The high-level meeting concluded the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), a process initiated in the early 2000s to guide global cooperation on digital development, access, and inclusion as the Internet became essential to daily life.
Two decades later, delegates noted the challenge is not just getting people online but ensuring digital technologies, including AI, are governed to protect human rights, build trust, and close digital divides.
The WSIS was established in 2003 to address the opportunities and risks of information and communications technologies (ICTs), bringing together governments, businesses, civil society, and technical experts. This multi-stakeholder approach remains central to digital governance today.
This year’s review saw participants discuss how digital tools now shape the economy, education, healthcare, and daily life while warning that millions remain excluded.
In a speech to the General Assembly, President Annalena Baerbock highlighted the essential nature of internet access, from telemedicine to online education and digital financial services, noting that progress is slow. She emphasized that global internet access reaches about two-thirds of the population, but significantly less in developing regions, with women and girls disproportionately affected.
“Two decades later, our shared vision of a human-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society remains unrealized,” she stated, stressing the need for responsible governance of technologies like AI, as innovation often outpaces regulation.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of an outcome document reaffirming countries’ commitment to a people-centered digital future based on human rights and the UN Charter principles. The text calls for actions to close the digital divide, increased investment in digital infrastructure and skills, and stable policy environments to support digital development. It also underscores the importance of reliable data and AI governance, building on Global Digital Compact commitments.
Member States advocated for stronger international partnerships on AI capacity building, especially for developing countries, through training programs, access to resources, and small business support. Plans to create an independent international scientific panel on AI and launch a global AI governance dialogue in 2026 were also noted.
Throughout the process, speakers stressed that governments cannot shape the digital future alone. The result strengthens collaboration among governments, industry, civil society, and technology sectors. ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin stated WSIS was founded on the belief that digital innovation must reflect human needs, while UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu described the review as recognizing progress and charting a future path. This human-centered message has expanded beyond the trading floor.
In an interview with UN News, actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt reflected on the human side of digital transformation, focusing on creativity, inclusion, and shared responsibility to create healthier digital spaces as technology becomes integral to daily life. “What inspires me about the UN and the community here is that, despite being an uphill battle – a David and Goliath dynamic – there is a focus on helping and making the world better, often supporting the vulnerable in the Global South,” he said.
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