UN Leaders Dialogue

Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasises that the UN family collectively leads as facilitators of the WSIS action lines and bears a shared responsibility to advance the WSIS vision through to 2035. She highlights that 20 years of multi-stakeholder cooperation has proven effective, bringing together governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, and international organisations to drive progress towards a better digital future.

She noted that it is the UN family that leads as facilitators of the WSIS action lines and forms UNGIS , and that it is their collective responsibility to carry the WSIS vision and renewed mandate to 2035 . She further stated that the past 20 years has proven that multi-stakeholder cooperation works, building a time-tested platform involving governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, international organisations, and the UN system .

Doreen Bogdan-Martin underscores that despite progress, the work of the UN system is far from complete given that 2.2 billion people remain without internet access. This statistic frames the urgency of continued and coordinated action across all UN agencies to address the digital divide.

She explicitly stated that with 2.2 billion people still offline, the work is far from over , using this figure to contextualise the need for panellists to share their thoughts on carrying forward the WSIS mandate and strengthening system-wide cooperation .

Doreen Bogdan-Martin stresses that trust — not only in systems and data, but amongst UN agencies themselves — is fundamental to the system's success. She argues that the UN must ensure it is not duplicating or competing, but genuinely working together to deliver better outcomes for member states and the broader multi-stakeholder community.

In her closing remarks, she noted that there were many common references to trust across panellists' interventions, and that this trust must extend to trust amongst the UN agencies themselves . She explicitly stated that the system can succeed by ensuring they are not duplicating or competing, but working together to deliver better for member states and the multi-stakeholder community .

Tomas Lamanauskas describes the WSIS process as a genuinely unified UN effort, with UNGIS bringing together 31 UN entities and 17 observers to coordinate delivery across the system. He highlights the scale of stakeholder engagement and notes that UNGIS has been recognised by member states as an important coordination platform, with additional responsibilities assigned under WSIS Plus 20.

He noted that directly into the WSIS process, over 50,000 stakeholders from 160 countries were involved , and that UNGIS, established in 2006, brings together 31 UN entities and 17 observers . He also mentioned that UNGIS has been recognised by member states as an important platform and has been given additional work under the WSIS Plus 20 review, including on financing for digital development .

Lamanauskas explains that UNGIS serves as the primary coordination mechanism for the UN system's digital work, uniting nearly 50 entities to ensure coherent delivery. Under the WSIS Plus 20 review, UNGIS has been assigned new responsibilities, including examining financing options and gaps for digital development.

He stated that UNGIS was established in 2006 and brings together 31 UN entities and 17 observers, making it nearly 50 entities working together . He noted that in the WSIS Plus 20 review, UNGIS received additional work including on financing for digital development, looking at options, gaps, and implications .

Dr. Tedros argues that the renewal of the WSIS mandate to 2035 signals the continued importance of digital cooperation for sustainable development. For WHO, the central challenge is not whether technology will transform health — it already is — but ensuring that transformation is trusted, equitable, and people-centred.

He stated that the renewal of the WSIS mandate sends an important message that digital cooperation remains essential to achieving sustainable development . He noted that for WHO, the real challenge is ensuring that digital transformation is trusted, equitable, and responsive to people's needs , and that this principle guides WHO's work as co-facilitator of the WSIS action line on e-health .

Dr. Tedros makes the powerful argument that the digital divide and the health divide are inseparable — failure to close gaps in connectivity, capacity, governance, and financing means digital transformation could deepen rather than reduce inequalities. He calls for trust, solidarity, and partnership as the defining features of future digital cooperation.

He explicitly stated that the digital divide is a health divide , and that unless gaps in connectivity, capacity, governance, and financing are closed, digital transformation risks widening inequalities rather than reducing them . He concluded that the future of digital cooperation will be defined not only by technology, but by trust, solidarity, and partnership .

Dr. Tedros acknowledges the transformative potential of AI in health, citing a wide range of applications from disease surveillance to drug development. However, he insists that AI must be governed responsibly, with people at the centre, and that WHO is working with ITU and WIPO to help countries adopt AI safely through guidance, standards, and governance frameworks.

He listed specific AI applications in health including strengthening surveillance, accelerating research, supporting earlier diagnosis, assisting health workers, advancing drug and vaccine development, and expanding access to care . He emphasised that AI must be safe, ethical, evidence-based, and equitable, and must be governed responsibly with people at the centre . He noted that WHO, together with ITU and WIPO, is helping countries adopt AI with confidence through guidance, standards, and governance frameworks , and referenced a joint publication on AI-enabled health innovation and IP .

Dr. Tedros argues that innovation alone is insufficient and that AI governance must place people at the centre. He highlights the collaborative work of WHO, ITU, and WIPO in providing countries with the tools they need to adopt AI responsibly, including guidance, standards, and governance frameworks.

He stated that AI must be safe, ethical, evidence-based, and equitable, and must be governed responsibly with people at the centre . He noted that WHO, together with ITU and WIPO, is helping countries adopt AI with confidence through guidance, standards, and governance frameworks , and that they are also working with academia and industry to improve the quality and reliability of AI tools and strengthen countries' capacity to use them effectively .

Masahiko Metoki argues that the postal sector plays a unique and underappreciated role in digital inclusion, particularly in rural areas where post offices serve as accessible points for digital services. He highlights that the WSIS Plus 20 document explicitly recognises post offices as inclusive access points, and that UPU is committed to closing the connectivity gap for the estimated 100,000 post offices still without meaningful internet.

He noted that the WSIS Plus 20 document approved by the UN General Assembly clearly states that post offices are inclusive access points for delivering digital services in rural areas . He cited approximately 600,000 post offices worldwide, most in rural areas , and estimated that around 100,000 post offices do not have meaningful internet connection . He stated that UPU will continue to connect communities through the post office, both through its own projects and in partnership with other UN organisations .

Metoki makes the case that the physical reach of the postal network — with hundreds of thousands of locations predominantly in rural areas — gives the postal sector a special role in bridging the digital divide for underserved populations. He highlights specific initiatives such as Post for Women, which empowers women-led businesses in rural areas to build digital skills and sell products online.

He stated that there are around 600,000 post offices worldwide, most in rural areas, giving the postal sector a special role . He noted that post offices can provide digital services cost-effectively to people who may not easily access the internet, smartphones, or digital skills , and that many postal operators now offer e-commerce, e-governance, or digital financial services in person at post office counters . He specifically mentioned the Post for Women initiative, which empowers women-led business enterprises in rural areas to build digital skills and sell products online .

Pedro Manuel Moreno argues that UNCTAD's role is to ensure that digital infrastructure built by governments and the private sector reaches everyone, particularly through the economic lens. He highlights the E-Trade for All initiative as a concrete mechanism for coordinating UN digital support to developing countries, and frames the next decade of WSIS as one that must be judged by the economic value generated for people online.

He noted that UNCTAD launched the E-Trade for All initiative ten years ago, now with 35 organisations, offering developing countries a single door into the system's digital support . He stated that E-Trade readiness assessments have mapped the full chain of payments, logistics, skills, and legal frameworks in close to 40 developing countries , and that E-Trade for Women has helped more than 200 women-led digital businesses grow . He concluded that the first 20 years of the summit put much of the world online, and the next 10 will be judged by what being online is worth - a sale, a job, an income .

Moreno highlights a critical paradox in digital development: even in countries with high social media use, the same devices are rarely used for economic activity such as online sales or business transactions. He argues that closing this gap requires not just connectivity but a full ecosystem of enabling conditions including payment systems, logistics, legal protections, and business skills.

He noted that in most of the developing world, the phone mostly entertains rather than employs, with some countries ranking among the highest in the world for social media use but among the lowest for online sales or internet penetration at the workplace . He explained that whether a phone is used for economic activity depends on things the user never sees - a payment system that works, a parcel service that delivers, a law that protects the buyer, and the skills to run a business . He stated that when one of those links fails, people keep scrolling and the income goes elsewhere .

Moreno highlights UNCTAD's role as chair of UNGIS in tabling a joint implementation roadmap to align the WSIS process with the Global Digital Compact, representing a concrete example of system-wide coordination. This initiative demonstrates how the UN system is working to ensure coherence between its major digital governance frameworks.

He stated that as chair of the UN Group on the Information Society, UNCTAD tabled a joint implementation roadmap to align WSIS and the Global Digital Compact .

Tatiana Molcean argues that digital transformation is not an end in itself but must be measured by its impact on daily lives and economic opportunities. She uses UNECE's work on automated vehicles as a concrete example of how digital innovation, combined with international regulatory cooperation, can deliver tangible outcomes even in challenging times.

She noted that UNECE works on regulations for cars, transport, and vehicles, and that two weeks prior to the forum, member states, the community, and the private sector came together and approved the first regulatory framework for fully driverless automated driving systems . She presented this as evidence that international cooperation on digital innovation can deliver results .

Molcean echoes points made by other panellists about the critical importance of data trustworthiness, arguing that it is essential for meaningful digital transformation. She stresses that ensuring all countries have the right skills and capacities to process and benefit from digital solutions is a key pathway to addressing inequality.

She joined the points made by Dr. Tedros and Celeste Saulo about the trustworthiness of data, calling it essential when talking about digital transformation . She stated that attention must be paid to supporting all countries to ensure they have the right skills and capacities to process and benefit from digital solutions , and expressed hope that this would be a key way to solve inequality and ensure the benefits of digital transformation are shared .

Celeste Saulo argues that the excitement around AI must be tempered by recognition that AI is only as good as the data underpinning it. She uses WMO's experience in meteorology to demonstrate that decades of international data sharing, codified through a unified data policy and operationalised through the WIS2 platform, are what make trustworthy AI applications possible.

She stated that in meteorology, a simple lesson has been learned: AI is only as good as the data behind it . She noted that AI models for drought detection cannot succeed without decades of observations from satellites, weather stations, rivers, and oceans, contributed by countries around the world and exchanged through WMO . She described WMO's 2021 unified data policy, unanimously adopted by members, committing to exchange Earth system data freely and without restriction , and the WIS2 platform as the open successor to ageing systems, serving as the backbone of all forecasting including AI .

Saulo presents WMO's unified data policy as a landmark example of international agreement to treat data as a global public good. She argues that this commitment to free and open data exchange, operationalised through the WIS2 platform with over 100 connection points in more than 90 countries, is the foundation upon which trustworthy AI in meteorology is built.

She stated that WMO holds a simple conviction: weather data is a global public good, and so in many cases is the software itself . She noted that in 2021, WMO members unanimously adopted the unified data policy, committing to exchange Earth system data freely and without restriction . She described WIS2 as having more than 100 connection points in over 90 countries on every continent, from small island states in the Caribbean and the Pacific to nations across Africa and Latin America .

Michelle Gyles-McDonnough introduces the concept of the 'capacity divide' as a challenge that goes beyond mere connectivity. She argues that even when countries have access to technology, they often lack the skills, institutional frameworks, leadership, and policy capabilities needed to harness digital technologies responsibly and effectively.

She referenced the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI report released that week, which highlights a growing challenge: beyond the digital divide, countries are now confronting the capacity divide . She stated that access to technology alone is not enough, and that countries need the skills, institutions, leadership, and policy capabilities to harness digital technologies responsibly and effectively .

Gyles-McDonnough outlines UNITAR's specific contribution to closing the capacity divide through five areas of action targeting decision-makers and public servants. She emphasises the scale and reach of UNITAR's programmes, which span executive education, AI governance training, and tailored advisory support across more than 100 countries.

She described UNITAR's five areas of action including executive education for decision-makers, academic and professional learning programmes delivered through a network of 33 CIFAL centres, AI governance training and partnerships across the UN system including collaboration with the ITU-led AI Skills Coalition , and tailored advisory support including AI training programmes for youth and women in Malaysia and Ukraine . She stated that in 2025 alone, UNITAR's learning programmes reach almost 600,000 learners across 105 countries each year .

Magdalena Sepulveda argues that UNRISD's distinctive contribution is to place people — rather than technology — at the centre of AI discussions, asking fundamental questions about who benefits and who is left behind. She insists that social justice cannot be an afterthought in AI governance but must be embedded from the very beginning.

She stated that at UNRISD, when many discussions on AI speak about technology, they speak about people, asking three simple questions: who benefits, who is left behind, and what policies and institutions are needed to ensure AI promotes sustainable and inclusive development . She noted that UNRISD generates evidence not only about growth and innovation but also about how AI impacts inequality within and between countries, in jobs, public services, trust, and well-being . She concluded that if AI is going to contribute to sustainable development, social justice cannot be an afterthought but must be included from the very beginning .

Miguel Panadero describes the UN System Staff College's role in turning digital ambition into real institutional capability within the UN system itself. He outlines three practical ways the College supports this: building digital capabilities through learning programmes, investing in shared digital learning infrastructure, and promoting responsible and human-centred AI.

He described the digital for sustainability learning path and specialised academies that help colleagues understand how emerging technologies work, where they create public value, and how they can be governed responsibly . He noted the Blue Line Learning Marketplace, which connects tens of thousands of UN colleagues worldwide and is open to all, including national professionals and locally recruited personnel . He also described the De-Biasing Coach, an AI-enabled learning assistant that helps colleagues identify bias, question assumptions, and strengthen critical thinking . Together with UNITAR, the College co-leads UNSDG Learn, which has reached more than 1 million users worldwide .

Beate Andrees outlines ILO's three-pronged approach to managing the digital transformation of work: research on AI's impact on occupations, capacity building for labour ministries and workers' organisations, and governance through international standards. She highlights the adoption of the first-ever international treaty on decent work in the platform economy as a landmark achievement.

She described ILO's collaborative research on the exposure of AI on different occupations and macroeconomic impacts, conducted in collaboration with the World Bank . She noted the International Training Centre in Turin, which has set up capacity-building programmes for labour ministries, workers' and employers' organisations . She highlighted that last month, ILO adopted the first-ever international treaty on decent work in the platform economy , and that ILO has set up a policy tracker for policies on the platform economy .

Mariya Gabriel highlights UNESCO's concrete efforts to build AI and digital governance capacities at scale, with a particular focus on civil servants and public administration. She presents two flagship initiatives — the UNESCO-Oxford Programme and the Spark AI Alliance — as practical tools for equipping public servants with AI governance skills.

She stated that more than 35,000 civil servants are already being trained through the UNESCO-Oxford Programme on AI and Digital Transformation in Government . She also described the Spark AI Alliance as a network operating in more than 100 countries, providing practical skills for AI governance, public sector modernisation, and digital transformation .

Gabriel argues that UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, adopted by all 193 member states, provides a universal framework for responsible AI governance. She describes the practical support UNESCO offers to member states in implementing this recommendation, including readiness assessments, policy development, and guidance on addressing risks such as bias and lack of transparency.

She noted that UNESCO supports member states in implementing the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, which was adopted by all 193 UNESCO member states . This support includes AI readiness assessments, policy development, institutional safeguards, and guidance on how to address risks such as bias, transparency, and accountability .

Sonja Leighton-Kone argues that UNOPS contributes to UN system-wide efficiency by designing shared, multi-tenant digital systems that multiple agencies can use, rather than each building separate tools. This approach promotes interoperability and cost-efficiency across the UN system.

She described UNOPS managing the UN Global Marketplace as a common entry point for vendors across the entire UN system, and running platforms like UN WebI Plus, which has delivered over $1 billion in goods and services across 128 countries . She explained that instead of 40 separate agencies building 40 separate tools, UNOPS designs next-generation systems with multi-tenant architecture, including end-to-end recruitment and talent management, grant management, and digital procurement systems made available to sister UN agencies .

Leighton-Kone highlights the risk that the digital agenda moves fastest for those already connected, leaving the hardest-to-reach communities further behind. She argues that UNOPS addresses this by bringing digital transformation and emergency connectivity directly to post-conflict LDCs and small island developing states, with a focus on building local capability rather than creating dependency on external providers.

She stated that the real risk is that the digital agenda moves fastest for those already connected, leaving the hardest to reach further behind . She noted that UNOPS brings digital transformation and emergency connectivity directly to post-conflict LDCs and small island development states , and that their role is to build capability, not dependency on external providers, including by designing procurement frameworks with safety and data governance requirements built in from the start .

Robert Opp explains that UNDP has embedded digital and AI transformation as a strategic accelerator across all parts of its business in its 2026–2029 strategic plan. This involves both horizontal support for cross-cutting digital elements such as policies, strategies, and digital public infrastructure, and vertical integration of digital approaches within specific thematic programmes.

He stated that UNDP has hard-coded digital and AI transformations into its strategic plan for 2026 to 2029 as an accelerator that goes across all parts of its business . He described this as involving both horizontal support for digital governance, technology foundations, and capacity building, and vertical integration within UNDP's many thematic programmes . He also noted UNDP's work with ITU and leadership on one of the UN80 work streams around expertise on demand, powered by digital approaches, and a digital platform being built to connect services and available offers across the system .

Opp highlights UNDP's extensive capacity-building work as a key component of its digital transformation approach, reaching civil servants, civil society, and community groups across more than 80 countries. He frames this as part of a broader horizontal and vertical strategy that mirrors how national digital transformations are evolving.

He stated that UNDP conducts capacity building in over 80 countries with civil servants, but also civil society and many different community groups and beyond . He described this as part of a horizontal and vertical framing that is also reflected in national digital and AI transformations, including across ministries and cross-cutting elements like digital public infrastructure .

Kaan Cetinturk argues that as the conversation shifts from proof-of-concept to scale and impact, the measure of success must go beyond numbers to include equity. He insists that digital transformation should empower the most vulnerable — in UNICEF's case, children — and must actively bridge rather than widen the digital divide.

He stated that scale and impact must be measured not only by numbers but also through the lens of equity . He argued that digital transformation should empower the most vulnerable, in UNICEF's case children, and expand access and opportunity to help bridge the digital divide rather than making it wider .

Cetinturk presents UNICEF's Ahead of the Storm initiative as a concrete example of AI being used to protect children from climate emergencies. The initiative converts complex hazard forecasts and vulnerability data into actionable operational information that countries can use to prepare and trigger early action.

He described the Ahead of the Storm initiative as designed to improve preparedness for climate emergencies affecting children, noting that nearly half of the world's children - approximately 1.1 billion - are exposed to multiple climate hazards including floods, storms, and extreme heat . He explained that AI is used to convert uncertain complex hazard forecasts and contextual vulnerability data into timely, decision-ready operational data that countries can use to prepare and trigger early action, including estimating how many children may be affected and where essential services could be disrupted .

Anwar Mahfoudh reframes the relationship between human rights and AI, arguing that human rights are not a constraint on AI but rather the foundational operating system upon which AI should be built. He presents OHCHR's Human Rights Data Exchange as a flagship initiative that demonstrates how AI can strengthen human rights protection when built responsibly.

He stated that human rights are not an obstacle to AI but the operating system that AI should be built upon safely, and that when built responsibly, AI can strengthen protection, accountability, and scale trusted decision-making across the UN . He described the Human Rights Data Exchange, launched at AI for Good, as a dedicated authoritative platform that brings together scattered data from different UN entities, mechanisms, and institutions, powered by a generative AI system, making human rights information accessible, connected, and interoperable . He also mentioned the Human Rights Council MAPA, which feeds into the mandate registry of UN80 .

Dino Cataldo Dell'Accio presents the UN Pension Fund's digital identity solution as a model for responsible and ethical AI implementation within the UN system. The solution replaced a 70-year-old paper-based process, converging multiple technologies, and the Fund became a pioneer by achieving the first ISO 42001 certificate on responsible use of AI.

He described the implementation in 2021 of a digital identity solution for Proof of Life, enabled with support from UNICC, which allowed 80,000 retirees in more than 192 countries to confirm they are still alive digitally, replacing a 70-year-old paper-based process . He noted that the application gave birth to the United Nations Digital Identity Solution, now joined by 16 UN entities . He stated that the Pension Fund demonstrated convergence of AI, blockchain, and biometric facial recognition , and became a pioneer by achieving the first ISO 42001 certificate on the responsible use of AI, demonstrating transparent implementation of AI systems .

Milena Grecuccio argues that UNICC's role is to build and maintain the shared digital foundation for the UN system, ensuring that AI principles are translated into good practice through competent technical implementation. She outlines UNICC's plans to extend its shared infrastructure approach to AI through three conceptual pillars: an AI factory, AI gateway, and AI studio.

She described UNICC's shared digital infrastructure including a modern private cloud keeping data secure and protected by UN privileges and immunities, shared digital identity systems initiated by UNJSP, and treasury platforms under UNHCR leadership that move funds securely across borders . She outlined three pillars for extending this approach to AI: an AI factory for moving solutions safely from experimentation to deployment at scale, an AI gateway for governing transparently how AI is adopted including legal vetting, and an AI studio for building production-grade AI agents with guardrails embedded .

Irakli Beridze presents UNICRI's AI for Safe Children project as a concrete example of AI delivering measurable impact in the area of child protection and law enforcement. The project provides AI tools to law enforcement officers worldwide to tackle online child sexual exploitation, with documented operational results.

He described the AI for Safe Children project, undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, through which UNICRI built an AI global hub providing over 100 AI tools to representatives of 129 countries to tackle the sexual exploitation and abuse of children online . He stated that through this project, over 3,500 law enforcement officers from 60 countries have been trained , and that operational undertakings following these trainings resulted in saving over 100 children, arresting over 250 perpetrators and sex offenders . He also mentioned a recent project with OpenAI Foundation on building curriculum on children safe online .

Jason Slater presents UNIDO's AIM Global initiative as a practical, partnership-based response to the challenge of bringing AI to the real economy, particularly in the Global South. He describes a network of centres of excellence that demonstrate, adapt, and apply industrial AI applications while building local skills and capacity, especially for SMEs.

He described the Global Alliance on AI for Industry Manufacturing (AIM Global), which brings together governments, industry, and academia to help countries adopt industrial AI responsibly in the real economy, especially in the Global South . He noted that AIM Global has built a partnership base of around 500 in over 70 countries, with centres of excellence spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean . He described the purpose of the centres as bringing technology to demonstrate, adapt, and apply industrial AI applications, build local skills and capacity particularly for SMEs, and provide a trusted space with clear guardrails .

Slater highlights UNIDO's partnership with ITU as an example of cross-agency collaboration that connects complementary areas of expertise. By joining forces on Partner Connect and the Skills Coalition, UNIDO and ITU are linking work on connectivity and skills with industrial AI applications to create greater impact.

He stated that UNIDO joined forces with ITU on Partner Connect and the Skills Coalition, connecting ITU's work on connectivity and skills across UNIDO's focus on industrial applications . He also noted that UNIDO launched a global call for solutions on the inclusive digital economy with UNCTAD, the UN Office for Digital Emerging Technologies, and the UN Development Coordination Office, with solutions feeding back into the centres of excellence .

In her role as moderator, Doreen frames the panel discussion around the theme of leadership for inclusive, trusted, and sustainable digital transformation, introducing each panellist and directing questions to them. She contextualises the discussion within the broader WSIS forum activities of the day, including ministerial roundtables and WSIS prize recognition.

She noted that the day had included a network of women leaders, an incredible ministerial roundtable, and recognition of WSIS prize winners , and that the panel would discuss leadership for inclusive, trusted, sustainable digital transformation . She introduced each panellist and directed specific questions to them, including asking Dr. Tedros to address youth and child protection in the age of AI .

In her closing remarks to the first panel, Doreen synthesises the common themes she heard across panellists' interventions, identifying trust as a recurring and multidimensional concept. She argues that trust must not only apply to systems and data but must also characterise the relationships between UN agencies themselves.

She noted that there were many common references to trust across panellists' interventions, and that this trust must extend to trust amongst the UN agencies themselves . She explicitly stated that the system can succeed by ensuring they are not duplicating or competing, but working together to deliver better for member states and the multi-stakeholder community .

Doreen synthesises the contributions of the first panel by highlighting the wide range of sectors in which digital transformation is making a measurable difference, from trade and postal services to climate prediction, health, transport standards, and women's empowerment. This framing underscores the cross-cutting nature of the WSIS mandate.

She summarised that the panel had shown how digital transformation is impacting trade, the postal service, and how the post can be leveraged in connecting communities . She also noted the impact on climate prediction and early warnings, health and digital health foundations, transport standards and mobility, and empowering women .

The moderator frames the second panel as a shift from the strategic vision discussed in the first panel to concrete implementation, asking each panellist to share examples of AI or digital-driven projects with measurable impact that can be replicated across the UN system and regions. This framing positions the second panel as the operational complement to the first.

She stated that the first panel had covered the policy side, and that the second panel would move to implementation aspects . She posed the same question to all panellists: to share examples of AI or digital-driven projects that have been implemented with measurable impact on the ground and that can be replicated across the UN system and across regions .

The moderator highlights that a UN General Assembly resolution in December explicitly asked the WSIS process to integrate human rights across all WSIS action lines. She notes that work is underway with WSIS action line facilitators to ensure that future roadmaps reflect this requirement.

She stated that the UN General Assembly resolution in December asked the WSIS process to include human rights in all the WSIS action lines , and that the WSIS process is working with action line facilitators to ensure that future roadmaps include human rights while implementing them .

The moderator contextualises UNICEF's presentation by noting that mental health and well-being of children was a significant theme throughout the WSIS Forum, with several dedicated sessions. She draws a direct link between this broader forum concern and UNICEF's work on child-centric AI benchmarks.

She noted that if one looked at the agenda of the WSIS Forum, mental health and well-being of children was a major part of the discussions throughout the week, with several sessions talking about how big a concern it had become . She described UNICEF's child-centric AI benchmark work as a great link to this broader forum theme .

The moderator acknowledges the breadth of UNESCO's contribution to the WSIS process by noting that the forum often expands the name of the World Summit on Information Society to include 'Knowledge Societies', reflecting the importance of UNESCO's work on knowledge, education, and culture within the WSIS framework.

She stated that within the WSIS process, the name World Summit on Information Society is often expanded to World Summit on Information and Knowledge Societies to include the work that UNESCO has been doing .

In her closing remarks, Gitanjali frames the WSIS process as a concrete demonstration of the UN system working together in action, with agencies across the system implementing programmes that deliver real impact for people worldwide. She invites the assembled UN representatives for a group photograph as a symbol of this unity.

She stated that the WSIS process is really the UN in action, and that the audience had heard from several UN agencies about how they are implementing their work on the ground so that it can have an impact on people all over the world . She invited all UN agencies present for a group photograph to serve as a memory for the next WSIS Forum .