Agenda

Liisa-Ly Pakosta holds the ministerial position since July 2024. Prior to this role, she was the Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu). She is a member of the political party Estonia 200. 

Ms. Pakosta is an experienced leader with extensive international experience and a strong background in both public and private sectors. She has held various leadership positions, including the head of the Tallinn Heritage Board, the State Heritage Board, and Deputy Mayor of Tallinn. Ms. Pakosta was a member of Parliament from 2009 to 2015. She also served as Editor-in-Chief at AS Ühinenud Ajakirjad and was Estonia’s Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner from 2015 to 2022.  

In her ministerial role, Ms. Pakosta is committed to combining the digital and judicial spheres, recognising that technology can enhance access to justice and strengthen societal resilience. She prioritises international cooperation, emphasising security ties, entrepreneurial partnerships, and leveraging digital solutions to strengthen global collaboration.

Minister Pakosta holds Master’s degrees in Law and History, and is pursuing a PhD in Law at the University of Tartu.  

She is fluent in Estonian, English and Swedish, proficient in Russian, and has good command of French and German. 

Meutya Viada Hafid, a graduate of the University of New South Wales (2001) with a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering and the University of Indonesia (2018) with a master’s degree in political science. She has served as Chair of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives since 2019. During her tenure as Chair of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives in 2019-2024, she has produced 13 laws. Since 2010, she has served as a Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Golkar Party with the electoral district of North Sumatra. Previously, she worked as a journalist at Metro TV and was a host on several television shows. She was held hostage for seven days in 2005 by a group of armed men while on duty in Iraq. On September 28, 2007, Meutya launched a book she wrote herself, namely 168 Hours in Hostage: Memoirs of a Journalist Held Hostage in Iraq. On October 11, 2007, Meutya Hafid was selected as the winner of the Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Award, from Australia. Once named one of the five Inspirational Press Figures of Indonesia by Mizan and the youngest woman to receive the award. Born on May 3, 1978, this daughter of Soppeng, South Sulawesi has been active in the Golkar Party since 2016 and the MKGR mass organization since 2020.

Since October 21, 2024, Meutya Viada Hafid has been serving as the Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, appointed by President Prabowo Subianto. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing national policies related to digital transformation, telecommunications, information governance, and the development of Indonesia’s digital ecosystem. 

H.E. Eng. Ahmed Al-Derderi Ghandour is a visionary leader driving Sudan’s digital transformation at a moment of national rebuilding. As Minister of Digital Transformation and Communication, he leads a bold agenda to restore critical infrastructure, embed cybersecurity resilience, and position Sudan as a regional digital hub linking Africa and the world. With deep experience in strategy and execution, he previously served as General Manager of Digital Transformation at MTN Group, where he led large-scale innovation and infrastructure programs across African markets. He holds an MBA in Finance and global certifications including CCIE-SP, CEH, PMP, and PRINCE2 Practitioner. Honored with multiple awards for excellence, innovation, and leadership, he is recognized internationally for pioneering resilient infrastructure and advancing open-source 5G native cloud private networks, aligning Sudan’s digital future with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Raquel Brízida Castro is the Vice-Chairwoman of ANACOM, the National Communications Authority of Portugal. 

She holds a PhD in Law and is a Constitutionalist and Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, where she conducts scientific research on Constitutional and Technological Law.

Since January 2026, he/she has been Vice-Chair of the Working Party on Artificial Intelligence Governance (AIGO) of the OECD Digital Policy Committee and a Member of the GPAI Steering Group – Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, of the OECD.“On the other hand, she was elected President of the Latin American Forum of Telecommunications Regulatory Authorities (Regulatel) for the year 2027, and will serve as Vice‑President during 2026.

Se is also member of the Forum on Information and Democracy – FID Consultative Committee.

In recent years, she has published extensively on the constitutional impacts of the EU’s new Technological and Digital Regulation, particularly the AI Act, Digital Services Act, GDPR, and Media Freedom Act. Her scholarly work on these topics is both extensive and influential, and she is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and seminars.

She is an Effective Integrated Researcher at the Lisbon Public Law Centre, University of Lisbon, and an Associate Researcher at ICPOL, the Research Centre of the Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security. She leads national and international scientific research projects.

HER EXCELLENCY NOURA KHALIFA AL SUWAIDI

Secretary-General of the General Women's Union

Chairwoman of the UAE Women's Sports Federation

Chair of the Steering Committee of the Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development, League of Arab States

Her Excellency Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi is a distinguished Emirati leader and a prominent advocate for women's empowerment, equality, and sustainable development in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Arab region. As Secretary-General of the General Women's Union, she has played a key role in shaping national strategies and initiatives that advance women's participation across political, economic, and social spheres, in alignment with the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation.

Her Excellency supervised the launch of "The Mother of the Nation 50:50 Vision," a forward-looking national roadmap extending to 2075, aimed at ensuring women's full participation and leadership in shaping the UAE's future.

She also serves as Chairwoman of the UAE Women's Sports Federation and Chair of the Arab Observatory for Women's Economic Development, in addition to her membership in the UAE Gender Balance Council.

Through her visionary leadership, she has championed the Fatima bint Mubarak Women, Peace and Security Program, which has reached more than 20 Arab and African countries, and has fostered strategic partnerships with international organizations to strengthen the UAE's role as a global model for gender balance, innovation, and inclusive progress.

Mr. Yeonkyu Kim serves as Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister at the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of the Republic of Korea. In this capacity, he supports the formulation and implementation of Korea’s national artificial intelligence policies and contributes to strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s digital and AI ecosystem.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Kim served as Chief Executive Officer of MONEST AI and as an Adjunct Professor at Soongsil University, where he combined AI business leadership with academic engagement in IT entrepreneurship and software-related fields.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Kim held senior leadership positions at SK Telecom across research and development, corporate strategy, and AI business. He focused on AI-driven transformation, technology-based future strategy, and new growth initiatives. As Head of the AI Business Unit, he led AI strategy and commercialization, overseeing the development and expansion of AI platforms and services, including NUGU and A. (A dot), and helping establish AI and big data as core strategic growth engines for the company.

Mr. Kim has built deep expertise in telecommunications, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and technology commercialization across both the public and private sectors.

Hector de Rivoire is Director of Public Policy in Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI. He focuses on the governance of safety and security risks associated with advanced AI systems, working closely with AI engineers, product owners, and policymakers to help develop durable AI governance frameworks. Before taking on his current role, Hector held various policy positions at Microsoft, both in France and at the global level. Prior to joining the company, he served as an economic counsellor at the French Treasury. He holds master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po Strasbourg and is a Visiting Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris.

Mr. A. H. M. Bazlur Rahman is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). He also serves as Ambassador for Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Bangladesh. Over more than three decades, he has worked at the intersection of media development, digital transformation, digital democracy, information integrity, and inclusive public policy, with a particular focus on empowering rural, marginalized, and underserved communities.

Since its establishment in 2000, BNNRC has played a consistent and strategic role in advancing inclusive digital development in Bangladesh. Under Mr. Rahman’s leadership, the organization has promoted a people-centered, rights-based, and community-driven approach to communication and technology. Its work connects community media, access to information, digital inclusion, digital transformation, internet governance, responsible artificial intelligence, and democratic participation into a coherent development agenda. 

BNNRC’s contribution is particularly significant because it has translated the global principles and commitments of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) into practical, locally relevant initiatives in Bangladesh. Rather than treating global digital cooperation as a distant diplomatic process, BNNRC has helped demonstrate how international commitments can be grounded in national priorities and community realities. Its work shows how digital policy can become meaningful when it is connected to people’s rights, public service delivery, local knowledge, community resilience, and democratic participation.

Through community media, ICT-enabled public engagement, local capacity-building, and multi-stakeholder cooperation, BNNRC has helped shape an effective model for digital inclusion in Bangladesh. This model goes beyond providing access to technology. It strengthens access to reliable information, supports civic participation, amplifies community voices, and contributes to a safer and more accountable digital environment. It also recognizes that digital development cannot be measured only by infrastructure or connectivity. It must also be judged whether people can use information and communication technology to improve their lives, exercise their rights, and participate meaningfully in public decision-making. 

As the world moves toward WSIS 2035, Mr. Rahman’s work carries relevance. The next phase of digital development will not be defined solely by new technologies but by questions of trust, inclusion, accountability, equity, and public interest. In Bangladesh, ensuring digital development for all requires placing local voices, community leadership, and inclusive policy at the center of national and global discussions. Mr. Rahman has consistently argued, through his work and advocacy, that digital transformation must serve people first, especially those who are often left outside mainstream policy and technology debates.

Mr. Rahman has participated in and delivered interventions at the WSIS Forum as a high level representative since the Forum’s inception. He has led and supported Bangladesh’s engagement with the International Telecommunication Union and the WSIS process since 2002. Since 2006, he has also been actively engaged in internet public policy and internet governance issues, including participation in major international conferences, preparatory processes, and multi-stakeholder dialogues.

His work spans national, regional, and international levels. He has contributed to projects and policy initiatives related to media development, community broadcasting, digital rights, digital transformation, responsible use of emerging technologies, information integrity, and democratic governance. He is widely recognized for his policy advocacy and people-centered diplomacy, particularly his ability to connect global policy frameworks with the lived realities of communities.

In Bangladesh, Mr. Rahman has supported the national promotion and facilitation of key United Nations and global digital cooperation frameworks. These include the WSIS Action Lines C1 to C11, the Report of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda of 2021. Through these efforts, he has encouraged a broader understanding of how digital cooperation, public-interest technology, and inclusive governance can contribute to sustainable development.

He led Bangladesh’s multi-stakeholder preparatory process for the United Nations Summit of the Future and the Global Digital Compact, helping bring together voices from government, civil society, the private sector, the technical community, academia, and development partners. His engagement contributed to national dialogue on the future of digital cooperation, responsible technology governance, and inclusive development. He is now actively engaged in implementing the Pact for the Future, with a continued focus on ensuring that global commitments are translated into practical, people-centered outcomes in Bangladesh.

Since 2002, Mr. Rahman has played an active role as a policy advocate and constructive participant in multi-stakeholder processes on WSIS, internet governance, and the Global Digital Compact. His engagement has promoted dialogue among governments, civil society, the private sector, the technical community, academia, and development partners. He has worked to build mutual understanding across these groups while keeping the concerns of communities and citizens at the center of digital policy discussions. He was the co-founder of the Bangladesh Working Group on WSIS. The WSIS National Coordination Committee was established by the Government of Bangladesh through a gazette notification in 2002.  

Mr. Rahman is a recipient of the United Nations WSIS Prize, awarded in 2016. He has also been recognized as a WSIS Champion in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2025, particularly for his efforts in WSIS Action Line localization. These recognitions reflect his long-standing commitment to making global digital development frameworks practical, inclusive, and locally meaningful. He has used this international recognition to deepen multi-stakeholder engagement and to advance research, innovation and equity-focused responses to the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

His academic and professional background combines political science, law, development studies, and public policy. He completed a Master of Social Science in Government and Politics from the Asian University of Bangladesh and a Bachelor of Laws under the National University of Bangladesh. He also completed Management Development Studies at Participatory Research in Asia in New Delhi, India. In addition, he participated in the Legislative Development Fellowship, a component of the U.S. Department of State’s Professional Development Fellowship Program.

As founder and Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC, Mr. Rahman has helped position the organization at the forefront of community media, media development, advancing digital democracy, digital development, and information integrity in Bangladesh. BNNRC’s work is closely aligned with the UN WSIS Action Lines and supports inclusive access, community empowerment, digital literacy, responsible technology use, and democratic participation. The organization continues to work for a people-centered information society where technology serves development, strengthens public trust, and expands opportunities for all.

Mr. Rahman is currently a member of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum Working Group for WSIS+20. His continuing work reflects a long-term commitment to building an inclusive, rights-based, and development-oriented digital future for Bangladesh and the wider global community.