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WTDC 2025

ITU Gateway for WSIS

WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event 2025

​​​​​​The WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event 2025 will be held from 7 to 11 July 2025, co-hosted by the Confederation of Switzerla​nd in Geneva. ​​More​

WSIS Prizes 2025

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The contest of WSIS Prizes serves a mechanism to evaluate projects and activities that leverage the power ICTs to advance the SDGs. 18 Winners  and 72 Champions will be awarded.​ ​More

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ITU Contribution to the WSIS Implementation

​​​​​​​​​​​​ITU’s Contribution to the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes is a annual comprehensive report on the IT​U activities in context ​of WSIS carried out by the Union in year​.  ​More
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WSIS Action Line Roadmaps

​​​​​​​​​​​​​ITU WSIS Action Line Roadmaps for C2, C4, C5 and C6 are detailed plans to guide progress towards achieving the WSIS Implementation goals, showing clear linkages with the SDGs.  ​More
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WSIS+20 Report: Building a digital future for all

The WSIS process, now ​entering its third decade, remains vital to advance digital development and leverage technologies for the good of everyone. ITU has been at the forefront of the WSIS process from the outset, serving as secretariat for the twophase summit in 2003 and 2005, subsequently implementing WSIS Action Lines, and continuing to vigorously promote development-oriented, people-centred digital transformation globally.


The WSIS+10 Review in 2015 highlighted connectivity growth and persistent digital inclusion challenges, aligning WSIS outcomes with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promoting ICT as cross-cutting enablers for social, economic, cultural and environmental development. Now, the upcoming overall WSIS+20 Review by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2025 provides a fresh occasion to assess progress, identify new challenges, and strengthen collaboration to build a digital future for all.

​WSIS+20 Report​​​​​​​​​​​

WSIS+20 Review Process - 20 Year Reports

WSIS Forum in 2025, branded as the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025, will facilitate multistakeholder dialogue and drive action by assessing achievements, key trends, and challenges since the 2003 Geneva Plan of Action. It will also provide a crucial platform for the international community to build on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future and strengthen global digital cooperation for a renewed, forwardlooking vision.


Ahead of the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) twenty-year review, the event will provide an opportunity to review the progress made in the implementation of the WSIS Outcomes under the mandates of participating agencies and to take stock of the achievements made in the last 20 years based on reports of WSIS Stakeholders, including those submitted by ITU Member States and other stakeholders.

​More information​​​​​​​​​​​

WSIS-SDG Matrix

Linking WSIS Action Lines with Sustainable Development Goals: this mapping exercise draws direct linkages of the WSIS Action Lines with the SDGs to con​tinue strengthening the impact of ICTs for sustainable development.​​​ Each UN Action Line Facilitator has analyzed the connections and relations of their respective Action Line with the proposed SDGs and their targets.

The goal is to create ​a clear and direct link and an explicit connection between the key aim of the WSIS, that of harnessing the potential of ICTs to promote and realize the development goals, and the post 2015 development agenda, so as to contribute to the realisation of the latter.

​More information​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ITU's Role in the WSIS Implementation and Follow-up

 

In line with its mandate and the WSIS outcome documents, the ITU continues playing key role in WSIS implementation and follow-up, including:

ITU Contribution to the WSIS Implementation

 

ITU Contribution to the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes is a comprehensive report on the ITU activities in context of WSIS carried out annually by the Union. The Report provides detailedd information on the key WSIS related initiatives and activities carried out by the three sectors of the Union (Standardization, Radiocommunication and the Development Sector) and the General Secretariat. Reports provide updates on the tasks carried out by the ITU at the operational and policy level, covering all assigned mandates with reference to the WSIS Process, in particular in its capacity as:​

  • Lead facilitator (along with UNESCO and UNDP) in coordinati​ng the multistakeholder implementation of the Geneva Plan ​of Action.

  • Facilitator of Action Lines C2 (Information and communication infrastructure), C4 (Capacity Building), and C5 (Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs); upon the UNDP’s request the ITU accepted to play the role of the Facilitator of Action Line C6 (Enabling environment).

  • Co-facilitator of Action Lines C1, C3, C7 and C11; and partner for Action Lines C8 and C9.

  • Rotating Chair of the United Nations Group on Information Society (UNGIS).

  • Steering committee member of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Measurement.

  • Facilitator of the WSIS Stocktaking Process.

  • Initiator and facilitator of the WSIS Project Prize.

  • Implementation of other WSIS outcomes.

ITU's annual and five year reports on the ITU contribution to the implementa​tion of the WSIS outcomes are available ​​he​re.

ITU in the WSIS Outcome Documents

 

  • WSIS Outcomes

  • Provisions of the WSIS output documents related to ITU​

  • Some of the main ITU roles reflected in the TAIS:

    • § 27 and 50 c ii of TAIS - encouraging ITU to continue to study the question of international Internet connectivity (IIC) as an urgent ma​tter to develop appropriate Recommendation
    • § 72 c of TAIS (in relation to IGF) to interface with appropriate intergovernmental organizations and other institutions on matters under their purview.
    • § 78 of TAIS – The UN Secretary-General should also draw upon any appropriate resources from all interested stakeholders, including the proven expertise of ITU, as demonstrated during the WSIS process.
    • § 96 of TAIS - ITU and other regional organizations should take steps to ensure rational, efficient and economic use of, and equitable access to, the radio-frequency spectrum by all countries, based on relevant international agreements
    • § 98 of TAIS – encouraging partnerships such as the ITU-led "Connect the World" initiative
    • § 103 of TAIS – initiating establishment of the United Nations Group in Information Society (UNGIS) with consideration of the ITU, UNESCO and UNDP as lead agencies of this group
    • § 109 of TAIS - ITU, UNESCO, UNDP to play lead facilitating roles for the implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action.
    • § 112 to § 115 of TAIS – calling for periodic evaluation using appropriate indicators and benchmarking to track global progress; developing ICT indicators, measuring the digital divide; efforts by the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development; ICT Indices which will build upon the common set of core ICT indicators as they were defined within the Partnership on Measuring the ICT for Development
    • § 120 of TAIS - encouraging all stakeholders to submit entries to the WSIS Stocktaking database maintained by ITU
    • Annex of TAIS – Action Line Moderators/Facilitators

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ITU Decisions Relevant to WSIS Outcomes

 

  • Plenipotentiary Conference

    • Resolution 140​ (Plenipotentiary 2022) ITU's role in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society
    • Resolution 172 (Plenipotentiary 2010) Overall Review of the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes
    • Resolution 101 (Rev. Plenipotentiary 2022) Internet Protocol-based networks
    • Resolution 102 (Rev. Plenipotentiary 2022​) ITU’s role with regard to international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet and the management of Internet resources, including domain names and addresses

  • World Telecommunication Development Conference

    • Resolution 30 (Rev. 2022) Role of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society

  • World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly

    • Resolution 75 (Rev. 2022) ITU-T’s contribution in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, and the establishment of a Dedicated Group on Internet-related Public Policy Issues as an integral part of the Council Working Group on World Summit on the Information Society

  • Council

    • Resolution 1282 (Council 2008) ITU's role in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society
    • Resolution 1332 ​(modified 2024​) ITU role in the implementation of the WSIS outcomes, taking into acco​unt the 203​0 Agenda for Sustainable Development​​​​​
    • Resolution 1334​ (modified 2023) ITU Role in the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the WSIS

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​Overview​​​

​The ITU Gateway for W​SIS​ provides ​an overview of the IT​U role and the a​cti​vities carried out in the context of W​​orld Su​mmit on the Information Society. It should serve as the main directory to the ITU web sites and electronic resources related to the WSIS. 

​Call for Contributions​

​​​Resolution 140 (Plenipotentiary 2022) invites all member states, sector mem​bers and associates to make voluntary contributions to the special trust fund set up by ITU to support activities relating to the implementation of the WSIS outcomes.​

 

​More information

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ITU and WSIS

Url
  
WSI​S Fund in Trust
ITU Contributio​n to the WSIS Implementation
ITU WSIS Action Line Roadmaps
WSIS Portal​
WSIS Review
WSIS+10 High-Level Event
UNGA High-Level Meeting
WSIS Forum
WSIS Stocktaking
WSIS Prizes
WG-WSIS & SDGS
CWG-Internet
UNGIS
Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development​​
ICT Statistics
Connect the World
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
Internet Governance Forum

​​The Council Working Group on WSIS: Implementation of Outcomes (WG-WSIS) was created in 2002 (Resolution 1196). In October 2010, PP 10 endorsed the relevant work already undertaken and/or to be carried out by ITU in implementing the WSIS outcomes, under the aegis of the WG-WSIS, requesting the Council to maintain the WG-WS​IS in order to facilitate membership input and guidance on the ITU implementation of relevant WSIS outcomes and to elaborate proposals to the Council that may be necessary for adapting ITU to its role in building the information society. (Re​solution 140​​).

​More information

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In response to Resolution 141 of the Plenipotentiary Conference, a Council Working Group has been established to conduct a study on the participation of all relevant stakeholders in the activities of the Union related to the World Summit on the Information Society. At its 2009 session, the ITU Council will present a final report on the Study for the use of Member States in preparing their proposals for the next Plenipotentiary Conference.​​

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​​This Council Working Group on International Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet) was established as a separate group by Council Resolution 1336, in accordance with Resolutions 102 (Plenipotentiary 2010) and 140 (Plenipotentiary 2022). This CWG is limited to Member States, with open consultation to all stakeholders. Previously, this group was established as the Dedicated Group as an integral part of WG WSIS, open only to all Member States, in accordance with Resolution 75 (WTSA, 2008), and Council Resolution 1282 (Mod. 2008).

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WSIS RELATED MAJOR EVENTS

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