The 66th plenary meeting of the General Assembly is called to order. The Assembly will continue its high-level meeting on the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society. The Assembly will continue to hear statements in plenary in accordance with Resolution 79-277.

Delegations are reminded that statements are limited to three minutes for individual delegations and five minutes for statements made on behalf of a group of states. Having said this, I would like to appeal to all speakers to deliver their statements at a reasonable pace to facilitate interpretation into the six official languages. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Canada speaking on behalf of Canada.

Good afternoon, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates. I am delivering this statement on behalf of Australia, New Zealand, and my own country, Canada. We are honoured to take part in this 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society.

This once-in-a-decade milestone offers us a vital opportunity to recommit to the WSIS vision and to reflect collectively on how we can continue to advance digital inclusion, extend the benefits of digital technology across all regions, and strengthen the foundations of an open, secure, and inclusive digital future.

The world has made it clear that at the core of our objectives, closing all digital divides is essential for the decade ahead, and especially the need to connect those who remain offline. We must further support the meaningful participation of global South countries in digital governance discussion, including those of small island developing states such as those in the Pacific. We must also recognize that a significant divide exists between public and private, with the vast amount of digital infrastructure in the world being in private hands.

To remedy all of these divides, we must build upon existing initiatives rather than duplicating efforts. These priorities remind us that our path forward needs to be rooted in principles of inclusivity, cooperation, and efficiency, ensuring that every stakeholder has a voice in shaping the digital future, and that our resources are directed towards impactful and sustainable investments.

To achieve this vision, we must continue working together. The last 20 years have demonstrated that governments alone cannot achieve the realization of the 11 WSIS action lines, nor fulfill the commitments set forth in the Global Digital Compact. Success will require the active engagement of all stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, academia, youth, and the technical community.

Twenty years ago, multi-stakeholder approaches made the Internet the dynamic and resilient system it is today. years on, the centrality of multi-stakeholderism in Internet governance and to address evolving challenges such as artificial intelligence and data governance remains essential. With a renewed commitment for harnessing the opportunities of digital technologies for the coming decade, we are well equipped with the fora and tools required to advance our collective goals and commitments.

This year’s WSIS Plus 20 review has provided the chance to reflect upon the power of digital transformation around the world while providing a platform to discuss ways to empower youth and entrepreneurship, encourage multilingualism, support Indigenous peoples, those with disabilities and other marginalized groups, and continue to foster an Internet for all.

Together we can build a digital future where everyone can create, access, and share knowledge, where human rights and freedoms are protected online, where digital technologies drive inclusive prosperity and innovation, and where trust, security, and sustainability underpin the global digital ecosystem.

We stand ready to work with all partners to realize this vision over the weeks, months, years, and decades ahead. Thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Canada. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Chile.

Señor President. President. U.S.G.

Excellencies, Chile aligns itself with a statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the G77 and China and makes the following remarks in our national capacity. I’m grateful for the work of the permanent representatives of Albania and Kenya as co-facilitators of this process. We thank them for their efforts to reach a consensus document that fits the current technological environment.

Over these 20 years, the WSIS process has contributed significantly to expanding connectivity, reducing gaps and leveraging ICTs as a catalyst for sustainable development and the 2030 agenda. While today’s digital society is very different from that forecast in 2005, WSIS’s vision of a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society is still entirely valid. In Chile, we are convinced that digital transformation is a pillar for development and for improving quality of life.

Over the last decade, we have promoted initiatives such as the Zero Digital Divide Plan, the National Fiber Optics Plan, the Digital Government 2030 Strategy and our National Artificial Intelligence Policy as we advance in connectivity, modernization of the state and technology adoption.

Today we have more than 62,000 kilometers of fiber optics, an extensive network of subsea cables, 5G expansion and about 90% of administrative processes are digitized. In Artificial Intelligence, we have our National Policy that was published in 2021 and updated in 2024 and it promotes ethical, safe and responsible development. of AI in line with the UNESCO recommendation on ethics of AI.

Nevertheless, there are still some important challenges such as the protection of personal data, strengthening of digital capacities, data governance, and the infrastructure that is necessary for the rollout of AI.

Excellencies, Chile will continue to firmly and consistently support the WSIS process in order to secure the benefits that digital transformation represents for humanity. In this context, we are fully convinced that in the digital environment, we should have at the very least the same rights and obligations as we do in the real world. Our human rights law should be the cornerstone of our efforts.

Chile also reiterates its commitment to the development of the Internet as a free, open, democratic, secure, global, and interoperable space, reflecting the importance of the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance as enshrined in the Tunis Agenda and reaffirmed in the Global Digital Compact.

Chile also committed to ensuring alignment between the WSIS process and the implementation of the Global Digital Compact to maximize impact and synergies between both processes while avoiding overlap and allowing for optimization of resources.

Excellencies, allow me to reiterate Chile’s commitment to the WSIS’s vision of an information society that is fair, free, and secure and that contributes to the sustainable development of our countries.

Thank you, President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Chile. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan.

Mr. President. And the decades after the World Summit on the Information Society, digital transformation has become indispensable to sustainable development.

Digital technologies increasingly shape how societies govern, learn, innovate, and connect. Yet the benefits of this transformation remain unevenly distributed. Azerbaijan believes that universal, affordable, secure, and meaningful connectivity is a foundational enabler of the sustainable development goals.

Achieving this requires strengthened international cooperation, predictable financing for digital development, and policies that promote technology transfer, capacity building, and skills development. Last month, Azerbaijan hosted the World Telecommunication Development Conference, which provided an important platform to implement the principles of the WSIS vision into concrete development-oriented actions, particularly in support of universal and meaningful connectivity.

At the national level, Azerbaijan has made digital transformation a strategic priority and will advance this agenda through its Digital Economy Development Strategy for 2026-2029, which aims to promote inclusive growth and a resilient digital economy aligned with the WSIS vision and the SDGs, and focuses on expanding high-quality digital infrastructure, strengthening digital skills, and fostering innovation across the economy.

Azerbaijan has invested substantially in broadband expansion, digital public services, and innovation across government and industry. Our Assan Hidmat model, internationally recognized for its transparent, efficient, and citizen-centered approach, demonstrates how digital technologies combined with institutional reform can enhance inclusivity, improve service delivery, and strengthen trust between citizens and the state.

Azerbaijan is also advancing regional digital connectivity through the Digital Silk Way initiative, aimed at strengthening secure and resilient trans-Eurasian information infrastructure and supporting broader regional integration.

In parallel, as part of our post-conflict reconstruction efforts, we are developing smart and sustainable cities in the liberated territories, integrating digital infrastructure, green technologies, and innovation ecosystems to support inclusive growth and create opportunities for youth employment and skills development.

We are equally committed to addressing capability gaps by investing in digital literacy, STEM education, and emerging technology skills, with particular attention to youth, women, and rural communities.

Empowering people to participate meaningfully in the digital transformation is essential to ensuring that technology becomes a driver of opportunity and resilience for all. The WSIS-Plus 20 review is, therefore, not only a moment to assess progress, but an opportunity to renew our collective resolve. Azerbaijan stands ready to work with all member states and stakeholders to advance.

an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable digital future, one in which every country can shape its digital development path and every person can benefit from the opportunities of the information society.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania.

Mr. President, I would like first to congratulate Ambassador Suela Janina of Albania and Ambassador Lokaale of Kenya for steering this important work on WSIS Plus 20 process negotiations. WSIS Plus 20 represents an opportunity to assess the progress made since 2005, but also a chance to reaffirm our commitment to build a digital future anchored in shared values that is safe and accessible for all citizens.

International cooperation is more important than ever. Romania pays special attention to supporting development and implementation of safe, human-centric, and trustworthy artificial intelligence. Human rights and international law countering misinformation and disinformation are key components of this effort.

However, while emerging technologies create new opportunities, they can also generate challenges and risks, and we should identify clear and appropriate governance mechanisms and safeguards in order to ensure that devices and services do not expose citizens to risks, or pave the way towards discrimination and encourage negative behavior such as hate speech.

The European Union builds up checks and balances, making sure we can all benefit from digital technologies in a human-centric approach, with GDPR protecting personal data. The Digital Services Act and the AI Act, setting the path for responsibility, transparency and trustworthiness of digital platforms and AI systems. We support and promote the role of digital literacy as foundation for a meaningful participation in the digital society.

Investing in digital skills for the broader population is one of the priorities and challenges for Romania as we want to build a more resilient society. In Romania, ensuring digital connectivity has been a top priority in the last decade. Currently, 78% of rural towns benefit from high-speed Internet connections.

Romania is also one of the good examples in the European Union where competition, supported by a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework, produced tremendous outcomes. We have the highest fiber-optic Internet coverage in the EU, 94% of users benefit of a take-up of 100 megabytes, and we have the third-largest percentage of connections of 1 gigabyte or above in the EU.

We are also implementing grassroots projects for developing countries, focused on digitalizing schools and building IT labs in several African countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia or Mauritania.

Romania remains strongly committed to a multi-stakeholder-based approach to digital transformation, one that brings together governments, private sector, civil society, academia and technical community to build confidence and security, drive innovation and ensure that human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully respected.

Multi-stakeholder engagement must therefore remain a guiding principle of the WSIS process. To conclude, Romania remains committed to supporting the WSIS framework, a key platform that supports the implementation of the Global Digital Compact and advances the objectives of the 2030 Agenda. Thank you, Mr.

President.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Czech Republic aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We welcome this UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting reviewing 20 years of progress as part of the World Summit on the Information Society.

My country firmly believes that digital transformation must serve humanity and remain grounded in respect for human rights. This includes the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, the right to privacy and protection from arbitrary surveillance. We welcome the recognition of the importance of a human-centric approach across the whole lifecycle of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence.

No one should be left behind in the digital age. We welcome the emphasis on universal and affordable connectivity, as well as digital literacy, thereby ensuring that everyone can participate fully and safely in the digital society. Let me stress that empowering all women and girls remains essential not only for gender equality but also for driving innovation and sustainable development.

We must ensure equitable access to information and digital literacy and skills, eliminate all forms of online violence, and create safe digital spaces for children. Mr President, new technologies bring not only opportunities but also risks, such as their illicit use, biases in AI systems, or misuse of data. Standards and governance frameworks must embed human rights principles to ensure trust and accountability across the digital ecosystem.

We affirm our unwavering support for an open, global, free, interoperable, and secure digital environment governed through an inclusive multistakeholder model. Czechia appreciates the decision to make the Internet Governance Forum a permanent platform within the UN system, and we stress the need to further strengthen its stability as a trusted space for inclusive dialogue.

Finally, Czechia values multilateralism as the most effective way to address the complex challenges of the digital age. We support coherence in the implementation of the global commitments of the World Summit on the Information Society, the 2030 Agenda, and the Global Digital Compact to maximize the impact of our collective efforts and avoid duplication.

Mr. President, Czechia stands ready to work with all partners for a digital future that is human rights-based, human-centric, open, free, inclusive, and sustainable. Let us seize this opportunity to build an information society that truly leaves no one behind.

I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Czechia. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Tonga on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Mr. President, Excellencies. Distinguished Delegates, I have the honor to deliver this joint statement on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum members with a presence in New York.

Twenty years ago, the global community declared the common desire for governments and other stakeholders to build a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society that would enable individuals, communities, and people to achieve their full potential, facilitate sustainable development, and fulfill human rights.

Since then, advancements in information technology have progressed exponentially. Digital and other new technologies have had significant impacts on many aspects of global society, transforming economies and human interactions. While we remain committed to the principles of the Geneva Declaration, its plan of action, and the Tunis Agenda, the WSIS Plus 20 Review was timely to critically assess progress, gaps, and opportunities to catalyze change and accelerate implementation of the SDGs and the Pact for the Future.

Information technology is essential for our countries and economies to thrive. However, many in our region still lag behind due to geographical isolation, limited infrastructure, and high costs of telecommunications. The digital future cannot be one in which small island states remain spectators.

We are determined to close the gap. The Langatoy Declaration, agreed to by Pacific ICT ministers and endorsed by our leaders in Haniyara earlier this year, sets out the vision and our regional priorities. It calls for supporting resilient infrastructure, building an enabling environment for digital economies, ensuring strong governance of information technology, strengthening safeguards, expanding digital skills and capacity to ensure that all Pacific people have access to affordable, secure, and reliable ICT services.

These are, of course, anchored in our 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific continent. As such, we welcome the review’s recognition of the need to close digital divides and support SIDS and LDCs to fully realize the WSIS vision. The digital economy has delivered positive progress across our membership.

It has enabled and promoted financial inclusion and greater participation of everyone in society. For example, in some Pacific Island communities, mobile banking has both facilitated and elevated opportunities for women. Similarly, schools in remote islands can now access the Internet, enabling them to tap into resources and useful materials to aid students’ learning, which would be otherwise impossible.

In that regard, we support the review’s recognition that universal, affordable, and resilient connectivity remains a key driver to realize the WSIS vision. For us, this means more investments in connectivity infrastructure, such as mobile towers and submarine cables, as well as healthy competition to reduce the high cost of Internet access and open the door for greater opportunities.

We thank our development partners. They continue to support the development of connectivity infrastructure across the member countries. We also know of the need to close gaps in on capacity, digital literacy, and technology access.

Advancements in ICTs, particularly the shift to digitalization, can be an economic game-changer. However, it must be harnessed by resources and appropriate skills needed to enable regions like like ours fully to participate in the global digital economy. Many Pacific Island Forum countries still face capacity constraints, both human and institutional, that limit their ability to deploy emerging technologies, build trusted data systems, and manage malicious cyber activity.

To that end, we support the call for strengthening mechanisms for technical cooperation and capacity development tailored to the needs of small island countries. Mr. President, in conclusion, we remain committed to working constructively with all member states, stakeholders, and partners to deliver on the WSIS vision as it was intended, to harness a future where digital technologies reduce inequalities rather than deepen them.

With genuine partnership, we can build digital ecosystems that will strengthen our residents, support sustainable development, and unlock new opportunities for our people, and ensure no one is left behind.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Tonga. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nicaragua.

Thank you very much, President. Our delegation aligns with the interventions delivered by Iraq on behalf of the G77 in China and by Venezuela on behalf of the group Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. This meeting confirms that the struggle for a fair information society continues to be a deeply political matter, all the more so when fascistic forces are attempting to rewrite history and impose their singular narratives and model the digital environment according to the interests of the.

of the few Western powers that exist. The review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society has shown one fact clearly, that the advancement of technological development around the world is profoundly unequal and unfair.

Access to information is an essential part of the right to free expression. We observe the same double standard that we see everywhere else, whereby many Western countries selectively prohibit access to inconvenient information. They reduce the range of opinions and shut down critical spaces, creating an environment that is deeply unfair, a deeply unfair digital environment.

At the same time, they boast of defending free expression and human rights. Nicaragua firmly denounces this global censorship, exacerbated by criminal actions, with the genocide of the people and the systematic murder of journalists in Gaza, people who have sacrificed their lives to show the world the truth.

This whole-scale censorship seeks to silence a continuing genocide and to hide these crimes that continue to occur before the eyes of the world. Twenty years since the World Summit, the digital divide persists because the governance of digital environment continues to be concentrated in the hands of a very small number. The so-called enhanced cooperation never materialized, and most of our countries continue to be excluded from decisions that affect the whole of humanity.

Illegal unilateral coercive measures continue to aggravate this injustice in blocking technologies and distorting markets and violating the Charter of the United Nations. We reiterate our condemnation of these aggressions and we demand that they be totally and immediately eliminated. Nicaragua also expresses its deep concern about the malicious use of information technologies to manipulate, destabilize and intervene in the internal affairs of states.

Such practices driven by hegemonic interests seek to fragment societies, influence public opinion, and weaken sovereignty. We categorically reject these modern forms of aggression. Artificial intelligence may hold great potential when its benefits are not captured and its profits monopolized by a small number of corporate and state actors.

This concentration consolidates new forms of digital neocolonialism. It increases technological independence and further deepens historical inequalities. For Nicaragua, AI must be grounded in the sovereign equality of states, transparency, cultural diversity, and the right to development of all peoples.

To conclude, we urgently call for a strengthening of international cooperation, technology transfer, and for capacity building. Only genuine cooperation will make it possible to close gaps, democratize access to information, and ensure that all peoples participate fully in building a more fair, inclusive, and human digital future.

I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Nicaragua. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. President, Distinguished Delegates, Allow me first to extend the United Arab Emirates’ gratitude to you for convening this crucial review. The UAE aligns itself with the statement made by Iraq on behalf of the G77.

and China. We are here today to determine the trajectory of our shared digital future. The UAE commands the facilitators from both Kenya and Albania, and all the contributing stakeholders with whom we have been glad to work with to shape the WSIS plus 20 outcome document.

For 20 years, the UAE has been the WSIS vision, viewed the WSIS vision not just as a global framework, but as a national blueprint. UAE has been working hand-in-hand with the ITU to implement this vision. WSIS is a successful story.

Today, we’ve got 74% of the world online. However, we must also confront the reality that 2.2 billion people remain offline in an era where connectivity is a prerequisite for dignity. This isn’t just a digital divide, it is a development divide.

The UAE has acted as a living lab for this challenge. By treating telecommunications as a backbone of our transformation, we have submitted over 450 national projects to the WSIS stocktaking database, and are honored to have received over 60 awards. These achievements reflect our philosophy that government must be a platform for empowerment.

Looking ahead, we welcome the synergy between the WSIS plus 20 outcome and the global digital compact. To support this, the UAE will continue to share our experience through the government experience exchange program. Champion the action lines that link the SDGs.

WSIS forum is an excellent example for that. and work closely to ensure connectivity is safe and meaningful for all. Mr.

President, the technology for the next 20 years will move much faster than the last 20. The UAE remains committed to building a future that is inclusive and leaves no one behind. Thank you very much.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of the United Arab Emirates and now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Pakistan.

Mr. Chair, Pakistan is pleased to participate in this high-level meeting marking 20 years of the World Summit on the Information Society. We align with the statement delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

We also commend the co-facilitators Kenya and Albania for their excellent work. The core vision of a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented information society remains more valid today than 20 years ago. Digital technologies are transforming our societies at unprecedented speed, yet these gains are uneven.

While digital technologies have expanded opportunities, they have also introduced new challenges and inequalities that demand urgent collective action. The digital divide is no longer limited to connectivity. It now encompasses capacity, data, and emerging technologies, particularly the artificial intelligence.

The growing concentration of infrastructure, computing power… Data and skills in few countries risks creating a structural AI and data divide with far-reaching implications. Moving forward, three priorities stand out.

First, closing all dimensions of the digital divide, including in emerging technologies. Second, strengthening digital and emerging technology capacities in developing countries through sustained investment in skills, innovation, and technology transfer. And third, advancing inclusive and development-oriented governance of data and artificial intelligence.

In this regard, the WSIS plus 20 outcome document must reflect our shared ambition and collective resolve. It must set out concrete and actionable measures to advance the WSIS vision, particularly by addressing all forms of digital divides through enhanced financing and capacity building, including in the area of artificial intelligence.

It should also strengthen the inclusiveness of the Internet Governance Forum, IGF, ensuring the effective and meaningful participation of governments. Mr. Chair, Pakistan is taking decisive steps in digital transformation.

This year, Pakistan adopted the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and the National AI Policy, laying a strong institutional and policy foundation for a secure, inclusive, and future-ready digital ecosystem. Under the Uran Pakistan Initiative, with e-Pakistan at its core, we are moving to expand connectivity, expand digital public infrastructure, advance e-governance, and invest in skills development. Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to the WSIS process.

And we stand ready to work with all partners to ensure that ICTs and emerging technologies serve as the tools for inclusion, shared prosperity, and sustainable development for all. I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Pakistan and now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the United Kingdom.

Mr. President, Distinguished Delegates, The United Kingdom is delighted to mark the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society, and I join others in thanking Albania, Kenya, and the UN DESA team for your leadership and guidance in steering us through this process.

We particularly appreciate your commitment to ensuring strong stakeholder participation from start to finish, and to taking innovative approaches such as the informal multi-stakeholder sounding board. The inputs of stakeholders have provided a wide range of experience and expertise for this review, ensuring it reflects the needs and rights of all users. And we hope this approach will serve as inspiration to other UN processes.

Ulysses has a great record of achievement over the last 20 years. It set the direction for multi-stakeholder action, in particular around efforts to connect the unconnected. Back in 2005, only 17% of people had access to the internet.

That figure is now 67%. We’re making progress, but more action is needed. New efforts, including the Task Force for Financial Mechanisms, can provide best practice on strengthening financing for digital development, contributing to closing these divides.

The UK believes the Internet Governance Forum, IGF, is a valuable platform, bringing together diverse stakeholders. from across the world to share best practice and to shape decision making on key digital public policy issues. The principle of all stakeholder groups participating on an equal footing is what makes the IGF unique among UN platforms and contributes to enabling the open, free, and secure Internet that underpins inclusive and rights-respecting digital development.

It’s vital that this principle continues as we look to improve the IGF. The UK supports a permanent mandate for the IGF and efforts to strengthen meaningful participation from all stakeholder groups, including governments from developing countries. A more inclusive IGF will be more effective in guiding our collective response to the shared challenges today and into the future.

We’re also pleased to see WSIS promote advancements around collective action to address the gender digital divide, addressing the contribution digital technologies make to climate change, and strengthening the WSIS’ role in human rights and the importance of refraining from Internet shutdowns.

Against the backdrop of UNAT, it’s also right that WSIS plus 20 has sought to ensure coherence across UN initiatives to ensure that our collective efforts are joined up and effective. The United Kingdom looks forward to continuing the legacy of WSIS over the next 10 years and to working with all stakeholders to achieve the WSIS outcomes for the benefit of all. Thank you.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates. President, Spain aligns fully with the statement delivered by the EU on behalf of the EU and its member states. Allow me to make the following remarks in my national capacity of Spain.

The World Summit on the Information Society, or WSIS, as it’s known colloquially, comes at a time of strategic consolidation after 20 years. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the co-facilitators of this process, and I hope that the outcome document can be adopted as it protects something whose value has been proven over the last 20 years, namely the multi-stakeholder model, the centrality of human rights, and the openness and interoperability of the Internet.

And at the same time, the document endows the WSIS framework with the necessary tools to still be relevant years from now. Spain, which is to highlight three main achievements in this document. First, we welcome the decision to make the Internet Governance Forum a permanent forum of the United Nations.

This decision ensures institutional stability of inclusive dialogue and confirms that multi-stakeholder cooperation is a lasting and credible model for global Internet governance. Secondly, the strengthening of coherence between WSIS, the SDGs, and the Global Digital Compact. By setting out concrete results-oriented implementation roadmaps, the document ensures that digital transformation remains firmly anchored in sustainable development and avoids duplication within the UN system.

Thirdly, the reaffirmation that human rights apply equally online and offline. The explicit rejection of Internet shutdowns, the emphasis on freedom of expression and privacy, as well as the protection of journalists and civil society actors send a clear message necessary signal in today’s digital environment.

Excellencies, Spain also attaches particular importance to the references contained in this final outcome document to the establishment of the International Independent Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the Global Dialogue on Governance of Artificial Intelligence.

Together with Costa Rica, Spain had the honor of co-facilitating this process that was adopted by consensus by the GA on the 26th of August of this year. We see it as an essential contribution from the international community as a whole to laying the foundations for the global governance of artificial intelligence. As our president stated at the United Nations last September, the rise of artificial intelligence is unstoppable, but it cannot be ungovernable and we must govern it together.

We therefore welcome the fact that WSIS Plus 20 recognizes these processes without duplicating them. This clear distinction between roles reinforces the UN’s global digital governance architecture and allows WSIS to focus on its core strengths. Excellencies, as we look ahead, Spain remains committed to an open, global, and interoperable internet, to closing all digital divides and to advancing digital transformation that is person-centered, underpinned by human rights for the benefit of all.

WSIS Plus 20 provides with a solid and credible framework. It is now our shared responsibility to implement it together, inclusively and with ambition. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste.

Mr. President, thank you for giving me the floor. Timor-Leste aligns itself with the statements of the Group of G7 and China.

We would like to commend the facilitators, Kenya. Albania for their hard work. Mr.

President, in November of this year, the International Telecommunication Union estimated that 6 million people use the Internet, representing approximately 74% of the global population. Despite this substantial progress, the digital divide remains a significant concern, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states like mine, where Internet connectivity is limited to only 34% and 64% of households, respectively.

These statistics reveal significant disparities between developed and developing nations and highlight the ongoing inequality in access to opportunities, which impedes economic development and social inclusion, despite continuous efforts to expand access.

For a country like Timor-Leste, where nearly 74% of the population is under 35, adopting digital transformation is not a choice. It serves as a driver of sustainable economic diversification, improved governance, and inclusive social development. In this vein, Timor-Leste launched its National Digital Strategy 2032 and the South Submarine Cable Project, which significantly boosts international Internet capacity and reliability, ultimately aiming to modernize the public administration, foster a digital economy, and integrate into the broader ASEAN digital ecosystem.

By leveraging information and communication technology, Timor-Leste hopes to address development gaps and build a more resilient future. For many LDCs, Mr. President, the digital divide is not an abstract concept.

It is a daily barrier to education, health care, economic opportunity, and effective governance. Our journey is one of building basic connectivity across mountainous terrains and scattered islands. while the global conversation advances to artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

We risk perpetual catch-up. The outcome of this high-level meeting must prioritize foundational investments in affordable, resilient broadband and in our people’s digital literacy as the absolute prerequisite for meaningful inclusion in the global digital economy.

Mr. President, in addition to that, our vulnerability in cyberspace is acute. As we digitize our nascent institutions and encourage our citizens to engage online, we do so with severely limited capacity to protect them.

We lack the specialized expertise to investigate cybercrime, secure a critical infrastructure, or robustly defend our citizens’ data and privacy. This cybersecurity deficit is a direct threat to national stability and to the trust required for a thriving digital economy. Despite the decline in foreign assistance, we urgently call for a dedicated, sustained mechanism of international technical cooperation and capacity building, not merely as policy advice, but as hands-on training, technology transfer, and support for training in regional CERTs tailored to LDC’s context.

This environmental dimension of digital transformation also concerns us deeply. The push for connectivity must not become a pathway for becoming a dumping ground for e-waste. We seek partnership to develop sustainable circular models and deploy green, climate-resilient digital infrastructure from the outset.

Mr. President, finally, we will reaffirm the multi-stakeholder approach by emphasizing that for it to be genuine, it must be equitable. Our voice in shaping global digital norms must be heard, not as a formality.

but as a substantive contribution. The concentration of power in a few global digital platforms can overwhelm our local economies and cultural expressions. We need frameworks that ensure a fair distribution of benefits and support for our local digital entrepreneurs.

In conclusion, Mr. President, Timor-Leste urges that the WSIS plus 20 outcome translate into a digital compact for LDCs and countries like mine. We need actionable commitments.

First, targeted infrastructure finance for last-mile connectivity. Second, a cybersecurity shield initiative providing LDCs like mine with continuous expertise, technology and legal support. Third, inclusive innovation programs that build local skills for the digital economy and green digital transitions.

And finally, equitable government spaces where our sovereign concerns on data, platform accountability and digital accession are addressed. Our digital future must be built on solidarity and not disparity. Timor-Leste is committed to this path and seeks true partnership in this essential endeavor.

I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bangladesh.

Mr. President, Bangladesh aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of Group of 77 and China. We thank the co-facilitators, Ambassador Ekitela and Ambassador Suela leadership of the intergovernmental processes for WSIS Plus 20.

We also commend the preparatory contributions of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the WSIS Forum, and the Internet Governance Forum. Mr. President, Internet access in high-income countries stands at 94 percent, whereas in low-income countries it is merely 23 percent.

Fifty years ago, after the Tunis summit, the central question remains, will digital technologies bridge divides or deepen them? Bangladesh offers evidence that this divide can be minimized. Sustained investment in digital infrastructure has connected over 130 million citizens, bringing financial services to women entrepreneurs in remote villages and educational resources to previously unreachable communities.

Mr. President, we have only one focus, access and equality in the digital domain. In this context, we wish to underscore five priorities.

First, on closing digital divides, we welcome any commitment to accessible and affordable entry-level broadband costs to ensure meaningful connectivity for all. Second, smooth transition arrangements are essential for graduating LDCs like Bangladesh. We urge the implementation roadmaps in the field of technology transfer and capacity building explicitly address the needs of graduating countries.

Third, we strongly support the AI Capacity Building Fellowship for government officials and research programs, with the focus on developing countries. countries, and look forward to inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance in 2026. Fourth, we welcome the ITU-led Task Force on Financial Mechanisms, mandated to report to the Commission on Science and Technology for development in 2027.

We urge it to prioritize innovative financing approaches to achieve universal connectivity. Finally, Bangladesh welcomes any decision to establish the Internet Governance Forum as a permanent UN forum. We emphasize that implementation mechanisms must maintain development orientation that is central to the WSIS vision.

Mr. President, the information society we envisioned 20 years ago remains within reach. The Global Digital Compact offers some of the right tools to help ensure that no nation, no community, and no individual is left behind in the digital domain.

I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Bangladesh. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Slovenia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Slovenia aligns with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and its member states.

I am honored to address this high-level meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the World Summit on the Information Society. WSIS plus 20 is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and to look ahead to the future of global digital cooperation. Over the past two decades, the WSIS framework has played a central role in shaping a human-centered and inclusive information society.

Slovenia believes that this framework work has proven its continued relevance. Yet important challenges remain. Digital divides, both between and within countries, including along gender and age lines, persist.

Meaningful connectivity, digital skills, and access to digital public services remain uneven. Bridging these gaps is essential to ensure that digital transformation promotes sustainable development and leaves no one behind. Mr.

President, Slovenia strongly supports the multi-stakeholder approach as the cornerstone of effective internet governance. Cooperation among all stakeholders has yielded tangible results, and we support efforts to further strengthen this model, including through a reinforced internet governance forum. Furthermore, human rights and fundamental freedoms must remain at the center of digital governance.

The rights people enjoy offline must be fully respected online as well. Special attention must be given to ensuring that women and girls can equally enjoy their digital rights and access opportunities in the online space. Looking ahead, Slovenia supports the continued implementation of the WSIS action lines and their closer alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Digital Compact to avoid duplications.

Mr. President, WSIS plus 20 is a moment to reaffirm our commitment to cooperation, inclusion, and a human-centered digital future. We stand ready to work with all partners to ensure that digital transformation serves human dignity, sustainable development, and peace.

And we look forward to the adoption of the outcome documents. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Slovenia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda.

Mr. President. We wish to commend the tremendous effort that has been made by the co-facilitators, Republic of Albania and Republic of Kenya, who have co-facilitated this year’s intergovernmental negotiations process of the World Summit of the Information Society.

There’s no doubt that information communication technology, ICT, is the latest revolution transforming nations, societies, and all aspects of life. The goal of WSIS remains to achieve a common vision, desire, and commitment to build a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented information society where everyone can gain access to equal opportunities, create, utilize, and share information.

While significant progress has been made globally, millions of particularly developing countries remain disconnected, denying them opportunities that could transform their livelihoods. ICT and digital technology access are integral to achieving SDGs – quality education, health care, reduction of poverty, creating jobs – therefore, with growing momentum around new technologies, new and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum, and space technologies, it is important not only to reflect on the progress made, but to recalibrate our strategies for the future.

There is urgent need to expand connectivity, empower users, and bridge digital divides. We call for renewed commitment in implementing the framework of the WSIS action lines, and recently adopted Global Digital Compact, GDC, and reaffirmed the WSIS architecture as the implementation framework.

for the shared digital future. Developing countries need a more inclusive, affordable, and transparent internet governance. Uganda welcomes inclusive digital public policy dialogue within the Internet Governance Forum.

We also welcome support in capacity building for artificial intelligence to better enhance the participation and inclusion of developing countries in the development of new and emerging technologies. The government of Uganda is pursuing a tenfold economic growth strategy driven by information, science and technology, and innovation. Our digital transformation strategy seeks to extend broadband coverage countrywide, whereas integrating technology in key productive sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and mining, in order to achieve accelerated growth.

Like many developing countries, Uganda is grappling with acute technological skills gaps. There’s need for support in adequate ICT knowledge, skills, and technologies for sustainability, with focus on futuristic and industry relevant skills, like cyber security, data analytics, cloud computing, machine learning, blockchain, coding, data engineering, robotics, among others.

As I conclude, Mr. President, there’s need to remain focused on developing and adopting robust, futuristic digital policies, as well as strategies that drive meaningful ICT growth and development in developing countries.

We need to prioritize investments in resilient digital infrastructure for safe and secure network coverage in all areas, including rural areas, remote, and heart-rich areas. We encourage all development partners, including the private sector, to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of digital technology platforms, services, software, as well as access.

accessible user interfaces for persons with disability. A holistic and multi-sector holder effort is needed to strengthen impactful interventions and investments towards closing all digital divides and delivering an inclusive digital economy. We call for increased collaboration with regional and international bodies for private sector and all relevant stakeholders.

And thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Uganda and now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Singapore.

Madam President, 20 years ago we gathered in Geneva in Tunis to develop a vision of an information society that is people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented. The progress has been remarkable. Digital technology has transformed how we live, work and connect, yet significant challenges remain.

Billions still lack meaningful connectivity and a digital divide persists both between and within countries. Singapore has thus refreshed our national digital strategy and launched Smart Nation 2.0 in October 2024, centred on three goals, trust, growth and community. Singapore believes that digitalisation must be inclusive.

We take a multi-pronged approach to bridging the digital divide, ensuring that digital access, digital services and digital skills are available to all Singaporeans. Ninety-nine percent of Singapore’s households are connected to the internet. For low-income families, our Digital Access at Home scheme provides subsidised broadband and devices.

For lower-income senior citizens, the Mobile Access for Seniors programme offers subsidised smartphones and mobile plans. We are committed to ensuring that public digital services are user-friendly, accessible and aligned with international accessibility guidelines. We have also recently launched the Digital Skills for Life framework, which equips Singaporeans with foundational skills for digital participation.

Madam President, Bridging the digital divide is a sustained and collective effort. The international community must thus share knowledge and experiences, drive innovation through collaboration and work together to shape global rules and norms. It is in this spirit that Singapore actively champions the digital conversations at multilateral and regional platforms.

At the UN, Singapore was involved in the High-Level Advisory Board on AI, represented by Chief AI Officer He Rui Min. This process contributed to the UN’s Global Digital Compact, endorsed at the sidelines of the UNGA last year. We have since developed the Singapore Digital Gateway, which supports the GDC by offering a range of digital resources on policy-making guidance and safety testing of emerging technologies.

At the regional level, Singapore chairs the ASEAN Working Group on AI Governance and led the development of the expanded ASEAN Guide on AI Ethics and Governance. Singapore also convenes the Digital Forum of Small States as a platform for small states to work together on a common digital future. This collaboration resulted in the AI Playbook for Small States, which we launched in September last year.

In conclusion, Singapore remains committed to the WSIS as a process that focuses on development and closing the digital divide. We look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to provide the best possible to promote the development of ICTs to improve lives and create more opportunities for all. Thank you, Madam President.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Singapore. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Mongolia.

Mr. President, Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates. It’s an honor to address this high-level meeting marking 20 years since the World Summit on the Information Society.

Mongolia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. At the outset, we express our appreciation to Kenya and Albania for their leadership and constructive efforts in facilitating the negotiations and guiding member states toward a balanced and forward-looking outcome document.

This outcome document sends a strong signal of our shared commitment to building people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society as envisioned in the Geneva Declaration and Tunisia Agenda.

Over the past two decades, digital technologies have profoundly transformed societies’ economies, expanding access to information, strengthening connectivity, and creating new opportunities for innovation and participation.

At the same time, they have exposed and in some cases deepened inequalities and new divides both between and within countries and among different segments of society. In this context, Mongolia emphasized that no country can address digital divides alone. They scale and complexly require collective action at global, regional, and national levels.

Enhanced international cooperation, inclusive partnerships countries, and knowledge sharing, particularly in support of developing countries, including landlocked developing countries and other countries in special situations, are essential to ensuring the digital transformation delivers equitable and sustainable benefits for all.

Mongolia underscores the important role of developing countries in supporting prevention-oriented digital tools and solutions, including through responsible technology design, the sharing of best practices, and access to trusted technologies to prevent the misuse of digital platforms, including for misinformation and cyber threats.

We also recognize the critical role of the United Nations in advancing normative frameworks and guidance for digital governments, including on information integrity and responsible use of emerging technologies and protection of human rights online.

For Mongolia, a sparsely populated landlocked country, digital transformation has been a critical enabler of inclusion and good governance. Through initiatives such as the e-Mongolia Digital Platform, we have expanded access to public services, reduced administrative burdens, and enhanced transparency and strengthened trust between citizens and public institutions.

In parallel, nationwide connectivity has expanded significantly, with the Internet use now reaching approximately 83% of the population, including in the remote and in rural areas. Despite these advances, significant challenges remain. The digital divide, particularly affecting rural communities, women, persons with disabilities, older persons, and those in vulnerable situations, continues to limit full and meaningful participation in information society.

Reaching this divide requires sustained investment in digital infrastructure, affordable connectivity, digital skills, and local content supported by international cooperation and capacity building. and underscores the importance of human-centered digital transformation, grounded in respect of human rights and rule of law and international cooperation. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, offer immense potential for development, yet also raise complex ethical, legal, and governance challenges.

These technologies must be deployed responsibly, transparently, inclusively, ensuring that innovation serves the public interest and leaves no one behind. In this regard, Mongolia welcomes the adoption of the Global Digital Compact by the past session of the General Assembly as an important framework for inclusive digital cooperation and responsible approaches to international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

At the same time, we underscore the need to address the growing challenge of misinformation and disinformation. False or manipulated information can undermine trust, distort public discourse, and weaken social cohesion. Strengthening strategic communications, digital literacy, and information integrity in line with human rights and international law is therefore essential.

We stand ready to continue working with all partners to advance an inclusive, secure, and sustainable information society for present and future generations. I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Mongolia and now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Cyprus.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Cyprus aligns itself with a statement delivered by the European Union, and it’s an honor to speak in its national capacity. Twenty years after the World Summit on the information society, we stand at a defining moment for the future governance of our shared digital space.

Cyprus welcomes the adoption of the WISIS Plus 20 Review Outcome Document, which reaffirms the Geneva and Tunis commitments, the 2030 Agenda, and the Global Digital Compact. These foundational pillars remain essential to building an inclusive, human-centric, and development-oriented information society. Cyprus strongly supports the reaffirmation of human rights, openness, and interoperability as the bedrock of the digital ecosystem.

We also welcome the recognition that effective digital governance must uphold international human rights law, ensure privacy and trust, and safeguard democratic values in a rapidly evolving technological environment.

We also join the EU in strongly supporting the institutionalization of the Internet Governance Forum as a permanent UN body, a longstanding priority that enhances stability, inclusiveness, and the continuity of global digital governance.

Mr. President, Cyprus attaches particular importance to closing enduring digital divides. Despite these significant gains, 2.6 billion people remain offline, and many more lack affordable, meaningful connectivity.

This disproportionately affects developing countries, least developed countries, and small island developing state communities, whose vulnerabilities mirror in many respects those faced historically by island states such as Cyprus.

Excellencies, Cyprus is committed to advancing responsible AI governance, strengthening cyber capacity, and promoting a secure and trusted digital environment for our citizens and partners. Digital technologies offer extraordinary potential to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. They can strengthen health, education, e-government, disaster preparedness, and economic inclusion.

while also enabling environmental monitoring, energy efficiency, and resilience. The World Summit on the Information Society Forum in Geneva demonstrated how emerging technologies, particularly AI, must be developed and governed responsibly with full respect for human rights, data protection, and ethical standards.

Mr. President, the foundations are strong. The direction is clear.

Our shared responsibility is to deliver. I thank you.

And I will add a few remarks in my national capacity. I would like to welcome the finalization of the outcome document and commend the efforts of our Albanian colleagues and your efforts, Mr. President.

In the era of rapid technological transformation, including the rise of artificial intelligence, and amid emerging opportunities and challenges in the information domain, notably hybrid information manipulation and disinformation, international cooperation to bridge existing digital gaps and strengthen ICT partnership is essential.

Inclusive and right-based policies should be at the core of the conception, design, development, and use of digital technologies. ICTs must strengthen our joint commitment to promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies, advancing peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development. Armenia strongly believes that international human rights law is equally applicable online and to the public.

offline. In this regard, we welcome the outcome document’s recognition of the risks related to the misuse of digital technologies, including unlawful surveillance, violation of privacy, online hate speech, and incitement to violence.

Mr. President, the ICT sector in Armenia has grown by 20 percent. Notably, women’s participation in ICT and innovative startups exceeds 40 percent compared to the global average of 20 percent.

As a strong proponent of multi-stakeholder partnership, Armenia joined the Freedom Online Coalition one year ago to contribute to protecting freedom online through shared experience and dialogue. Since April 25, Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry in cooperation with UNICEF and the Izmirlian Charitable Foundation has implemented initiatives to protect children’s rights and promote digital literacy and safety, including the development of a roadmap on children’s online safety.

In conclusion, Armenia stands ready to engage with partners, share its experience, and contribute constructively in the information domain. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Armenia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nepal.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is a privilege to join you in this landmark, which is 20 high-level meetings at a moment of profound transitions in the global digital landscape. Today’s meeting, I believe, offers a timely opportunity.

not only to reflect, but also to look ahead with broader ambition, deeper cooperations and future-leaning thinking towards a shared digital future. Mr. President, 20 years on, this process has brought us to a defining crossroads.

From artificial intelligence and 5G to quantum computing, space-based systems and digital technologies are reshaping how we live, how we govern, and how we develop. They have connected billions, transformed governance, and firmly placed digital inclusion at the heart of global development. Eighth, multiple challenges persist.

Inadequate infrastructure, widening technological gaps, limited access to advanced technologies, insufficient financing for research and innovations, low digital literacy, and rising cybersecurity risk, among others.

These constraints are even more severe for LDCs and LLDCs, underscoring the urgency of closing digital divide and connecting the 2.6 billion people who still remain offline. Addressing these disparities requires interoperable digital infrastructure, broader technology access, stronger digital skills, and deeper global cooperations in research and development, including AI, renewable energy, and biotechnology.

Streamlined financing for science, technology, and innovations prioritized for vulnerable countries is essential. It is a greater investment. in digital economy infrastructure.

Mobilizing FDI, development assistance and domestic resources supported by sound data governance and enabling policy frameworks will be key to bridging these gaps. In this context, the WSIS plus 20 outcome document is timely and important. The document reaffirms our commitment to a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented digital future.

We support multi-stakeholder cooperation, better financing for digital development, alignment with the 2030 Agenda, and advancing AI capacity building for effective governance. I deeply appreciate our distinguished colleagues, the permanent representatives of Kenya and Albania, for their exemplary leadership in studying this important WSIS plus 20 process. Excellencies, Nepal has made digitalization a national priority.

Through the Digital Nepal Framework 2.0, we are advancing digital governance, digital education, cybersecurity, and efficient public service delivery, while fostering a strong innovation ecosystem for start-ups, for women, and for youth.

With national AI and cybersecurity policies in place, and with the declarations of the decade 2024-34 as the Information Technology Decade, we aim to expand IT exports, create large-scale jobs, and integrate into global digital value chains.

Guided by our e-governance master plan, we are extending broadband to every world, building technology hubs through public-private partnerships, and strengthening digital and physical infrastructure. For this, we need stronger international support in financing for technology transfer and for capacity building and partnership to ensure an inclusive and resilient digital transformation. In conclusion, Mr.

President, the global digital landscape is evolving more rapidly than ever. Our commitment to meaningful partnership and robust governance in digital cooperation is indispensable to shaping the global digital architecture. It is incumbent upon the government, technical community, and all other stakeholders to work together to implement the WSIS vision of a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society.

Let us work together to ensure that our digital future is anchored in inclusivity, in equity, and global solidarity in innovations and shared responsibility. I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Nepal. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Senegal.

Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, My delegation aligns itself with a statement made by G77 and China, delivered by the Representative of Iraq, and we would like to make the following comments in our national capacity.

Since 2003, on the occasion of the World Summit on the Information Society, Senegal has been affirming its commitment to build a digital society that is fair, inclusive, and geared towards sustainable development.

And since then, Our country has continuously integrated the WSIS Action Lines into its national development strategies and programs, progressively consolidating our digital governance framework. Major progress has been achieved, in particular large-scale digitalization of public services, extension of the National Fiber Operating Network, adoption of a digital multilingual platform establishment of a cybersecurity center and a sovereign digital investment fund.

To ensure effective coordination here, we have established a National WSIS Committee. This was formalized in 2019 and it brings together all of the stakeholders. Mr.

President, Senegal aims to make digital technology a powerful tool for social inclusion and economic transformation. In 2025, the adoption of the Technological New Deal marks a decisive turning point here. It defines our national vision for a sovereign, ethical, inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.

This strategy emphasizes the optimal exploitation, maintenance and extension of existing digital infrastructures with the objective of deploying a national fiber optic networks by 2034. It also provides for the extension for 4G coverage and the progressive launch of 5G coverage in strategic areas with high socioeconomic impact. We also plan to create a sovereign national data center supported by regional hosting infrastructures and this is in order to strengthen our digital sovereignty.

Community connectivity hubs will be deployed in poorly covered areas to guarantee equitable access to digital services. The National Cyber Security Center. together with the National Identification Center will also be part of our toolkit.

Mr. President, Senegal places information and communication technologies at the heart of our vision, based on awareness, digital civility, and respect of privacy and fundamental rights. The Technological New Deal Charter bringing together artificial intelligence, protection of personal data surveillance will be adopted, as well as an independent National Digital Ethics Committee.

Information communication technologies, including artificial intelligence, constitute essential tools to bring people closer together, collectively meet the challenges of sustainable development. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Senegal. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Algeria.

President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Our meeting today comes at a turning point as emerging digital technologies, including in artificial intelligence, are continuing to deeply transform our world, our societies, and our means of governance internationally.

My country, Algeria, aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the G77 and China. And we wish to emphasize the following points in our national capacity. Firstly, Algeria.

reiterates the importance of adopting and harmonizing the outcomes of the WSIS and to align them with the SDGs. It’s also important that we harmonize the regional development plans including the 2063 African Union Agenda that places digital transformation at the core of the social and economic development of the continent and to bring them in line with the WSIS outcomes.

We particularly believe in strengthening international cooperation in order to overcome the financial and technical challenges that developing countries are facing. Similarly, we believe that it’s important to strengthen capacity building, technology transfer and to build other long-term and predictable financing mechanisms to reduce the digital divide including on the African continent itself.

In addition, Algeria gives particular importance to regional connectivity initiatives notably through a trans-Saharan fiber optic project that would link Algeria to Nigeria and to Chad through more than 2,600 kilometers of distance.

This would enable digital services, employment opportunities and better economic integration across the region. Thirdly, Algeria recognizes the transformative potential that artificial intelligence and emerging technologies hold when it comes to accelerating achievement of sustainable development activities linked to scientific research to strengthening skills and capacities.

a crucial area to enable the emergence of a new generation of experts in developing countries and to enable their effective participation in global digital governance and also in innovation. Now nationally, Algeria has invested in our human capital. We have created a higher national school for artificial intelligence that seeks to develop high skills and to strengthen expertise in this area regionally and nationally.

Finally, sovereign countries must reserve the right to regulate their own digital space in accordance with international law and in accordance with their national priorities and as per moral doctrine and their own cultural and linguistic diversity.

Finally, we thank the representatives of Albania and Kenya for their work and we believe that responsibility and action internationally will allow us to move towards concrete results in the future where no one is left behind.

I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Algeria and now I give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the Philippines.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Philippines aligns itself with the statement delivered by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Mr. President, the vision laid forth by the World Summit on the Information Society 20 years ago, that of a people-centered, inclusive inclusive, and development-oriented information society remains not only relevant, but central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the wake of rapid technological change and its attendant challenges.

The Philippines therefore welcomes this high-level meeting to review implementation of the WSIS. We thank the co-facilitators, the distinguished permanent representatives of Kenya and Albania, and their teams, as well as the Secretariat, for their work on the outcome document. The Philippines served as one of the coordinators of the Group of 77 and China in the negotiations, especially on the key chapters on closing all digital divides, ensuring participation of developing countries in the digital economy, and most importantly, strengthening financial mechanisms for supporting developing countries in achieving meaningful connectivity and digital transformation.

For if we do not succeed in ensuring more equitable access to technologies, quality infrastructure, digital skills and literacy, among others, for all countries to harness data and artificial intelligence for sustainable development, then even more will be left behind.

We therefore stand with those who have called for an ambitious and action-oriented outcome, while asserting the need for more focused and tangible deliverables in the spirit of UN80. The Philippines reaffirms its commitment to advancing an inclusive, ethical, and people-centered information society, and will continue constructive cooperation with partners and relevant UN agencies such as the UNESCO, ITU, UNDP, and UNCTAD.

The Philippines adopted a national artificial intelligence implementation strategy this year that lays the foundation for a coordinated and forward-looking national AI ecosystem. The Philippines is creating an enabling environment for fast and inclusive digital transformation and scaling up investments in AI and data-driven innovation. The Philippines has supported over 100 AI and data science research and development and upskilling projects.

These include the flagship Smarter Philippines through Data Analytics Research and Development Training and Adoption or the SPARTA program, which has trained more than 49,000 Filipinos in data science and artificial intelligence.

These efforts have led to tangible outcomes. The Philippines has steadily improved its ranking in the Global Innovation Index, ranking 50th out of 139 economies in 2025. This rise of 50 places since 2014 reflects sustained government momentum in science, technology, and innovation-driven development.

In conclusion, Mr. President, governments must continue to play the primary role in the implementation of the WSIS. We call on the WSIS Action Line facilitators and the UN Group on the Information Society and relevant stakeholders to fully support national development efforts and work more closely with governments for a digitally inclusive, people-centered, and development-oriented society for all.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of the Philippines. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Malta.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, I thank the co-facilitators and the Secretariat for their inclusive leadership. Malta allies itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and wishes to add the following remarks in its own national capacity.

technological change brings to opportunities and risks. Emerging technologies, including AI, quantum technologies, and new forms of connectivity highlight the need for international cooperation to address cybersecurity threats, prevent fragmentation, and maintain trust in a global digital ecosystem.

The principle of an information society for all, affirmed in the 2003 Geneva Declaration of Principles, remains fully relevant today. WISIS provides a framework to preserve proven successes while adapting to new technologies, risks, and policy challenges. Malta recognizes its ongoing role in promoting digital cooperation and sustainable development.

It welcomes linking WISIS action lines with the post-2030 agenda to advance the SDGs and line implementation with the GDC, ensuring complementarity and avoiding overlaps. Malta supports initiatives like Save DPI to strengthen local capacities, advance interoperable standards, and foster resilient digital infrastructures. Malta remains committed to a human-centric, human-rights-based approach to digital governance.

Building on WISIS principles and multi-stakeholder engagement, it stresses that technological development must advance human rights, inclusivity, and equitable access. Protecting personal data, safeguarding freedom of expression, and preventing digital exclusion are central to ensuring that digital transformation supports sustainable development and trust. Multi-stakeholder cooperation is essential.

Malta has championed this since at least 1997, highlighting at the World Internet Forum the need for governments, civil society, technical communities, and the private sector to jointly steward the Internet.

At WISIS Plus 10 in 2015, Malta emphasized that governance must remain multilateral, inclusive, and free from domination by any single government. Malta advocated then that critical Internet infrastructure can be recognized as common heritage of mankind, ensuring stability, innovation, and trust. Today, at WISIS Plus 20, Malta reiterates that Internet governors must serve all humanity.

Instituting the IGF as a permanent UN body is a landmark achievement, providing continuity, dialogue and collaboration among all stakeholders, strengthening trust, capacity building and resilience. Mr. President, digital sovereignty is essential to ensuring a sustainable ecosystem.

Malt advances these objectives through its multidigitality strategy, the digital education strategy which enhances digital literacy, and the digital health and health data strategy, which leverages AI and data to transform healthcare.

Malta supports interoperable standards, open source solutions, robust digital infrastructure and secure identity systems, while fostering local innovation. Through its leadership of the Diplo Foundation, Malta also builds international capacity and works to narrow the digital divide. Excellencies, Malta hopes for the successful adoption of a YSYS++20 outcome document that would provide stability, guidance and flexibility for the global information society, and encourages all member states to join in building a digital future grounded in openness, inclusivity and respect for human rights.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malta and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cambodia.

Mr. President, thank you. Mr.

President, distinguished delegates, my delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the G77 and China and wishes to add the following remarks in our national capacity. Cambodia remains firmly committed to the WSIS vision of building a people-centered, inclusive, development-oriented information society where everyone can create access. to utilize and share information and knowledge.

Cambodia is now entering a new era of democratization of access to knowledge, technologies, and has become the fifth pillar of our national development plan, the Pantagonal Strategy Phase I, serving as a key driver of sustainable development.

To implement this vision, Cambodia pursues two strategic frameworks, the Cambodian Digital Economy and Society Policy Frameworks, and the Cambodia Digital Government Policies, to help guide our efforts in expanding digital connectivity, enhancing human capital, and modernizing public services.

To ensure that the WSIS process remains a central pillar of global digital governance, particularly for the LDCs, my delegation wishes to share the following perspectives. First, it is imperative that we collectively redouble our efforts to bridge the persistent digital divide to ensure no one is left behind. Second, enhanced international cooperation is vital.

We call for further strengthening South-South and North-South and Triangle cooperation to facilitate essential capacity buildings, technology transfers, and knowledge sharing for LDCs. Mr. President, in closing, Cambodia reiterates its firm commitment to materializing the WSIS programs and stands ready to work closely with all partners to build an open, secure, and inclusive digital future for all.

I thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr.

President, ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to, first of all, say that we align ourselves with the statement made on behalf of J-77 in China, and I would like to thank the co-facilitators of the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of WSIS.

We think that the World Summit is a way of strengthening multilateral cooperation on ICT and to build a society which is inclusive. The summit contributed in the recent years towards the digital transition. It strengthened national capacities in line with the priorities of developing countries.

Egypt attaches special importance to the role played by the summit to bridge the digital divide by ensuring fair and sustainable access to digital infrastructure, technology transfer, and exchange of knowledges in line with our national needs.

Investing in the human capital and building digital capacities is an essential pillar if we want to ensure there’s real participation in global digital economy and if we want to attain sustainable development.

Furthermore, there is a link between the World Summit and the agenda. 2030, in particular, when it comes to such areas as health care and education. Technology will help us attain the SDGs whilst ensuring that no one’s left behind.

A global approach is needed to ensure there is good governance and that, at the same time, the sovereignty of states is respected. The World Summit provided for a constructive dialogue between the private sector and civil society on the responsible uses made of the ICT. Given the accelerated technological progress, we need to integrate the outcome of the World Summit in our national plans so as to ensure sustainable development and peace and security regionally and internationally.

Ladies and gentlemen, we wish every success to the upcoming World Summit, but we need to face the challenges we are all facing, and in this regard, we need to preserve the rights of all countries to have access to technologies.

And the delegation of Egypt insists on the issue of artificial intelligence on the use of common platforms. And then we need to make sure that there is sustainable funding. To help us translate our commitment into specific measures, and in this regard, we welcome the creation of a working group on in financing.

We need to support this working group to help them fully implement their mandate. Furthermore, we need to spend more efforts to have greater coordination between various bodies. The Internet Governance Forum is another example of a success under the World Summit.

By way of conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say that we need to grasp the opportunities and challenges and take what is positive and make sure they’re used for the benefit of those countries which are facing challenges.

Our efforts will enable us to make sure that no one’s left behind. I thank you.

I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Luxembourg.

Thank you, Mr. President. Luxembourg fully aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union, and I will add to that a few comments in my national capacity.

Twenty years after the World Summit on the Information Society, this meeting allows us to reaffirm our collective commitment to a human-centered, inclusive, and sustainable digital future. No group of actors, be they governments, private sector, or other stakeholders, should be excluded stakeholders can meet today’s digital challenges on their own. We therefore reiterate our strong attachment to a multi-stakeholder governance.

The inclusion of civil society, the technical community, the private sector, and academia must remain at the heart of the WSIS process. WSIS supports a digital governance framework based on human rights and centered on the human being, the kind of framework which values existing processes without duplicating them. We also support the strengthening and institutionalization of the Internet Governance Forum as a central, open, inclusive, and forward-looking multi-stakeholder platform.

We welcome the fact that this element appears in the outcome document prepared for this high-level meeting. Luxembourg would like to thank the co-facilitators, the prominent representatives of Albania and Kenya. We thank them for their tireless commitment and the efforts they are making so that we can adopt this final document by consensus.

The digital divide, Mr. President, remains a challenge. And to address this challenge, our efforts must be integrated and targeted, including gender equality, rural connectivity, accessibility for persons with disabilities, development of digital skills, and financial affordability.

The WSIS Plus 20 review is an opportunity to consolidate long-term partnerships through the European Union’s Global Gateway Initiative and its international digital strategy, and to promote shared resilience through investment.

in digital networks, infrastructures, and skills. In this regard, Luxembourg is committed to promoting reliable, trusted, secure, and resilient digital infrastructure in line with international priorities. Our new national law to accelerate connectivity promotes the deployment of fixed and mobile high-speed networks, including 5G, 6G, and satellite connectivity.

This strengthens our role as a reliable digital connection place in Europe and beyond. Mr. President, the WSIS process remains a cornerstone of international digital cooperation.

It must evolve with clarity and ambition, avoiding fragmentation and fostering synergies. Luxembourg will continue to remain committed to its robust and coherent implementation, fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Digital Compact. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Luxembourg. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cote d’Ivoire.

Thank you, Mr. President. President, my delegation aligns fully with the statement delivered by the African group and wishes to make the following observations in our national capacity.

President, the world is undergoing an unprecedented transformation under the impact of the digital revolution, emerging technologies, and notably artificial intelligence, big data, digital platforms. of robotization are redefining growth models, value chains, public governance, and geopolitical balances. While this dynamic holds considerable opportunity, it also brings real risks of exclusion and widening inequalities, especially for developing countries.

Cognizant as we are of these challenges, Côte d’Ivoire has made digital technology a strategic lever for economic and social transformation in line with our national development plan, 2026 through 2030, and the UNDP country program, 2026 through 2029, which places innovation, human capital, and modernization of the state at the heart of public action.

President under the visionary leadership of His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic, my country has undertaken structural reform and major investment in the digital sector. Côte d’Ivoire has deployed more than 30,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, including more than 5,200 kilometers financed by the Universal Service, significantly strengthening national and regional connectivity.

Furthermore, the rapid growth of digital financial services has made it possible to reach more than 45 million active mobile money accounts, reflecting a net financial inclusion rate of 82% with a direct impact on economic empowerment of the population.

This progress is part of a global vision led by several strategic instruments, notably the National Data Governance Strategy, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the National Cybersecurity Strategy, and our National Rural Connectivity Program, which aims to sustainably reduce the digital divide across the territory and socially.

President, despite the progress that has been made in some countries, the global digital divide is still gaping. Africa continues to face major challenges in terms of access, affordability, skills, technology production, and digital sovereignty. This situation is hindering the continent’s full participation in the global digital economy and jeopardizes achievement of the SDGs.

In this context, Cote d’Ivoire calls for enhanced international mobilization in accordance with the spirit of the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact in order to, first, reduce all dimensions of the digital divide through massive investment in infrastructure and skills.

Secondly, to strengthen concessional and innovative financing mechanisms for the sake of developing countries. And thirdly, to promote Africa’s effective participation in the production and research and governance of digital technologies, particularly in the field of AI. And fourthly and finally, to promote global digital governance that respects human rights, cultural diversity and the sovereignty of states.

By way of conclusion, President, Cote d’Ivoire reaffirms its commitment to an inclusive, equitable and information society that’s focused on sustainable development. We are convinced that digital technology should be a factor for emancipation, social cohesion and shared prosperity rather than a new fault line between nations. Let us make digital technology a bridge of solidarity and progress for the service of all.

I thank you for your kind attention.

I thank the representative of Cote d’Ivoire. I thank the representative of Portugal.

Excellencies, Portugal aligns with the statement made by the European Union and we would like now to add the following three points in our national capacity. Three points that we would like to highlight from the ongoing discussions. First of all, the commitment to the development of digital solutions to expand commerce, connectivity and…

and access to services, particularly for developing countries facing remoteness and other geographical or structural constraints. In this context, Portugal underlines the strategic relevance of submarine cable infrastructure. These systems carry approximately 99% of all international communications, including intercontinental internet traffic, and are essential to global connectivity.

Submarine cables also underpin critical functions related to peace, development, and emergency response, and their resilience is of clear importance. As digital and technology innovation accelerates, Portugal considers it increasingly important to deepen international understanding of the technology security nexus, and to promote the protection and resilience of underwater digital infrastructure through multilateral and cooperative approaches.

Portugal remains actively engaged in this area, including through its role as co-chair of the ITU Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience. The second point that we would like to highlight is the continuity of the Internet Governance Forum by becoming a permanent forum, reinforcing its role within the global framework for internet governance, and the call to strengthen its intersessional work and its multi-stakeholder nature by increased participation for all stakeholders, particularly from developing countries and underrepresented groups.

Portugal notes the long-standing experience of its national Internet Governance Initiative, and highlights the contribution of the Lusophone Internet Governance Forum in fostering inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue across regions.

In this context, the importance of the forum is to ensure that it is a place for all stakeholders to participate in the global framework for internet governance. In this context, the importance of the forum is to ensure that it is a place for all stakeholders The importance of international cooperation to promote digital inclusion and digital literacy, particularly through capacity building, is essential.

Portugal is proud to have launched today the third edition of the UN Portugal Digital Fellowship. This is a fully sponsored capacity building program aimed at developing countries that takes place every year in Portugal. Next year it will take place in April, in the city of Guimarães.

Third and lastly, Portugal highlights the need of a rights-based, human-centric, inclusive and multi-stakeholder digital future. A digital future that is anchored in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, that fully respects and promotes international law, and in particular international human rights law.

And at the same time, a digital future that promotes the sustainable development and accelerates the implementation of the Agenda 2030, the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact. And I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Portugal. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Morocco.

Mr. President, the Kingdom of Morocco associates itself with this statement made by the G77 in China and would like to add this statement in our national capacity. We thank the co-facilitators, Kenya and Albania.

We thank them for their… painstaking and inclusive work. This final document marks an important step in the review of 20 years of the World Summit on the Information Society.

The World Summit on the Information Society established a common vision of an information society, the society which is centered on the human being, which is inclusive and development-focused. And 20 years later, Morocco reaffirms its commitment to this vision and the principles that underpin it. 20 years have passed since Geneva and Tunis.

The digital world has undergone profound changes. In 2025, internet users’ numbers have gone up from 1 billion to about 6 billion. That covers three-quarters of the world population.

4G networks cover more than 93% of users. 5G networks have already reached more than half. And these advances have stimulated the digital economy, developed online services, and made access to education and health care easier for billions of people.

And yet, digital gaps and divides persist and widen in several areas. 2.2 billion people remain offline. This is especially true in low- and middle-income countries.

In low-income countries, only 23% of the population uses the internet. And that rate reaches 94% in high-income countries. The gap between cities and countryside also remains pronounced.

In urban areas, 85% of inhabitants use the internet. In rural areas, the rate falls to 58%. The gender gap also persists, with 77% of.

of men connected as compared to 71% of women. These disparities slow down progress towards sustainable development goals and show that the vision of our summit remains relevant, namely to build an information society centered on human beings, open to all, and geared towards development.

The WSIS plus 20 review comes at a turning point. It joins with the recent advances within the U.N., such as a pact for the future, the global digital compact adopted in 2024, and the severe commitment on financing sustainable development. We welcome the integration of the commitments of the global digital compact into the WSIS framework.

The joint roadmap prepared by the United Nations group on the information society will make sure that we avoid redundancies and increase efficiency and coordination to attain the goals of the 2030 agenda.

As an active member during the informal consultations, Morocco supports the results of the negotiations. They constitute a new momentum to help us respond to the challenges of today, digital public goods and public digital infrastructure serve as tools for inclusive transformation, strong governance frameworks adapted to the needs of developing countries.

We support the permanent mandate of the Internet Governance Forum with stable and predictable funding. The forum must raise higher the voices of the global south. It must address the issue of the governance of artificial intelligence and data through partnerships for open models and accessible computing resources.

Rules on the environmental impact of digital technologies constitute essential progress. Data centers consume an ever-growing share of global electricity. The rise of artificial intelligence risks increasing the production of electronic waste, estimated to reach millions of additional tons by 2030.

The new WSIS framework now encourages a circular economy, international standards for sustainable products and responsible management of critical minerals. We support the creation of an internal working group to examine the financial mechanisms, and we propose that it presents specific recommendations in 2027, prioritizing financing on favorable terms and North-South, South-South and triangular partnerships.

And finally, strong biennial follow-up with comprehensive reports and measurable indicators will guarantee that we move forward and it will prepare the next review in 2035. Mr. President, digital transformation is today a must for any country which wishes to modernize its economy and improve the efficiency of its public services.

Now, aware of these challenges, my country has put together a strategy that we call Digital Morocco 2030. It aims to position Morocco as a leader in the digital economy and a competitive actor on a global scale with an initial allocation of 11 billion dirhams for the period 2024-26. This strategic framework aims at rehabilitating human resources by training 100,000 young people in digital professions and by creating 240,000 jobs.

Over the last decade, Morocco strengthened its digital sovereignty and positions itself now as a regional technological hub with new infrastructure featuring next-generation data centers, sovereign cloud, and a shared computing capacity such as the Dakhla Center project in the Moroccan Sahara with a capacity of 500 megawatts.

This project will allow us to reduce the dependence on foreign infrastructure, it will attract investments in cloud, fintech, strengthen e-government, and AI research. Most recently, Morocco launched the new digital hub for sustainable development. On the sidelines of the 88th session of the General Assembly, this was done in partnership with UNDP, a project endowed with a budget of $38 million over three years, of which $8 million are contributed by the government of Morocco.

The goal here is to support countries of the Arab and African region to exploit public digital infrastructures, artificial intelligence, and innovation while strengthening regional and international cooperation to accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goals.

By strengthening its e-government pillar, Morocco has undertaken a redesign of its internal procedures. Ministerial departments have put online unified portals to process citizens’ requests. Justice and Health have computerized their registers to speed up the processing of files.

This reorganization will place Morocco amongst the 50 most efficient countries in terms of e-government. To secure its digital space, my country adopted Law 0520 to regulate the security of information systems. This legislation provides strict standards for operators of vital infrastructure.

At the same time, the Kingdom of Morocco supports the establishment of new technologies, companies, and training with the objective of training 100,000 graduates per year in technical professions so as to meet the labor market needs.

Digital inclusion remains a central pillar of our efforts. Today, Internet penetration has exceeded 92% nationally with more than 35 million users. Mobile broadband covers nearly 85% of all connections.

To reduce the digital divide from an early age, Morocco launched in 2025 a national program of training in digital and artificial intelligence for children with modules including coding, computational thinking, and responsible use of digital tools.

At the same time, the Kingdom of Morocco is currently working on establishing its digital framework X0, which intends to lay the foundations of modern data governance, both secure and interoperable, while focusing on research, technological innovation, and the upskilling of national human capital.

Mr. President, in conclusion, I would like to say that we look forward to the adoption of the final document of this high-level meeting and reiterate our firm commitment to the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society, which is centered on the human being, which is inclusive, fair, and sustainable.

Digital transformation is not only about technology. It is, rather, about the human being. Morocco remains committed to cooperating with all partners.

for an information society that ensures that everyone can benefit and that leaves no one behind. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Morocco. And now I give the floor to His Excellency Clara Chappaz , the State Minister on Artificial Intelligence of France.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Colleagues, I align with the statement delivered by the European Union and its Member States. Allow me, on behalf of France, to hail the outcome document of MoSIS Plus 20.

This is a major milestone for digital governance in the light of the impact of technologies on our lives, on our work, on the economy, culture, and everything else. The advent of generative AI is further revolutionizing our world. Never before has technology for the common good been put to the test in this way.

We’re very pleased to have been part of this process together with civil society and the United Nations. As the digital world is transforming our social, economic, and political, and even defense landscapes, we are delighted by the review that fully reflects the challenges of the present day, the integrity of information and data in a world where the digital world is fertile ground for manipulation, especially on social networks, the protection of human rights, and global warming.

This work must be done in close cooperation with the private sector to ensure… that this great river fully irrigates all of our work for the greater good. And this is precisely the purpose of the United Nations.

The objectives that we develop here together for people, for planet and for prosperity and for the regulations that we set in place for the future. These are at the heart of our efforts. France also welcomes the work of the co-facilitators in ensuring alignment between the WSIS process and the Global Digital Compact.

This work is essential to build robust and inclusive solid digital governance, but above all governance that is efficient for the states represented here, but also for all stakeholders of the digital world, scientists and businesses all over the world.

We are delighted by the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum as a permanent body. This is founded on openness and inclusivity as the fundamental values for France. The collective participation of governance, of civil society and economic stakeholders is essential to promote a digital world that is high-performing and accessible to all.

We must involve governments and the private sector to ensure durability and sustainability of the environment. And these are collective goals. The future growth of the digital infrastructure, in particular that of AI, represents an opportunity to speed up its development and the development of clean energies.

Finally, we hail the emphasis on the protection of vulnerable users, especially to cyberbullying. In particular, the protection of our children in light of online risks, especially those on social networks, is a fundamental challenge and this must be tackled globally. The digital world and social networks represent fundamental opportunities and potential to access.

knowledge and entertainment but the algorithmic impact on children can no longer be ignored. Seven out of ten adolescents say they are anxious on social networks. What are we going to do?

The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has launched a study to limit access to young people following in the footsteps of Australia and working with Greece and many other countries. We must go further together. Growing up without social networks simply means allowing children to be children.

I thank you.

I thank the Minister Delegate of Artificial Intelligence.

President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me start by confirming that Denmark fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. Denmark looks forward to the adoption of the WSIS plus 20 review outcome document and we urge all to join consensus. I would like to extend Denmark’s sincere gratitude to all present for your remarks and your engagement.

We are particularly grateful to the co-facilitators and to the Secretariat for their leadership and efforts to ensure meaningful inclusion in the process, reflecting contributions from a wide range of stakeholders.

When the World Summit on Information Society was finalized 20 years ago, and even during its last review in 2015, the technological landscape was fundamentally changed. different. New and emerging technologies today have an unprecedented impact on our lives and our societies.

We must ensure that the impact is positive, fostering education, health and sustainable growth. For Denmark, it is important that we maintain strong ambitions and a shared, actionable vision. This vision must be human-centered, inclusive, and it must focus on bridging digital divides, not expanding them.

That includes advancing connectivity and ensuring unhindered access to an open, free, global, interoperable, safe, reliable and secure Internet. Denmark remains firmly committed to the WSIS framework, which has advanced this agenda. I would like to highlight three critical areas of the WSIS process.

First, the preservation and the reinforcement of the inclusive, multi-stakeholder Internet governance model. We need a model defined by meaningful collaboration across governments, civil society, private sector, technical communities, academia, and international and regional organizations, and especially from developing countries whose perspectives are crucial.

The Internet is a shared good, and no single stakeholder holds all expertise. The multi-stakeholder model protects the Internet against fragmentation and against state-controlled alternatives. Second, the importance of a strong Internet governance forum, IDF.

Denmark fully supports mandate and permanent role of the IDF. It is a cornerstone of the multi-stakeholder model and approach to Internet governance. The IDF provides a unique venue for diverse stakeholders to discuss digital challenges and opportunities, while also creating opportunities to foster partnerships.

We have to work together to ensure that the IDF continues to improve and has meaningful and actionable outcomes. Third, our responsibility to anchor WSIS firmly in human rights. This WSIS review presents an opportunity to reaffirm and to safeguard a human-centric and a human-rights-based approach to digital governance.

The human rights that we strive to uphold offline also apply online. Technology should serve humanity, not the other way around. President, to conclude, we cannot ensure a sustainable and safe technological future if we act individually.

The nature of the Internet is global. We must cooperate based on shared principles, and we must commit to protect the open, global, and interoperable Internet. Denmark is fully committed in this endeavour.

Thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Denmark, and I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Myanmar.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr.

President, Myanmar aligns itself with the statement delivered by G-77 and China. The outcomes of the World Summit on Information have served as a foundation framework for Internet governance and growing impact of ICTs on society. In an era of rising security threats, emerging technologies and widening digital divides, the WISIS Plus 20 review offers an opportunity to reinvigorate our commitments and address both existing gaps and new challenges in the implementation of WISIS goals.

Mr. President, Myanmar reaffirms our commitment to the visions of the WISIS to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society where everyone can create, access, utilise and share information and knowledge.

As stated in Article 19 of the UDHR and Article 17 of ICCPR respectively, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence.

Unfortunately, in my country, Myanmar, this vision has been unattainable due to the ongoing violations of all fundamental rights by the military junta since the illegal coup in 2021. In line with the WISIS Plus 20 review, please allow me to underline the following principles of the Geneva Declarations regarding my country. First, access to information and knowledge.

The military has violated the rights of access to information by shutting down the internet, restricting the use of VPN and blacklisting internet sites, including leading social media sites. According to OHCHR, over half of the 330 townships have been denied access to information. the right to receive and impact information, including during the March 2025 earthquake.

Second, media. The military has crushed independent reporting and arrested 225 media workers, prosecuted and sentenced 93, and withdrawn license of 16 media outlets. Nine journalists and media actors have been killed by the military junta since the coup.

These attacks on the principles of freedom of press and freedom of information serve the dual purpose of suppressing independent voices while promoting military propaganda. Their attempts to disseminate misinformation and disinformation include a wide range of military-controlled media, telegram groups, influencer channels, military-aligned subservient diplomats and their offices, among others.

Third and last, ethical dimension. According to OSHR, the military junta has stepped up mass surveillance of the population since the coup by activating their personal scrutinization and monitoring system. This system reportedly uses AI, facial recognition, CCTV surveillance and biometric data, among others, to identify and arrest human rights defenders and dissidents.

The junta has also acquired the ability to track and locate individuals through their cell IDs due to the technology provided by foreign network security companies. There are growing concerns over the use of PSMS by the junta to monitor civilians. As such, the people are living under constant fear.

In this context, it is crystal clear that the so-called election by the junta will never be free nor fair. It will further intensify and expand violence across the country. As a case in point, the military recently launched an airstrike on a general hospital in Miaou in Yokai State, killing at least 35 civilians, including women and children, and injuring 76 people as part of a systematic and widespread campaign of terror against the civilian populations.

In this opportunity, Mr. President, I urge all Member States and the international community to categorically reject Hunter’s sham election and support the people of Myanmar in their efforts to eradicate the military dictatorship and build a fairer democratic union.

I thank you, Mr. President.

I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Bulgaria.

Thank you, Mr. President. Delegates, colleagues, Bulgaria aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.

Allow me to add several remarks in my national capacity. For more than two decades, Bulgaria has been committed to an active participant in the WSIS process and has always advocated for close cooperation with the multistakeholder community. Being among the pioneers of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance developed by WSIS, Bulgaria promotes the same model of inclusive cooperation in all UN and other international formats, including international telecommunication union.

Our early commitment to building open, secure, and human-centric information society led the foundation for the remarkable development of the Bulgarian Internet ecosystem, which is defined by several hundred Internet service providers operating a liberal, non-regulated market environment.

Next, Bulgaria is consistently engaged in boosting a long-standing… commitment to openness and access to knowledge. In 2006, Bulgaria started using Creative Commons licenses, the same licenses that underpin Wikipedia. Currently, numerous websites in Bulgaria continue to use Creative Commons, ensuring transparency, access to information, and the public reuse of content.

As for the step to share experience and engage in international cooperation, Bulgaria submitted its candidature for the International Telecommunications Union Council, and your valuable support at the next year’s Plenipotentiary Conference in Qatar would be highly appreciated.

Excellencies, the negotiations held in New York over the past months demonstrated that member states can overcome differences when they choose to reaffirm the foundational principles of the information society.

First, the Internet must remain open, interoperable, and accessible to all. Second, fragmentation of the global Internet architecture must be avoided. Member states indeed have sovereign rights regarding content and application within their jurisdiction, but while exercising these rights, they should ensure that measures do not negatively impact the technical functioning of the Internet or create unintended global consequences.

Bulgaria is encouraged by the renewed spirit of cooperation shown by all delegations throughout this review process. We urge all countries to remain fully engaged in the Internet Governance Forum and to further strengthen its role within the multi-stakeholder model. We also encourage delegations to consider including technical experts among the multi-stakeholder representative as part of their national teams at WSIS, following the example of Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.

and my own country, Bulgaria, and others. Colleagues, as we mark 20 years of WSIS, Bulgaria remains firmly committed to an open, global, interoperable, secure, and human-centric Internet. We will continue to support a multi-stakeholder approach to digital governance that empowers people, stimulates innovation, and enables sustainable development while fully respecting and upholding all human rights.

I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Bulgaria, and I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iraq.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Mr. President, Excellencies, 20 years after the World Summit on the Information Society, we can acknowledge meaningful progress yet the fundamental promise of WSIS remains unfulfilled. The digital divide has not only persisted, but in many regions has depended and diversified.

A coherent, inclusive, and development-focused global framework for ICT-related cooperation cannot be achieved without strong U.N. stewardship. However, unilateral coercive measures imposed on several countries continue to undermine this objective.

If we are truly committed to the Information Society vision, these barriers must be addressed with urgency and fairness. Mr. President, capacity building remains a particularly critical and largely unfulfilled mandate.

Many developing countries continue to face significant institutional and human capacity that limit their ability to harness the benefits of digitalization. to the unfinished agenda of Internet governance. The Tunis agenda called for enhanced cooperation among governments on an equal footing to address international public policy issues related to the Internet.

Nearly two decades later, progress in operationalizing this mandate remains limited. The urgency now lies in translating agreed principles into effective and inclusive institutional arrangements. Similarly, while the Internet Governance Forum has provided a valuable platform for dialogue, it lacks a decision-making mandate capable of ensuring equal and meaningful participation by states, particularly developing countries.

Strengthening the role of governments within a balanced multi-stakeholders framework remain essential. At the same time, all stakeholders, including the private sector and digital platform, must act responsibly. States bear the primary responsibility for ensuring accountability and preventing the misuse of ICTs in ways that undermine national sovereignty, security, and public order.

Moreover, actors with monopoly power in the digital domain must refrain from instrumentalizing technological advance as tools of political or economic coercion. In conclusion, 20 years after WSIS, we must return to its original vision, a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society. The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to work actively with all partners at both regional and international level to advance a more equitable digital future for all.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic. And I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Uruguay.

Thank you, President. Twenty years on from the World Summit that took place in Geneva in 2003, Uruguay is reaffirming its conviction that the Information Society and ICTs must serve as a tool for advancing towards development, for protecting human rights, and for reducing inequalities both within and between states.

Uruguay aims to strengthen its digital governance with a focus on the provision of online services and telecommunications infrastructure. The new 2025 Digital Government Plan runs on four guide rails, alignment with national objectives, efficiency and savings, quality in public services, and transparency in public administration. Initiatives such as the 2025 Digital Uruguay Agenda, led by the Uruguayan Agency for Electronic Government and for the Information and Knowledge Society, AGESIC, links national needs with fulfillment of the SDGs.

These initiatives are focused on the transformation of public services to offer efficient and personalized services and smooth exchanges between citizens and the state. At the same time, Uruguay considers that it’s essential to apply a human rights approach to all of our deliberations on the Information Society, given the risks that they pose for human rights, namely how unregulated or inappropriate use of new technologies may jeopardize human rights, including in the areas of surveillance, opaque or discriminatory algorithmic systems, dissemination of fake news and disinformation, erosion of privacy, and placing undue restrictions on freedom of expression and association that undermine civic space.

In this regard, Uruguay emphasizes that states must, together with the private sector, ensure that new technologies, including in the area of surveillance, are used in accordance with international human rights law.

This is especially relevant when we consider the growing threats facing democracies. In this regard, transparency in public administration is considered to be a fundamental access for deepening mechanisms that enable accountability, efficient use of resources within the state, openness, and publication of data in open formats.

And at the same time, we will continue to work to strengthen our national cybersecurity ecosystem. Finally, we recall that Uruguay is pleased to have signed the United Nations Convention against cybercrime in Hanoi last October, together with 63 other member states. And we trust that this instrument will mark the beginning of a new era of cooperation in the construction of a safer digital ecosystem.

Similarly, Uruguay acceded this year to the Council of Europe for Framework, Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law. And we are making reforms to the Code of Criminal Procedure, together with experts from the Council of Europe, so that we may be accepted as a member of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. I thank you.

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Uruguay. I’m going to give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Nigeria.

President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, I have the honor to convey the warm greetings of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to commend the convening of this high-level meeting to review the implementation of the outcomes of WSIS.

I wish to thank the WSIS Plus 20 co-founders. facilitators from Albania and Kenya for their diligence in consulting all stakeholders around the world. I also thank the UNDESA and the Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board for their support.

Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism and development-focused action and supports open, inclusive, and member-state-driven processes that strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to advance international development and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, with poverty eradication as the overarching goal.

My delegation aligns with the statement delivered by the representative of Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and the following is made in a national capacity. Over two decades after the UYSIS commitments were made in Geneva and Tunis, Nigeria remains firmly committed to the vision of a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society.

In line with this commitment, Nigeria is undertaking sustained efforts to expand digital infrastructure and access for its population of over 230 million people, strengthen capacity development, enhance trust, safety, and security in the use of ICTs, and foster an enabling environment for digital innovation.

We reaffirm our support for the continuity of the IGF, call for stable, transparent, and strategic funding mechanisms, and advocate for the formal inclusion of women and youth as critical stakeholders.

Mr. President, the challenges to digital transformation, including infrastructure gaps, access and digital rights, affordability, exclusion of underserved communities, gender and class disparities, and the widening digital divides between and within countries remain significant.

Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, is implementing a core coordinated set of skills, infrastructure, and policy interventions. Central to this effort is a 3 million technical talent program which aims to develop 3 million digital professionals by 2027. Complementing this, Nigeria has adopted a national digital literacy framework with a digital literacy for all initiative targeting a 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030.

To strengthen digital connectivity, Nigeria is implementing 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic infrastructure deployment projects nationwide. In parallel, Nigeria is advancing its digital public infrastructure agenda including the forthcoming launch of a national data exchange platform which together with national identity and digital payment systems will underpin inclusive population scale digital service delivery.

On the policy front, Nigeria has formally launched its national artificial intelligence strategy providing a national vision, guiding principles, and actionable objectives for the responsible adoption of AI across sectors.

Just yesterday, Nigeria convened a WSIS plus 20 side event organized by the National Information Technology Development Agency in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including the private sector, the civil society, the technical and academic communities, and the youth in a truly multi-stakeholder arrangement.

The meeting noted that reporting and implementing mechanisms for WSIS outcomes have been slow particularly in developing countries. Participants also called on African countries to establish functional multi-stakeholder mechanisms for annual WSIS follow-up. Each country is encouraged to assign a coordinating secretariat for national multi-stakeholder engagement and lead the enhanced digital cooperation accelerator for Africa in collaboration with UNESCO.

Africa, our sister African countries, and all concerned stakeholders. Mr. President, in closing, Nigeria recognizes that national efforts must be complemented by strong partnerships.

We therefore call for enhanced digital cooperation amongst governments, international institutions, the private sector, academia, and civil society to address ethical concerns and mitigate risks in the digital age.

Nigeria supports the multi-stakeholder approach of the WSIS and the permanency of the Internet Governance Forum. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria, and I’m now going to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.

Mr. President, my delegation welcomes the convening of this high-level review meeting, which offers a timely opportunity to take stock of our collective efforts to build an inclusive people-centered information society.

Zimbabwe aligns itself with the statements delivered by Iraq on behalf of the G77 in China, and Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in defense of the Charter of the United Nations. I will add the following remarks in a national capacity. My delegation commends the permanent representatives of Kenya and Albania for their leadership in co-facilitating the negotiations on the outcome document.

We acknowledge the progress achieved since the World Summit on Information Society in 2005, and reaffirm Zimbabwe’s firm commitment to the effective implementation of the WSIS Action Plan. lines. These remain central to advancing a development-oriented information society that leaves no one behind.

Mr. President, information and communication technologies are firmly embedded at the center of Zimbabwe’s national development agenda. Digital transformation is recognized as a critical catalyst for inclusive socioeconomic growth.

Accordingly, Zimbabwe has prioritized the expansion of ICT infrastructure through strategic public-private partnerships, the extension of broadband and mobile connectivity across rural and urban communities, and sustained investment in digital skills and human capital.

These efforts are complemented by community-based digital centers that widen access to services, training, and innovation, targeted initiatives to empower women, youth, and persons with disabilities, and the accelerated rollout of e-government solutions across key sectors, including health, agriculture, and public administration.

At the same time, Zimbabwe is positioning itself to harness emerging technologies. The launch of our National Artificial Intelligence Strategy provides a clear roadmap for leveraging artificial intelligence to support sustainable development, innovation, and improved public service delivery, while promoting ethical, secure, and responsible use of AI in line with national priorities and international-based practices.

Notwithstanding these advances, persistent challenges remain with regards to affordability, cybersecurity, and sustainable financing. Addressing these gaps requires enhanced international cooperation and a shared commitment to the following three core principles. and reliable internet connectivity, predictable and adequate financing to strengthen digital capacity in developing countries, and a multilateral transparent and inclusive framework for global digital governance.

In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm Zimbabwe’s commitment to continue working with all stakeholders to promote a safe, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem. Such an ecosystem is indispensable to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to ensuring that digital progress translates into tangible benefits for all. I thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. Israel thanks the co-facilitators of the outcome document, the ambassadors of Kenya and Albania, for helping to find common ground among many competing interests and visions.

Twenty years ago, WSIS set a vision for a people-centered and inclusive society of information. Today, as we mark WSIS Plus 20, Israel affirms that this vision remains vital for digital transformation. Digital technologies must boost education and health, and contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation, and economic growth.

Israel supports the WSIS Agenda and its vision. We believe that connectivity is not merely about access. It is also about opportunities, resilience, and broad prosperity.

Far too many people still lack meaningful connectivity. And while the differences are stark between countries and regions, deep gaps also appear within countries. We can and we must address these gaps with skills building and infrastructure development.

Israel is addressing this gap nationally. Our broadband strategy is based on the extensive deployment of fiber optic infrastructure. Within just a few years, we have achieved over 90 percent broadband coverage across the country, ensuring fast and reliable access for all, including those living in remote areas through a collaborative incentive model between the public and private sectors.

By the end of last year, 62 percent of the population already had fiber-based internet, reflecting substantial uptake of the upgraded fixed broadband infrastructure and a highly competitive market environment, with more than two separate fiber networks deployed on average to each household.

Israel believes that digital progress must remain human-centered and that we need to work harder to eliminate any digital divide, including by promoting digital literacy and capacity building, with a special focus on girls and young women, empowering them to participate in the digital economy and lead future innovation.

Building on our latest national report, we’re implementing concrete programs that integrate education and technological tools to ensure that connectivity remains a source of empowerment. As we review WSIS, it must remain up-to-date with the latest technological advancements. We must create agile and adaptive governance frameworks that promote growth and innovation and advance economic development rather than inhibit it.

Thus, these principles should be future-looking, enabling the continuation of innovation and advances in AI. AI technologies bring tremendous potential, opportunities, and contributions in nearly every area of human activity, from public health to agriculture, from construction to education. Finally, Israel supports the call to make the IGF a permanent forum within the UN and firmly believes that in order to be effective, its inclusive nature must be upheld and strengthened.

All segments of society, the private sector, governments, academia, and civil society, must have a seat at the table. Any understanding of the possible ways forward would be incomplete without taking their input into account. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Israel, and I wish to pause for a minute to try to localize the news speakers. Thank you. And now give the floor to the representative of the International Telecommunication Union.

You have the floor, ma’am.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Our world looked very different when the Tunis agenda was adopted. adopted in 2005.

One billion people were online. Social media barely existed. Yet even then, UN member states recognized that shaping the information society could not be left to chance.

It required coordinated action amongst all stakeholders. That recognition has not changed, and neither has our responsibility to turn the WSIS vision into action as we enter the intelligent society. AI is redefining who gets access to opportunity and who is locked out of an increasingly digital economy.

But it is only one expression of a broader transformation. WSIS was never tied to a single technology. Its strength has always been its neutrality and its ability to evolve.

AI is both the greatest test and the greatest opportunity for WSIS to do what it has always done – galvanize governments, industry, innovators, civil society, the technical community and academia, and marginalize groups around a shared responsibility.

A shared responsibility for forward-looking, human-centered digital development. The WSIS Action Lines guide us from aspiration to action, investing in digital infrastructure and making connectivity meaningful, affordable, safe, and inclusive. Excellencies, the people outside this room, 2.2 billion still offline, youth navigating AI-shaped futures, and marginalized communities who remain overlooked in digital spaces – these are the people.

the groups that we need to be focused on, and this is why the WSIS continues to matter. This has always been a people-centered vision, one embodied by the WSIS Forum, strengthened by the Global Digital Compact, and one that does not end in 2025. As the UN Specialized Agency for Digital Technologies, ITU will continue supporting the implementation of the WSIS outcomes alongside UN members and our partners.

In this context, and as requested by ITU member-states, I am pleased to present the ITU WSIS Plus 20 Report, Building a Digital Future for All, to this 80th session of the General Assembly, which I have linked in the online version of my statement.

Ladies and gentlemen, together we can ensure the intelligent society is shaped not by technology alone, but by the choices that we make, that we make to benefit all people and our planet. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the International Telecommunications Union, and in accordance with this decision, 80 slides 5 to 4, taken at the 60th plenary meeting, the Assembly will now hear from a representative of stakeholders in accordance with Paragraph 3 of Resolution 79, Slide 277.

I shall give the floor now to the distinguished representative, CyberPeace.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, co-facilitators, and colleagues, CyberPeace is honored to participate in WSIS Plus 20 High-Level Meeting and to contribute to the collective reflection on two decades of progress towards an inclusive, inclusive and inclusive world.

secure, and people-centered information society. We also welcome the permanent establishment of the IGF. The WSIS process and its implementation mechanisms, including the IGF, remain among the most important global platforms for multi-stakeholder dialogue and cooperation.

They have demonstrated that effective digital governance requires the meaningful engagement of governments, civil society, private sector, the technical community, and academia. As we approach the WSIS Plus 20 review, it is essential that this multi-stakeholder approach is not only preserved, but further strengthened, particularly in responding to emerging and increasingly complex cyber-related challenges.

Twenty years after the WSIS, digital technologies have become integral to sustainable development, international cooperation, and social well-being. At the same time, this transformation has been accompanied by a significant expansion of cyber-threats, now further intensified by AI and other emerging technologies. These challenges undermine trust in digital systems, constrain digital inclusion, and disproportionately affect communities with limited capacity to prevent or respond to cyber-harm.

Cyberpeace was established based on the conviction that peace and stability in cyberspace are essential preconditions for the achievement of sustainable development goals, and for ensuring that the benefits of digital transformations are shared equitably.

Over the past decades, the cyber-threat has evolved. We have observed targeted attacks against hospitals and critical infrastructures, online exploitation of children, CSAM, ransomware, attacks affecting schools and small businesses, DNS abuse, misuse of deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation, cyber-enabled human trafficking, and the proliferation of organized scam operation in several regions.

These developments represent not only security concerns, but also broader human social development challenges as they disrupt essential services, undermine education, and weaken social cohesion. In this context, cyberpeace wishes to draw particular attention to the growth of organized crime centers. and cyber human trafficking related issues.

Looking ahead to the WSIS Plus 20 and beyond, CyberPeace respectfully encourages the international community to consider four priority areas. First, strengthen the global resilience, cyber resilience to sustain capacity building and cyber exercises. Second, ensure the protection of those most vulnerable to online harm.

Children, senior citizens, humanitarian actors, and front end public services require enhanced safeguards. Third, embedding trust and respect for human rights at the core of internet governance. And fourth, CyberPeace also emphasizes the importance of inclusive participatory approaches to cyber security and peace.

Government and institutions alone cannot fully address the scale and the pace of evolving cyber threats. Empowering individuals and communities therefore essential. In this regard, CyberPeace encourages the development and strengthening of global network of cyber ambassadors and cyber first responders, trained individuals embedded within communities, schools, civil society, and local institutions.

These actors can contribute to early warning, promote digital literacy, online safety, support survivors, and help connect communities with national and international response mechanisms. Such approach strengthens resilience at the community level, build trust, ground up, and reflect the people-centered vision of the WSIS process. Also, complement the role of IGF as a platform for dialogue, cooperation, and shared learning.

As we look beyond WSIS plus 20 towards the review of 2030 agenda, CyberPeace affirms its commitment to work constructively with all stakeholders to advance a cyber space that is peaceful, resilient, inclusive, and humane.

Where digital technologies serve human development and dignity, and where no one is left behind. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the CyberPeace. And we have heard the last speaker for this meeting. We shall continue tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock in this hall.

After the items announced in the Journal of the United Nations, the assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 15. The meeting is adjourned. Perfect.

Thank you so much for this.