Page 34 - UN Executive Briefing on Unlocking the potential of virtual worlds and the metaverse for the Sustainable Development Goals

UN Executive Briefing on Unlocking the potential of virtual worlds and
the metaverse for the Sustainable Development Goals

Project 4: Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds – Discovering the CitiVerse

The next generation of virtual worlds, including CitiVerse, is expected to bring great
opportunities and trigger new and complex challenges. In a collaborative effort with global
reach, Digital Dubai, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and the United Nations
International Computing Centre (UNICC) launched the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds
(GIVW) – Discovering The CitiVerse on 14 June 2024. The GIVW serves as a global platform
that aims to foster open, interoperable, and innovative virtual worlds that can be used safely
and with confidence by people, businesses, and public services.

The Initiative has three key pillars and their related tracks. The first pillar, bringing virtual worlds
to life, focuses on strategic aspects of the initiative such as developing guidance, building
awareness and creating evaluation and awareness frameworks. The second pillar, connecting
cities with the virtual and real worlds, focuses on the operational aspects of the CitiVerse such as
the integration of emerging technologies, key use cases and best practices and providing the
environment, tools and events for city experimentation. The third pillar, tunnelling the CitiVerse
creates a community of practice and mechanisms to engage with city leaders, academia and
industry.

Related SDG:

• SDG9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG17 Partnerships for the goals

Relevant links:
• https:// www .itu .int/ metaverse/

Contacts: Cristina Bueti (virtualworlds@ itu .int) and Franca Vinci (UNICC)

Project 5: Digital Transformation Dialogues

The Digital Transformation Dialogues (DTD) provide an avenue for disseminating knowledge
and expanding our understanding about the rapidly evolving landscape of emerging
technologies and technical standardization across different fields. These dialogues encompass:
Digital Transformation Webinars delve into how the potential of emerging technologies like AI,
IoT, metaverse can be leveraged across domains; Fireside chats reserved for industry leaders
and high-level representatives from the governments to share their perspective on digital
transformation within specific verticals and its transcending impact on the digital landscape;
Ask the Expert sessions underscore different standards developed by the ITU and highlight
how different ITU standards contribute to the process of digital transformation.

A series of webinars on metaverse have been organized with various partners as part of the
DTD:

• Ask the Expert session on Breaking barriers in the metaverse: Improving accessibility (25
April 2024)
• Webinar on Immersive Inclusivity: Enhancing Virtual Worlds with Accessibility (2 April
2024)
• Webinar on Future of real-love in the virtual world: The Perfect Date (14 February 2024)

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