The 2025 UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD) will focus on the theme ‘Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind’. The Forum will take place ahead of the 2025 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
The UNECE annual intergovernmental forum aims to assess progress and exchange knowledge, best practices, and policy solutions to support the 2030 Agenda, in line with regional priorities.
As a side event to the RFSD, a special session on the WSIS+20 Review will be held in a hybrid format. The event will be organized by the ITU and UNECE, with the support of the UN Digital Transformation Group for Europe and Central Asia.
In 2025, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will undergo its 20-year review. Towards the WSIS+20 review, efforts have been made to establish a unified WSIS+20 review process involving all UN partners, including ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, UNCTAD, UN DESA, and UN CSTD. A series of important meetings and reviews will shape this process as outlined here.
A major milestone in the WSIS+20 review will be the upcoming WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025, scheduled for July 7–11 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. Co-hosted by ITU and the Swiss Confederation, in collaboration with more than 40 UN partners, this event will facilitate multistakeholder dialogue and drive action by assessing achievements, key trends, and challenges since the 2003 Geneva Plan of Action.
The process will culminate in a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2025, where a comprehensive review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes will take place and chart the path forward for the information society.
This side event on the WSIS+20 Review will provide the audience with a better understanding of the process and what is expected. Discussions will explore the evolving digital landscape, highlight key developments, and address emerging challenges to help shape the future of the information society. The outcomes of this event will serve as inputs for subsequent cooperation with countries and discussions and initiatives supporting the 2030 Agenda.
