Leaders TalkX: Partnership pivot: rethinking cooperation in the digital era

Summary

The discussion focused on “Partnership Pivot: Rethinking Cooperation in the Digital Era” as part of the WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) framework, featuring government officials and industry representatives from multiple countries. The panel explored how nations and organizations are adapting their digital cooperation strategies to address emerging challenges and opportunities in an increasingly connected world.

Representatives from developing nations emphasized infrastructure development as a critical priority. Burkina Faso highlighted projects to strengthen connectivity through fiber optic networks and national data centers, while focusing on digital literacy and AI implementation despite security challenges. Senegal presented its ambitious “New Technology Deal” strategy aimed at becoming a digital society by 2050, emphasizing the need for strategic partnerships and universal connectivity access across Africa. Albania shared its success story of achieving 95% online public services through sustained political commitment and both internal and external cooperation since 2003.

Technical experts discussed the evolution of artificial intelligence, with Hungary’s representative noting the progression from current agentic AI toward future general AI and autonomous systems. Malaysia emphasized ecosystem-based collaborations that unite government, industry, academia, and civil society, citing their Jendela network rollout as a successful multi-stakeholder initiative. Bahrain’s telecommunications authority stressed the importance of flexible regulatory frameworks that can adapt to rapidly evolving technology while ensuring seamless international connectivity.

Denmark’s tech ambassador addressed the paradox of increased geopolitical fragmentation occurring alongside unprecedented need for collaboration, advocating for business-focused partnerships rather than aid-based approaches. The US Council for International Business concluded by highlighting how multi-stakeholder cooperation has strengthened private sector partnerships and emphasized the continued importance of trust-building and inclusive dialogue. The session ultimately called for recommitment to existing partnership frameworks like WSIS and IGF to advance digital cooperation globally.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Digital Infrastructure Development and Connectivity**: Multiple speakers emphasized the critical need for robust digital infrastructure, including fiber optic networks, 5G coverage, data centers, and universal connectivity. Countries like Burkina Faso discussed extending national backbone infrastructure, while Malaysia highlighted ecosystem-based collaborations for network rollout, and Bahrain noted achieving 100% 5G coverage.

– **Artificial Intelligence Development and Future Trends**: Hungary’s representative provided insights into AI evolution, discussing the progression from current agentic AI toward general AI and superintelligence, with practical applications like autonomous vehicles already being implemented at various levels.

– **International Cooperation and Strategic Partnerships**: A central theme throughout the discussion was the necessity of strengthening international partnerships for digital transformation. Senegal specifically called for strategic partnerships with countries having advanced technologies, while Albania emphasized both internal and external cooperation for successful digitalization.

– **Regulatory Frameworks and Multi-stakeholder Approaches**: Several speakers addressed the need for adaptive, flexible regulatory frameworks that can accommodate rapid technological change. The discussion emphasized multi-stakeholder cooperation involving government, private sector, academia, and civil society to ensure inclusive and sustainable digital development.

– **Bridging the Digital Divide and Ensuring Inclusivity**: Speakers consistently highlighted the importance of making digital technologies accessible to all populations, particularly focusing on rural areas, women, and youth. The discussion addressed the 2.6 billion people still offline and the need for meaningful technology solutions that address local problems.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore how cooperation models need to evolve in the digital era, specifically focusing on rethinking partnerships between governments, private sector, and international organizations to achieve inclusive, sustainable digital transformation that serves all populations while addressing emerging challenges and opportunities.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a professional, collaborative, and forward-looking tone throughout. Despite the moderator’s acknowledgment of it being the final session of a long day, participants remained engaged and optimistic about digital cooperation possibilities. The tone was pragmatic yet aspirational, with speakers sharing both challenges and successes while emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced collaboration. The moderator’s closing remarks shifted toward a more inspirational tone, calling for recommitment to existing frameworks and continued dialogue.

Speakers

**Speakers from the provided list:**

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

– **Lori Schulman**: Role/Title: High-level track facilitator for the session, Area of expertise: Session moderation and facilitation

– **Aminata Zerbo Sabane**: Role/Title: Her Excellency Dr., representing Burkina Faso, Area of expertise: Digital development and Information Society projects

– **Laszlo Palkovics**: Role/Title: His Excellency Prof., Government Commissioner for the AI Ministry of Energy, Hungary, Area of expertise: Artificial intelligence, engineering, autonomous vehicles

– **Alioune Sall**: Role/Title: His Excellency, Minister of Communication and Digital, Senegal, Area of expertise: Digital strategy and international cooperation

– **Enkelejda Mucaj**: Role/Title: Her Excellency Ms., representing Albania, Area of expertise: Digital transformation and public service digitalization

– **Eneng Faridah**: Role/Title: Chief Enforcement Officer, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Malaysia, Area of expertise: Telecommunications regulation and digital cooperation

– **Philip Marnick**: Role/Title: General Director, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Bahrain, Area of expertise: Digital infrastructure and telecommunications regulation

– **Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard**: Role/Title: Technical Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, Area of expertise: Technology diplomacy and digital divide solutions

– **Whitney Baird**: Role/Title: President and CEO, United States Council of International Business, Area of expertise: Private sector digital cooperation and multi-stakeholder approaches

**Additional speakers:**

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# Partnership Pivot: Rethinking Cooperation in the Digital Era – Discussion Summary

## Introduction and Session Context

The discussion on “Partnership Pivot: Rethinking Cooperation in the Digital Era” took place as part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) framework. Facilitated by Lori Schulman, the session brought together government officials, regulatory authorities, and industry representatives from multiple countries to explore digital cooperation strategies. The session maintained an informal, collaborative atmosphere, with Schulman noting it was the final session before cocktails and dinner, and referencing the AI for Good exhibition featuring a robot named Euclid.

## Country Presentations and National Strategies

### Burkina Faso – Infrastructure and Digital Services

Her Excellency Dr. Aminata Zerbo Sabane outlined Burkina Faso’s comprehensive digital development strategy focused on achieving zero white areas (areas without connectivity) by 2027. The country is extending its fiber optic backbone network to reach neighboring country borders to increase system resilience and regional integration.

Key initiatives include establishing national data centers, implementing paperless public policies through digital platforms, and creating citizenship houses in rural areas to provide digital service access points. Dr. Zerbo Sabane emphasized data valorization as a foundation for AI implementation, including language translation tools for multilingual communication and health smart centers utilizing AI for improved medical services.

The country has also established centers of excellence in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies within academic institutions and implemented digital literacy programs targeting youth and women in rural areas.

### Hungary – Artificial Intelligence Development

His Excellency Prof. László Palkovics, Government Commissioner for the AI Ministry of Energy, provided insights into AI evolution, emphasizing that current development remains in early stages. He identified agentic AI as the current highlight, while general AI and superintelligence remain future aspirations that “even engineers struggle to define precisely.”

Palkovics highlighted autonomous machines and vehicles as the next logical step, noting that Hungary has already implemented level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads “without any time and any limitation.” He emphasized that practical AI implementation focuses on specific, measurable applications rather than abstract concepts of general intelligence.

### Senegal – Digital Society Transformation

His Excellency Alioune Sall presented Senegal’s “New Technology Deal” strategy, designed to transform the country into a digital society by 2050. With a population of 18 million, half of whom are 19 years old, Sall emphasized that the fourth industrial revolution should provide equal starting points for all nations, particularly regarding 5G infrastructure.

The strategy requires strategic partnerships with countries possessing advanced technological capabilities and substantial financial resources. Sall stressed the need for international collaboration to mobilize resources for populations currently unable to access basic digital services.

### Albania – Digital Government Success

Her Excellency Ms. Enkelejda Mucaj presented Albania’s achievement of offering 95% of public services exclusively online, resulting from sustained political commitment and systematic digitization approaches implemented consistently since 2003. She emphasized that successful digitization requires both internal cooperation between institutions, academia, and private sector partners, as well as strategic international cooperation.

Mucaj noted that comprehensive digital transformation is “not an easy task for a country without significant means,” highlighting the importance of sustained commitment and strategic resource allocation. She specifically referenced WSIS+20 objectives and 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in discussing Albania’s progress.

### Malaysia – Ecosystem-Based Collaboration

Eneng Faridah from Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission highlighted ecosystem-based collaborations uniting government, industry, academia, and civil society. The Malaysian Jendela network rollout exemplifies this approach, requiring coordination with local councils, state governments, industry partners, and environmental authorities.

Faridah noted that Malaysia recently amended telecommunications legislation after “probably 26 years” to ensure future-proofing, while acknowledging ongoing challenges in determining optimal stakeholder engagement scope and keeping rural internet centers operational and serving community needs.

### Bahrain – Advanced Digital Infrastructure

Philip Marnick, General Director of Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, reported that Bahrain has achieved 100% 5G coverage from all networks and ubiquitous fiber systems. He emphasized that infrastructure investments must be inclusive and future-proof, requiring sustained collaboration between private sector partners and international stakeholders.

Marnick advocated for regulatory approaches that avoid predicting specific technological outcomes while maintaining frameworks that enable innovation. He noted challenges with digital services changing functionality and cost when users travel internationally, suggesting current frameworks inadequately address cross-border digital service delivery.

### Denmark – Local Solutions and Structural Challenges

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard, Technical Ambassador from Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, advocated for meaningful technology solutions that address local problems rather than universal approaches. She emphasized harmonizing public interest with private innovation, noting this alignment “seems almost impossible” but remains essential.

Meldgaard highlighted structural barriers including a 50% decline in African venture capital funding from 2022 to 2024 and 30-40% higher cloud access costs in Africa compared to Europe. She advocated for business-focused partnerships rather than traditional aid-based approaches.

### United States – Private Sector Perspective

Whitney Baird, President and CEO of the United States Council of International Business, emphasized how multi-stakeholder approaches strengthen business ability to partner with governments while enhancing private sector understanding of local concerns through civil society input. She referenced the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a framework for business engagement.

Baird highlighted the persistent challenge of 2.6 billion people remaining offline, alongside increasing access gaps from growing electricity demands for AI technologies and rising cyber security threats. She noted the challenge of ensuring larger firms effectively represent small business voices in policy consultations.

## Key Themes and Discussions

### Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation

Throughout the discussion, speakers consistently emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation involving government, private sector, academia, and civil society. This approach was highlighted as essential for successful digital infrastructure deployment, regulatory development, and service delivery.

### Infrastructure Development Priorities

Representatives from developing nations emphasized infrastructure development as their most critical priority, with particular focus on achieving universal connectivity and regional integration. The discussion revealed different national circumstances requiring diverse approaches to international cooperation.

### Regulatory Adaptation

Regulatory authorities from Malaysia and Bahrain emphasized the necessity of flexible, adaptive frameworks that can accommodate technological uncertainty while enabling innovation. Both stressed the importance of wide stakeholder engagement in policy development.

### Digital Inclusion Challenges

Speakers identified ongoing challenges in digital inclusion, particularly regarding sustainability of rural access points and addressing structural economic barriers that affect developing countries disproportionately.

## Moderator’s Concluding Remarks

Facilitator Lori Schulman reframed the discussion by suggesting that effective digital cooperation requires recommitment to existing frameworks rather than fundamental rethinking of partnership approaches. She emphasized that WSIS and Internet Governance Forum (IGF) multi-stakeholder systems provide proven mechanisms for international digital cooperation.

Schulman used a tennis analogy to illustrate the importance of continued engagement, noting that “you have to keep hitting the ball back” to maintain effective dialogue. She emphasized the UN Declaration of Human Rights as a foundational framework for digital cooperation efforts.

## Key Takeaways

The session demonstrated broad agreement on the fundamental importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation for digital development across diverse geographical and institutional perspectives. While countries face different challenges and have varying capabilities, there was consensus on the need for:

– Sustained commitment to collaborative governance models

– Flexible regulatory frameworks that can adapt to technological change

– Strategic partnerships that balance national autonomy with international cooperation

– Continued dialogue and trust-building across stakeholder groups

– Integration of technical capabilities with social objectives

The discussion ultimately reinforced the importance of existing international frameworks while acknowledging the need for enhanced commitment and implementation rather than wholesale rethinking of cooperation approaches.

Introduction: For today, Partnership Pivot, Rethinking Cooperation in the Digital Era. I would like to invite to the stage Ms. Lori Schulman, who is our high-level track facilitator for this session.

Lori Schulman: ♪ ♪ Welcome, everybody. Hello. Thank you for toughing it out until the last session. I really appreciate you. We really appreciate your diligence. I’m going to call the speakers to the stage. Burkina Faso, Her Excellency Dr. Aminata Zerbo Sabane, will you kindly take the stage? And from Hungary, His Excellency Prof. László Palkovics, the Government Commissioner for the AI Ministry of Energy. Our speaker from Senegal, I believe, is not here, but when he comes, it is His Excellency Alouine Sall, the Minister. Oh, he is here. Thank you. Welcome. Thank you. Okay. From Albania, Her Excellency Ms. Nkulyayda Mukache, kindly take the stage. We have a really large panel today. It’s great. From Malaysia, we became good friends at lunch today, Ms. Enig Farida. She is the Chief Enforcement Officer for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. And from Bahrain, Mr. Philip Marnik, the General Director of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. And from Denmark, Ms. Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard. She’s the Technical Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And finally, last but not least, Ms. Whitney Baird. She is from the United States Council of International Business. I want to welcome you all. We know we’re last, so I’m going to get started so we all can get to cocktails and dinner and a little bit of sunshine that’s left. So I’m going to go straight into the questions and start with Burkina Faso. And you had asked for the question to be read in French, and I apologize, but my French is not fluent. Okay, so I will read the question translated into English. What are the main projects that your agency is undertaking to harness the benefits of the Information Society? Thanks.

Aminata Zerbo Sabane: Thank you very much. Good afternoon, everybody. I’m very happy to share this panel with the other panelists. In spite of the specific security context in Burkina Faso, there is a strong willingness from the authorities to develop actions in all sectors to meet those challenges. We believe it is the best answer to the security challenge that we face. The digital sector is also being dealt with. There are many projects in order to consolidate the different results and to take on all the challenges that are very complex with the emergence of artificial intelligence. Our projects are mostly related to strengthening connectivity infrastructure with the extension of the national backbone in fiber optic in order to reach out the borders with neighboring countries and increase the country’s resilience. Strengthening as well of the hosting infrastructures with the implementation of national data centers in order to facilitate a policy on data. Speeding up the paper-free public policies with the implementation of platforms. Strengthening of skills with two aspects. First of all, the creation of local expertise with IT people with the diversification of different sectors, implementation of centers of excellence in IOTs, in our academies, and also digital illiteracy amongst the population to reach out to all types of populations, placing emphasis on young people and women in rural areas. Also, tapping on the potential of artificial intelligence with a clear national vision and valuing data with the creation of tools, notably in order to translate our languages and implementation of a health smart center and implementation of initiatives in order to reinforce inclusivity. There are three main initiatives here. The first one is related to the coverage of white areas. We have zero white areas in 2027. Number two, implementation of citizenship houses to help people to access paper-free actions and also implementation of terminals to ease access in rural areas. Thank you for your attention.

Lori Schulman: Now I turn to His Excellency from Hungary and ask you what technological trends do you see in the development of artificial intelligence in the coming years, particularly after agentic AI?

Laszlo Palkovics: Thank you very much. Thank you for the invitation. It’s a very interesting question. I’m an engineer, so I’m sort of a scientist in that field. We are still at the beginning of artificial intelligence. Whatever it means, it’s a very much loaded expression. I wrote the first article in 1993 already, artificial neural networks for sort of a vehicle. So many things. Currently, you’re right, the agentic AI is one of the highlights because we have reached this level so far. But if you look at the future, what is going to come in the far future, we started to talk about the general AI. General AI means some superintelligence, which is going to make decisions and operate many things. It started to build up what that exactly means, and we engineers are not really able to answer that question. Mostly we talk to mathematicians. We talk to other scientists who are able to talk about it. But there is some interim step that I would see as the next logical step. We really see that artificial intelligence is just in the vicinity. We talk about mostly autonomous machines, machines who are perceiving the environment or acting like we can act in that given environment. One very much typical example is the autonomous vehicle. We are very close to that technology for autonomous cars. It’s already there. There are countries in Europe and other parts of the world as well. There is legislation that allows to use level 4, mostly level 3 and level 4 vehicles. Level 5 is still a bit young. Hungary was quite early with level 16. We made it possible that on the Hungarian roads without any time and any limitation we can put a level 4 vehicle.

Lori Schulman: Thank you for stopping exactly when you were supposed to because this is a conversation that could go over for three hours, at least, I know. But I want to do a pitch for AI for Good. If you go over to the AI for Good exhibition, you can see those robots. There’s one elderly robot over there named Euclid, who I have fallen in love with. My husband’s in the audience. I’m sorry, honey, but Euclid has stolen my heart. So please, if you’re interested in where we are with robotics, please go and check out AI for Good. And with that, I’m going to turn to Senegal. And I’m going to ask you, how does Senegal plan to reposition its digital cooperation with international partners through your new digital strategy, new deal technology, or new technology deal? And I have to say, I kind of love that you’ve taken it from the new deal of 80 years ago. And perhaps there’s a new deal, a new new

Alioune Sall: deal now. Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Alun Sol. I am the Ministry of Communication and Digital in Senegal. For those of you who are not familiar with where Senegal is, it is the most advanced tip of Western Africa. So we are a natural technological hub. We’ve launched a digital action. So we want to be a digital society in 2050. It’s an ambitious strategy, but we need to make partnerships. We need to make strategic partnerships. That new deal will require a strengthened cooperation and some strategic partnerships with some expertise and strong financial capabilities. In Africa, in Senegal, which has a population of 18 million people, half of them are 19 years old, they have a great appetite for ICTs. We have many talents, but we need to make strategic partnerships in the field of infrastructure first. I was pleading previously saying that funds that are being mobilized by organizations like YCIS should enable populations that cannot have access to universal connectivity. I think this should be the case for Africa. That’s my plea. So that fourth revolution that we believe should be the starting point for everybody. We think everybody should be on the same level, on the same starting point for 5G. We talk about technologies related to artificial intelligence. We need computing power. And so I’m here in order to make strategic partnerships. And this is going to help us to acquire the technologies that we don’t have today, and to see with countries that have those technologies to share this experience, that exchange of soft skills, so we can be on the same starting point. So we’re talking about a technological reinforcement, a financial reinforcement. We want to put in place development funds. So it’s going to help the Senegalese ecosystem to have start-uppers that have competencies to be able to assist them to give them that technology to help them to thrive and to conquer Africa and the rest of the world. Thank you very much. So easy. Thank you.

Lori Schulman: Now we turn to Her Excellency from Albania. And your question is, what do you consider behind your success so far, and how it is linked with cooperation in national and international levels? How do you view the role of cooperation? In advancing WSIS plus 20 objectives and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as we affectionately call them. An excellent question.

Enkelejda Mucaj: Very much, really, dear moderator, your excellencies and colleagues, and especially your esteemed participants in this meeting for Albania. We would like to share a narrative, which may be complicated, but it’s simple too. But what we have envisaged, especially in terms of being a small country, coming from a very complicated past and dealing with democracy, with all the opportunities that democracy is giving, but also challenges it is bringing home. And also very firm and determined solution in trying to bring home a value which is coming from digitalization. We have already made this decision very soon, since year 2003, exactly from the first days the WSIS has been set into the market and started this journey. Albania approved its digital strategy, the first one. So from that date until today, we may share with you that, let’s say, the journey has not been simple. But we have been very clear in setting the pace, especially for what the government, in my case, should have been proven to the people. So doing the first and being the first party to make that transformation in its own administration and innovation perspective, but also deploying digital means for the provision of electronic services. And today Albania is offering 95 percent of its public services exclusively online. And what it has shown to, let’s say, and trust us, it is not an easy task for a country without our means. Let’s say, what it shows in terms of what you can do is, first of all, that you set the base because you have a vision and you have a clear objective. And under that perspective, the political wealth, in order to gain momentum, acquire that, let’s say, that sort of objective that we had in mind to bring to the Albanian people the possibility to gain from the digital, let’s say, digitalization of its sectors, of which is already there. And on the other side, we have learned it, not always in good terms, the fact that without the cooperation with all the friends, with all those partners that you foresee your future, you cannot build a system which is secure, which is sustainable, and which is resilient towards a lot of concerns which are surrounding us. And geopolitically speaking, our region also has its own, let’s say, difficulties. So, in terms of deploying digitalization in our systems, but especially digitalizing our sectors, we may assure you that not only even international cooperation, for which we are very proud and work very intensively, but especially internal cooperation in institutions, academia and private sector, is already becoming a reality. And I’m not going further because I’m not able to break that wonderful achievement of this work.

Lori Schulman: Thank you. And I think you make some really excellent points about internal cooperation as well as external cooperation. It flows in and out. So, I think that’s a very good takeaway from the session. I’m going to turn to this slide now. And we became good friends at lunch, I have to say. So, Ms. Faridah from Malaysia, in this era where digital technologies are rapidly transforming societies and economies, how should we pivot our partnership models to ensure that cooperation remains impactful, inclusive and future ready? Specifically, what new approaches or frameworks, are you ready? Yeah, okay. Do you envision for rethinking cooperation to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the digital era?

Eneng Faridah: Thanks, Lorrie, for that question. Generally, MCMC, or the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, recognizes that rethinking cooperation in the digital era requires purposeful, inclusive and future-oriented partnerships. Increasingly, we are pivoting towards ecosystem-based collaborations. That’s what we’re seeing. That basically unites government, industry, academia, civil society and communities, even alongside cross-sectoral cooperation to integrate digital solutions and adoption. Jendela, for example, exemplifies this ecosystem-based cooperation. Because obviously, when you roll out networks, you know, the collaboration with local councils, state, government, even infrastructure for sharing with industry, as well as environmental authorities for compliance, you know, that’s really important. But what’s more important is to engage them at the outset. And I think, you know, Jendela itself was conceptualized and developed through multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral labs. So we had a lab and we locked everybody up in a room and sort of, you know, give them an assignment and develop our own true north, if you like. So basically, all of us are aligned towards achieving specific objectives. And more or less, most of our other engagement has followed the same format. And we are looking at venturing even into, you know, working with the healthcare communities in order to integrate next generation health technologies with telecommunications. So this is very important as our agenda in increasing medical tourism, for example. So, you know, and even in smart city developments, you know, we’ve inked several agreements with state governments to facilitate. And perhaps as technical advisors or even, you know, bringing people from other industries to create solutions together. So the challenge is sometimes, especially as a regulator, when you’re trying to draft laws, is how wide do you want to cast your net? You know, because there’s always going to be people who say, you know, you didn’t engage me enough. So, you know, that’s one of the challenges if I can share in terms of how we are approaching perhaps law reforms and things like that. And another thing is about sustainability of initiatives, particularly in our Internet centers or NADI, we call it. And to keep it alive means engaging with you to find out what their needs are and how are we serving those needs. So it’s very important also that regulatory frameworks itself are agile and adaptive. And we have just amended the law after probably 26 years to precisely to ensure that it’s future proof. And one last point about regional and global engagement. You know, we’ve been very visible this year and I think we intend to continue to be so in the future. So we are organizing the GSMA, the Digital Nation Summit in Kuala Lumpur in September. And I’d like to welcome everybody to it. Thank you very much, Lauren.

Lori Schulman: Thank you so much. Kuala Lumpur is beautiful, hot, yet beautiful. And we look forward to that. Thank you. Now, I’m going to turn this way, folks. This is this is kind of like tennis in a way. From Bajran, Mr. Philip Marnik, he’s the general director of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. And I want to ask you, in your view, what role should regulators play in ensuring that digital infrastructure investments are inclusive and future proof, especially in collaboration with the private sector and international partners?

Philip Marnick: Thank you. I won’t give a tennis score, but thank you very much. And thank you for inviting me to talk. We live in a world where technology is evolving at probably one of the fastest rates ever. We live in a digital world. Digital is everywhere. It’s no longer something that says, should I be online or should I not be online? It just is. For us, therefore, the technology needs to be something that not just supports today, but supports tomorrow in a world where we’ve no idea what tomorrow will bring. And I saw the forecast of robots and everything else. And someone will say it will turn up in some places. It won’t turn up, but they’ll need to be able to communicate and people need to do it. I live in a regime where luckily through our regulatory regime, we try to be immensely flexible. We don’t pretend we know tomorrow. We don’t pretend that we say that this is where the regulation is. We’ve got a framework in that enables people to deploy technology, but makes sure that the technology can be the technology, not just today, but tomorrow. I’m quite lucky. We live in the warm parts of the world. We already have 100% 5G coverage from all our networks. We have fibre ubiquitous and we have the fibre systems which actually give us bedrock will go there. But we also, to make this work, need the digital infrastructure that has the data centres and we need data centres close. We also need international connectivity because the world needs to be able to communicate with everybody else to make sure the data can come from everywhere to enable us to get there. All of this requires not just regulators engaging with each other to understand what others are doing, but actually making sure that the frameworks we have in place, both nationally and internationally, enable data to flow, enable the international networks to connect. And one of the things I often say to people is, when I travel with my mobile device, somehow the digital services I use in one country certainly change, not because the service changes, but the cost model of how people roam from different parts of the world causes it to change. And I think as regulators, we need to start thinking about not just how we get the technology to make sure everyone’s connected in our own territory, but how we make sure that when our people are moving and changing through the world, they still have access to all the digital services they want in a way they want to use it because you shouldn’t have to think about how you do things, you should just be able to do it. So for us, collaboration means talking to everybody, understanding what you need to do, making sure you think about the future but don’t believe it necessarily, but don’t close it off, making sure your regulation is open to enable new things, and making sure that the investment comes from the people who actually make the investment and are prepared to take the risk as their business case works. Thank you very much.

Lori Schulman: Thank you so much. And yes, I think this concept of seamless communication, borderless communication, is what we aim for in terms of inclusivity, access, and all of the principles that GLSIS stands for. So thank you so much. I’m going to turn the other way now. We’re going to hit the ball the other way. And here we are with Denmark, with Anne-Marie Enkhoff-Melgaard. I hope I pronounced that correctly. And your question is, from your perspective as a tech ambassador, how can governments and tech companies collaborate better towards closing the digital divide? Thank you so much, Laurie.

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard: Good afternoon, everyone. It is a pleasure to be here. collaborate better let me just a little bit of background to where we are now I think it’s gonna be a challenge of collaborating better in a world that is looking more difficult I think there’s a paradox geopolitically it’s a charged world it’s harder to find common ground you hear it in the hallways here there’s sort of an increased fragmentation the trust deficit I hear a lot of trust mistrust between governments between the private sector and the public sector too that’s on the one hand it’s not looking really optimistic and then on the other hand and that’s a paradox in it there’s never been a bigger moment for this collaboration all of the SDGs we are terribly behind on most of them and so the need for technology to deliver tangible results for people and planet advancing better health care better opportunity for our youth around the world thinking about meaningful opportunities just for a growing of young people around the world that’s really the paradox and so that is where even though as hard as it might seem to do these public-private collaborations really is now the time to do it and so I want to offer three ways that I think we can think about this from a business and government private collaboration one do business don’t just do handouts right now if you want to have access to cloud across the African continent because 30 40 percent more than it does in Europe why is that shouldn’t it be the other way around why is it that taking the African content again has a tiny tiny tiny percentage of overall venture capital funding it even fell 50% from 2022 to 2024 let’s do business and not just handouts and that means also engaging you think with the tech industry and saying we need to make infrastructure available we do business understand the incredible innovative capabilities we see in the global South do business with them trade with them have them part of your software updates of the incredible stack of companies that you’re working with that goes from my own continent as well in the new international strategy from European Union there’s what we call the EU tech business offer an unsexy name but for a really sexy idea which is to say we want to be trading more between tech companies opportunity the second one is to meaningful technology to really solve local problems maybe it’s not I used to live in California as you can probably hear in my accent and not everything in the world looks like California what might be some of the challenges locally that we with technology companies from the global arena can help solve some meaningful technology to really address relevant problems and then finally harmonize public interest with private innovation it seems that it’s almost impossible but I do not foresee a future that is relevant or necessarily very welcoming for my children if we do not start thinking about how to align public interest with private innovation so that we solve the big challenges of our time.

Lori Schulman: Thank you thank you so much and last but certainly not least the United States Chamber of International Business with Miss Whitney Baird she is their president and CEO and you get the final word today which is great of the whole day I believe so what role does business play in digital cooperation and how has the multi-stakeholder approach advanced businesses ability to build an open safe and secure people-centered information

Whitney Baird: society for all thank you Laurie really appreciate it the US Council for International Business represents the US private sector and a number of multilateral and international organizations and thus we represent companies that have a global presence and really do care about how this dialogue goes forward I would say the WSIS through its action lines aims to create a people-centered information society that is inclusive and provides positive opportunities for all no one can do this alone and business plays a key role in working alongside governments the technical community and civil society to ensure digital products and services enhance lives and that risks of harm are mitigated in order to achieve the digital future we want we need to work together to address to address underlying issues such as the 2.6 billion people who are still offline the increase in negative cyber activities that cause security breaches and victimized governments companies and individuals the increased need for dependable electricity to power AI and the resulting growth in the access gap us CIB firmly supports the multi-stakeholder approach to cooperation on digital issues because it is strengthened businesses ability to partner on key projects with governments it’s enhanced the private sectors understanding of local concerns through the inputs of civil society and enabled firms of all sizes and across all industries to collaborate directly with the technical community resulting in safer and more efficient products and services there are many examples of how multi-stakeholder collaboration has strengthened the private sectors ability to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts in the developments of new technologies on a global scale one area where this is evident is the way multi-stakeholder initiatives have helped organizations to collaborate for example on human rights issues a growing number of tech companies are publishing human rights policy commitments that specifically reference the UN guiding principles on business and human rights what we would consider to be absolutely bedrock principles additionally we’re seeing increased cooperation around sustainability efforts in the digital space as well as an entire new track focused on technology and sustainability at the IGF on multi-stakeholder cooperation we have to focus on how business can build trust I’ve heard the word trust a number of times over these last couple of days it’s absolutely essential how larger firms can bring the voice of small businesses and entrepreneurs into these policy consultations and how the private sector continued to provide governments with research and findings in the development of advanced technology for example the OECD’s work through the global partnership on AI or GPI and the AI observatory has facilitated a channel by which business can share best practices and new research in addition the IGF has served as a knowledge laboratory where governments from across the globe can have frank discussions with businesses on topics of concern and turn dialogue into action the private sector as a whole remains a committed partner to improve cooperation in order to build the information society that we want we need and we deserve USC IB in particular will continue to be a resource to all stakeholder groups as we navigate the digital transformation together.

Lori Schulman: Thank you Whitney I think that’s a fabulous end to the day because we’re going back to UN principles and I do want to pitch here when you talk about United Nations principles with its action lines multi-stakeholder systems that this can really all lead back and I’m going to pitch here for the UN Declaration of Human Rights that many believe and have written extensively on saying if we use the UD UN HDR I mean you in HRD I’m sorry it’s late that’s the answer you know sticking to their principles that the UN community has signed on to to ensure healthy productive respectful living and I’m gonna close with one final thought as I’ve listened to everybody here today and then I wonder to myself maybe the question is not how are we rethinking public-private partnerships but how are we recommitting to public-private partnerships and this is where multi-stakeholder systems through WSIS and other fora can really move us forward and the cost to act call to action is to recommit we commit to WSIS we commit to IGF let’s keep the conversation going and I want to wish you all a very good evening and thank you for sticking it out to the very bitter end

Agreement points

Multi-stakeholder cooperation is essential for digital development

Speakers

– Enkelejda Mucaj
– Eneng Faridah
– Whitney Baird
– Philip Marnick

Arguments

Not only even international cooperation, for which we are very proud and work very intensively, but especially internal cooperation in institutions, academia and private sector, is already becoming a reality

Jendela, for example, exemplifies this ecosystem-based cooperation. Because obviously, when you roll out networks, you know, the collaboration with local councils, state, government, even infrastructure for sharing with industry, as well as environmental authorities for compliance

Multi-stakeholder approach to cooperation on digital issues because it is strengthened businesses ability to partner on key projects with governments it’s enhanced the private sectors understanding of local concerns through the inputs of civil society

Collaboration means talking to everybody, understanding what you need to do, making sure you think about the future but don’t believe it necessarily, but don’t close it off, making sure your regulation is open to enable new things

Summary

Multiple speakers emphasized that successful digital development requires collaboration between government, private sector, academia, civil society, and technical communities. This multi-stakeholder approach strengthens partnerships, enhances understanding of local concerns, and enables more effective policy development.

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Economic

Strategic partnerships are crucial for digital infrastructure development

Speakers

– Aminata Zerbo Sabane
– Alioune Sall
– Eneng Faridah

Arguments

Extension of the national backbone in fiber optic in order to reach out the borders with neighboring countries

That new deal will require a strengthened cooperation and some strategic partnerships with some expertise and strong financial capabilities. Funds that are being mobilized by organizations like YCIS should enable populations that cannot have access to universal connectivity

Jendela, for example, exemplifies this ecosystem-based cooperation. Because obviously, when you roll out networks, you know, the collaboration with local councils, state, government, even infrastructure for sharing with industry, as well as environmental authorities for compliance

Summary

Speakers from developing countries particularly emphasized the need for strategic partnerships to build digital infrastructure, extend connectivity, and ensure universal access. These partnerships require both technical expertise and financial capabilities.

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Regulatory frameworks must be flexible and future-oriented

Speakers

– Philip Marnick
– Eneng Faridah

Arguments

We try to be immensely flexible. We don’t pretend we know tomorrow. We don’t pretend that we say that this is where the regulation is. We’ve got a framework in that enables people to deploy technology

Regulatory frameworks itself are agile and adaptive. And we have just amended the law after probably 26 years to precisely to ensure that it’s future proof. The challenge is sometimes, especially as a regulator, when you’re trying to draft laws, is how wide do you want to cast your net

Summary

Both speakers agreed that regulatory frameworks need to be flexible and adaptive to accommodate unknown future technological developments while enabling current innovation and deployment.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Digital inclusion requires special focus on underserved populations

Speakers

– Aminata Zerbo Sabane
– Whitney Baird

Arguments

Creation of local expertise with IT people with the diversification of different sectors, implementation of centers of excellence in IOTs, in our academies, and also digital illiteracy amongst the population to reach out to all types of populations, placing emphasis on young people and women in rural areas

2.6 billion people who are still offline the increase in negative cyber activities that cause security breaches and victimized governments companies and individuals the increased need for dependable electricity to power AI and the resulting growth in the access gap

Summary

Both speakers highlighted the importance of addressing digital divides and ensuring that underserved populations, including rural communities and those currently offline, have access to digital technologies and services.

Topics

Development | Human rights | Sociocultural

Similar viewpoints

Both African representatives emphasized the critical need for infrastructure development and strategic partnerships to achieve universal connectivity, particularly focusing on extending fiber optic networks and ensuring equal access to digital technologies.

Speakers

– Aminata Zerbo Sabane
– Alioune Sall

Arguments

Strengthening connectivity infrastructure through fiber optic backbone extension to reach borders and increase resilience

Strategic partnerships needed for infrastructure development, particularly for populations lacking universal connectivity access

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Both speakers acknowledged that AI development is still in early stages but emphasized the importance of having clear national strategies and practical applications for AI technologies in their respective countries.

Speakers

– Laszlo Palkovics
– Aminata Zerbo Sabane

Arguments

Current AI development is still at the beginning, with agentic AI as current highlight and general AI as future superintelligence

Tapping AI potential requires clear national vision and data valorization, including tools for language translation and health smart centers

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Both regulatory officials emphasized the need for flexible, adaptive regulatory approaches that can accommodate technological uncertainty while enabling innovation and ensuring broad stakeholder participation in policy development.

Speakers

– Philip Marnick
– Eneng Faridah

Arguments

Flexible regulatory regimes that don’t pretend to know tomorrow but enable technology deployment for current and future needs

Regulatory frameworks must be agile and adaptive, with wide stakeholder engagement in law reforms and policy development

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Unexpected consensus

Business partnerships over traditional aid models

Speakers

– Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard
– Alioune Sall

Arguments

Public-private collaboration is essential despite geopolitical challenges, focusing on doing business rather than just handouts

Young population with great ICT appetite requires talent development and strategic partnerships for technological reinforcement

Explanation

Unexpectedly, both a developed country representative (Denmark) and a developing country representative (Senegal) agreed on moving away from traditional aid models toward genuine business partnerships and trade relationships in the digital space.

Topics

Development | Economic

Local solutions over universal approaches

Speakers

– Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard
– Aminata Zerbo Sabane

Arguments

Meaningful technology should solve local problems rather than applying universal solutions, with harmonized public interest and private innovation

Tapping AI potential requires clear national vision and data valorization, including tools for language translation and health smart centers

Explanation

There was unexpected consensus between a European tech ambassador and an African minister on the importance of developing locally relevant technological solutions rather than applying one-size-fits-all approaches, particularly in AI applications.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Overall assessment

Summary

The speakers demonstrated strong consensus on the fundamental importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation, the need for flexible regulatory frameworks, strategic partnerships for infrastructure development, and digital inclusion. There was particular alignment between developing country representatives on infrastructure needs and between regulatory officials on adaptive governance approaches.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with significant implications for digital cooperation policy. The agreement across diverse geographical and institutional perspectives suggests these principles could form the foundation for effective international digital cooperation frameworks. The consensus on moving beyond traditional aid models toward business partnerships and locally relevant solutions indicates a maturing approach to global digital development.

Different viewpoints

Approach to international cooperation – partnership vs. self-reliance

Speakers

– Alioune Sall
– Philip Marnick

Arguments

Strategic partnerships needed for infrastructure development, particularly for populations lacking universal connectivity access

Achieving 100% 5G coverage and ubiquitous fiber systems as foundation for future technologies

Summary

Senegal emphasizes the need for strategic partnerships and external support to achieve digital goals, while Bahrain demonstrates a more self-reliant approach having already achieved comprehensive digital infrastructure independently

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Regulatory approach – prescriptive vs. flexible frameworks

Speakers

– Eneng Faridah
– Philip Marnick

Arguments

Regulatory frameworks must be agile and adaptive, with wide stakeholder engagement in law reforms and policy development

Flexible regulatory regimes that don’t pretend to know tomorrow but enable technology deployment for current and future needs

Summary

Malaysia focuses on comprehensive stakeholder engagement and formal law amendments for future-proofing, while Bahrain emphasizes maintaining flexible frameworks that avoid predicting specific outcomes

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

Unexpected differences

Technology universality vs. localization

Speakers

– Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard
– Laszlo Palkovics

Arguments

Meaningful technology should solve local problems rather than applying universal solutions, with harmonized public interest and private innovation

Autonomous machines and vehicles represent the next logical step in AI development, with Hungary allowing level 4 vehicles on roads

Explanation

Unexpected disagreement on whether technology solutions should be universally applicable or locally tailored – Denmark advocates for context-specific solutions while Hungary promotes universal technological advancement

Topics

Development | Infrastructure | Sociocultural

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion revealed minimal direct disagreements, with most speakers focusing on complementary aspects of digital cooperation. Main areas of difference centered on regulatory approaches (comprehensive vs. flexible) and cooperation strategies (partnership-dependent vs. self-reliant)

Disagreement level

Low level of disagreement with high consensus on core objectives. The speakers generally aligned on the importance of digital inclusion, infrastructure development, and multi-stakeholder cooperation, differing mainly in implementation approaches rather than fundamental goals. This suggests strong international consensus on digital cooperation principles with room for diverse national strategies

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both African representatives emphasized the critical need for infrastructure development and strategic partnerships to achieve universal connectivity, particularly focusing on extending fiber optic networks and ensuring equal access to digital technologies.

Speakers

– Aminata Zerbo Sabane
– Alioune Sall

Arguments

Strengthening connectivity infrastructure through fiber optic backbone extension to reach borders and increase resilience

Strategic partnerships needed for infrastructure development, particularly for populations lacking universal connectivity access

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Both speakers acknowledged that AI development is still in early stages but emphasized the importance of having clear national strategies and practical applications for AI technologies in their respective countries.

Speakers

– Laszlo Palkovics
– Aminata Zerbo Sabane

Arguments

Current AI development is still at the beginning, with agentic AI as current highlight and general AI as future superintelligence

Tapping AI potential requires clear national vision and data valorization, including tools for language translation and health smart centers

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Both regulatory officials emphasized the need for flexible, adaptive regulatory approaches that can accommodate technological uncertainty while enabling innovation and ensuring broad stakeholder participation in policy development.

Speakers

– Philip Marnick
– Eneng Faridah

Arguments

Flexible regulatory regimes that don’t pretend to know tomorrow but enable technology deployment for current and future needs

Regulatory frameworks must be agile and adaptive, with wide stakeholder engagement in law reforms and policy development

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

Key takeaways

Digital cooperation requires recommitment to public-private partnerships rather than complete rethinking, with multi-stakeholder systems through WSIS and IGF as key mechanisms

Infrastructure development must be inclusive and future-proof, requiring ecosystem-based collaborations between government, industry, academia, and civil society

AI development is still in early stages with agentic AI as current highlight, but autonomous machines represent the next logical step toward future general AI

Digital transformation success requires clear vision, political will, and both internal cooperation (institutions, academia, private sector) and international partnerships

Regulatory frameworks must be agile and adaptive to enable innovation while ensuring investment viability and seamless cross-border digital services

Digital inclusion efforts must address 2.6 billion people still offline through meaningful technology that solves local problems rather than universal solutions

Multi-stakeholder cooperation strengthens business ability to partner with governments while building trust and bringing diverse voices into policy consultations

Strategic partnerships are essential for developing countries to access computing power, AI technologies, and reach the same technological starting point as developed nations

Resolutions and action items

Invitation to GSMA Digital Nation Summit in Kuala Lumpur in September 2024 (Malaysia)

Burkina Faso’s commitment to achieve zero white areas by 2027 through coverage expansion

Senegal’s digital action plan to become a digital society by 2050 requiring strategic partnerships

Albania’s continuation of offering 95% of public services exclusively online

Hungary’s ongoing implementation of level 4 autonomous vehicles on roads

Call to action for recommitment to WSIS and IGF multi-stakeholder systems to keep conversations going

Unresolved issues

How to effectively harmonize public interest with private innovation in practice

Addressing the challenge of determining optimal stakeholder engagement scope in regulatory law reforms

Resolving the paradox of increased need for collaboration amid growing geopolitical fragmentation and trust deficits

Ensuring sustainability of digital inclusion initiatives, particularly in rural internet centers

Bridging the gap between developed and developing countries in venture capital funding and cloud access costs

Managing the increased need for dependable electricity to power AI and resulting access gaps

Addressing growing negative cyber activities and security breaches affecting all stakeholders

Suggested compromises

Focus on ‘doing business’ rather than just providing handouts in international digital cooperation

Balance wide stakeholder engagement with practical implementation in regulatory frameworks

Combine local expertise development with international knowledge sharing and technology transfer

Integrate next-generation technologies with existing sectors (healthcare, smart cities) through cross-sectoral cooperation

Align business innovation with public interest through collaborative frameworks rather than opposing approaches

Use UN Declaration of Human Rights as foundational principles for digital cooperation to ensure respectful and productive outcomes

We are still at the beginning of artificial intelligence. Whatever it means, it’s a very much loaded expression… But there is some interim step that I would see as the next logical step. We really see that artificial intelligence is just in the vicinity. We talk about mostly autonomous machines, machines who are perceiving the environment or acting like we can act in that given environment.

Speaker

László Palkovics (Hungary)

Reason

This comment is insightful because it challenges the hype around AI by emphasizing we’re still in early stages, while providing a grounded technical perspective on the progression from current AI to autonomous systems. His acknowledgment that engineers ‘are not really able to answer’ questions about general AI shows intellectual humility and highlights the complexity of the field.

Impact

This comment shifted the discussion from abstract AI concepts to concrete, near-term applications like autonomous vehicles. It grounded the conversation in practical reality and influenced the moderator to immediately reference the AI for Good exhibition, connecting theory to tangible demonstrations.

That fourth revolution that we believe should be the starting point for everybody. We think everybody should be on the same level, on the same starting point for 5G… So that’s my plea. So we’re talking about a technological reinforcement, a financial reinforcement.

Speaker

Alioune Sall (Senegal)

Reason

This comment is thought-provoking because it reframes digital cooperation from a development aid perspective to one of technological equity and equal starting points. His plea for universal connectivity as a foundation for the fourth industrial revolution challenges traditional North-South cooperation models.

Impact

This comment introduced the critical theme of technological equity that resonated throughout subsequent speakers. It shifted the conversation from individual country strategies to global digital justice and influenced later discussions about inclusive partnerships and closing digital divides.

Without the cooperation with all the friends, with all those partners that you foresee your future, you cannot build a system which is secure, which is sustainable, and which is resilient… not only even international cooperation… but especially internal cooperation in institutions, academia and private sector, is already becoming a reality.

Speaker

Enkelejda Mucaj (Albania)

Reason

This insight is valuable because it introduces the often-overlooked dimension of internal cooperation as equally important to international partnerships. Her emphasis on the interconnection between internal and external cooperation provides a more holistic view of digital transformation challenges.

Impact

The moderator immediately highlighted this as ‘a very good takeaway from the session,’ showing its impact. This comment influenced the conversation to consider cooperation as multi-dimensional, flowing both internally and externally, which shaped subsequent discussions about ecosystem-based approaches.

There’s a paradox geopolitically it’s a charged world it’s harder to find common ground… there’s sort of an increased fragmentation the trust deficit… and then on the other hand… there’s never been a bigger moment for this collaboration… that’s really the paradox.

Speaker

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard (Denmark)

Reason

This comment is deeply insightful because it articulates the central tension of our time – the simultaneous need for and difficulty of international cooperation. Her framing of this as a paradox provides a sophisticated analysis of current geopolitical realities while maintaining urgency for collaborative action.

Impact

This comment elevated the entire discussion by acknowledging the elephant in the room – geopolitical tensions – while reframing challenges as opportunities. It influenced the final speaker to emphasize trust-building and led to the moderator’s concluding call for ‘recommitment’ rather than just ‘rethinking’ partnerships.

Maybe the question is not how are we rethinking public-private partnerships but how are we recommitting to public-private partnerships… the call to action is to recommit we commit to WSIS we commit to IGF let’s keep the conversation going.

Speaker

Lori Schulman (Moderator)

Reason

This closing insight reframes the entire session’s premise, suggesting that the issue isn’t conceptual innovation but renewed dedication to existing frameworks. It’s thought-provoking because it challenges the assumption that we need new approaches, instead arguing for deeper commitment to proven multi-stakeholder models.

Impact

As the final comment, this provided a unifying conclusion that synthesized the discussion’s themes. It shifted the conversation from problem identification to action orientation, giving participants a clear takeaway and call to action that transcended individual country perspectives.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally shaped the discussion by introducing critical tensions and reframings that elevated the conversation beyond routine policy presentations. Palkovics grounded AI discussions in technical reality, Sall introduced equity as a central concern, Mucaj highlighted the internal-external cooperation nexus, Meldgaard articulated the central paradox of our times, and Schulman reframed the entire premise from innovation to recommitment. Together, these comments created a progression from technical grounding to equity concerns to cooperation complexity to geopolitical realism, culminating in a call for renewed dedication. The discussion evolved from individual country reports to a sophisticated analysis of global digital cooperation challenges, with each key insight building upon previous ones to create a more nuanced understanding of partnership dynamics in the digital era.

How can we achieve zero white areas (areas without connectivity) by 2027?

Speaker

Aminata Zerbo Sabane (Burkina Faso)

Explanation

This is a specific target mentioned as part of Burkina Faso’s digital inclusion initiatives, but the detailed implementation strategy and challenges were not fully explored

What does general AI and superintelligence actually mean, and how do we prepare for it?

Speaker

László Palkovics (Hungary)

Explanation

He explicitly stated that engineers are not able to answer what general AI exactly means and that they need to consult with mathematicians and other scientists, indicating a need for further interdisciplinary research

How can international funding organizations better mobilize resources to enable universal connectivity for populations that cannot access it?

Speaker

Alioune Sall (Senegal)

Explanation

He made a specific plea for funds to be mobilized by organizations to help African populations access universal connectivity, suggesting this needs further policy and funding research

How can small countries without significant resources successfully implement comprehensive digital transformation?

Speaker

Enkelejda Mucaj (Albania)

Explanation

She mentioned it’s ‘not an easy task for a country without our means’ but didn’t elaborate on the specific strategies and challenges, indicating need for further study on resource-constrained digital transformation

How wide should regulators cast their net when engaging stakeholders in law-making processes?

Speaker

Eneng Faridah (Malaysia)

Explanation

She identified this as an ongoing challenge for regulators, noting that there will always be people who feel they weren’t engaged enough, suggesting need for research on optimal stakeholder engagement frameworks

How can we ensure sustainability of digital inclusion initiatives like Internet centers?

Speaker

Eneng Faridah (Malaysia)

Explanation

She mentioned the challenge of keeping Internet centers alive and serving community needs, indicating a need for research on sustainable models for digital inclusion infrastructure

How can we create seamless, borderless digital communication that doesn’t change based on location or roaming costs?

Speaker

Philip Marnick (Bahrain)

Explanation

He highlighted the problem of digital services changing when people travel due to cost models, suggesting need for research on international regulatory frameworks for seamless connectivity

Why does cloud access cost 30-40% more in Africa than in Europe, and how can this be addressed?

Speaker

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard (Denmark)

Explanation

She questioned this disparity as part of discussing barriers to digital inclusion, indicating need for research on infrastructure costs and pricing models in different regions

Why did African venture capital funding fall 50% from 2022 to 2024, and how can this trend be reversed?

Speaker

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard (Denmark)

Explanation

She cited this statistic as evidence of the need for better business partnerships rather than just handouts, suggesting need for research on investment patterns and barriers in African tech markets

How can we align public interest with private innovation to solve major global challenges?

Speaker

Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard (Denmark)

Explanation

She stated this seems ‘almost impossible’ but is essential for creating a relevant future, indicating need for research on frameworks that can harmonize these often competing interests

How can larger firms effectively bring the voice of small businesses and entrepreneurs into policy consultations?

Speaker

Whitney Baird (United States)

Explanation

She identified this as an area where multi-stakeholder cooperation needs to focus, suggesting need for research on inclusive representation mechanisms in policy processes