Leaders TalkX: ICT application to unlock the full potential of digital – Part I

Summary

This Leaders’ Talk focused on ICT applications to unlock the full potential of digital transformation, examining how technology can drive socioeconomic progress across healthcare, education, and climate sectors. The discussion was moderated by Meni Anastasiadou from the International Chamber of Commerce and featured six expert panelists representing various organizations and regions.

Maria Bolshakova from the Regional Commonwealth of Communications outlined preparations for WSIS Plus 20, emphasizing the importance of implementing existing agreements rather than creating new documents and highlighting the need for responsible state behavior in ICT use. Graham Brookie from the Atlantic Council stressed that the multi-stakeholder model remains essential for realizing digital transformation goals, noting that global internet connectivity has improved dramatically since 2003, with unconnected populations dropping from 5.7 billion to 2.6 billion people.

Tatyana Kanzaveli, CEO of Human Health Network, argued that AI and emerging technologies risk deepening inequalities unless leaders shift from tech-first to problem-first thinking, co-design solutions with underserved communities, and incentivize impact over profit. Professor Himanshu Rai shared concrete examples from IIM Indore’s work addressing rural challenges in India, including training 300,000 teachers through WhatsApp videos and increasing rural artisan incomes by 60% through digital marketplace access.

Bocar Ba from Samina Council emphasized that connectivity is a right, not a reward, advocating for the Universal Broadband Financing Framework and stressing that infrastructure must be paired with governance based on transparency and accountability. Moira de Roche from IFIP highlighted the Stockholm Declaration’s focus on inclusive sustainable development, emphasizing lifelong learning and collaborative global action to avoid duplication of efforts. The discussion concluded with a call for strategic co-creation among all stakeholders to ensure technology serves as a true equalizer for global development.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **WSIS Plus 20 Preparations and Multi-stakeholder Governance**: Discussion of how regional organizations like the Regional Commonwealth of Communications are preparing for the World Summit on the Information Society Plus 20 review, emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder approaches and coordinated implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents.

– **AI and Digital Technologies as Equalizers vs. Dividers**: Examination of how emerging technologies, particularly generative AI, can either reduce or deepen global inequities in healthcare, education, and employment, with emphasis on problem-first thinking, co-designing with communities, and incentivizing impact over profit.

– **ICT Applications in Education and Rural Development**: Exploration of how information and communication technologies can address real-world problems, particularly in underserved communities, through examples like training rural teachers via WhatsApp videos and empowering rural artisans through digital marketplaces.

– **Digital Connectivity as a Human Right**: Discussion of the 2.6 billion people still offline globally, framing connectivity not as a privilege but as a fundamental right, and the need for infrastructure development paired with enabling policy environments and governance frameworks.

– **Collaborative Frameworks for Sustainable Development**: Emphasis on the need for strategic co-creation among governments, international organizations, civil society, and businesses to avoid duplication and competition, with focus on shared goals, complementary roles, and long-term engagement.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore how ICT applications can unlock the full potential of digital transformation to drive socioeconomic progress across various sectors including healthcare, education, trade, and climate action. The session was part of the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event, seeking to identify strategies for leveraging technology as a catalyst for inclusive development while addressing digital divides and ensuring equitable access to digital opportunities.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a consistently professional, collaborative, and solution-oriented tone throughout. Speakers demonstrated urgency about addressing digital inequities while remaining optimistic about technology’s potential as an equalizer. The tone was forward-looking and action-focused, with participants sharing concrete examples and calling for bold leadership and coordinated efforts. There was a sense of shared responsibility and collective commitment to ensuring digital transformation serves all populations, not just the privileged few.

Speakers

– **Introduction**: Role/Title: Not specified, Area of expertise: Event facilitation/introduction

– **Meni Anastasiadou**: Role/Title: Digital Policy Manager at the International Chamber of Commerce, high-level track facilitator, Area of expertise: Digital policy, event moderation

– **Maria Bolshakova**: Role/Title: Deputy Director General at the Regional Commonwealth of Communications, Area of expertise: Telecommunications, digital policy, international coordination

– **Graham Brookie**: Role/Title: Vice Director Senior Advisor at the Atlantic Council Technology Programs, Area of expertise: Technology policy, geopolitics, internet governance

– **Tatyana Kanzaveli**: Role/Title: CEO of the Human Health Network, Area of expertise: AI systems, healthcare technology, digital equity

– **Himanshu Rai**: Role/Title: Professor, Director of IIM Indore, Area of expertise: Higher education, rural development, educational technology

– **Bocar Ba**: Role/Title: CEO and Board Member of Samina Council, Area of expertise: Digital connectivity, broadband policy, digital transformation

– **Moira de Roche**: Role/Title: Chair of IFIP, Area of expertise: Technology development, international collaboration, sustainable development

Additional speakers:

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# Leaders’ Talk: ICT Applications to Unlock the Full Potential of Digital Transformation

## Executive Summary

This Leaders’ Talk, moderated by Meni Anastasiadou from the International Chamber of Commerce, brought together five distinguished experts to examine how information and communication technologies can drive socioeconomic progress. The discussion, held as part of the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event, featured Maria Bolshakova from the Regional Commonwealth in the field of communications, Graham Brookie from the Atlantic Council, Tatyana Kanzaveli from the Human Health Network, Professor Himanshu Rai from IIM Indore, Bocar Ba from Samina Council, and Moira de Roche, Chair of IFIP.

The session focused on practical applications of ICT for development, with speakers sharing concrete examples of successful initiatives and emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder approaches to digital transformation.

## Opening Context and Framework

Meni Anastasiadou established the session’s framework by positioning ICT applications as critical tools for unlocking digital transformation’s full potential. She emphasized that the discussion would examine how technology can serve as a powerful lever for shared progress across the globe, highlighting the importance of the multi-stakeholder model in reducing global digital divides while maintaining internet openness and security.

## WSIS Plus 20 Preparations and Regional Perspectives

Maria Bolshakova, Deputy Director General at the Regional Commonwealth in the field of communications, outlined her organization’s preparations for WSIS Plus 20. The RCC serves Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia, and has developed a comprehensive declaration for the event. Notably, this declaration was opened to parties beyond the CIS region, with over 30 parties joining worldwide.

Bolshakova emphasized that the RCC advocates for implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents, stating that “the multi-stakeholder approach provides the foundation for an inclusive, safe, and secure digital space.” She highlighted the need for responsible state behavior in ICT use as a basis for global peace and security, and identified the need for increased coordination between New York and Geneva on digital global processes.

## Multi-Stakeholder Governance and Global Connectivity

Graham Brookie from the Atlantic Council’s Technology Programs reinforced the importance of multi-stakeholder governance, arguing that this model remains essential for maintaining a free, open, secure, and interoperable internet. He provided compelling statistics demonstrating the system’s effectiveness: in 2003, 5.7 billion out of 6.4 billion people were not connected to the internet, while today it’s 2.6 billion out of 8.1 billion people.

Brookie emphasized that the multi-stakeholder system must continue to adapt to rapid technological developments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the commercial space sector, while addressing increasing geopolitical competition.

## AI Development and Equity Concerns

Tatyana Kanzaveli, CEO of the Human Health Network, challenged current approaches to AI development, arguing that “most current investments in AI are not solving the problem of the majority. They’re scaling convenience for the privileged, not access for underserved.” She advocated for a shift from tech-first to problem-first thinking, emphasizing that AI development must address real needs in healthcare and education.

Kanzaveli provided vivid examples of needed applications: “We don’t need another AI to write responses to our emails faster. We need systems that can reach a mother in a rural village and help her to detect cancer earlier.” She stressed the importance of co-design with communities to avoid building bias into future systems and called for governments to incentivize impact over profit through aligned funding and policy.

## Educational Innovation and Practical Solutions

Professor Himanshu Rai, Director of IIM Indore, shared concrete examples of how educational institutions can leverage ICT for development impact. His institution conducted a survey of 39,000 educators and created 7-minute WhatsApp videos that reached 300,000 teachers, demonstrating the power of simple, scalable solutions.

Rai described several successful initiatives, including how digital technologies helped increase rural artisan incomes by 60% through improved marketplace access. He also mentioned developing a fake news detection system using a large language model with 65,000 inputs that achieved 95% accuracy.

His philosophy centered on the principle that higher education institutions must focus on solving real-world problems. He advocated for systematic inclusion, stating that “every time we do something as institutions of higher education or as not for profit organizations, we need to ask who’s missing from the room and we need to segregate that data by gender, age, disability, region, and identify the gaps.”

## Connectivity as a Human Right

Bocar Ba, CEO and Board Member of Samina Council, reframed digital exclusion as a human rights issue. He powerfully articulated that “2.6 billion people remain offline. And this is not just a technological gap. It’s a dignity gap. It means future delayed, voice unheard, and hope suspended.”

Ba advocated for treating connectivity as a right rather than a reward, referencing the UN Broadband Commission and the Universal Broadband Financing Framework. He emphasized that infrastructure alone is insufficient, stressing that connectivity must be paired with trust-building measures and responsible governance. Ba argued that enabling policy environments with regulatory certainty and harmonized governance are essential for digital transformation.

## Collaborative Frameworks for Sustainable Development

Moira de Roche, Chair of IFIP, concluded the discussion by referencing the Stockholm Declaration, which was written with the Swedish Computer Society in March and focuses on inclusive sustainable development. She advocated for quality education for all with emphasis on digital skills at all life stages, promoting a lifelong learning approach.

De Roche’s key contribution was her reconceptualization of collaboration, arguing that “true collaboration isn’t just about sitting at the table. It’s about designing the table together.” She called for moving from fragmented efforts to collective transformation, emphasizing the need for strategic co-creation among governments, international organizations, civil society, and businesses.

## Key Themes and Shared Priorities

Throughout the discussion, several themes emerged consistently across speakers. The multi-stakeholder approach received strong support from all participants, with speakers viewing it as essential for effective digital governance and development. There was also broad agreement that technology must address real-world problems and serve underserved communities, whether through AI development, educational initiatives, or connectivity programs.

Speakers emphasized the importance of enabling policy environments that facilitate rather than hinder digital transformation, and several highlighted the value of simple, practical solutions that can achieve significant scale and impact.

## Practical Outcomes and Next Steps

The session generated concrete outcomes, including Maria Bolshakova’s formal request that the RCC declaration be included in the WSIS Plus 20 outcome document to be submitted to the UN. The session’s insights were scheduled to be incorporated into the overall summary produced by the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event chair, with a comprehensive high-level track sessions summary planned for Friday at 3 p.m.

## Conclusion

The Leaders’ Talk demonstrated practical approaches to leveraging ICT for inclusive development across healthcare, education, and connectivity. The speakers provided concrete examples of successful initiatives while emphasizing the continued importance of multi-stakeholder governance and community-centered design. As Professor Rai concluded, “the future must belong to all of us,” reflecting the session’s shared commitment to ensuring digital transformation serves all populations rather than deepening existing inequalities.

The discussion highlighted both the progress made in global connectivity and the significant challenges that remain, particularly in serving the 2.6 billion people who remain offline. The path forward requires continued collaboration among all stakeholders to implement existing frameworks while adapting to emerging technological and social challenges.

Introduction: Now, we would like to welcome you to our next Leaders’ Talks, ICT application to unlock the full potential of digital. I would like to invite Ms. Meni Anastasiadou, our high-level track facilitator, to join us here on stage.

Meni Anastasiadou: Okay, I think this is on. Well, hello, everyone, my name is Meni Anastasiadou, I’m the Digital Policy Manager at the International Chamber of Commerce, and I have the pleasure to moderate the seventh Leaders’ Talk today on ICT application to unlock the full potential of digital. So, we have an incredible panel with us today, so we will be just giving some introductions and invite our speakers to join me on stage. We have Ms. Maria Bolshikova, the Deputy Director General at the Regional Commonwealth of Communications, Mr. Graham Berkey, the Vice Director Senior Advisor at the Atlantic Council Technology Programs, Ms. Tatyana Kanzaveli, CEO of the Human Health Network, Prof. Himanshu Rai, the Director of IIM Indore, Mr. Boko Ra, the CEO and Board Member of Samina Council, and Ms. Moira de Vachelle, the Chair of IFIP. So, I would like to welcome you to the stage, and then we can begin our conversations. We will be looking into the intersection of technology and socioeconomic progress across various topics, ranging from healthcare to education and climate, as well as the role of the multi-stakeholder governance model, supporting ICTs for development. So, thank you to the speakers for joining me on stage. So, perhaps if we can start with our first question, just to remind everyone that our time today is a little bit limited, so if you could kindly keep your interventions to three minutes, and then we can ensure that everyone has the chance to come in and speak. I see all of our speakers have joined us on stage, so perhaps, Maria, if I can go to you. How are preparations for the WSIS-Bosch training being carried out at the Commonwealth of the United States or the regional level as well, and what is the role of the RCC in these preparations?

Maria Bolshakova: Many thanks for giving me the floor. Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, very happy to be here, and maybe a bit nervous to be the first one in a row, since we have a pretty wide issue to discuss throughout our very short panel. But to start with, for sure, I think like in every of the regions, it’s a very important issue now, this year, on how we prepared for WSIS Plus 20. And to start, and to briefly give a picture for you, the regional Commonwealth in the field of communications, its interstate coordinating body in the field of telecom and informatization, and we serve as a platform for discussing priority tasks and making common decisions at the national levels, in international arena, and we also officially bring the common position of Commonwealth of Independent States towards the ITU and UPU. We not only unite digital ministries of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as Mongolia, we also provide a very good and fruitful platform for cooperation among telecom operators, representatives of research organizations, institutions, and other different parties concerned on the international issues related to telecom. So, in November, we started, you know, like basic preparations toward the WSIS, and which resulted in the RCC declaration on WSIS Plus 20. Generally, the declaration provides the assessment of the efforts done, set out by each of the WSIS action lines shown in Geneva action plan, and also it assumes the key provision of Tunis agenda, which are not settled yet, and also we’ve tried to provide some directions on our further activities on the matter. Very generally, the declaration sells its reiterated commitment to something we agreed upon at both phases of the WSIS. It also kind of advocates against the practice of adopting new and new pretty similar documents, and calls for focusing on implementation of already agreed documents, noting that there is a great necessity to increase the level of coordination of efforts between New York and Geneva on the issues related to the digital global processes. What also we believe is really important, it’s also one of the key elements of our declaration, is that the states should be very responsible in their behavior, you know, like in the use of ICTs as far as we believe that it’s the basis for peace and security on the global level, and also understand on that matter that the multi-stakeholder approach is also the basis and the foundation for inclusive, safe, and secure digital space. And I should say that the document was agreed upon by the digital ministers, as I mentioned before, and then it was opened for all the parties concerned, and we’re happy to say that there are more than 30 parties joined, not from the CIS region, but also all over the world, and I should say that it’s still open to be joined. And to conclude this, I should say that I think it would be done for the moderator, we would like to kindly request the chair of the WSIS plus 20 high-level event to include our declaration in the outcome document of the WSIS plus 20 high-level event that would be, we believe, submitted to UNJ this year. So many thanks, Madam Moderator, for giving me the floor.

Meni Anastasiadou: Thank you so much for your very useful input, particularly on the importance of, you know, making use of what we already have, and the importance of coordination when we’re talking about the WSIS plus 20 review. So then, with that, perhaps, Graham, if I can turn to you. So how has the multi-stakeholder model enabled the really unlocking the full, let’s say, potential of digital transformation? We’d love to hear from you, your thoughts on this.

Graham Brookie: Yeah, thank you. I think it’s important to take a step back, because we get so far into the granularities of our processes that drive real progress, but when you look at the history of this, in 2003, we came together as WSIS and declared our action lines here in Geneva. And then in 2005, because we hadn’t figured out some of the granularities on internet governance, we came back and we made some more action items. And 20 years on, even with the rapid rate of technological change, those action lines remain vague enough to be flexible, but also vague enough to be relevant today, even with all of that change that’s happened since then. This may be obvious, but with the rate of technological change fastening or increasing, it remains wildly essential for WSIS to continue to exist as a primary mechanism for how we understand the technology and the implications of technology in the development and SDGs in particular. So, as an example for a metric of that, in 2003, one in three people around the world were not connected to the internet. At that point, the population was 6.4 billion people. There were 5.7 billion people that were not connected or realizing the opportunity of all these ICT applications. Fast forward to today, that number is down. There are still enormous amounts of progress that need to be made, but that number is down to 2.6 billion people with a global population of 8.1 billion people. So that’s one in three. And that is a remarkable achievement of, number one, innovation, and number two, We are all in a capacity building. We’re providing policy engagement to realize these goals. And the main mechanism by which we do that is through this multi-stakeholder system. Harnessing all of the opportunity for ICT applications is not possible without this. Yes, very unwieldy, sometimes very frustrating set of processes. But it’s not possible to achieve these great results without that. And in this moment, because I sit at a think tank, we analyze the geopolitics of this. And we’re seeing increased geopolitical competition, increased interdependence, especially in the ICT realm, ranging from the hardware and critical resources needed to underpin this ecosystem to the platform level itself. And we’re seeing this rate of rapid technological change increase. In the next few years, we’re going to see wild developments in AI, wild developments in quantum computing, wild developments in the commercial space sector. And if we do not, well, and I should say the industry is for energy and critical resources that underpin all three of those rates of technological change. And if we don’t harness the multi-stakeholder system to meet that moment, then things like the digital divide or the opportunity landscape that is provided by that innovation won’t fully be realized. And so we’re fully committed to this multi-stakeholder system. It’s the only mechanism by which we can keep a free, open, secure, interoperable Internet. And we’re looking forward to doing the work.

Meni Anastasiadou: Excellent contribution. And it’s precisely the numbers speak for themselves. The multi-stakeholder model is the vehicle to reach the ICTs for development vision. So if I can move to our next speaker on my right, Ms. Tatiana Canzavelli. So could I please ask you, in a world of increasingly shaped, which is increasingly shaped by AI and digital tools, how can we ensure that investments in emerging technologies like generative AI actually reduce and not deepen global inequities in health care, education and employment? And what bold steps must leaders take today to make tech a true equalizer?

Tatyana Kanzaveli: Thank you for your question. We are at the inflection point. Technology, especially generative AI, has huge potential to be a great equalizer or the ultimate divider. And the choice is ours. I’ve spent my career building AI systems. AI is not new, by the way. And across health care, government and underserved communities. And here’s the brutal truth. Most current investments in AI are not solving the problem of the majority. They’re scaling convenience for the privileged, not access for underserved. If we want AI to reduce global inequities, we must do three things. Number one, shift from tech-first to problem-first thinking. We don’t need another AI to write responses to our emails faster. We need systems that can reach a mother in a rural village and help her to detect cancer earlier. We need a tool that will enable a child in a war-torn zone to get education. Number two, we need to co-design with the communities we claim to serve. Inclusivity isn’t a panel topic. It’s a product requirement. If we’re not building with diverse voices at the table, we’re putting bias into the future. Number three, incentivize impact, not just profit. Governments and multilaterals must align funding and policy around outcomes that prioritize health equity, climate resilience, and workforce inclusion. The future isn’t about AI replacing humans. It’s about AI amplifying the right ones. And that means investing in bold, inclusive systems designed not just to scale, but to heal, uplift, and connect. Let’s stop admiring the problem. Let’s build the future we actually want. Thank you.

Meni Anastasiadou: Thank you very much. I particularly like your point on the importance of co-designing solutions that are relevant to local communities. So, thank you very much for your contribution. So, I will turn to my left again, over to Professor Himanshu Rai. So, how does ICT contribute to higher education and how can it be used to create social impact?

Himanshu Rai: So, thank you for the question. You know, I’ll foreground it in a little bit of a fact about what is the mission of education institutions, particularly higher education. In the 20th century and early 21st century, the mission statement, if you look at the universities and the best universities across the world, they talked about creating and disseminating knowledge to create some kind of an acumen. But then the first decade of the 21st century was a decade of reckoning. We first had the Enron scam in 2001, and then we had the U.S. subprime crisis. And suddenly we realized that there was a focus on flawed leadership, greed, and inequity. And thereafter, the institutions of higher education and the universities across the world have actually changed their mission statement. And one of the big changes that has happened, and I’ll talk about it in general, is that now we are talking about creating, curating, practicing and disseminating knowledge to solve real world problems. And I think that is where the role of educational institutions, particularly higher education, has changed. I’ll give you a quick example. We at IIM Indore identified five wicked problems. I’m going to focus only on one, and that were rural challenges. Why rural challenges? Nine hundred million people in India live in rural areas. That’s more than the population of the United States and Europe combined. And the kind of challenges that they face are completely different from the kind of challenges people in urban areas face. So one, for example, educators in the villagers, they are untrained. So what we did was we actually did a research survey of thirty nine thousand educators. And then based on our survey, we identified as to what do they need training on? I’m talking about basic primary school teachers. And subsequently, what we did was we created seven minute WhatsApp videos. And through them, we reached three hundred thousand school teachers who subsequently got empowered. So what we are talking about is very low tech, high impact initiative that actually worked. The second one that I’ll talk about is rural artisans. Much to our horror, we realized that 70 percent of the rural artisans in most parts of India earned less than a thousand dollars per year. And the reason was that there was information asymmetry between what they were producing and between the middlemen who were actually selling it at a much higher price. So therefore, what we did was we democratized the entire information. We worked with them on a concept called one district, one product. We helped them in getting access to the e-marketplace. And through that, we made sure that they had all the information that the middlemen had and they reached directly. And within six months of this initiative, we managed to raise their income by 60 percent. The third one was about fake news, which impacted rural areas much more than the urban areas. And again, we actually created an LLM using sixty five thousand inputs. And we have made a model which can predict fake news with almost 95 percent accuracy. Now, all of this is actually making sure that we are taking care of the people who are otherwise unaddressed. So I’ll end with, you know, every time we do something as institutions of higher education or as, you know, not for profit organizations, we need to ask who’s missing from the room and we need to segregate that data. data by gender, age, disability, region, and identify the gaps. Because one of the statements that I would like to close with is that the future must belong to all of us. Otherwise, it will serve none of us. Thank you.

Meni Anastasiadou: Many thanks, Professor. And again, the numbers are really impressive, your efforts and how you really reached 100,000 teachers with your low-technology but high-impact efforts. So, I will stay on my left, and I will go to our next speaker, Mr. Bocar Ba, who is the CEO Board Member of City Council. So, if I could ask you, how can digital technologies lift trade, extend healthcare, create decent work, and improve the state of the planet? So, please take the floor.

Bocar Ba: Distinguished Delegates and esteemed partners and colleagues, we are meeting today not merely to exchange reflection, but to affirm a shared obligation, which is to ensure the digital transformation of our world becomes the great equalizer of our time, not its great divide. And today, we stand before a simple question that is elegantly simple, yet undeniably powerful in its implication. How can digital technology thoughtfully deployed and inclusively designed unlock the full spectrum of human potential, hence advancing prosperity, dignity, and sustainability for all? And the answer begins with a connection. The digital handshake that enables inclusion, opportunity, and resilience. And as we speak, 2.6 billion people remain offline. And this is not just a technological gap. It’s a dignity gap. It means future delayed, voice unheard, and hope suspended. At Samina Council, we have a clear conviction. Connectivity is a right, not a reward. And in championing this across our region, we have built coalitions that blend capital with conscience and strategy with service. And with the UN Broadband Commission, we have co-architected the Universal Broadband Financing Framework, which is a blueprint for collective accountability, where the benefits of the digital economy are matched by shared responsibility to build and sustain its infrastructure. Yet, I’ll be unequivocal. Infrastructure alone is not enough. We must pair fiber with foresight, bandwidth with trust. And as artificial intelligence, as we know, and digital ecosystem expand, governance must lead with moral clarity, and we must insist on transparency, fairness, accountability. Not as optional virtues, but as nonnegotiable principles. The AI for good has lightened this conversation, and it’s on us as leaders to act with purpose and precision. And to fully unlock your question, digital potential, we must channel its forces toward inclusion. We must leverage digital solutions to deliver healthcare to the remotest villages, education beyond the confines of classroom, financial access to the previously unbanked, and green innovation, of course, to planet sustainability. But no mistake, there is no ambition can be materialized without enabling policies environment. And the investment needed to scale digital transformation requires regulatory certainty, harmonized governance, and for the private sector incentive that can reward risk and innovation. So, let us make policy a bridge to opportunity, not an impediment to progress. Colleagues, I will end with that. The true promise and your question of ICT is not in the technology itself, but in the lives it transforms when every woman, man, and child is equipped, not just to connect, but to compete, contribute, and even to lead. Let us remember today that digital transformation is not a destination, it’s a shared responsibility among us, a collective project that demands courage from the government, foresight from the industry, and clear engagement from every single development partner. If we succeed, the next time we will gather here, we will no longer speak of gaps, we will speak of generation uplifted, system reimagined, and why not nations in power. So, I will end with a reflection. Let us not just connect the world, let us elevate it, and let’s not just focus on how fast do we connect the network, but how do we improve the life of people. Thank you.

Meni Anastasiadou: Thank you so much. And I really support what you said earlier about the importance of enabling policy environments. It’s really the baseline to enable ICTs for development. And thank you for pointing that out as well. So, I will go to our last speaker, Ms. Ms. Meni Anastasiadou. So, last but not least, of course. So, what is in your role as chair of IFIP? What’s your role in supporting how emerging and innovative technologies can accelerate the development of economies and societies? How does the scientific and professional community research develop the use of technology as a catalyst? And how can all stakeholders collaborate meaningfully to improve socioeconomic conditions, working together rather than in competition or repeating the work which is already being done? So, over to you. Thank you. IFIP aligns with the

Moira de Roche: exploration of technology as a driver for socioeconomic progress across various sectors. True collaboration isn’t just about sitting at the table. It’s about designing the table together. When each sector respects the other’s strengths and commits to shared outcomes, we move from fragmented efforts to collective transformation. In March of this year, IFIP and the Swedish Computer Society wrote the Stockholm Declaration, which is all about inclusive sustainable development. The initiatives outlined resonate directly with areas of socioeconomic transformation. I want to say one of the earlier speakers was talking about rich and poor, and that’s absolutely correct. But really, it’s all about using technology to promote our economies. We need quality education for all, as we say in SDG 4, with an emphasis on digital skills at all life stages to reduce skills gap and giving more opportunity for employability. Lifelong learning is what it’s all about. We need collaborative global action with international collaboration to shape policies that are equitable and forward looking. Institutions like IFIP aim to go beyond the SDGs, advocating a post 2030 vision built on inclusive, secure and sustainable tech ecosystems. The big picture, as outlined in the Stockholm Declaration, reinforces how strategically implemented technologies, coupled with inclusive policy making and skill building, can unlock more resilient economies, broader social participation and environmental innovation. It’s a vivid reminder that tech isn’t just about tools and wires. It’s a powerful lever for shared progress across the globe. To collaborate meaningfully and avoiding duplication of competition, governments, international organizations, civil society and businesses must shift from siloed efforts to strategic co-creation. We must establish shared goals, vision, we must find complementary roles, we must build collaborative infrastructure where we build trust and a long-term engagement, and we must learn from what works. Study successful models like the First Movers Coalition, UND’s umbrella program in Saudi Arabia, the Coalition for Reform by the World Bank, and we must promote peer learning and cross-sector membership to scale proven approaches. Thank you.

Meni Anastasiadou: Many thanks, and I know that we are a little bit beyond our time here, but I would just like to take a moment to thank the speakers for their incredible points, and we’ll make sure to reflect those in the summary of the session that will then feed into the actual summary that will be produced by the chair of the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event. Please make sure to stick around until Friday. There will be a summary of the high-level event, and we’ll be back on Friday with a summary of the high-level track sessions at 3 p.m. So, once more, a huge thanks to all of our speakers and grateful for the audience for their participation. Thank you.

Agreement points

Multi-stakeholder approach is fundamental for digital governance and development

Speakers

– Maria Bolshakova
– Graham Brookie
– Meni Anastasiadou
– Moira de Roche

Arguments

Multi-stakeholder approach provides foundation for inclusive, safe, and secure digital space

Multi-stakeholder model is essential for maintaining free, open, secure, interoperable Internet amid geopolitical competition

Multi-stakeholder model is the vehicle to reach ICTs for development vision

True collaboration requires designing solutions together with shared outcomes rather than fragmented efforts

Summary

All speakers strongly endorsed the multi-stakeholder model as the essential mechanism for effective digital governance, development, and maintaining an open internet, emphasizing collaboration over fragmented efforts

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity

Technology must address real-world problems and serve underserved communities

Speakers

– Tatyana Kanzaveli
– Himanshu Rai
– Bocar Ba
– Moira de Roche

Arguments

AI development must shift from tech-first to problem-first thinking, addressing real needs like rural healthcare and education

Higher education institutions must focus on solving real-world problems rather than just creating knowledge

Digital solutions must deliver healthcare to remote villages, education beyond classrooms, and financial access to unbanked populations

Technology should be used as a powerful lever for shared progress across the globe

Summary

Speakers agreed that technology development should prioritize solving real-world problems, particularly for underserved communities, rather than focusing on technological capabilities alone

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Policy frameworks must enable rather than hinder digital transformation

Speakers

– Bocar Ba
– Moira de Roche
– Meni Anastasiadou

Arguments

Enabling policy environments with regulatory certainty and harmonized governance are essential for digital transformation

Policy must serve as bridge to opportunity rather than impediment to progress

International collaboration needed to shape equitable and forward-looking policies

Enabling policy environments are baseline requirement for ICTs for development

Summary

There was strong consensus that policy frameworks should facilitate digital transformation by providing regulatory certainty and serving as enablers rather than barriers to progress

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Community involvement and inclusive design are essential for effective technology implementation

Speakers

– Tatyana Kanzaveli
– Meni Anastasiadou
– Moira de Roche

Arguments

Co-design with communities is essential to avoid building bias into future systems

Co-designing solutions with local communities is crucial for relevant technology implementation

True collaboration requires designing solutions together with shared outcomes rather than fragmented efforts

Summary

Speakers emphasized that meaningful community involvement and co-design approaches are crucial for creating relevant, unbiased, and effective technology solutions

Topics

Development | Human rights | Sociocultural

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers referenced the same statistic of 2.6 billion people remaining offline, but framed it differently – Brookie as progress made, Ba as a dignity gap requiring urgent attention

Speakers

– Graham Brookie
– Bocar Ba

Arguments

Internet connectivity improved from 5.7 billion unconnected in 2003 to 2.6 billion today, demonstrating multi-stakeholder system effectiveness

2.6 billion people remaining offline represents a dignity gap with delayed futures and unheard voices

Topics

Development | Human rights | Infrastructure

Both speakers advocated for simple, practical technology solutions that address real needs of underserved populations rather than sophisticated solutions for the privileged

Speakers

– Tatyana Kanzaveli
– Himanshu Rai

Arguments

Current AI investments scale convenience for privileged rather than solving problems for the majority

Low-tech, high-impact solutions like WhatsApp videos can reach 300,000 teachers effectively

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Both speakers emphasized the importance of building on existing frameworks and international collaboration rather than creating entirely new structures

Speakers

– Maria Bolshakova
– Moira de Roche

Arguments

RCC developed declaration on WSIS Plus 20 advocating for implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents

International collaboration needed to shape equitable and forward-looking policies

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Unexpected consensus

Simple technology solutions can be more effective than sophisticated ones

Speakers

– Tatyana Kanzaveli
– Himanshu Rai
– Meni Anastasiadou

Arguments

AI development must shift from tech-first to problem-first thinking, addressing real needs like rural healthcare and education

Low-tech, high-impact solutions like WhatsApp videos can reach 300,000 teachers effectively

Low-technology, high-impact initiatives demonstrate effective resource utilization in development

Explanation

Unexpectedly, speakers from both AI/tech industry and academic backgrounds agreed that simple, low-tech solutions often outperform sophisticated technology in addressing development challenges, challenging the assumption that more advanced technology is always better

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Focus on implementation over innovation in policy frameworks

Speakers

– Maria Bolshakova
– Bocar Ba
– Moira de Roche

Arguments

RCC developed declaration on WSIS Plus 20 advocating for implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents

Policy must serve as bridge to opportunity rather than impediment to progress

True collaboration requires designing solutions together with shared outcomes rather than fragmented efforts

Explanation

There was unexpected consensus across different regional and organizational perspectives that the focus should be on implementing existing frameworks rather than creating new ones, suggesting maturity in the digital governance discourse

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrated remarkably high consensus across key areas: the centrality of multi-stakeholder governance, the need for technology to serve underserved communities, the importance of enabling policy environments, and the value of community-centered design approaches

Consensus level

Very high consensus with complementary rather than conflicting perspectives. This strong alignment suggests the digital development community has reached maturity in understanding fundamental principles, which bodes well for coordinated action on WSIS Plus 20 and future digital governance initiatives. The consensus spans across different sectors (government, academia, private sector, civil society) and regions, indicating broad-based agreement on core principles for digital transformation.

Different viewpoints

Approach to WSIS Plus 20 – Implementation vs. Innovation

Speakers

– Maria Bolshakova
– Graham Brookie

Arguments

RCC developed declaration on WSIS Plus 20 advocating for implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents

Multi-stakeholder model is essential for maintaining free, open, secure, interoperable Internet amid geopolitical competition

Summary

Maria Bolshakova advocates against creating new documents and focuses on implementing existing WSIS agreements, while Graham Brookie emphasizes the need for the multi-stakeholder system to adapt to rapid technological changes including AI, quantum computing, and commercial space developments

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory

Technology complexity for development solutions

Speakers

– Tatyana Kanzaveli
– Himanshu Rai

Arguments

AI development must shift from tech-first to problem-first thinking, addressing real needs like rural healthcare and education

Low-tech, high-impact solutions like WhatsApp videos can reach 300,000 teachers effectively

Summary

Kanzaveli focuses on leveraging advanced AI technologies for problem-solving in underserved communities, while Rai demonstrates that simple, low-tech solutions can be more effective for reaching large populations

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Unexpected differences

Role of existing frameworks versus adaptation to new challenges

Speakers

– Maria Bolshakova
– Graham Brookie

Arguments

RCC developed declaration on WSIS Plus 20 advocating for implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents

Multi-stakeholder model is essential for maintaining free, open, secure, interoperable Internet amid geopolitical competition

Explanation

Unexpected because both speakers support multi-stakeholder governance, but Bolshakova advocates for focusing on existing WSIS frameworks while Brookie emphasizes the need to adapt these frameworks to address emerging technological and geopolitical challenges

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Cybersecurity

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed remarkable consensus on core principles (multi-stakeholder governance, serving underserved communities, technology for development) with disagreements primarily on implementation approaches and priorities

Disagreement level

Low to moderate disagreement level. Speakers largely agreed on fundamental goals but differed on methods – whether to focus on implementing existing frameworks or adapting to new challenges, and whether to use high-tech AI solutions or low-tech approaches for development. These disagreements reflect healthy debate on practical implementation rather than fundamental philosophical differences, suggesting strong potential for collaborative solutions.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers referenced the same statistic of 2.6 billion people remaining offline, but framed it differently – Brookie as progress made, Ba as a dignity gap requiring urgent attention

Speakers

– Graham Brookie
– Bocar Ba

Arguments

Internet connectivity improved from 5.7 billion unconnected in 2003 to 2.6 billion today, demonstrating multi-stakeholder system effectiveness

2.6 billion people remaining offline represents a dignity gap with delayed futures and unheard voices

Topics

Development | Human rights | Infrastructure

Both speakers advocated for simple, practical technology solutions that address real needs of underserved populations rather than sophisticated solutions for the privileged

Speakers

– Tatyana Kanzaveli
– Himanshu Rai

Arguments

Current AI investments scale convenience for privileged rather than solving problems for the majority

Low-tech, high-impact solutions like WhatsApp videos can reach 300,000 teachers effectively

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Both speakers emphasized the importance of building on existing frameworks and international collaboration rather than creating entirely new structures

Speakers

– Maria Bolshakova
– Moira de Roche

Arguments

RCC developed declaration on WSIS Plus 20 advocating for implementation of existing agreements rather than creating new documents

International collaboration needed to shape equitable and forward-looking policies

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Key takeaways

The multi-stakeholder model has proven effective in reducing global digital divide from 5.7 billion unconnected people in 2003 to 2.6 billion today, demonstrating its value as the primary mechanism for ICT development

Digital transformation must prioritize problem-first thinking over tech-first approaches, focusing on solving real-world challenges for underserved communities rather than scaling convenience for the privileged

Connectivity should be treated as a fundamental right requiring collective accountability, with infrastructure development paired with trust-building and responsible governance

AI and emerging technologies can either serve as great equalizers or ultimate dividers depending on how they are designed and implemented, with co-design involving affected communities being essential

Educational institutions must shift from knowledge creation to solving real-world problems, with low-tech, high-impact solutions often proving more effective than complex technologies

Enabling policy environments with regulatory certainty and harmonized governance are fundamental prerequisites for successful digital transformation

True collaboration requires designing solutions together with shared outcomes rather than working in silos or duplicating efforts across sectors

Resolutions and action items

RCC requested the chair of WSIS Plus 20 high-level event to include their declaration in the outcome document to be submitted to the UN

Session summary to be reflected in the overall summary produced by the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event chair

High-level track sessions summary scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m.

Participants encouraged to study successful collaborative models like the First Movers Coalition and World Bank’s Coalition for Reform

Emphasis on implementing existing WSIS agreements rather than creating new similar documents

Unresolved issues

Specific mechanisms for ensuring AI development prioritizes equity over profit remain undefined

Concrete steps for achieving the Universal Broadband Financing Framework implementation were not detailed

How to effectively coordinate efforts between New York and Geneva on digital global processes lacks clear resolution

Specific funding mechanisms and policy alignment strategies for incentivizing impact over profit in AI development need further elaboration

Methods for scaling successful low-tech, high-impact solutions globally were not fully addressed

Detailed frameworks for meaningful multi-stakeholder collaboration beyond general principles remain to be developed

Suggested compromises

Focus on implementing existing WSIS agreements rather than adopting new similar documents to avoid duplication while maintaining progress

Balance between technological innovation and responsible governance by pairing infrastructure development with trust-building measures

Shift from competitive to collaborative approaches across sectors while respecting each sector’s unique strengths and contributions

Combine private sector innovation incentives with public sector accountability measures to ensure both profit and impact considerations

Integrate both high-tech solutions and low-tech, high-impact approaches based on local context and community needs

Most current investments in AI are not solving the problem of the majority. They’re scaling convenience for the privileged, not access for underserved.

Speaker

Tatyana Kanzaveli

Reason

This comment cuts through typical AI optimism to expose a fundamental inequality in how emerging technologies are being developed and deployed. It reframes the entire AI discussion from technical capabilities to social justice and equity concerns.

Impact

This shifted the conversation from abstract discussions about AI potential to concrete critiques of current investment patterns. It established a more critical tone that influenced subsequent speakers to focus more explicitly on inclusion and equity rather than just technological advancement.

We don’t need another AI to write responses to our emails faster. We need systems that can reach a mother in a rural village and help her to detect cancer earlier. We need a tool that will enable a child in a war-torn zone to get education.

Speaker

Tatyana Kanzaveli

Reason

This provides vivid, human-centered examples that contrast sharply with typical tech industry priorities. It challenges the audience to think about technology’s purpose and who it should serve first.

Impact

This comment provided concrete imagery that grounded the abstract discussion in real human needs. It influenced the subsequent speakers to provide more specific examples of technology serving underserved populations, as seen in Professor Rai’s rural education examples.

Every time we do something as institutions of higher education or as not for profit organizations, we need to ask who’s missing from the room and we need to segregate that data by gender, age, disability, region, and identify the gaps.

Speaker

Himanshu Rai

Reason

This offers a practical methodology for ensuring inclusion that goes beyond rhetoric. It provides actionable steps for identifying and addressing digital divides systematically.

Impact

This comment introduced a concrete framework for inclusive development that other speakers could reference. It elevated the discussion from identifying problems to providing systematic solutions for ensuring no one is left behind.

2.6 billion people remain offline. And this is not just a technological gap. It’s a dignity gap. It means future delayed, voice unheard, and hope suspended.

Speaker

Bocar Ba

Reason

This reframes digital exclusion from a technical problem to a human rights and dignity issue. The poetic language (‘future delayed, voice unheard, hope suspended’) transforms statistics into emotional reality.

Impact

This comment elevated the moral urgency of the discussion and provided a human rights framework that influenced the final speaker to emphasize collaborative action and shared responsibility rather than just technical solutions.

True collaboration isn’t just about sitting at the table. It’s about designing the table together.

Speaker

Moira de Roche

Reason

This metaphor challenges conventional notions of stakeholder participation by suggesting that meaningful collaboration requires shared power in setting agendas and frameworks, not just participation in predetermined discussions.

Impact

As the final substantive comment, this provided a synthesis that tied together earlier themes about inclusion and co-design, offering a philosophical framework for how the multi-stakeholder model should evolve beyond traditional consultation approaches.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally shifted the discussion from a technical focus on digital transformation to a human-centered examination of equity, inclusion, and power dynamics in technology development. Kanzaveli’s critique of AI investment priorities established a critical tone that influenced subsequent speakers to provide concrete examples of serving underserved populations rather than celebrating technological achievements. The progression from identifying problems (digital divides) to providing frameworks (Rai’s systematic inclusion methodology) to reframing the moral imperative (Ba’s dignity gap concept) created a coherent narrative arc. The final comment about ‘designing the table together’ provided a synthesis that elevated the entire discussion to questions of power, participation, and genuine collaboration. Together, these comments transformed what could have been a routine technology policy discussion into a more profound examination of how digital transformation can serve social justice and human dignity.

How to increase the level of coordination of efforts between New York and Geneva on issues related to digital global processes

Speaker

Maria Bolshakova

Explanation

This was identified as a key necessity in the RCC declaration, suggesting current coordination mechanisms are insufficient for effective global digital governance

How to ensure the RCC declaration is included in the outcome document of the WSIS Plus 20 high-level event

Speaker

Maria Bolshakova

Explanation

This was presented as a formal request to the chair, indicating a need for procedural clarity on how regional declarations can be incorporated into global outcomes

How to effectively harness the multi-stakeholder system to meet rapid technological developments in AI, quantum computing, and commercial space sector

Speaker

Graham Brookie

Explanation

With accelerating technological change, there’s uncertainty about whether current multi-stakeholder mechanisms can adequately address emerging challenges

How to shift AI investments from scaling convenience for the privileged to providing access for underserved communities

Speaker

Tatyana Kanzaveli

Explanation

Current AI investment patterns are not addressing global inequities, requiring research into new funding and development models

How to systematically identify and address gaps by segregating data by gender, age, disability, and region in development initiatives

Speaker

Himanshu Rai

Explanation

This methodology was suggested as essential for ensuring inclusive development but requires further research on implementation frameworks

How to create regulatory certainty and harmonized governance frameworks that reward innovation while ensuring accountability

Speaker

Bocar Ba

Explanation

The need for enabling policy environments was emphasized, but specific mechanisms for achieving regulatory harmony across jurisdictions require further exploration

How to move from fragmented efforts to collective transformation in multi-stakeholder collaboration

Speaker

Moira de Roche

Explanation

While successful models were mentioned, there’s a need for deeper research into scalable frameworks for avoiding duplication and competition among stakeholders

How to develop a post-2030 vision for inclusive, secure and sustainable tech ecosystems

Speaker

Moira de Roche

Explanation

IFIP’s Stockholm Declaration advocates going beyond current SDGs, requiring research into what frameworks and goals should guide technology development after 2030