Agenda | WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025

Agenda and Programme

The WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025 will take place from 7 to 11 July 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, hosted by ITU and co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCTAD. The Agenda and Programme for the Event are built based on official submissions received during the Open Consultation Process (OCP).

Webcast

Room F, Palexpo

Monday 7 July

153

Global Classrooms, Local Action: Empowering Youth with Digital Tools to Address Real-World Challenges

Shanghai Green Light-Year

13:00 – 13:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Our youth speakers, representing different corners of the world, have harnessed digital tools in remarkable ways. In the realm of Education for sustainable development, they utilized AI to collect and analyze vast amounts of Climate Change Education…

Youth Interactive Session

158

Disinformation and Misinformation in Online Content and its Impact on Digital Trust

INTA - International Trademark Association

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

This interactive workshop will explore disinformation and misinformation in online content and its critical impact on digital trust. We'll delve into the mechanisms by which false information erodes public trust in the media, organizations, and…

Media Interactive Session

273

Intergenerational Dialogue: Technology for Innovation and Global Resilience

IEEE

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

This session will facilitate an intergenerational dialogue on leveraging technology for innovation and global resilience, focusing on ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital inclusion, and climate action. It will explore regulatory challenges…

Contributing Partner Youth Interactive Session

403

Promoting Education and Youth Development through Information Technology

International Competence Development Committee (ICDC), The Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy (CSEDS)

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Currently, the rapid development of information technology, particularly artificial intelligence and digital technologies, is reshaping the landscape of education and the pathways for youth development with unprecedented depth and breadth. This…

Youth Interactive Session

229

Media and Education for All: Bridging Female Academic Leaders and Society towards Impactful Results

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

17:00 – 17:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

This session will explore some recent research projects related to media and education which contribute to the WSIS vision to build people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented information and knowledge societies. The session will feature…

Media Interactive Session

Tuesday 8 July

309

Defending Our Voice: Global South Participation in Digital Governance

Derechos Digitales

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

NetMundial+10 reaffirmed the importance of ensuring effective and meaningful multistakeholder participation in global internet governance spaces, building on the pioneer advances made within the WSIS processes since 2005. This session will focus on…

Interactive Session

176

Human Rights-Centered Global Governance of Quantum Technologies: Implications for AI, Digital Rights, and the Digital Divide

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) , European University Institute (EUI), Delft University of Technology…

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

The potential of quantum technologies promise transformative advancements in encryption, privacy, security, and computational power, which has fueled significant investments in quantum technologies. As with artificial intelligence (AI), quantum…

Emerging Technologies Interactive Session

411

Collaborative Innovation Ecosystem and Digital Transformation: Accelerating the Achievement of Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

China Academy of Information and Communications Technology

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Background At the critical midway point toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global digital inclusion remains uneven. Fragmented innovation systems and transformation barriers facing vulnerable economies demand urgent collaborative…

Contributing Partner Partner's Insight

240

Indigenous Digital Infrastructures and Emerging Technologies: Challenges, Capacities and Commons

Redes AC, Rhizomatica and APC

12:00 – 12:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

In recent years, the rapid advancement of emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, sensors, and the Internet of Things (IoT)—has introduced new challenges and widened existing digital divides, especially for Indigenous Peoples and rural…

Interactive Session

315

Joining forces against disinformation: humanitarian, peace and media actors' perspectives

Fondation Hirondelle

13:00 – 13:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

The panel will look at the the epistemic gap and discuss how can the media sector join forces with the humanitarian and peace actors to prevent information disorder and disinformation to fragment further societies. This session will bring together:…

Media Interactive Session

404

Harnessing digital public goods and fostering digital cooperation: a multi-disciplinary contribution to WSIS+20 review

UNESCO Information for All Programme

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

The UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP) IFAP Strategic Plan 2023-2029 aligns with the United Nations' Global Digital Compact (GDC) endorsed by world’s leaders in 2024. The GDC aims to create an open, free, and secure digital future for all…

WSIS+20 Interactive Session

412

Digital solutions for sustainability: ICT’s role in GHG reduction and biodiversity protection

International Telecommunication Union (ITU), One Planet network (OPN)/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and United Nations Conference…

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Session Description This session will explore both the environmental footprint of the ICT sector—responsible for an estimated 2% to 4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—and its critical role in enabling climate solutions. It will begin by…

Environment Interactive Session

341

From data to impact: Digital Product Information Systems and the importance of traceability for global environmental governance

International Telecommunication Union (ITU), One Planet network (OPN)/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and United Nations Conference…

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Session Description Establishing a collective vision and framework to govern the digital landscape was the goal of the Global Digital Compact (GDC). Environmental sustainability is included within one key guiding principle and specific action…

Interactive Session

Thursday 10 July

329

Shaping Africa’s ICT Future: The Role of Multi-Stakeholder Engagement Beyond WSIS +20

AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

As the global community reflects on two decades since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), Africa stands at a pivotal juncture. The WSIS+20 review offers not just a moment for assessment but a strategic opportunity to redefine the…

WSIS+20 Interactive Session

423

Developing capacities for bottom-up AI in the Global South: What role for the international community?

DiploFoundation/Permanent Mission of Kenya/Microsoft/IT for Change

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Used responsibly, AI has the potential to turbocharge progress in support of the SDGs and drive significant economic growth and opportunities. But a significant AI divide persists, with many underserved communities facing challenges in developing,…

Emerging Technologies Interactive Session

324

Building a Digital Society, from Vision to Implementation

National AI Task Force of Jamaica. Office of the Prime Minister

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Small-island developing states (SIDS) face a paradox: our size makes us vulnerable to global shocks, yet it also lets us pivot quickly when new technologies emerge. Jamaica’s journey since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2015…

Emerging Technologies Country's Insight

311

Global Digital Compact: AI solutions for a digital economy inclusive and beneficial for all

United Nations Industrial Development Organization

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

This side event will spotlight innovative solutions at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and industry that advance inclusivity in the digital economy, aligning with Outcome 2 of the Global Digital Compact. Leading experts and…

Interactive Session

471

ITU's Call for Input on WSIS+20

ITU

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

WSIS+20 Interactive Session

225

Innovative Approaches to Enhancing Education and Learning Opportunities through Technology

TakingITGlobal

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

As the digital world accelerates, ensuring equitable access, meaningful participation and use of digital tools to support student wellbeing remains a global challenge. In this session, you will hear reflections on 20 years of advancing digital…

Contributing Partner Partner's Insight

190

Reshaping the world : Mapping opportunity with AI disruption

Jaipuria Institute of Management noida/Open Health Network/Mykolas Romeris University

17:00 – 17:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

This session explores how AI tools and digital innovations are transforming education by enhancing intercultural communication, preserving traditions, and fostering social change in the digital era. As globalization accelerates, diverse cultural…

Emerging Technologies Interactive Session

Friday 11 July

530

African Group meeting on WSIS+20

ECA

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Interactive Session

221

Leveraging ICT for ageing populations: addressing Gender disparities & measuring Impact

Womenvai, University of Bari Aldo Moro and their partners

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

At the occasion of WSIS+20, WOMENVAI and its partners — the University of Bari (Italy), ESIF (Cameroon), EPF Engineering School (France), Centro-i (Mexico), Abshore (France-Tunisia), and Swiss Engineering (Geneva, Switzerland) — present an…

Women and Girls in Digital Interactive Session

218

Accelerating Structural Transformation and Industrialization in Developing Countries: Navigating the Future with Advanced ICTs and Industry 4.0

Digital Transformation Alliance (DTA) and Alliance for Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing for Africa (AISMA)

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

Context and Rationale:Developing countries are entering a pivotal phase where the convergence of digital technologies and industrial policies can serve as a powerful catalyst for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Unlike previous industrial…

Interactive Session

313

A fair communication/ Une communication équitable

Universal Esperanto Association

13:00 – 13:45 (UTC+02:00) Room F

What is Esperanto? "L'Espéranto en 20 tableaux". The use of Esperanto in LItterature and science, in meetings and congresses, to reach a fair communication. Esperanto in multicultural families, Esperanto for native speakers.

Emerging Technologies Interactive Session

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