WSIS+20: Inclusive ICT policies urged to close global digital divide
With billions still disconnected and growing concerns over ethical tech and environmental impact, global experts are rethinking how digital policies can truly serve everyone.
At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, Dr Hakikur Rahman and Dr Ranojit Kumar Dutta presented a sobering picture of global digital inequality, revealing that more than 2.6 billion people remain offline. Their session, marking two decades of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), emphasised that affordability, poor infrastructure, and a lack of digital literacy continue to block access, especially for marginalised communities.
The speakers proposed a structured three-pillar framework — inclusion, ethics, and sustainability- to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.
The inclusion pillar advocated for universal connectivity through affordable broadband, multilingual content, and skills-building programs, citing India’s Digital India and Kenya’s Community Networks as examples of success. On ethics, they called for policies grounded in human rights, data privacy, and transparent AI governance, pointing to the EU’s AI Act and UNESCO guidelines as benchmarks.
The sustainability pillar highlighted the importance of energy-efficient infrastructure, proper e-waste management, and fair public-private collaboration, showcasing Rwanda’s green ICT strategy and Estonia’s e-residency program.
Dr Dutta presented detailed data from Bangladesh, showing stark urban-rural and gender-based gaps in internet access and digital literacy. While urban broadband penetration has soared, rural and female participation lags behind.
Encouraging trends, such as rising female enrollment in ICT education and the doubling of ICT sector employment since 2022, were tempered by low data protection awareness and a dire e-waste recycling rate of only 3%.
The session concluded with a call for coordinated global and regional action, embedding ethics and inclusion in every digital policy. The speakers urged stakeholders to bridge divides in connectivity, opportunity, access, and environmental responsibility, ensuring digital progress uplifts all communities.
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