Report by the Secretary-General – WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY (WSIS)+20: WSIS BEYOND 2025WSIS+20 ROADMAP

Introduction: 

The aim of this document is to contribute towards the discussions on the preliminary steps towards the WSIS+20 Review Process and ITUs role in the process, noting the leadership role of the ITU in WSIS since its inception. WSIS is a UN process that involves coordination and implementation with more than 30 UN Agencies, with a common desire and commitment to build inclusive and development-oriented Information and Knowledge Societies. It involves the engagement of all Stakeholders in implementing the WSIS Action Lines for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Background:

1. The UN General Assembly Resolution UNGA Resolution A/RES/70/125 request the General Assembly to hold a high-level meeting (HLM) on the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society in 2025, involving the input and participation of all stakeholders, including in the preparatory process, to take stock of progress on the outcomes of the World Summit and identify both areas of continued focus and challenges. We recommend that the outcome of the high-level meeting be an input into the review process for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

2. The CWG-WSIS&SDG initiated discussions on the role of ITU in the WSIS+20 Review process and its preparations. The Group noted the Report by the UNESCO’s Director-General on implementation of the World Summit on the Information Society outcomes and appreciated the resolution on the Organization’s consolidated road map towards the twenty-year review (WSIS+20) in 2025.

3. ITU will take over the Chairmanship of UNGIS from UNESCO as the chair of UNGIS in June 2022, and in collaboration with UNGIS members will be responsible for further preparations towards the WSIS+20 HLM.

4. The WSIS Forum and the WSIS+10 multi-stakeholder preparatory process have shown a real example of efficient and successful preparation for overall review of WSIS Action Lines.

The processes listed below provide a roadmap of activities and preliminary steps towards the WSIS+20 Review Process and ITUs role in the process, noting the leadership role of the ITU in WSIS since its inception:

• WSIS Forum (Working together towards 2025: Turning targets into Action) Following the WSIS principles of multi-stakeholderism and inclusiveness the WSIS Forum will provide a platform for deliberations on the 20 years of the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and WSIS beyond 2025 in various formats like high-level dialogues, knowledge cafes, ministerial round table, action line facilitation meetings, thematic workshops and interactive sessions. WSIS Forum will serve as a platform for collecting inputs towards the WSIS Review process and its preparations. WSIS Forum outcomes will be reported to CSTD sessions.

a. WSIS Forum 2022:

i. preliminary indications providing a forward-looking scope for the WSIS beyond 2025

ii. templates for the reports of the lead facilitators on the WSIS Action Lines

iii. templates for the voluntary national reporting on the implementation of the WSIS outcomes

iv. templates for reports by civil society, academia, private sector and technical community

b. WSIS Forum 2023: Further discussions on the WSIS Action Lines capturing the emerging trends, opportunities and challenges

c. WSIS Forum 2024 rebranded as WSIS+20 celebrating the achievements of the WSIS Process and identifying the opportunities and challenges in implementing the WSIS Action Lines. 

• WTDC-21: Taking into consideration that the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) will be held in June 2022, the discussions at WTDC are closely interlinked to the WSIS Process and therefore WTDC provides a major opportunity to have preliminary discussions on WSIS+20 before PP-22. 

• WSIS Stocktaking Reporting Process: The Stocktaking Platform provides a repository of over 13000 projects and a very active membership database of over 500000. The Stocktaking platform will be utilized to present the current situation and analysis on the implementation of WSIS Action Lines for 20 years and initiate the preparations of the WSIS+20 Stocktaking Report. 

• United Nations Agencies: The WSIS Process is an example of effective interagency coordination with more than 30 UN agencies. In collaboration with the UNGIS Chair and Vice-Chairs, including all the UNGIS members (and other UN Agencies involved) and in close collaboration with UNCSTD it is aimed to continue consultations on 20 years of WSIS and beyond. ITU will be appointed as the Chair of the UNGIS (2022-2023). 

• Alignment of the WSIS Process with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: As per Resolution 1332 (MODIFIED 2019) ITU membership resolved to use the WSIS framework as the foundation through which the ITU helps the world in leveraging ICTs in achieving the 2030 Agenda, within the ITU’s mandate and within the allocated resources in the financial plan and biennial budget, noting the WSIS-SDG Matrix developed by UN Agencies. Since 2015, ITU, in close collaboration with UN agencies has been working towards strengthening the alignment between the WSIS Process and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This close interlinkage between WSIS Action Lines and the Sustainable Development Goals and targets can contribute towards the work on relevant areas outlined in ongoing processes e.g. UN SGs Our Common Agenda and so on.
• Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development: The Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development is an international, multi-stakeholder initiative that was launched in 2004 to improve the availability and quality of ICT data and indicators, particularly in developing countries. The initiative is a direct response to the request made by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to produce official statistics to monitor the information society. The Partnership, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will further coordinate initiatives to improve the availability and quality of ICT statistics and explore new data sources for measuring the internationally agreed target for example WSIS, SDGs etc. ITU will be the chair of the Steering committee of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development in 2022.
• WSIS Regional Events and Reporting: The WSIS Process at the Regional level is coordinated and effectively implemented by the UN Regional Commissions, ITU Regional Offices, Regional Technical Organizations in close collaboration with other UN Agencies. ITU will continue to provide a platform for discussions, in particular on WSIS+20 and the WSIS Process beyond 2025.
• WSIS Prizes: The WSIS Prizes contest was developed in response to requests from the WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism to evaluate projects and activities that leverage the power of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to advance sustainable development. Since its inception, the contest of WSIS Prizes has attracted more than 300,000 stakeholders. Following the outcomes of the United Nations General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS (Res. A/70/125) that, the WSIS Prizes is the unique global platform to identify and showcase success stories in the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and SDGs. Preparations towards WSIS +20 Stocktaking Success Stories report and other activities celebrating the WSIS Prize awardees will be planned as part of the annual WSIS Forum.
• WSIS+ 20 Reporting – In preparations towards the celebration of 20 years of WSIS and WSIS Beyond 2025, the evaluation and assessment Reports to be discussed and prepared (this list is not exhaustive):
  • WSIS+20 Progress Report (Quantitative Focus) (Initial Coordination by Partnership on the Measuring ICT for Development during the WSIS Forum 2022)
  • Review Reports by Action Line Facilitators (11 Action Lines) (Template to be prepared by WSIS Action Line Facilitators’ Meeting during the WSIS Forum 2022)
  • WSIS+20 Reports by Civil Society, Private Sector, Academia and Technical Community
  • Self-evaluation National Review Reports (Draft template to be prepared during WSIS Action Line Facilitators’ Meeting of the WSIS Forum 2022)
  • WSIS+20 Stocktaking Report (International Telecommunication Union)
  • WSIS+20 Stocktaking Success Stories (International Telecommunication Union)
  • UNGIS Review Report
  • Report on the Contributions to the 2030 Agenda

It is important to note that the WSIS Process in its functioning, coordination and implementation of WSIS Action lines has been very quick to adapt and transition during COVID 2019 and in adapting to a possible post covid scenario providing stakeholders with opportunities to connect, partner and share resulting in concrete action on the ground.

Timeline of relevant meetings and conferences: