UNGIS: Stronger Together — Advancing Digital Cooperation Across the UN System

Digital transformation is reshaping societies, economies, and the way the world addresses global challenges. At a time when the United Nations system is undergoing reflection on how to become more efficient, agile, and responsive, stronger coordination and collaboration across institutions are more important than ever.

As an inter-agency mechanism bringing together expertise from across the UN system, the United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) plays a unique role in advancing coherent and inclusive digital cooperation. The WSIS+20 review reaffirmed the importance of strengthened coordination, recognizing the continued relevance of UNGIS in supporting policy coherence, collaboration, and collective action across digital-related work.

Since the adoption of the WSIS+20 Resolution (A/RES/80/173), UNGIS has advanced a number of initiatives to strengthen digital cooperation across the system, including the establishment of the Task Force on Strengthening Financial Mechanisms for Digital Development, the launch of the Multistakeholder Consultation Group, and the submission of the Joint Implementation Road Map for WSIS–GDC Coherence to the 29th session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD). The group has also continued to expand its engagement, welcoming new UN entities in line with WSIS+20 Resolution paragraph 121, including UNICRI, UNODA, UNSSC, and UN-OHRLLS.

Building on this momentum, the session will showcase how the UN system is working together in practice — combining expertise, sharing innovation, and supporting countries in addressing digital opportunities and challenges. It will highlight examples of inter-agency collaboration

across areas such as connectivity, digital inclusion, digital public infrastructure, capacity development, data cooperation, emerging technologies, and other global digital priorities.

The discussion will also explore how UNGIS can continue to strengthen collaboration across the system, respond to evolving digital needs, and support the implementation of shared global commitments, including the WSIS+20 Outcome Document and the Global Digital Compact.

Key areas of discussion include:

• Showcasing examples of UN inter-agency collaboration, innovation, and collective action delivering impact on the ground.
• Exploring how UNGIS is strengthening coherence across the UN system and advancing implementation of global digital cooperation priorities, including the WSIS+20 outcomes and the Global Digital Compact.
• Highlighting contributions from UN entities, Member States, the private sector, civil society, academia, and technical communities in shaping inclusive and sustainable digital development.
• Examining opportunities to strengthen multistakeholder partnerships and leverage diverse expertise, resources, and innovation to address evolving digital challenges.
• Discussing how the UN system can continue to support countries through coordinated approaches to connectivity, digital inclusion, capacity development, data cooperation, emerging technologies, and other digital priorities