Side Event: UN in Action for Digital Cooperation

ITU, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNESCWA, in collaboration with UNGIS members

Session 555

Monday, 15 December 2025 16:15–17:15 (UTC+01:00) Eastern Standard Time 10:15–11:15 (UTC-05:00) Physical (on-site) and Virtual (remote) participation WSIS&SDG TalkX 2 Images

Session Recording

UNGIS SIDE EVENT | on the sidelines of the WSIS+20 UNGA High-Level Meeting | Venue: Doha Conference Room, 11th floor, UNDP HQ - FF Building, 304 East 45th Street, New York

Background

Two decades after the launch of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process—held in two phases in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) – the global digital landscape continues to evolve at unprecedented speed. In 2025, after the adoption of the Global Digital Compact and as WSIS reaches its 20-year milestone, which articulated a shared global vision for people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information and knowledge societies, the imperative for coordinated, inclusive, and forward-looking digital cooperation across the United Nations system has never been stronger.

Established in 2006, the United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) serves as the UN’s system principal inter-agency mechanism for advancing policy coherence and system-wide cooperation on ICTs and digital transformation. With nearly 50 participating UN entities, UNGIS helps ensures that UN system-wide digital efforts are aligned, mutually reinforcing, and fully supportive of global development priorities.

Objectives

This UNGIS side event, taking place ahead of the WSIS+20 High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on 16–17 December, will highlight how UNGIS is strengthening digital cooperation across the UN system and supporting Member States in harnessing digital technologies for inclusive and sustainable development. It will:

Showcase UNGIS’s role in catalyzing and strengthening inter-agency coordination and collaboration on digital transformation;
Demonstrate how WSIS Action Lines connect with and reinforce broader UN frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the High-level Political Forum (HLPF), the ECOSOC Partnership Forum, and Beijing+30;
Share perspectives for the coming decade supporting inclusive and sustainable digital development in view of the WSIS+20 Review.

Agenda

10:15 – 10:18 Opening by moderator

10:18-10:21 Opening Remarks:

· Torbjörn Fredriksson, Acting Director of Technology and Logistics, UNCTAD (Chair of UNGIS)

10:21-10:33 Why UNGIS Matters: Achievements and Forward Vision

Vice-Chairs of UNGIS:

· Nur Sulyna Abdullah, Chief, Strategic Planning and Membership, and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, ITU (Vice-Chair)

· Yu Ping Chan, Head, Partnerships and Engagement, Digital AI and Innovation Hub, UNDP (Vice-Chair)

· Davide Storti, WSIS Coordinator Digital Policies and Digital Transformation Section, UNESCO (Vice-Chair)

· Ayman ElSherbiny, Chief of ICT Policies and Digital Development, UN ESCWA (Vice-Chair)

10:33-10:48 Member States: Expectations from UN Digital Cooperation Mechanisms and What More UNGIS Can Do to Implement WSIS Beyond 2025:

· H.E. Ms. Beth Delaney, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations, Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations | New York

· Mr. Alexandre Reis Siqueira Freire, Commissioner, Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (ANATEL), Brazil

· Ms. Cynthia Lesufi, Minister Counsellor, South Africa

Ms. Anriette Esterhuysen, Senior Advisor, Internet Governance, Policy Advocacy and Strategy, Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

· Ms. Mina Seonmin Jun, Policy Advisor, South Korea

10:48-11:10 Tour de Table – UNGIS Members & Observers | Discussion

11:10-11:15 Closing Reflections & Group Photo

Session Recording:

https://undp.zoom.us/rec/share/xr2Is69TZtiKwe8ciS1qOG1nwoaGCEJv4PTA7GEGjepZLjZEPwdxj_ZA2oN8dX6B.5e6ud-IfQ9XqO1DU
Passcode: ^=k30X.0

Mr. Torbjörn Fredriksson Acting Director, Division on Technology and Logistics United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Ms. Nur Sulyna Abdullah Chief, Strategic Planning and Membership, and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Ms. Yu Ping Chan Head, Partnerships and Engagement, Digital AI and Innovation Hub, UNDP United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Mr. Davide Storti WSIS Coordinator Digital Policies and Digital Transformation Section United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

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

H.E. Ms. Beth Delaney Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations Australia

Ms Beth Delaney is Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York.

Beth is a senior public sector leader with extensive multilateral, humanitarian and development policy experience. Prior to her current role Beth was Australia’s Humanitarian Coordinator where she led Australia’s policy, action and partnerships to address global humanitarian needs and to support disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Indo-Pacific region. Beth has held several senior management roles in the Australian Government, was DFAT’s Preventing Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment Champion (2019-2025), and is a member of the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Advisory Group. She has undertaken overseas assignments in Washington DC, Beijing and Bougainville.

She holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from ANZSOG (2018), Bachelor of Economics (Hons.) from ANU (1998), and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2020).

Mr. Alexandre Reis Siqueira Freire Commissioner Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (ANATEL), Brazil

Alexandre Freire is a Visiting Scholar at the Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main’s Faculty of Law, PhD in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), master’s degree in Law from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and a degree in Law from the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA). President of the Superior Council of the Center for Advanced Studies in Digital Communication and Technological Innovation – CEADI/ANATEL, President of the ANATEL Telecommunications Infrastructure Committee (C-INT). Appointed by the Presidency of the Republic as a member of the National Commission for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda.

He was legal advisor to the minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), special advisor to the presidency of the STF, Secretary of Higher Studies, Research and Information Management of the STF, parliamentary advisor to the presidency of the Mixed Committee on Plans, Public Budgets and Inspection of the National Congress , coordinator of Social Policies of the sub-chief for legal affairs of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic, assistant deputy head of the sub-chief for legal affairs of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic (in replacement) and advisor to the sub-chief for legal matters of the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic . At the National Council of Justice ( CNJ) he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Conciliation Commission and the National Judicial Cooperation Network. He is a professor at IDP (Brasília). He has been a lecturer at the universities of Rome “La Sapienza” and Rome “Tor Vergata” (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal), Münster and Frankfurt (Germany). He has been invited to participate as an expert in committees and public hearings in the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Ms. Cynthia Lesufi Minister Counsellor South Africa Chair of ITU Council Working Group on WSIS&SDG

Ms. Anriette Esterhuysen Senior Advisor, Internet Governance, Policy Advocacy and Strategy Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

Ms. Mina Seonmin Jun Policy Advisor South Korea Vice-Chair of ITU Council Working Group on WSIS&SDG

Ms. Gitanjali Sah Strategy and Policy Coordinator International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Moderator

WSIS Action Lines

C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
C2. Information and communication infrastructure
C3. Access to information and knowledge
C4. Capacity building
C5. Building confidence and security in use of ICTs
C6. Enabling environment
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-government
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-business
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-learning
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-health
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-employment
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-environment
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-agriculture
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-science
C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
C9. Media
C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
C11. International and regional cooperation

Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

GDC Objectives

Objective 1: Close all digital divides and accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals
Objective 2: Expand inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all
Objective 3: Foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights
Objective 4: Advance responsible, equitable and interoperable data governance approaches
Objective 5: Enhance international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity

Images