15 January 2025 11:00-11:45 CET
Online (Zoom link to be provided)
Organized by the UN Digital Transformation Group for Europe and Central Asia (UNDTG4ECA). The session will provide the Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) with a debrief on the outcomes of the Pact of the Future, Global Digital Compact (GDC) and WSIS+20 process. It will describe the impact of the digital component and the implications at regional and country level.
The GDC and the WSIS process are central frameworks for shaping the global digital ecosystem. While they share overlapping goals in promoting an inclusive and equitable digital world, they differ in scope, timeline, and focus areas.
Both focus on leveraging digital technologies for sustainable development and inclusivity. The WSIS Process, initiated in 2003 and 2005, established global frameworks for bridging the digital divide, emphasizing ICT for development (ICT4D), internet governance, and capacity-building. While the GDC, proposed in 2021 as part of the UN's Our Common Agenda, updates the global digital agenda to address contemporary challenges such as cybersecurity, AI ethics, data governance, and human rights. Both aim to promote universal connectivity and digital inclusion. They foster multistakeholder collaboration across governments, private sectors, civil society, and international organizations. Moreover, they ensure technology contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The aim of this session is to provide the UNCTs with a better understanding on the implications of the GDC at country level. They will learn about the roll out process, main priorities, expectations, and challenges that may arise. It will provide them with a reference point on how to use their capacities at the regional level, and how new technologies can help support some of the initiatives. It will also enable them to see how the GDC and WSIS will be connected in terms of operationalization at both regional and country level.
The GDC and WSIS represent a transformative step toward inclusive, equitable, and ethical digital development. Their successful implementation could bridge divides, safeguard rights, and foster a collaborative and sustainable digital future, but this requires broad consensus, effective enforcement, and adaptability to rapid technological change.
