The side event “Human Centric Digital Transformation”, of the 2026 Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region will take place on 21 April 2026 from 09:00-09:45 CEST. It will be held in the Palais des Nations room XII in Geneva, Switzerland. The side event is organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the European Union, the Council of Europe, with contributions from the Republic of Poland, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other stakeholders.
The 2026 UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (RFSD) will take place ahead of the 2026 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 efforts to achieve the SDGs continue to face significant challenges, digitalization remains both a powerful enabler and a potential risk factor for sustainable development. While digital technologies are increasingly embedded across societies and economies, persistent digital divides and unequal access continue to affect billions of people worldwide. Therefore, advancing digital transformation that respects, protects and promotes human rights is essential to ensure that no one is left behind.
A human-rights approach to digital development places individuals at the center of technological change, embedding principles such as equality, non-discrimination, accessibility, transparency, accountability and privacy throughout the design and governance of digital systems. This side event will explore how such an approach can guide human-centric digital transformation, enabling digital solutions to empower people while addressing risks related to exclusion, surveillance, misuse of data, and trust.
Across the UNECE region, digitalization of public services such as government administration, education and health, provides a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences among stakeholders facing similar policy and implementation challenges. The session will highlight how human rights frameworks can support more inclusive, resilient, and people-centered digital public services.
Examples of rights-based, human-centric digital practices in Europe will be presented from the Council of Europe, UN agencies, governments and other stakeholders, illustrating how human rights considerations are being integrated into digital policies and service delivery. Interactive discussions will help identify emerging trends, good practices, gaps, and future priorities.
Key insights and recommendations from the session will contribute to shaping future digital development strategies in the UNECE region and beyond, supporting progress across multiple SDGs, in particular SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).