 31 January 2024, 23:59 UTC.
All inputs are posted on the IGF website, as received.
The IGF Secretariat will produce analysis of all contributions received by the deadline, which will inform the bottom-up process to decide on a thematic framework for IGF 2024 preparatory process.
About IGF
The IGF is an annual UN conference that brings together stakeholders from the fields of politics, business, science and research as well as civil society to discuss current issues and topics relating to the joint shaping of the internet and the digital environment.
