Name: WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025
Start: 2025-07-07T07:00:00+02:00
End: 2025-07-11T23:00:00+02:00
Location: Palexpo

UNGIS High-Level meeting

United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS)

Session 130

UNGIS members only Thursday, 10 July 2025 08:00–09:00 (UTC+02:00) Physical (on-site) participation only Room K, Palexpo UNGIS

UNGIS serves as an inter-agency mechanism to coordinate substantive policy issues facing the United Nations system’s implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action and Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), thereby contributing to improving policy coherence in the UN system, as requested by the 2005 World Summit. Subsequently, pursuant to Para 46 of the GA Resolution 62/208, UNGIS also ensures coordination within the United Nations development system in order to respond to the international attention being given to science and technology transfer as reflected by the outcomes of the 2005 World Summit. UNGIS consists of 31 UN system entities as members (i.e., those represented at the CEB) and 17 UN entities as observers.

UNGIS Members emphasize that the WSIS process is a continually evolving process involving many UN agencies, guided by mandates from annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolutions, as well as resolutions from several UN agencies involved in the implementation of the WSIS process.

UNGIS’ objective is to develop extensive collaboration and partnerships among the CEB members in order to contribute to the achievement of the WSIS objectives, to help to maintain ICT-related issues as well as science and technology at the top of the UN Agenda and finally to mainstream ICT for Development issues in the mandate of CEB members.

UNGIS represents a valuable and well-established interagency mechanism for cross-sector cooperation in the area of digital development, with two decades of experience in the field and reaffirm its commitment to assisting Member States in implementing WSIS outcomes and preparing for the upcoming WSIS+20 review process.

Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin Secretary-General International Telecommunication Union ITU: Vice-Chair of UNGIS (2024-2025)

Ms. Rebeca Grynspan Secretary-General UN Trade and Development

Dr. Tawfik Jelassi Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) UNESCO: Chair of UNGIS (2024-2025)

Mr. Robert Opp Chief Digital Officer (CDO) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Mr. Remo Lalli HLCM Secretary and Chief CEB Secretariat, Geneva

Mr. Sameer Chauhan Director United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC)

Mr. Kamal Kishore Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Head United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Mr. Kishore brings to this position nearly three decades of experience in disaster risk reduction, climate action and sustainable development at the global, regional, national and local levels, having worked in government, the United Nations and civil society organizations.
Prior to joining UNDRR, Mr. Kishore was the Head of Department of the National Disaster Management Authority of India, where he led the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction and contributed to the development of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
Mr. Kishore spent nearly thirteen years with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York, Geneva, and New Delhi where he contributed to advancing policy and supported post-disaster recovery.

Prior to UNDP, he served as Director of Information and Research, and Manager of Extreme Climate Events Programme at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Bangkok (1996-2002) and as an Architect at the Action Research Unit for Development (1992-1994) in New Delhi where he worked on post-earthquake reconstruction projects.

Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough Executive Director United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

Mr. Ciyong Zou Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director, Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Mr. Marco Llinás Director of the Division of Production, Productivity and Management Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Mr. Máximo Torero Chief Economist Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Mr. Ashraf Sayed Senior Scientific Adviser to the Director General International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Ms. Pieternel Boogaard Managing Director of the Office of Technical Delivery International Fund of Agricultural Development

Ms. Laura Amadori Head of Innovation and Knowledge Management Unit IOM

Ms. Marietta Muwanga-Ssevume CIO, Director ICT IOM

Mr. Jerry Sheehan Director OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation

Mr. Ayman El-Sherbiny Chief of ICT Policies, Digital Cooperation and Digital Development United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA)

Mr. Kaan Cetinturk CIO and Director United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

Kaan Cetinturk was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of UNICEF Information and
Communications Technology Division in Valencia, Spain, in October 2024. In this role, Kaan leads a global team of
ICT and Technology for Development staff, driving results for children using cost-effective, innovative, and digitally
enabled solutions, as well as leading the digital transformation of the organization.
Kaan brings over 25 years of progressive technical and leadership experience in the private sector and several United
Nations agencies. Before joining UNICEF, Kaan was the CIO and Director of the Digital Impact, Technology, and
Innovation Department at UNRWA Headquarters in Amman, Jordan since 2018. He has led digital transformation
efforts for UNRWA, specifically in the Education, Health, Relief and Social Services, as well as administrative areas.
One of his major achievements in this role was the creation of an IT Service Center in Gaza, employing Palestinian
refugee youth. Prior to this role, he was the Head of Global IT Operations at the World Health Organization in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, and led the Business Process Management practice at WHO in Geneva, Switzerland for nine
years. Cetinturk has also worked in the private sector in Brussels as a consultant in Warehouse Management,
Supply Chain Execution and Business Process Management.

Mr. Dino Dell’Accio Chief Information Officer (CIO) United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF)

Ms. Radka Sibille Coordinator for Digital policies and Trade Universal Postal Union (UPU)

Ms. Dalila Hamou Director, External Relations Division World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Mr. Magan Naidoo Chief Data Officer United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Ms. Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough Global Director and Director of Strategy and Operations at the Digital transformation Vice-Presidency World Bank Group

Mr. Mactar Seck Chief Frontier and Emerging Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation Section UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)