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UNGIS Task Force on
Strengthening Financial Mechanisms
for Digital Development

Established under A/RES/80/173 Paragraph 67 — reporting to CSTD, 2027.

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Paragraph 67

Financing mechanisms

“We invite the International Telecommunication Union, as the secretariat of the United Nations Group on the Information Society, working with the World Summit action line facilitators and other members of the Group, within existing resources, to establish an internal task force to conduct an assessment of gaps and challenges and to submit concrete recommendations on strengthening financial mechanisms for digital development for developing countries, building on and complementing existing best practices, including those of multilateral financial institutions, development partners and other relevant stakeholders, such as the private sector. We further request that the work be completed and the outcomes of the work be reported to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development at its thirtieth session, in 2027, for consideration by Member States. We also invite the internal task force to monitor financial commitments for the implementation of these outcomes.”
Full Outcome Document

Task Force Members

Appointed focal points representing UNGIS member organizations in the assessment of digital development financing.

ITC
James Howe

James Howe

Head, Digital Markets and Connectivity

International Trade Centre

Expertise: digital economy

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James Howe

International Trade Centre
James Howe is a Senior Adviser at the International Trade Centre, where he leads work on digital trade, e-commerce, marketing and branding for small enterprises, particularly in developing countries and least developed countries. He created and leads ITC’s ecomConnect programme, supporting MSMEs, business support organizations and digital ecosystem actors to make practical use of digital channels for trade, growth and competitiveness. Jame...
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ITU
Alex Wong

Alex Wong

Senior Advisor, Strategic Engagement and Initiatives Office of the Secretary-General

International Telecommunication Union

Expertise: digital economy

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Alex Wong

International Telecommunication Union
Alex has over 30 years professional experience in a series of leadership roles that has consistently focused on building partnerships to address the world's biggest development challenges. Alex currently serves in the Office of the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies, where he is responsible for developing and managing key engagements between the ITU ...
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ITU
Lauren Bieniek

Lauren Bieniek

ITU Giga Programme Officer, Development Finance

International Telecommunication Union

Expertise: digital economy

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Lauren Bieniek

International Telecommunication Union
Lauren Bieniek currently serves as a Program Officer focused on Development Finance at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), where she supports Giga, a joint ITU-UNICEF initiative aimed at connecting every school to the Internet by 2030. In this role, Lauren supports global advocacy, research, and project support for digital infrastructure investments that can drive last mile connectivity in hard-to-reach communities. Prior to ITU, La...
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ODET
Dr. Mehdi Snene

Dr. Mehdi Snene

Senior Advisor to the UN SG's Special Envoy for DET

United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies

Expertise: digtal economy

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Dr. Mehdi Snene

United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
Dr. Mehdi Snene led the research into the SG’s 2025 report on innovative financing options for AI capacity-building. As part of ODET’s consultations on the report, Dr. Snene engaged closely with IFIs, development organizations, UN system and also the private sector on how to finance the various components of AI – data, chips, capacity-building, and more – from the vantage point of different degrees of ICT development in Member States.
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OECD

Audrey Plonk

Deputy Director

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Expertise: -

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Audrey Plonk

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
-
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OHCHR

Li Zhou

Human Rights Officer

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Expertise: -

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Li Zhou

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
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OHCHR
Michel Roberto Oliveira de Souza

Michel Roberto Oliveira de Souza

Human Rights Officer

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Expertise: digital technology • human rights

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Michel Roberto Oliveira de Souza

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Michel Roberto Oliveira de Souza. Mr. Oliveira de Souza is a Human Rights Officer at the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). He works on the Digital Tech and Human Rights Section. He holds an MA and a Ph.D. of Law from the University of São Paulo (USP), and a LL.M. of Comparative Law and Economics from the International University College of Turin (IUC).
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UN DESA
Deniz Susar

Deniz Susar

Governance and Public Administration Officer

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Expertise: digital governance

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Deniz Susar

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Deniz Susar is a Governance and Public Administration Officer, Digital Government Branch, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government is a Governance and Public Administration Officer at the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government of UNDESA. Deniz’s main work areas include digital government and preparation of the biannual UNDESA flagship publication ‘United Nations E-Government Survey'. As part of his current role, he...
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UNCTAD
Guoyong Liang

Guoyong Liang

Senior economist, Ph.D.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Expertise: international investment • digital economy

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Guoyong Liang

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Dr. Guoyong Liang is a senior economist at United Nations Trade and Development. As a major contributor to the World Investment Report for over two decades, he has extensive experience in economic research and international cooperation. Dr. Liang has published widely on international economics and development, authoring numerous books and scholarly articles. In recent years, his work has focused on the digital economy, artificial intelligence, an...
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UNDP
Yuping Chan

Yuping Chan

Head, Digital Partnerships & Engagement

United Nations Development Programme

Expertise: digital governance

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Yuping Chan

United Nations Development Programme
Yu Ping Chan is a senior digital policy expert and diplomat currently serving as the Head of Digital Partnerships and Engagement at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Centre in Singapore. With extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, she previously led the team in the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, where she focused on international cooperation and digital governance. Throughout her career, sh...
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UNECA
Afework Temtime

Afework Temtime

Economic Affairs Officer

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Expertise: ICT4D • programme management

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Afework Temtime

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Mr. Afework Temtime is currently working as an Economic Affairs Officer at Frontier and Emerging Technologies, Innovation, and Digital Transformation Section of UNECA. He joined ECA in 2000 and served in various positions in ECA Divisions, including the ICTs, S&T Division; the Strategic Planning, Oversight, and Results Division; and the Technology, Innovation, Connectivity, and Infrastructure Division. He holds an MSc degree in Information St...
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UNECLAC
Sebastián Rovira

Sebastián Rovira

Chief, Digital Transformation Unit

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Expertise: digital investment • and AI governance

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Sebastián Rovira

United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Mr. Rovira serves as Chief of ECLAC’s Digital Transformation Unit within the Division of Production, Productivity and Management, which leads ECLAC's work on digital transformation and the regional digital agenda (eLAC). He oversees the Digital Development Observatory (ODD), the Digital Transformation Laboratory (dLAB), and ECLAC’s policy work on artificial intelligence for Latin America and the Caribbean. He has extensive experience ...
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UNESCAP

Siope Vakataki ‘Ofa

Economic Affairs Officer

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Expertise: -

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Siope Vakataki ‘Ofa

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
-
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UNESCO
Davide Storti

Davide Storti

Programme Specialist

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Expertise: digital economy

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Davide Storti

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Davide is a UNESCO Programme Specialist, within the Communication and Information Sector. His work is informed by the vision to promote universal access to information and building inclusive knowledge societies. He is the focal point of the UNESCO Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) programme, which aims at spreading and supporting FOSS worldwide. He is also UNESCO YouthMobile focal point and initiator. Through UNESCO YouthMobile, he oversaw the...
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UNESCWA

Ayman El-Sherbiny

Chief of ICT Policies, Information Society, Digital Development and Digital Cooperation

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

Expertise: digital economy

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Ayman El-Sherbiny

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
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UNFCCC

Grant Kirkman

Team Lead, Means of Implementation division

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Expertise: digital economy

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Grant Kirkman

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
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UN-OHRLLS

Tomas Manuel Gonzalez Alvarez

-

The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

Expertise: -

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Tomas Manuel Gonzalez Alvarez

The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
-
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UN-OHRLLS
Xuqian Qin

Xuqian Qin

International Lawyer

The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

Expertise: WTO law • free trade agreement negotiations • investment facilitation • multilateral diplomacy • and sustainable development policy.

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Xuqian Qin

The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States
Xuqian Qin is an international lawyer and development practitioner with over nine years of experience in international trade, investment, and sustainable development. He currently works with UN-OHRLLS in New York, supporting policy development and intergovernmental processes for least developed countries and landlocked developing countries. Previously, he served with the Ministry of Commerce of China, the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi, and...
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UNOPS

Niels Guenther

Senior Portfolio Manager

United Nations Office for Project Services

Expertise: operations • project management • trust fund administration • and partner and donor relations

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Niels Guenther

United Nations Office for Project Services
Niels joined the United Nations in 2002, serving in various senior roles at multiple locations, including Kosovo, Italy, Switzerland, Jordan, Iraq, Myanmar, Yemen and the United States. Experienced in operations, project management, trust fund administration, and partner and donor relations, he worked mainly within UNOPS (e.g. Deputy Director of Jordan/Iraq office, Fund Director of 3DF and 3MDG Fund in Myanmar, and Programme Director of UNOPS Yem...
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UNU
Dr. Fabiana Visentin

Dr. Fabiana Visentin

Associate Professor

United Nations University

Expertise: digital economy • digital education

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Dr. Fabiana Visentin

United Nations University
Fabiana Visentin is an Associate Professor at UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics Fabiana Visentin joined UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University in September 2018. Previously, she worked as Senior Research Fellow at the Chair of Economics and Management of Innovation at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. She was a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Lugano, Lugan...
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UPU
Kevin Hernandez

Kevin Hernandez

Digital Inclusion Expert

Universal Postal Union

Expertise: digital inclusion • digital governance • inclusive e-government • the future of work

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Kevin Hernandez

Universal Postal Union
Kevin Hernandez is a Digital Inclusion Expert at the Universal Postal Union, where he works on leveraging postal infrastructure to advance inclusive digital transformation. He holds a Master’s degree in Business, Globalisation and Development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. With over ten years of experience in digital development, he has worked as a researcher and advisor supporting governments, intern...
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UPU
Radka Sibille

Radka Sibille

Digital Policies and Trade Coordinator

Universal Postal Union

Expertise: digital development • inclusive digital transformation • e-commerce

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Radka Sibille

Universal Postal Union
Mrs. Radka Sibille works as the Universal Postal Union’s Digital Policies and Trade Coordinator, focusing on the advancement of the postal-enabled digital transformation and trade inclusion with a view to bridging the digital divides and enhancing MSMEs’ access to trade in member countries. She holds Master Degrees in International Relations and Public Administration from the Prague University of Economics and Business, and Ecole Nati...
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WFP

Anna Miroshnichenko

Deputy Director, Technology Division

World Food Programme

Expertise: -

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Anna Miroshnichenko

World Food Programme
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WMO
Daniel Kull

Daniel Kull

Director, Division of Development Partnerships and Programme Delivery

World Meteorological Organization

Expertise: financing • private sector engagement • programme and project management

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Daniel Kull

World Meteorological Organization
Mr Kull leads resource mobilization, management of development partnerships and project management in WMO.Mr Kull brings over 25 years of experience delivering international support and technical assistance for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation to WMO. Prior to joining WMO in 2023, he served as a task team leader with the World Bank and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). During this time, he managed ...
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World Bank
Ravi Chaturvedi

Ravi Chaturvedi

Acting Applications Manager at the Digital & AI Vice Presidency

World Bank Group

Expertise: finance

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Ravi Chaturvedi

World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Group. The bank is headquartered in Washington, D.C., in the United States.
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World Bank
Stela Mocan

Stela Mocan

Acting Director for DPI

World Bank Group

Expertise: digital economy

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Stela Mocan

World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development Group. The bank is headquartered in Washington, D.C., in the United States.
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WTO

Mena Hassan

Head of the Capacity Building and Strategic Partnerships Section

World Trade Organization

Expertise: digital economy

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Mena Hassan

World Trade Organization
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Documents & Outputs

Documents will be posted here as they become available.

Meetings

No upcoming meetings scheduled.

Contact the Secretariat

The task force is serviced by the ITU Secretariat (UNGIS Permanent Secretariat). For official enquiries, please reach out to us.

contact.ungis@itu.int