WSIS at 20: Successes, failures and future expectations

Join us for a hybrid Open Forum event " WSIS at 20: successes, failures and future expectations" set for 10th October 2023 during the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Kyoto, Japan. The event is an initiative of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), to which the UNCTAD provides secretariat services and substantive support.

Background

The General Assembly adopted the A/70/125 resolution on 16th December 2015, emphasizing the need for a high-level meeting in 2025 for a comprehensive review of the World Summit on the Information Society's (WSIS) progress known as WSIS+20 Review. The primary vision of WSIS is to form a “people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society” using information and communication technologies for sustainable growth. Due to rapid technological change, today’s information society differs greatly from what was envisaged in 2005. However, the WSIS vision remains highly relevant.

Objective

The event, in partnership with International Telecommunication Union, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and United Nations Development Programme, aims to promote detailed discussions among diverse stakeholders like UN bodies, governments, the private sector, civil society, IGF, and other communities active in ICT development. The deliberations will significantly contribute to the CSTD secretariat’s report to be prepared as inputs to the General Assembly's review in 2025, which will be central to the CSTD discussions on WSIS+20 Review, as instructed by the ECOSOC.

Questions to be addressed

• To what extent and how has the vision of a "people-centred, inclusive and development oriented Information Society" evolved over the past 20 years since WSIS?
• How will ongoing trends and emerging technologies, particularly AI, impact progress towards human development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Moreover, how can these trends enable or hinder the realization of the WSIS vision?
• What measures should be taken to advance international cooperation, including in terms of governance, to leverage emerging technologies for sustainable development in economic, social, environmental, and cultural dimensions?

Format

Mark your calendars for a 90-minute interactive discourse on the second day of the IGF in Kyoto. The event promises participation from diverse stakeholders from government, academia, private sectors, civil society, and technical ICT communities.  The Chair of the CSTD will moderate the discussions. All interventions will be made from the floor.

Questionnaire for 20-year review of WSIS implementation

This questionnaire is open to all WSIS stakeholders (governments, private sector, civil society, international organizations and relevant regional organizations)

Please share your experience, views and priorities in response to a selection of questions, addressing the issues that you consider most important for the CSTD's twenty-year WSIS review.

Open