Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World

ICT4D Collective

Session 347

Monday, 6 July 2026 ∼ 16:00–16:45 (UTC+02:00) Physical (on-site) and Virtual (remote) participation Room L1, ITU Montbrillant Building Interactive Session

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Physical (on-site) and Virtual (remote) participation

This session builds on the outcomes of our session (306) at WSIS 2025 on "Digital Tech and the Most Marginalised: what still needs to be done", and provides an overview and examples from the new book "Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World: An Emancipatory Manifesto" which was partly derived from discussions in that session. This advocates for a responsibilities-based approach by governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals to balance the existing rights-based focus, thereby ensuring that the poorest and most marginalised may indeed benefit from the use of digital tech, rather than merely being exploited and surveilled through it. The book also includes 31 case studies featuring evidence-based arguments for what needs to be done to achieve this objective, some of the authors of which will be speaking during the session.

The session will begin with a short outline of the approach, which will emphasise the importance of shifting the balance from a focus on economic growth to equity, from rights to responsibilities, from working for to working with, from rhetoric to reality, from enslavement to freedom, and from me to we. This will be followed by diverse, short examples by the contributors to the book, and other colleagues. Speakers include

Benita Rowe: digital and gender based violence
AHM Bazlur Rahman (BNNRC): community radio
Yuliya Morenets (YouthIGF): youth experiences
Mei Lin Fung (People Centred Internet): data rights
Hari Harindranath (ICT4D Collective): migrants and digital tech
Revi Sterling (Digital Impact Hub, CARE): retreads - pushing new rocks up new hills

The session will conclude with an open discussion during which participants will each be invited to commit to doing one thing differently when they return to their usual places of work having participated in the session, alongside an exploration of the optimal modalities through which global rhetoric can be tempered through a more rigorous understanding of the practical needs faced by the world's poorest and most marginalised peoples. Copies of the book will be available both at the end of the session and at the ICT4D Collective’s exhibition stand (for purchase at a significantly reduced price).

Prof. Tim Unwin Catalyst ICT4D Collective and Emeritus Professor of Geography Royal Holloway, University of London (UK) Moderator

Tim Unwin is a British academic and public figure, specialising in the uses of digital technology by the world’s poorest and most marginalised peoples. He led the UK Prime Minister’s Imfundo initiative (creating partnerships for using IT in education in Africa) between 2001 and 2004, was Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation between 2011 and 2015, and founding Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in ICT4D at Royal Holloway, University of London between 2007 and 2023. Much of his research practice over the last 50 years has concentrated on the interface between learning and digital tech, and his latest book Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World: an Emancipatory Manifesto was published by Routledge in April 2026. https://ict4d.org.uk; https://timunwin.blog.

Ms. Benita Rowe Researcher adn Consultant Australia Speaker

Originally from Australia, Benita designs and advises on digital strategies with a focus on service delivery in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings. Over nearly two decades, she has worked across crisis preparedness and response, to education and health, supporting system resilience in more than 17 countries, in collaboration with UN agencies, international organisations, private-sector and industry actors, local organizations, and foundations.

Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman Chief Executive Officer & Ambassador for the Responsible AI Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication Speaker

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), and Ambassador for Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Bangladesh.

For more than three decades, he has worked at the intersection of media development, digital transformation, digital democracy, information integrity, Internet governance, responsible AI, and inclusive public policy. His work focuses on ensuring that technology serves people first, especially rural, marginalized, and underserved communities.

Since 2000, through BNNRC, he has helped advance community-centred digital development in Bangladesh by connecting community media, access to information, digital inclusion, public-interest technology, democratic participation, and responsible use of emerging technologies. BNNRC’s approach is people-centred, rights-based, and rooted in community realities.

Ms. Yuliya Morenets Founder YouthIGF (France) Speaker

Yuliya is a Barrister at Law, digital governance expert, and founder of the Youth IGF. A recognised leader in global digital cooperation, she advises governments on cybersecurity and cybercrime. With over 15 years of international experience, she is also a media advocate and champion of digital inclusion in the Global South

Ms. Mei Lin Fung Co-Founder People Centred Internet (Singapore) Speaker

Mei Lin is co-founder of the People-Centered Internet with Vint Cerf, is a tech pioneer in CRM and the future of health. She leads global efforts in digital public infrastructure, focused on bridging the gap so global finance can reach MSMEs everywhere

Prof. G. "Hari" Harindranath Professor of Information Systems Royal Holloway, University of London (UK) Speaker

Hari is Professor of Information Systems at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, exploring how digital tech shapes lives, work, and society. Hari is passionate about impact, collaborates with communities to address digital inequalities, and sometimes even gets policymakers to listen. He thinks research should do good, not just look good

Dr. Revi Sterling Digital Impact Hub, CARE, Nairobi Speaker

Revi started out elevating women’s voices through technology. This led to positions and programmes helping millions of women use technology to achieve their goals, as well as 20+ years of frustration with donors, governments, peer institutions and rural businesses. She will never stop talking about social norms, opportunities, and inequities

Topics

Artificial Intelligence Big Data Capacity Building Cultural Diversity Cybersecurity Digital Divide Digital Economy Digital Inclusion Digital Skills Digital Transformation Education Emerging Technologies Environment Ethics Global Digital Compact (GDC) Human Rights Infrastructure Media WSIS+20 Review

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-learning
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-environment
C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
C11. International and regional cooperation

The session focuses on the structural reasons underlying why the world's poorest and most marginalsied have insufficiently benefitted from the use of digital technologies, and thus relates directly to all of the main WSIS action lines. Despite painting a dystopic view of the ways through which digital technologies are increasingly being used to enslave people (inclusion as capture), it nevertheless remains optimistic that with sufficient effort they can indeed be used to benefit them (inclusion as freedom).

Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
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 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 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
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

The session relates to all of the SDGs, and only the most directly relevant ones are listed above. Speakers will argue that the Global Digital Compact was a lost opportunity to change the framing of digital tech and development in the interests of the poorest and most marginalised. Digital tech will not solve the challenges facing delivery of the SDGS, and is in danger of making them worse. Speakers will also argue that it is essential to start urgent discussions about what is going to replace the SDGs (and the GDC), most of which will not be delivered by 2030.

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

Links

Digital Inclusion in an Unequal World: An Emancipatory Manifesto. See also: https://ict4d.org.uk/diuw

ICT4D Collective. See also https://x.com/ICT4DCollective, https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553350463

ICT4D.at

YouthIGF

BNNRC