Leaders TalkX: WSIS towards the Summit of the Future/GDC and beyond

Marking 20 Years of WSIS: Charting the Course for Future Digital Governance and Inclusion

The 20th anniversary of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was marked by a high-level event that focused on the evolution and future of global digital governance. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a video message, lauded the WSIS for laying a foundation for global digital cooperation and highlighted the need to address contemporary challenges such as the digital divide, disinformation, and the maintenance of a multi-stakeholder approach to Internet governance. He called for collective efforts towards an ambitious global digital compact and preparation for the upcoming Summit of the Future.

Journalist Didi Akinyelure moderated a panel discussion with key figures in digital policy and governance. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, reflected on the WSIS’s transformative role and the shift towards multi-stakeholder digital cooperation. She posed critical questions about aligning processes, building adaptable governance mechanisms, and renewing hope and solidarity amidst global fragmentation.

Dr. Eileen Donahoe emphasized the interdependence of digital inclusion and human rights, advocating for digital solidarity and the potential of AI to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also highlighted the importance of multi-stakeholder tech governance.

Pearse O’Donohue discussed the WSIS process beyond the Summit of the Future and the role of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) in shaping development. He stressed the need to modernize digital governance architecture without duplicating existing frameworks and to maintain the inclusive multi-stakeholder model.

His Excellency Ambassador Professor Mohammadou Kah shared insights on the Commission on Science and Technology for Development’s role in the WSIS process and the importance of diverse stakeholder consultations. He also highlighted Gambia’s national ICT policy initiatives aligned with WSIS goals.

Dr. Vint Cerf, chairman of the leadership panel of the Internet Governance Forum, spoke remotely about the IGF’s role in the GDC’s pursuit by nation-states. He emphasized the IGF’s experience in managing multi-stakeholder inputs and its relevance in the digital age.

Dr. Renata Dwan outlined the GDC’s potential contributions to digital cooperation, focusing on human rights, digital trust and safety, and development orientation. She emphasized the GDC’s role in expanding inclusion in the digital economy and its explicit link to the SDGs.

Dr. Liberato Bautista shared outcomes from the recent Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, affirming the WSIS’s legacy and the need to support effective platforms for cooperation. He called for the continuation of the WSIS’s inclusive and collaborative approach in post-2025 arrangements.

Cynthia Lesufi discussed the vision of WSIS beyond 2025, its alignment with the GDC, and the significance of WSIS for developing countries, especially in Africa, in expanding digital inclusion.

In summary, the event highlighted the achievements of WSIS in shaping global digital cooperation and the ongoing challenges in ensuring a safe, inclusive, and sustainable digital future. The discussions converged on the need for an inclusive multi-stakeholder model for effective digital governance and the potential of the GDC to address the challenges of the digital age. The WSIS Plus 20 review was identified as a critical moment to reflect on past achievements, identify gaps, and set a course for future action in the digital domain. The event underscored a collective commitment to leveraging the WSIS framework and the upcoming GDC to ensure that the benefits of the information society reach everyone and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.

Didi Akinyelure:
We would like to start with a video message from the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to the WESIT Plus 20 High-Level Event. So we’ll start with that first. Thank you.

Antonio Guterres:
Excellencies, I am pleased to convey my warmest wishes as you gather for the 20th anniversary of the World Summit on the Information Society. I would like to thank the International Telecommunications Union for their long-standing coordination of this work and for co-hosting this event with the Swiss Confederation. Two decades ago, this summit laid an important foundation for global digital cooperation that could stand the test of time. Over the years, WOSI has evolved to consider new challenges and opportunities in the digital space supported by the commitment of 40 United Nations entities. As we celebrate this milestone, we also recognize the challenges that lie ahead for our information society, bridging the digital divide so that technology can accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring information integrity in an era of deep fakes and disinformation, and reinforcing the multi-stakeholder foundations of Internet governance. Governments, civil society, the private sector, the technical community and academia all have a role to play. This forum represents a vital opportunity to consider the proposals of an ambitious global digital compact and prepare for the summit of the future in September. Together, let us harness the benefits of the information society for an open, safe, inclusive and sustainable digital future. Thank you.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank you. And once again, I’d like to welcome you all, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, to this session themed unlocking global digital governance, WSIS, towards the summit of the future and beyond. Today we’re going to explore how WSIS drives transformative change in digital governance worldwide. As you know, WSIS is a strong example of global digital cooperation in action and plays a crucial role in facilitating collaboration and innovation on a global scale. Twenty years since its inception, several achievements have been made by governments and all stakeholders. However, challenges remain and as we strive towards a world that is connected, we must continue to shape the regulation around the development and use of technologies in order to ensure safe digital access for all. So in this session, we will focus on the key strategies within the WSIS framework and highlight the impact on the achievements and advancements of global digital governance. My name is Didi Akinyalure. I’m a journalist with experience working for the BBC, CNBC and Reuters and it’s an honor to moderate this conversation. I’m going to be joined by esteemed panelists and I’d like to welcome them now to the stage. Please welcome Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU. Dr. Eileen Donahoe serves as Special Convoy and Coordinator for Digital Freedom in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Mr. Pearse O’Donohue, Director for Future Networks Policy and Research within the European Commission. Also join me in welcoming His Excellency Ambassador Professor Mohammadou Kah, Ambassador of the Republic of Gambia to the Swiss Confederation and Permanent Representative. to the UN office at Geneva. And joining us remotely, we’ll also have Dr. Vint Cerf. He’s the chairman of the leadership panel of the Internet Governance Forum. And we also have here today, Dr. Liberato Bautista. Welcome. Serves as president of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the UN. And we also have here Cynthia Lesufi, minister-counselor representing South Africa’s mission to the UN office and other international organizations. And I have here Dr. Renata Dwan, special advisor to the UN secretary-general’s envoy on technology. Welcome to all of you. I’d like to start, however, by inviting the secretary-general of the ITU, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, to give an opening remark. Thank you.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin:
Thank you so much, Didi, and good afternoon, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you managed to have some lunch and have come back with lots of energy. It’s great to be here this afternoon with an incredible lineup of speakers. I think that’s the magic of WSIS. As we just heard from the UN secretary-general, he described the WSIS as an important foundation for global digital cooperation that could stand the test of time. It’s hard to remember now, but there was a time when what we called the multi-stakeholder approach to digital technology and cooperation was not a term that we actually used. I think it’s fair to say that the WSIS changed that two decades ago, and it’s still going strong. When more than 19,000 participants from all sectors, representing 179,000 people in the world, have joined the WSIS, it’s an incredible achievement. And I think that’s the magic of the WSIS. And I think that’s the magic of the WSIS. And I think that’s the magic of the WSIS. countries concluded the second phase of the WSIS in 2005, 1 billion people were online. They couldn’t imagine a far more complex digital world than we’re living in today. Like us, they didn’t have all the answers, but they were asking the right questions. They were asking tough questions, questions around affordability, financing, trust, skills, and much more. As we approach the 20 year review of the World Summit on the Information Society, and as we set our sights on the global digital compact and the summit of the future, what are the key questions that we need to be asking ourselves at this decisive moment? I see three. The first question is how do we ensure that all processes are aligned, that they actually compliment each other? It’s important to remember that the pact of the future is here to address gaps in global governance and to reaffirm, not replace, existing commitments like the SDGs. Similarly, the global digital compact drawing from the WSIS is anchored in a multi-stakeholder action approach towards the achievement of the SDGs. This is our opportunity to leverage and build upon, and of course improve, we can always improve, established and widely supported mechanisms such as the WSIS and its elements, including when it comes to the implementation of the global digital compact. The second question, how do we build adaptable processes and coordination governance mechanisms that will stand the test of time? Pressing issues like disinformation, ethics, and several other critical concerns have been part of the agenda since. the WSIS Action Lines were first adopted. They anticipated these challenges early on. And today, these Action Lines are being interpreted in the era of artificial intelligence, quantum, and other emerging technologies. That’s because they’re not overly prescriptive to a specific or particular technology or trend, but they’re flexible enough to keep pace with today’s digital transformation. There are dedicated tracks and conversations on these critical areas like AI, quantum, both at the WSIS Forum and the IGF. And there’s a lot to learn from the WSIS process as we try to build adaptable processes and coordination governance mechanisms. So, my third question, the third question I see, I should say, is how can we renew a sense of hope and solidarity? And for me, this is the antidote to the increasing fragmentation and the deepening fault lines that we’re seeing between and within countries. This means bridging the digital divides and achieving our original WSIS targets. Let’s remember those original targets were set to be achieved by 2015. And here we are in 2024, and those targets have not been achieved. It also means having more diversity at the table, including young people, to ensure that technology governance solutions are adapted to all segments of society. I’ve just come back from three university commencements for three of my children. While young people might be discouraged and frustrated about world affairs, they do have hope. They have passion, and yes, they are digitally savvy, much more so than I, and they are committed to making the world a better place. So, let’s deliver for them. Let me stop here, and let me… hand over to our incredible panelists. I really look forward to working together with all of you to ensure that the WSIS delivers, that we have a successful Summit of the Future and a successful WSIS Plus 20 next year. Thank you very much.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank you to the Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union and hopefully we will be able to answer some of those key questions that you pointed out this afternoon. But I’ll now move over to our esteemed panelists so we can start the conversation. All right, now thank you. Now just before I start I just want to urge you all to do keep your answers tight. We do have three minutes assigned for each one of you and hopefully you’ll be able to keep to that. I’d like to start with Dr. Eileen. Dr. Eileen, perhaps you could share your views on global digital governance and what do you see going on in that space?

Dr. Eileen Donahoe:
Okay, so first off I have to start by congratulating and thanking Doreen for bringing us all together. This is an incredible week. It definitely feels like a pivotal moment for us. Technology is now intertwined with every dimension of our lives and the rapid pace of tech innovation is challenging and perhaps outstripping capacities of governance actors everywhere. You’ve all heard the expression tech has eaten the world, software has eaten the world. Right now it feels like tech governance has eaten the world. I want to raise three issues that have emerged in all of the debates that could be elevated and combined to provide a basis for global convergence. The first of which is deepening commitment to digital inclusion and AI for the SDGs. And there’s no question this is a top global priority. AI may be our best chance to accelerate progress on the SDGs, but there are many other dimensions of digital inclusion where progress is still needed from universal connectivity through cyber capacity building, digital literacy, and perhaps up there, most important are the gender challenges that run throughout all of those issues, as well as the importance of being included in the tech innovation ecosystem. All of these elements are essential to digital solidarity, which is a vision the US has put forth. Second commitment I wanna elevate is related to the international human rights law framework, which has functioned as the shared normative foundation for international governance since the founding of the UN. And human rights should continue to function as the basis and foundation for international tech governance. It’s important here to underscore that human rights and digital inclusion go together, they are mutually reinforcing. Sometimes we still hear the false choice between economic development and human rights popping up, but no country should be forced into a trade-off between rights and economic development. Last theme I wanna mention is stronger commitment to multi-stakeholder tech governance generally. Here, I wanna mention the NetMundial plus 10 outcome document, which is a great resource. It articulated ways to better support and enrich multi-stakeholder processes and practices. Very helpfully. delineated between different types of Internet governance and digital policy, acknowledging that not all governance processes are or need to be the same, nor do they involve the same stakeholders, but all of them need to be multi-stakeholder. In sum, we want to join three topics, digital inclusion, universal human rights, and multi-stakeholder tech governance, and we believe these should be elevated and combined into a holistic vision that can provide a strong basis for global convergence and real digital solidarity.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank you very much for those words, Dr. Eileen. I would now like to move on to you, Mr. Pierce. How do you see the WSIS process developing after the Summit of the Future, and what role do you see the Global Digital Compact playing in shaping that development?

Pearse O’Donohue:
Thank you very much. Really we see the WSIS plus 20 process as being one of renewal, and as you fit it into the GDC and the Summit of the Future, I think the main point is that we have to avoid the tendency because we have these key milestones, we have to create something new, whereas as we’ve heard from the Secretary General and from Doreen, what it is about is renewal of our objectives to achieve the SDGs. And something that is not new is that an open, universal, and inclusive internet that’s free-flowing, trustworthy, safe, secure, and respect rights, that’s essential for achieving those sustainable development goals. So the principles that the WSIS process laid out, they are our best hope actually for securing the dual objectives of the free internet, but also delivering on the SDGs. We do of course have to adapt, that’s where the renewal comes, to take account of technological but also geopolitical developments. So the WSIS reinforces the role of an inclusive multi-stakeholder model as the most effective and sustainable approach to digital governance. It’s because we have their governments, but also… society, private sector, technical communities and academia working together which is unique and something that we must preserve, providing cohesive but also practical solutions. So that’s what we need to maintain during this process through the GDC into the Summit of the Future which has a much wider agenda but once again as we see is focused on delivering the SDGs. So the review of WSIS is really an opportunity to modernize the architecture, strengthen the contribution of multi-stakeholders but of course also avoiding duplication of existing governance frameworks or the creation of redundant institutions. Now we heard this morning from the leadership of the UN agencies that digital technologies are really crucial to delivering on many of the SDGs. So as the Summit of the Future refocuses and re-energizes our efforts on the SDGs, it’s indispensable that we maintain and improve the IGF as a sustainable, inclusive and effective platform that brings together all stakeholders according to their roles, responsibilities and competencies. Now recent trends however have highlighted a growing threat to stakeholder engagement. There’s a weakening commitment as we see it to multi-stakeholder engagement and management and a lack of unified global frameworks to address internet policy issues, particularly from a human rights perspective. So as we approach the WSIS plus 20 review and that comes after the Pact of the Future, it’s crucial to build on the potential of the WSIS process and the IGF and I must repeat to avoid duplicating existing governance frameworks. The interplay between internet technologies and global development issues is managed with thoughtful regulation that considers human rights, sovereignty and innovation that can substantially support the advancement of the SDGs. Thank you. Thank you.

Didi Akinyelure:
Let’s bring in His Excellency Mohammadu Kah. You are the Chair of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development. Perhaps you could tell us what role the Commission is playing on the follow-up of the WSIS process and what are your recommendations to the United Nations Economic and Social Council?

Mohammadou Kah:
Thank you so much. First of all, a very good afternoon. Let me start by thanking our S.G. Doreen for her leadership, the ITU leadership team and co-organizers Switzerland for inviting us and me as a Chair of the CSTD to speak on the WSIS plus 20 review. That CSTD is conducting as mandated by the UN Economic and Social Council in July 2023 through engagements with the multi-stakeholders, governments, regional and international organizations, private sector, civil society, technical communities and academia. The CSTD, in addition to its mandated annual review of WSIS since 2006, paved a key role in the UN General Assembly WSIS plus 10 review in 2015. For the WSIS plus 20 review, CSTD will prepare a synthesis report for discussion at its 28th session to be held on 7th and 11th April 2025 with inputs from action line facilitators and other stakeholders. The results of the CSTD review will be submitted through ECOSOC to the General Assembly for its overall review in 2025. The CSTD adopted a road map last year to guide its WSIS plus 20 review work. A partnership has been established with the ITU, UNESCO, the UNDP to fully exploit synergies in these processes. I want to emphasize that the engagement of all WSIS plus 20 reviewers has been a success. stakeholders in open consultations being organized by the CSTD is an integral part of the CSTD’s WSIS Plus 20 review. Outcomes of these consultations will be incorporated in the report I mentioned earlier. The CSTD Secretariat served by the UNCTAD Secretariat has begun preparing this report, which will look at the successes and lessons from 20 years of WSIS implementation, and more importantly, its future, given the new challenges and opportunities arising from rapid technological evolutions, the pact of the future, and the global digital compact as outcomes of the summit of the future this September. Open consultations launched at the 18th Internet Governance Forum in October 2023 are going on, with two more open consultations already taking place. Written inputs from the multi-stakeholders were also invited through an online WSIS Plus 20 survey circulated last autumn. I wish to convey CSTD’s gratitude to all the stakeholders for their constant collaboration with the CSTD since 2006 in ensuring that the WSIS outcomes are implemented. I also want to take the opportunity to link experiences of Gambia and Africa with regards to the WSIS process, particularly in national ICT policies and strategies for the Gambia. Gambia has developed its national ICT development policy, which aligns with the goals of WSIS. Its national policy focuses on improving digital infrastructure, promoting digital literacy, and integrating digital into various sectors such as education, health, and governance. On infrastructure development, the Gambia, with the support of partners, continue to make investments to improve Internet connectivity and digital infrastructure projects like the Africa Coast to Europe, the AESA, that have significantly enhanced Gambia’s internet capacity and connectivity, which is one of the goals of the WSIS. On capacity building, the Gambia has initiated various training programs and workshops to build the capacity of its citizens, which includes collaborations with international organizations to provide training to government officials, educators, and young peoples. Lastly, e-government initiatives as well. The government has launched several e-government services to improve public service delivery, as well as its efforts on digital inclusion. And finally, in conclusion, in fulfilling CSTD’s dual mandates on STI development and review of the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the WSIS, the CSTD provides a platform for stakeholders to share best practices, discuss topical issues, and collaborate to leverage STI for finding sustainable, resilient, and innovation solutions for the achievements of the SDGs. We hope you can join us in the next intersessional panel of the CSTD scheduled on 21 and 22 October and the annual session in April in Geneva. The CSTD counts on your continuous support and collaboration for a successful WSIS Plus 20 review, and I thank you.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank you very much, His Excellency Kah. We’ll also be joined remotely now by Dr. Vint Cerf. He’s chairman of the leadership panel of the Internet Governance Forum. And I’d just like to ask him, what role do you see the IGF playing as the global digital compact is pursued by a nation-state who join it?

Dr. Vint Cerf:
Thank you so much for this opportunity to join you today. Based on what I have seen so far, I consider the IGF to be an integral part of the future of the GDC. First of all, I would like to point out that the IGF has been in operation for almost 20 years now, and we have learned a great deal over that period of time, particularly with regard to managing multistakeholder inflows to a wide range of topics of interest, and not only with regard to Internet of Things, but more generally digital technology. Second, over the period of that time, with increasing participation in the Internet Governance Forum, there were some 9,000 participants who were at the IGF event, and some 1,500 of them were representatives from governments that perhaps overemphasized the importance of a broad range of stakeholders participating in the IGF, including governments. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that without any further intervention by any of the agencies, almost 170 national and regional Internet Governance Forums have self-organized around the world. Because this topic is such a critical and important interest to everyone who is touched by the Internet and by digital technologies that have become a daily part of our lives, those of you who have been involved in the Internet Governance Forum will have noticed that the agenda and topics that are covered have increased dramatically over time. This is no longer simply about the Internet, but it is about digital technology in general and access to it and its use in daily life. Finally, I would like to say that I met with my other colleagues on the panel, with Secretary Guterres, on Friday, just last week, and I would like to report to you an extraordinary hour of discussion with him and the IGF report on the Internet itself, the opportunities we see growing on that platform, and especially for the support of multistakeholder policymaking. So speaking on behalf of the leadership panel and the rest of the multistakeholder, but as we welcome all participants in the IGF, we look forward to the WSIS Plus 20 event and, of course, to the summit in the future, and look forward to contributing our part to the successful implementation of all of the SDGs. Thank you very much for the opportunity to add it today.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank to you as well, Dr. Sturff, thank you so much. All right, I would like to bring in Dr. Renata. Dr. Renata, what will the GDC offer to the field of digital cooperation and in your opinion in what ways will it strengthen our collaboration?

Dr. Renata Dwan:
Great, thank you so much and let me add my words of thanks to Doreen and everybody at ITU and all the partners in this WSIS. My admiration for Doreen is such that I’m wearing the same color as her today, so thank you very much for that. Look, I want to say three things I think first. The WSIS has three words that are very close to all of your hearts. It’s people-centered, it’s inclusion and it’s development orientation and I think it’s these three terms, these three concepts that are at the heart of the global digital compact that’s currently being discussed and that will, if it’s agreed, be a critical element at the summit of the future and it’s trying to advance those three concepts at a time when our world is, as Doreen pointed out, very much in fragmentation and challenge within and between our societies. So let me just flag the three things that I think the GDC can do to help. First on people-oriented, I think the GDC takes the WSIS spirit and goes a step further in putting human rights central. It puts it as a principle, it puts it as a standalone paragraph and it really drives the notion that we’ve heard today that human rights and development are absolutely interdependent and you cannot have one without the other and I think that is going to be a really strong step that both builds on WSIS but goes one step further. Second, it also recognizes that in the two decades that we have had this incredible digital journey, there have been harms. And therefore, the digital trust and safety section really talks about how do we think about redress? What do we think about responsibilities for developers, for tech companies, for social media platforms that were not even in existence in 2003 and five? And how do we think about, how do we as an international community collaborate to both respect freedom of expression and digital privacy, but tackle the very real harms that exist? Second, inclusion. This GDC tackles the question of concentration of power, of capacities and markets. It has as a key objective, expanding inclusion in the digital economy. It talks about the enabling environment that can allow countries and people in developing countries to participate and create value in digital. It talks about digital public goods. It has a section on digital public infrastructure, and it makes a strong stand in support of open source, software goods framework. That is inclusion, and that is where we actually make people participate in the digital world in a real and meaningful way that allows them to be producers and not just consumers. The third thing is the development orientation. This GDC really tries to capture and frame the SDGs. It makes an explicit link of every action to SDGs. It makes an explicit invitation to states to participate in reporting on their digital transformations as part of the high-level political forum. So I think it is about taking those three core concepts forward. And then finally, I would just note, and I hope we can get to it in the discussion, it puts in place a framework for looking at the future of emerging technologies, including AI in a multi-stakeholder way. Thank you.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank you very much to Dr. Renata. Dr. Liberato Bautista, I would like to go back to discussions that were held recently at the civil. Society Conference in Nairobi. Could you perhaps share the main outcomes related to the WSIS process and its role beyond 2025?

Dr. Liberato Bautista:
Thank you moderator. Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the UN or Congo is honored to be represented in this panel.Thank you for the question. What were the main outcomes from the United Nations Civil Society Conference that was just held in Nairobi? I was in Nairobi. More than 2,000 participants joined from more than 115 countries, including many government representatives. It’s the biggest Civil Society Conference ever held in the continent of Africa. Let me start by affirming the legacy of WSIS. At Nairobi, I heard participants affirm, continue, and reinforce programs and processes at multilateral levels that work well and are effective. And it was said in Nairobi that such institutions and mechanisms must not be duplicated, but rather supported. I heard this mentioned at the launch of the impact coalitions on UN reform. At a time of shrinking budgets and austerity measures within the UN system, the WSIS platform for cooperation within the UN system must be kept and enhanced to leverage expertise over two decades. The atmosphere in the Nairobi workshop on WSIS clearly recognized the manifold accomplishments of ITU and WSIS partners throughout the past 20 years, notably its model-inclusive participatory character. This must be maintained in the post-2025 arrangements, and we have full confidence in ITU to pursue the the same guiding principles. The WSIS conferences of 2003 and 2005 started and modeled a participatory, consultative, collaborative, and innovative relation between the United Nations system and civil society organizations. I was in Tunis, I was in Geneva, I knew that it works and it works 20 years after. Thanks to ITU and its UN system partners, the WSIS follow-ups and the ECOSOC CSTD have proven to be effective, transparent, and inclusive platforms for all stakeholders. The Nairobi UN Civil Society Conference in which Congo was one of four civil society coordinating bodies together with the Department of Global Communications of the UN affirmed the important role of the widest breadth of civil society in imagining, but importantly, realizing a future, including a digital future, that is just, peaceful, safe, inclusive, sustainable, and beneficial for all. No one has franchise of the future, but information and communication that is mediated by technology and digital tools will play an exponential role in shaping the future. The role of ITU and its partners in the system is critical. Let us not be faced by the chronos of time, 2030 is looming in the horizon. Let us rather be seized of the kairos of time, that moment in which we are called to establish not just digital justice, but communications justice. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Didi Akinyelure:
Thank you to Dr. Bautista. And Cynthia Masufi, Cynthia, from the policy perspective, what is the vision of WSIS beyond 2025? How is it aligned with the GDC? And we also heard the, His Excellency, link experiences of Gambia and Africa with the WSIS process. So perhaps you could also share some perspectives of why WSIS is so crucial for developing countries.

Cynthia Lesufi:
Thank you, Madam Moderator, and hello everyone. The World Summit on Information Society is being developed through a multi-stakeholder approach with ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, UNCTAD leading the effort. The 20-year review will culminate in UN General Assembly in 2025. We expect this high-level event to produce a collective vision from all stakeholders on what we have achieved and what we can do together in the future. In implementing WSIS, the international telecommunication follows a clear guidance from member states through plenipotentiary resolutions and council implementing this mandate via the Council Working Group on WSIS and the SDG that I chair. ITU is a specialized agency for all digital matters, well-positioned and experienced in coordinating and implementing all aspect of digital. Today, I heard that WSIS Action Lines have proven an adaptive to technological advancement, making WSIS framework an excellent mechanism for following up on the global digital compact. There is a great momentum in WSIS process, we should build on it. There are more than 50 UN agencies, a resilience framework through WSIS Action Lines, a great commitment from all stakeholders united around delivering a people-centered development, orientated and inclusive information society. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, WSIS is important for developing countries, especially Africa, which has made great strides in expanding digital inclusion agenda beyond access to include availability and affordability. The African Data Policy Framework emphasizes the significance of digital policy and data governance with potential to utilize the expansion of mobile money and enhance financial inclusion. In this regard, the WSIS multi-stakeholder. approach has been effective with all stakeholders playing a role in supporting the implementation of resource action lines and achieving the sustainable development goals on the continent.

Didi Akinyelure:
I thank you. Thank you very much Cynthia Lesufi. I wonder if we still have time for one more question. Perhaps not. I think we’ve been here 30 minutes now. So let’s leave it there. I would like to thank you all. Thank you to our esteemed panelists for your contributions today. Thanks for pointing out some of the key strategies undertaken within the WSIS framework and the impact on global digital governance. My name is Didi Akinyelure. It’s been a pleasure to be your moderator this afternoon and thank you all for your contribution once again.