Agenda

Ambassador Thomas Schneider is leading the Swiss delegation in various fora in the field of digital and internet governance, including AI. In the past 20 years, he has been chairing several international committees and co-initiated several dialogue fora on national and international levels. He is a former Chair (2021-2024) and former Vice-Chair (2024-2025) of the Council of Europe’s Committee on AI (CAI), which negotiated and adopted the Framework Convention.

He is a Bureau Member of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (he was its Chair in 2018-19 and Vice-Chair in 2020-21). He chaired several CDMSI expert groups. He has also been a member of the bureau of the CoE’s Ad Hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence in 2019-2021. From 2014-2017, he was the chair of ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee and in this role negotiated the compromise among governments and with the other stakeholders regarding the “IANA Stewardship transition”, the biggest reform in the ICANN system. He was a Vice-Chair of the OECD’s Committee for Digital Economy Policy (2020-2022).

He was responsible for the organization of the 12th UN IGF in Geneva in 2017 co-chair of the IGF’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group in 2017. He participated in the meetings of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, as personal advisor of Swiss President Doris Leuthard (2018-2019). He has also been a co-initiator of the Swiss Internet Governance Forum, since 2013.

Advisor to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for Technology Talent Development | National AI Strategy Lead | Acting Director, Egyptian Center for Responsible AI
Professor of Computer Engineering, Cairo University
Dr. Hoda Baraka serves as Advisor to Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Technology Talent Development and is a Professor of Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. She currently leads several national capacity-building initiatives under the Digital Egypt Generations umbrella. These include the Digital Egypt Builders and Pioneers initiatives (DEBI and DEPI), which target university students and graduates, as well as the Digital Egypt Cubs and Marvels initiatives, designed for school students from Grade 4 to Grade 11.
As Acting Director of the Egyptian Center for Responsible AI, Dr. Baraka spearheads the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy at MCIT. In this role, she contributes to the development and oversight of the national AI strategy and governance framework, ensuring the responsible, safe, and ethical deployment of AI technologies across Egypt.
Dr. Baraka previously served as First Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology from 2006 to 2013. Between 2002 and 2013, she was also the National Director of Egypt’s ICT Trust Fund, established to advance the use of ICT for sustainable development.
In recognition of her contributions to advancing education through technology, she was awarded the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education. She has also served as a member of the WEF/UNESCO Partnership for Education Technical Advisory Group on Capacity Development and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Technologies in Education.
With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Baraka is a seasoned consultant in digital transformation, advising both public and private sector organizations.

 Ayisha Piotti is a globally recognised independent expert, thought leader and bridge builder in AI policy. Dedicated to ensuring emerging technologies ethically serve society and future generations, her cross-sector career spans over two decades across the United Nations, multinational industry, and public office. As Managing Partner of RegHorizon and Founder of the global AI Policy Summit in Zurich, she has established one of Europe’s most influential multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms on AI, while regularly advising international governance bodies, industry ethics councils, and elite academic institutions worldwide. Ayisha holds degrees in Economics and Management and is an alumna of the London School of Economics & Political Science, Tufts’ Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, MIT Sloan School of Management, INSEAD, and IMD. 

 Peter Deussen is founder of How To Standard and an expert in international ICT standardization with over 16 years of experience.  He holds leadership roles at the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), including chairing committees on AI and cloud computing, and is engaged in European and international standardization activities at ISO/IEC, and CEN/CENELEC.  He is Project Editor of key AI standards, notably ISO/IEC 42005 (AI system impact assessment) and ISO/IEC 23894 (AI risk management).  Previously, he led Microsoft’s international standards engagement for AI and data sharing as National Standards Officer Germany.

James Kanja Cobba is a technology executive, digital transformation strategist, and AI governance leader with more than fifteen years of senior leadership experience spanning government, telecommunications, academia, and international development. He is widely recognised for helping shape Sierra Leone's digital transformation agenda and advancing policy frameworks that enable trusted, inclusive, and innovation-driven digital economies.

He currently serves as Director of Policy Planning and Compliance at Sierra Leone's Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, where he leads the development of national digital policies, governance frameworks, legislative reforms, and strategic programmes that strengthen digital government, digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, data governance, and emerging technologies. He also serves as the country's AI Programme Manager, leading national efforts to develop responsible AI governance approaches that align innovation with public value, institutional readiness, and sustainable development.

Before joining government, James held senior technology leadership positions within Sierra Leone's telecommunications sector, where he contributed to the technical architecture and deployment planning of the country's foundational broadband infrastructure, including the first submarine fibre-optic cable landing and national terrestrial fibre backbone. These initiatives helped establish the connectivity platform that continues to underpin Sierra Leone's digital economy.

Alongside his executive leadership, James spent more than a decade as a researcher and lecturer at the University of Sierra Leone, promoting technology innovation, digital skills development, and institutional transformation.

His regional and international development engagement includes supporting digital policy and legislative initiatives across West Africa, serving with the ITU and representing Sierra Leone on the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee, where he contributes to global Internet governance and digital policy discussions.

James brings a distinctive perspective that bridges technology, public policy, digital transformation and AI governance. His work focuses on translating emerging technologies into practical, scalable, and inclusive solutions that accelerate public sector transformation, strengthen digital trust, and unlock sustainable socio-economic growth across Africa. He is a strong advocate for ensuring that artificial intelligence serves as an enabler of human development, resilient institutions, and equitable digital transformation.