Geneva Digital Atlas 2022

GENEVA
Digital
Atlas
WHERE
TECHNOLOGY
MEETS
HUMANITY

Geneva Digital Atlas
Second edition
Published by: DiploFoundation and
Geneva Internet Platform (2023)
Cartographer: Jovan Kurbalija
Editors: Slavica Karajicic, Sorina Teleanu, Marco Lotti
Copy-editing: Írj Jól Kft.
Publication design: Viktor Mijatovic
Impressum
The Geneva Digital Atlas team gratefully acknowledges
the contributions of Geneva-based institutions
to the Atlas’s creation.
This version of living publication (2.0)
is issued on 29 January 2024 (13:02 CET).
ISBN: 979-8-9870052-5-5
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Why
does technology meet humanity in Geneva?
When
did the policy interplay between
technology and humanity begin in
Geneva?
Table of Contents
What
digital technologies and policy issues
are dealt with in Geneva?
How
do legal and policy instruments
facilitate digital governance in Geneva?
Who
are the main digital actors in Geneva?
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Welcome by the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs 9
Welcome by the Director General of the UN Office at Geneva 13
Welcome by the Geneva State Councillor for Economy and Employment 17
Welcome by the Cartographer of the Geneva Digital Atlas 21
Section 1 WHY does technology meet humanity in Geneva? 25
Section 2 WHEN did the policy interplay between technology and humanity begin in Geneva? 49
Section 3 WHAT digital technologies and policy issues are dealt with in Geneva? 53
Section 4 HOW do legal and policy instruments facilitate digital governance in Geneva? 77
Section 5 WHO are the main digital actors in Geneva? 84
Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development 87
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) 97
United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) 107
Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International Geneva) 117
CyberPeace Institute 129
Datasphere Initiative Foundation 141
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) 149
Table of
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) 157
Ecma International 167
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 175
Geneva Foundation for Technology Innovation (Fongit) 183
Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) 189
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (Geneva Academy) 199
Geneva Environment Network (GEN) 207
Group on Earth Observations (GEO) 213
Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva Graduate Institute) 219
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) 229
Geneva Science-Policy Interface (GSPI) 243
HealthAI The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health (HealthAI) 252
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 263
ICT for Peace Foundation (ICT4Peace) 273
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281 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
293 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
305 Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
315 International Labour Organization (ILO)
325 Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
333 International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
343 International Trade Centre (ITC)
351 International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
395 Joint Inspection Unit (JIU)
401 Kofi Annan Foundation
411 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
417 South Centre
Content
439 Swiss Digital Initiative (SDI)
449 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
469 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
487 United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC)
499 United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
511 University of Geneva (UNIGE)
519 United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
529 UN Office at Geneva (UNOG)
537 World Economic Forum
547 World Health Organization (WHO)
565 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
577 World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
589 World Trade Organization (WTO)
601 About the Publisher
605 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
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Geneva has an influential role to play in
innovating, anticipating, and building
partnerships to keep the digital
world safe, open, and accessible
for everyone in the future.
Ignazio Cassis
Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Welcome by the Head of the Federal Department
of Foreign Affairs
Digitalisation is one of the four priorities of the Swiss government’s Strategy for Foreign
Policy 2021-2024. It is not only a highly topical issue, but also a central issue in the global
governance debate taking place in International Geneva.
Strengthening the contribution of Switzerland in the area of the ever more complex global
architecture in digital governance is essential. Geneva has an influential role to play in
9

innovating, anticipating, and building partnerships to keep the digital world safe, open, and
accessible for everyone in the future. And when I say Geneva, I do not only mean Geneva as
a geographical reality, but I also refer to an approach based on inclusive multilateral dialogue,
something we call ‘the spirit of Geneva’. It is about the search for peace and good governance. It
is where technology meets humanity.
Geneva is already a strong hub for discussions about digital governance. The new edition of
Geneva Digital Atlas by the Geneva Internet Platform, which is operated by the DiploFoundation
is impressive proof of it. It gives a comprehensive overview of the digital activities of more than
50 organisations in Geneva.
I am also very proud of one of the new organisations portrayed in the Geneva Digital Atlas: the
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA). Its aim is to create a new and effective
mechanism to foster collaboration between science and diplomacy around the world, in order
to anticipate and prepare for governance challenges related to cutting-edge technologies like
quantum computing and human enhancement.
GESDA compiles the GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar, which provides an overview of scientific
trends and developments that can be expected in the next five, ten, and twenty-five years.
The digital ecosystem in Geneva is indeed rich and diverse. But we cannot just sit back and be
complacent. We have to focus on priorities and attract the best expertise and actors in the Digital
world. And we have to deliver results that should be milestones in the development of the digital
world. The Geneva Digital Atlas provides us with an excellent map for this journey.
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11

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Geneva, with its rich ecosystem of public
and private actors working on a wide
range of digital issues, is uniquely
positioned to connect the dots and
create partnerships for innovative
solutions and policy approaches
to the global challenges
we face today.
Tatiana Valovaya
Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva
Welcome by the Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva
As this Geneva Digital Atlas is being published, we are less than a decade away from 2030,
the year set as the target for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Much has changed in the world since 2015, when this ambitious roadmap
was set for people, the planet, and prosperity. The fast evolution of digital technologies
and their continuous impact on our economies and societies is just one example of such
changes.
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We have seen over the past few years how technologies can help improve people’s lives and
well-being; fight poverty and inequity; and create new knowledge, new jobs, and new ways
of working. But we have also seen digital divides widen and technologies used for harm.
The United Nations is at the forefront of efforts to harness the power of digitalisation for
peace, security, sustainable development, and human rights. We are also working to mitigate
the risks and to ensure that everyone can benefit from the opportunities digitalisation
offers.
A significant portion of this work is carried out or coordinated by international organisations
and UN entities based in Geneva, from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and
many others. These entities are united in their commitment to ensuring that digitalisation
advances the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and contributes to a more peaceful,
prosperous, and just world.
Building inclusive, sustainable, and human-centric digital economies and societies is a task
that can best be achieved through cooperation and joint efforts. Geneva, with its rich ecosystem
of public and private actors working on a wide range of digital issues, is uniquely
positioned to connect the dots and create partnerships for innovative solutions and policy
approaches to the global challenges we face today.
If we work together – governments, businesses, academia, civil society, International Organisations
– we can steer digital technologies for the benefit of all. We have the talent and
the technology. We have the institutions and the partnerships. We have the values and the
commitment. We just need to keep moving forward, together.
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15

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In an increasingly interdependent world […]
international cooperation is not an
option; it is part of the solution.
Nathalie Fontanet
State Councilor, Department of Finance, Human Resources
and External Affairs
Welcome by the Geneva State Councilor for Finance,
Human Resources and External Affairs
When we look at Geneva, we contemplate 160 years of experience in international cooperation.
The first Geneva Convention dates to 1864. The ecosystem that has since been
developed on our territory, with almost 700 stakeholders, is truly unique and contains immense
potential for synergies. This is particularly true when it comes to international digital
governance.
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Multilateralism, however, is currently challenged. The impetus that emerged after the two
World Wars is no longer the same. Today, the world is more fragmented. The tendency is
to turn inward. The paradox is that in an increasingly interdependent world, International
Geneva is more necessary than ever. International cooperation is not an option; it is part of
the solution.
This is why Geneva plays such an important role in Switzerland‘s digital foreign policy strategy.
Today, all the major global issues have their digital counterpart. From trade to energy
challenges, from health to demographic transition, trade, development, human rights,
peace and disarmament. No area is immune.
International Geneva has its work cut out for it, particularly in terms of responding to the
hopes and concerns raised by quantum innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet
of Things (IoT), and all the other technological advances that have a global impact. We also
have a responsibility in terms of inclusion, the digital integrity of individuals, and cybersecurity
in the broadest sense.
Building trust in times of uncertainty has to be based on the three principles of humanity,
solidarity, and diplomacy. This is what International Geneva aims for.
The new edition of the Geneva Digital Atlas plays a showcase role here. It offers a broad
overview of the work of international Geneva on digital issues. It is a volume of several
hundred pages, which bears witness to the interactions that take place on our territory, and
its content illustrates the potential of our region as a privileged place for digital governance
and as a platform at the service of humanity.
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19

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Explore the future of digital with
EspriTech de Genève
Jovan Kurbalija
Director of DiploFoundation and Head of Geneva Internet Platform
Welcome by the Cartographer of the Geneva Digital Atlas
With the Geneva Digital Atlas, in hand or online, YOU can
…start exploring the digital future virtually or even physically, in the streets and places of
Geneva where technology meets humanity.
…unpack the meaning of the technology-humanity interplay in Geneva through reading the
following pages built around the inquiry questions of why, what, what, and who.
21

…navigate the digital Geneva landscape via specific topics of your interest. For example, you
can explore the interface between artificial intelligence (AI) and health in Geneva.
…start with the basics or dive deeper into analysis, data, and documents related to digital
issues, as illustrated on page 23.
…follow the evolution of digital governance via historical timelines.
…find many other ways to navigate digital topics, actors, and processes of interest to you.
What is unique about the Geneva Digital Atlas?
Apart from the content, the Geneva Digital Atlas represents a new way to deal with data,
information, and knowledge. It combines traditional textual narratives with knowledge nodes
inspired by the latest neural network technologies. Narratives help to have a complete and
consolidated picture. Knowledge nodes bring us closer to specific paragraphs and specific
information.
You can also find updates generated by human (expert) and machine (artificial) intelligence.
They reinforce each other and generate new types of deep, creative insights. In this way, the
Atlas is a hybrid intelligence system implementing Diplo’s approach of anchoring AI in the
core values of humanity.
You are currently reading the version of 29 January 2024, which will evolve as our system
processes updates from negotiations, policymaking, and research of Geneva-based
organisations covered in these pages.
How is the Geneva Digital Atlas developed?
The Geneva Digital Altas is the result of Diplo’s approach of promoting innovation that
endures. It provides agility while relying on solid and tested research. For example, the
taxonomy of digital governance behind the Geneva Digital Altas has been tested over the last
two decades by thousands of students, researchers, and experts involved in hundreds of
Diplo courses, events, and research projects.
All technological complexities ‘under the bonnet’ are transferred in simplicity of use into
the online version of this Geneva Digital Altas. We invite you to navigate with us not only the
contents but also new forms of human creativity built around the human-centred use of AI
and other emerging technologies.
22

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE GENEVA DIGITAL ATLAS IN THREE LAYERS...
On the first layer, you can find ...
... summary profiles of 46 actors
involved in digital policy
and governance in Geneva
1st layer
On the second layer, at GIP Digital Watch, you can find …
... detailed info on the activities of each actor – events, instruments, and initiatives – organised by
2nd layer
digital policy issues (e.g. e-commerce, cybersecurity, privacy)
On the third layer, you can find …
… primary sources, raw data, maps, transcripts of events, articles, and AI analyses
3rd layer
23

Section 1
Why
does
technology
meet humanity
in Geneva?
EspriTech de Genève
25

Why
EspriTech de Genève
EspriTech de Genève
by Jovan Kurbalija
This text takes us on a historical tour to explore Geneva’s contribution towards a social
contract that addresses both the benefits and risks of technological development. As
we seek social contracts for the future, we invite you to examine the ways in which the
cultures and intellectual histories of your countries and communities have dealt with
the interaction between technology and society.
Over the centuries, Geneva has been a meeting place
between technology and humanity. Today, once again,
in Geneva and worldwide, we find ourselves at a
turning point facing both changes and challenges
triggered by fast technological growth. 1 As humanity
steps out of its comfort zone into the new unknown,
certainty ends, opportunity begins, and risks increase.
Rapid advances in technologies, such as artificial
intelligence (AI), and robotics, are altering our thinking
about human rights, freedoms, and agencies. Technology
is revolutionising classroom education, medical care, and
agricultural planning, to name a few examples.
While technology unlocks great potential, it also
amplifies risks and socio-economic divides. As new
industries emerge, older ones scramble to maintain
their relevance. Jobs are at stake in fading industries.
Social security systems are under pressure. From the
militarisation of cyberspace to technological dominance,
a new geopolitical race is gaining momentum.
As we stand at this crossroads, it's important to
understand the bigger ideas and historical background
that support modernity and the way technology and
people interact today.
We invite you to ‘walk’ with us through the following
pages of the Geneva Digital Atlas or, even to walk literally
while in Geneva. In the Old City, you can find some of
the landmarks of the tech-humanity journey: from the
Calvin Auditorium (Auditoire de Calvin) where the interplay
between progress and society was discussed, to within a
few steps, at Grand Rue, where Rousseau was born and
at the next corner, the house where Borges died.
Just up the hill from Lake Geneva, Mary Shelley wrote
Frankenstein. You can visit Voltaire's chateau in the nearby
1
The impact of the ensuing fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, bears little resemblance to previous industrial breakthroughs (water and steam
power, electricity and computerisation), as it created ruptures in almost every industry and altered entire systems of production and governance.
Furthermore, its velocity has no historical precedent. Schwab, K. (2016). The fourth industrial revolution: What it means, how to respond. https://www.
weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/
26

Why
EspriTech de Genève
commune of Ferney-Voltaire, which is named after its
most famous resident.
Our journey will have different rhythms: from a slow walk
to a sprint; and from well-known to less explored, yet
equally important, landmarks in Geneva.
It has four important paths.
First, we start our exploration with the arrival of John
Calvin in Geneva. His thinking influenced not only this city
but also the rest of the world, as argued by Max Weber in
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Calvinism
has had a profound impact on political, economic,
and cultural life in Europe and the USA. On board the
Mayflower, the Pilgrims brought Calvinist ideas to the new
continent. His ideas about free will and entrepreneurship
were fully realised in Silicon Valley and the development
of modern technology.
Calvinist ideas travelled globally via Weber’s writings on
religion, culture, and the economy that were popular
among Chinese politicians and academics that led China’s
reform and opening at the end of the twentieth century.
Second, we explore the philosophical terroir of
Geneva with thinkers who were born or lived in the
city: Charles Bonnet, Jorge Luis Borges, Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, Ferdinand de Saussure, Mary Shelley, and
Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet).
Third, we discuss how ideas and concepts related to
technology and humanity have evolved into governance
practices via international organisations based in
Geneva.
Fourth, we take the ideas and concepts from the
first three paths and put them together to make the
technological L'esprit de Genève, which we call EspriTech de
Genève.
Let’s start our journey!
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
From Calvin in Geneva via Calvinism in the USA to Silicon Valley and back
Map and caveats
This tour, which starts with Calvin’s theology and
thinking, is inspired by Max Weber’s book, The Protestant
Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Although written more
than a century ago, as the result of Weber’s search for
the cultural origins of capitalism, this book is still one of
the most influential sociological works on the interplay
between religion, culture, and the economy.
Geneva
Calvin
Nothing is more dangerous
than to be blinded by prosperity.
Calvin’s initial ideas, the two pillars of his social thinking
– human agency and responsibility – as they were
implemented and interpreted, got tilted in the USA to
focus more on the former, human agency.
As Weber wrote:
…we are not considering the personal views of
Calvin, but Calvinism, and that in the form to
which it had evolved by the end of the sixteenth
and in the seventeenth centuries in the great areas
where it had a decisive influence and which were
at the same time the home of capitalist culture. 2
Calvin's insight could prove to be valuable in our current
search for a balance between technological growth and
core human values.
Five centuries ago, John Calvin 3 settled in Geneva and
started preaching. From his sermons grew Calvinism, a
branch of Protestantism.
Calvin’s contributions to theology and philosophy are
multi-faceted, as shown during the series of events
celebrating the 500th anniversary of his birth in 2009.
His legacy is controversial to this day. He is often criticised
for advocating authoritarian forms of rule and the
austere morality of, for example, banning dancing. Here,
we outline a few aspects of his work that have the most
direct relevance for the technology-humanity interaction.
2
Weber, M. (2005). The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism (1930). London: Routledge, p. 175.
3
John Calvin was born on 10 July 1509 in Picardy (France). He converted to Protestantism and fled to Geneva. His thinking shaped Protestant reform
thinking and became influential worldwide.
28

Why
EspriTech de Genève
Calvin was an innovator and a critical thinker. He
challenged many established truths of his era and
created a bridge between Protestantism and modernity.
The cornerstone of Calvin’s theology, Predestination,
states that human efforts cannot bring salvation, only
God’s grace can.
Although Calvin’s teaching on predestination did not link
human efforts to salvation, he called on believers to glorify
God throughout their life by their deeds. At first, he talked
about moral deeds, but later, he started to talk about
other kinds of deeds, such as those done at work. On this
basis, Calvinism developed a theological justification for
hard work, wealth, and a capitalist economy, as observed
by Weber.
Calvin was a strong supporter of individual actions and
entrepreneurialism as part of a work ethic. However, he
was also aware of the dangers of wealth concentration
for social stability.
Humility and modesty were important in Calvin’s
theology. He also called for intervention on behalf
of the weak as well as for banking ethics which is
committed to justice and the common good. 4
social stability of many societies around the world. The
growing wealth of the tech industry widens inequalities.
For example, in 2022, 8 of the 10 richest companies in the
world came from the tech sector.
Calvin’s thinking could help in finding a balance between
freedom of action and making sure that everyone’s basic
needs are met.
Like other Protestant thinkers, Calvin was enthusiastic
about science and knowledge. If we want to change
society, we have to first understand it. This has been one
of the main theological reasons why Protestant societies
worldwide have supported science and technology.
Calvin lived at a time when science and discovery were
taking off. Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama
made big steps forward in geographical discoveries in the
late 1500s, and in 1543 the publication of Copernicus’s
new astronomical model had just taken place.
At the same time, Calvin called for moderation and
caution in pursuing scientific advances, which were
later echoed in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Even today,
this line of scientific caution is still important because
AI, biotechnology, and other advances in science and
technology have a profound impact on society.
These teachings are especially important now, as there is
a widening gap between rich and poor that threatens the
4
Stückelberger, C. (2009). No interest from the poor. Calvin’s economic and banking ethics. https://www.christophstueckelberger.ch/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/calvinsethics.pdf
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
Calvin also argued for universal education, including
for girls, which was a very revolutionary proposal in the
sixteenth century. Later on, another Genevan, Rousseau,
put education at the centre of his philosophy.
Today, five centuries later, universal education is still not
universal.
The United States
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, via Scotland
and the Netherlands, Calvin’s idea crossed the Atlantic
Ocean to find new life on the American continent.
Symbolically, Calvin’s copy of the Bible crossed the ocean
on the historic Mayflower voyage. On the new continent,
Calvin’s ideas grew into what is now called Calvinism, with
its similarities to and differences from his original ideas.
The centrality of individual freedom and work ethic in
Calvin’s work garnered additional relevance. Individualism
has become a key pillar of the US political, economic, and
social systems. Calvinism had a critical influence on the
inclusion of human rights in the American Constitution,
according to Georg Jellinek. This theology emphasised
that every person is valuable and worthy on their own,
and that freedom and self-determination are critical for
personal and societal prosperity.
Self-making and personal responsibility have become
pillars of social ethics. The delicate balance between
individuals and community, carefully crafted by Calvin,
started tilting towards the centrality of individuals.
Personal endeavours in business and technology were
considered to be limitless with the hope that sometime/
somehow an invisible hand would ensure that individual
action was in sync with societal interest. As we realise
more and more, the invisible hand exists only in specific
political and economic contexts. A careful reading of
Adam Smith’s opus shows that his concept of the invisible
hand should be taken with the utmost caution. 5
With a few exceptions, Calvin's teachings on community
responsibilities, which were at first very important to
small groups of purists in the new land, started to lose
their importance. Yet, social justice was supported by
Walter Rauschenbush (1861–1918), a key figure in the
Social Gospel movement. Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919),
one of the richest people of his time, spoke out against
inheriting wealth and in favour of sharing it. 6
5
Smith, A. (2002). The wealth of nations. Bibliomania.com Ltd. [Web] https://lccn.loc.gov/2002564559
6
Carnegie, A. (2017). The gospel of wealth (1889) Carnegie Corporation of New York. https://media.carnegie.org/filer_public/0a/e1/0ae166c5-fca3-4adf-
82a7-74c0534cd8de/gospel_of_wealth_2017.pdf
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
Silicon Valley
The tech developments in Silicon Valley have moved away
from Calvin’s careful balance between individual freedom
and social responsibility. Individualism has won out over
social responsibility, especially in the tech industry, which
has grown quickly in the last 20 years.
The long glorious phase of Silicon Valley innovation and
growth is increasingly tarnished with stories of the selfish
elite, tax evasion, manipulation of the market, etc.
The tech industry could benefit from taking a more
balanced view of business and society. It would also help
in ‘uplifting’ their social roles.
Here, Calvin’s early idea of freedom and responsibility,
along with Geneva’s rich philosophical history, which
is talked about in Section 3 of this text, could provide
a background for re-establishing a balance between
technological development and social responsibility.
Thus, in a way, after a long journey, the core ideas and
dilemmas of modernity could return home for new
elaboration.
Geneva has been the birthplace and/or home of a
wide range of thinkers, from philosophy to literature
and science, whose work has direct relevance to our
exploration of the tech-humanity interplay.
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
Thinking terroir of Geneva and the tech-humanity interplay
Many philosophers, writers, and scientists were born or lived in Geneva, and their
work is important to our study of how people and technology interact.
Charles Bonnet
Machines could be made to imitate
human intelligence.
Charles Bonnet, born in Geneva in 1720, was an
exceptional polymath. His many academic interests
included being a naturalist, botanist, lawyer,
philosopher, psychologist, and politician.
Bonnet was an early boundary spanner, crossing
disciplinary delimitations. This approach facilitated his
far-reaching insights way ahead of time.
In 1789, by building on the idea of neural networks,
he envisaged artificial intelligence (AI) by arguing that
machines could mimic human intelligence. 7
In his Essai de Psychologie (1755) he describes the concept
of neural networks:
If all our ideas, even the most abstract, depend ultimately
on motions that occur in the brain, it is appropriate to
ask whether each idea has a specific fiber dedicated to
producing it, or whether different motions of the same
fiber produce different ideas. 8
For more on Bonnet and neural networks consult Trends
in Cognitive Sciences. 9
The idea of early neural networks was inspired by
his theory of associations, which holds that ideas are
connected in the mind through associations. This idea
was further developed by the American psychologist
William James and the British philosopher John Stuart
Mill.
As a keen observer of nature, Bonnet identified numerous
patterns and interesting phenomena. He found that
leaves on a plant stem are arranged in a way that matches
the Fibonacci sequence. He was interested in how maths
could be used to describe patterns in nature.
His work was largely forgotten until it was rediscovered in
the early twenty-first century.
7
Bonnet, C. (1789). Betrachtung über die Natur. W. Engelmann.
8
Bonnet, C. (1755). Essai de psychologie. Londres.
9
Mollon, J., Takahashi, C., & Danilova, M. (2022). What kind of network is the brain? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 26. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/
An-unresolved-issue-from-the-18th-century-A-Charles-Bonnet-and-a-passage-from-his_fig1_358792552
32

Why
EspriTech de Genève
Jorge Luis Borges 10
story The Library of Babel, written in 1941, is prophetic;
it outlines the search for meaning in endless volumes
of information, as we do today on the internet. Borges
wrote:
Nothing is built on stone; all is built on
sand, but we must build as if the sand
were stone.
Borges chose Geneva as his home and, ultimately, the
place where he is laid to rest.
Borges, one of the leading writers of the twentieth
century, was the master of discovering paradoxes and
of addressing irreconcilable contradictions in human
existence.
He rarely provides answers in his writings. Instead, he
takes us on a journey showing that every certainty triggers
a new uncertainty. Borges’s work gives a sobering look
at the human condition and the limits of reason when it
comes to solving personal and social problems.
His fiction is inspirational reading for addressing the core
questions of humanity’s future, centred on the interplay
between science, technology, and philosophy. His short
Nonsense is normal in the Library and that
the reasonable (and even humble and pure
coherence) is an almost miraculous exception. 11
The truth exists somewhere in Borges’s library but
is almost impossible to find as it is overwhelmed by
irrelevant information, fake news, and competing
narratives.
In addressing informational chaos, Borges shies away
from giving a naive hope of certainty, but he does provide
some hope. He advocates for order in chaos and argues
that by taking an occasional rest, we can stop, or at
least slow down, the constantly shifting kaleidoscope of
meaning.
10
Jorge Luis Borges quotes. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/367840-nothing-is-built-on-stone-all-is-built-on-sand
11
Borges, J. L. (1970). The library of Babel, in J. L. Borges, Labyrinths. Penguin.
33

Why
EspriTech de Genève
Jean-Jacques Rousseau 12
The strongest man is never strong
enough to be always master, unless
he transforms his power into right,
and obedience into duty.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, born in Geneva on 28 June 1712,
was one of the most important philosophers of the
Enlightenment. His most influential works were Discourse
on Inequality and The Social Contract.
The call of the UN Secretary-General for societies
worldwide to work on social contracts, addressing
profound changes in modern society, renewed the
relevance of Rousseau’s thinking. His social contract
will be important reading as we try to answer critical
questions about modernity and our future.
According to Rousseau, social contracts are not formal
contracts signed on the dotted line by all citizens. They are
representations of the general will of all citizens around a
few key principles.
At the heart of a social contract is a way for people to
regularly take part in public debates and decision-making.
It is much more than an occasional vote.
Rousseau’s social contract is demanding on citizens.
It requires being very involved in politics and always
learning more about how to be a good citizen. His home
city, Geneva, has come close to his ideal of a lively and
engaging democracy.
Rousseau also argued that sovereignty stays with
individuals, not the state. This idea could be important in
the current talk about digital sovereignty, which usually
means that states have control over digital networks and
data. If we apply Rousseau’s thinking, digital sovereignty
should be based on people’s rights to control their own
data and digital assets.
The question of a social contract was popular among
other Enlightenment thinkers.
Hobbes, for example, in his Leviathan proposed a less
demanding form of the social contract on citizens than
Rousseau’s. 13 Citizens were supposed to give their natural
rights to a sovereign (state) in exchange for the state
guaranteeing their safety.
12
Rousseau, J.-J. (1762). The social contract. Book I. Chapter III. https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/socialcontract/full-text/book-i-chapter-iii/
13
Hobbes, T. (1651). Leviathan. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/hobbess-leviathan
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
Ferdinand de Saussure
Mary Shelley 16
Time changes all things; there is no
reason why language should escape
this universal law.
The beginning is always today.
Ferdinand de Saussure was a Geneva-born linguist whose
book, Course in General Linguistics (1916)14 became the
cornerstone of modern linguistics.
Saussure's work on language and systems was the
foundation for natural language processing (NLP) and
modern AI.
Saussure's pioneering linguistic research on identifying
language patterns and relationships between signifiers
and signifieds (i.e. words and their meanings) is key to
understanding how NLP systems can map words and
other linguistic units to the concepts they represent,
allowing them to perform tasks such as text classification
and machine translation.
The conceptual bridge between Saussure and the latest
AI developments is represented in Alan Turin’s paper
`Computing machinery and intelligence’. 15
The British writer Mary Shelley started writing Frankenstein
in 1816 in the Villa Diodati in Geneva. Together with Lord
Byron and a group of friends, Shelley came to Geneva
in search of better weather, as Geneva typically has
more sunny days than London. This was not the case in
1816. That year, both cities missed the summer weather
because of the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia.
Shelley was a big fan of science and experimentation.
She believed that science and technology could improve
the human condition. However, she also recognised the
potential for abuse and misuse of these new technologies.
In this way, Shelley brought into focus important
questions about the ethics of progress and how to use
scientific knowledge responsibly.
14
Published by Saussure's students from lecture notes after his premature death. de Saussure, F. (1916). Course in general linguistics. https://openlibrary.
org/books/OL23291521M/Course_in_general_linguistics
15
Turing, A. M. (1950). Computing machinery and intelligence. Mind, 49. 433-460. https://redirect.cs.umbc.edu/courses/471/papers/turing.pdf
16
Shelley, M. (2014). Short stories, Vol. II. Miniature Masterpieces.
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
Even though technology and society have come a long
way since 1816, the dilemmas that people faced then
are still relevant today. How far can technology go in
affecting core human features? Are there ethical limits to
technological development?
Voltaire
The human brain is a complex organ
with the wonderful power of enabling
man to find reasons for continuing to
believe whatever it is that he wants to
believe.
François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), better known as
Voltaire, was one of the key figures of the Enlightenment.
Voltaire lived in Geneva and in the neighbouring village
of Ferney-Voltaire, named after him, between 1755 and
his death in 1778. His major works include Candide,
Philosophical Letters, and Treatise on Toleration. Voltaire
is still the symbol of Enlightenment philosophy, which is
based on reason, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry.
He was a strong advocate for the advancement of
science and technology. Voltaire thought that everyone
should have access to knowledge and that progress
in science and technology should help society. In his
writings, he frequently criticised the church and state
for hindering scientific progress.
Inspired by Newton’s empirical science and other
works, Voltaire remained Newton’s proponent his
whole life and always insisted on the use of evidence
and facts in social sciences and public life.
Liberty and freedom were crucial to Voltaire’s
philosophy. He argued that freedom of thought is a
fundamental human right. He also advocated for
freedom of expression and freedom of religion. In
historical works, he often championed the cause of
oppressed peoples and fought against tyranny.
I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to say it, is often attributed to Voltaire.
Although there is no proof that these are his words,
they capture the core of his philosophy of liberty very
well. 17
Voltaire’s advocacy of critical thinking and engaging
debates is just as important today as it was a few
hundred years ago. This is because public debates and
spaces are very divided and full of biases and false
information.
17
‘In 1943, Burdette Kinne of Columbia University published a short article in “Modern Language Notes” which contained an important letter Hall sent to Kinne in 1939. Hall
stated that she had crafted the saying and not Voltaire: The phrase “I wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it” which you have
found in my book “Voltaire in His Letters” is my own expression and should not have been put in inverted commas. Please accept my apologies for having, quite unintentionally,
misled you into thinking I was quoting a sentence used by Voltaire (or anyone else but myself).’ https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/06/01/defend-say/
36

Why
EspriTech de Genève
International organisations: From ideas to practical governance
With this cultural and historical backdrop, it is not surprising
that Geneva became an international centre,
hosting many organisations that relate to ensuring the
positive impact of technology on society. International
organisations convert principles into regulations and
policies.
When it comes to governing digital technologies, there
are two types of organisations.
The first category includes organisations that
deal with technology in general. Here, the most
prominent and oldest organisation is the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). ITU deals with
technological standards, radio communication, and
development issues. The main challenge for ITU is to
find an activity niche in the fast-changing digital realm.
In recent decades, ITU’s role in internet governance
has been a central issue of debate and controversy.
Together with ITU, the International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) and the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) set standards for
digital telecommunication, software, and devices. They
are increasingly called to set new types of standards
for data, AI, the internet of things (IoT), and other
developments.
The second group includes organisations whose initial
focus was not on technology, but who now have to
deal directly and indirectly with digital impacts on their
areas of specialisation. The World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), for instance, deals with issues
related to the protection of intellectual property in
the digital era. Digital health appears on the agenda
of the World Health Organization (WHO), e-commerce
on that of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and
the protection of humanitarian data lies with the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and
other humanitarian organisations.
As the WHO section of this publication shows, more
and more digital issues are being addressed by
international organisations. In the coming years,
multilateral diplomacy will be dominated by this trend
of digitalising traditional policy issues, such as health,
trade, and the protection of people in need.
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
EspriTech de Genève
EspriTech de Genève (the tech spirit of Geneva) is inspired
by L'esprit de Genève (the spirit of Geneva), which refers
to the city’s tradition as a place for peace, tolerance,
international cooperation, human rights, and inclusion.
Robert de Traz coined L'esprit de Genève in his book of the
same title, where he traced the origins of this concept to
Jean Calvin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Henri Dunant. 18
At the core of EspriTech de Genève is humanism, a
philosophical and ethical approach that is centred
on human beings, individually and collectively. 19
We summarise it by the 12 values, principles, and
approaches now explained.
1. Human life and dignity
Geneva’s humanitarian tradition is focused on protecting
dignity and human life. This tradition has been revisited, as
digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) raise questions
such as:
What makes us human?
How can we protect lives and dignity?
What is the future of humanitarianism?
Protecting human life is a core value in religious texts,
political statements, and laws. In the digital realm, the
centrality of human life has been reiterated as well. For
example, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Recommendation on the
ethics of AI stresses that ‘life and death decisions’ should
not be delegated or ceded to AI systems.
In Geneva, the very question of human lives and
technological developments has come up in negotiations
on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), often
referred to as ‘killer robots’. In LAWS negotiations and
other policy processes, there is consensus that decisions
on life and death in armed conflicts should rest with
humans. Even though this consensus is sound and
strongly endorsed, it is still unclear how it will be put into
practice in a world where AI, drones, and other hightech
weapons are making war increasingly automated.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
has been working on bringing clarity to this matter via
awareness building, training, and the development of
policy guidelines.
The question of what it means to be human also becomes
more central as biological and digital technologies
like brain-machine interfaces and neural technologies
advance.
Virtual reality (VR), such as the metaverse, is another way
to alter our perception of the physical space in which
we live. Immersive VR may make our bodily experience
18
De Traz, R. (1929). L’esprit de Genève. B. Grasset.
19
The meaning of the term humanism has fluctuated according to the successive intellectual movements which have identified with it. In our research, humanism is an
approach centred on three aspects of human existence: life, dignity, and agency.
38

Why
EspriTech de Genève
less central to our identity. Human dignity will also be
affected by changes in human embodiment, and our very
identities will be altered. The development of metaverse
VR is going to raise a whole new set of questions:
What will our real identity be between virtual and
real spaces?
Will we retain free will as a key pillar of our
identity?
How will our different identities be reconciled when
AI technologies start ‘optimising’ us?
Will technology ‘tolerate’ our inherently human
imperfections?
Whether they are inside us, like implants and biotech
changes, or outside, like the metaverse, these challenges
to human embodiment and dignity will speed up
discussions about the future social contract. 20,21
L’esprit de Genève, which puts people at the centre
of technological and scientific developments, gives
Switzerland and Geneva a place for these kinds of
critical discussions.
2. Freedom and the right to choose
As a city of refuge for the persecuted and dissidents
from all over the world throughout history, freedom has
always been of great importance in Geneva.
At the core of freedom is the right to choose in
personal, economic, and political life. The ability to
choose is essential for human dignity, well-being,
and societal progress. The right to choose is realised
through freedom of movement, thought, expression,
and religious practice, among other things.
For a long time, the internet has been a major enabler of
choice by helping people overcome geographical, social,
and other limitations. 22
But digitalisation started to have a big impact on
the right to choose, from governments and tech
companies censoring and filtering online content to
more advanced ways of limiting our choices in the
name of ‘optimisation’ (the idea that AI should know
better than us what is good for us, from choosing
partners to buying goods to making political decisions).
With awareness of these risks, UNESCO called for
an assessment of the sociological and psychological
effects of AI-based recommendations on humans in
their decision-making autonomy.
20
Erin Green argues that meaningful dealing with AI should be anchored in understanding that our ‘embodied experience shapes all reasoning, both theological and technological’.
In Green, E. (2020). Sallie McFague and an Ecotheological response to artificial intelligence. The Ecumenical Review, 72(2), 183–196. doi:10.1111/erev.12502.
21 Sallie McFague puts embodiment at the centre of dealing with technological developments. In McFague, S. (1993). The body of God: An ecological theology. Fortress Press.
22
Switzerland proposed the concept of digital self-determination as a way for citizens to be empowered on all matters related to their personal data. https://via.diplomacy.edu/https://digitale-selbstbestimmung.swiss/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Digital-Self-Determination-Discussion-Paper.pdf#annotations:NeD1dFbREeyK91Pb3-CEeQ
39

Why
EspriTech de Genève
Civic space and freedom of information are also impacted
by the tendency of tech platforms to foster ‘bubbles’ and
binary atmospheres in debates framed as ‘my opinion
vs. wrong opinion’. The space for free and civic debates
has been shrinking worldwide. Critical and alternative
thinking is often missing in public debates at a time when
it is badly needed. This ideological shift creates fertile
ground for mis- and disinformation. There is a growing
need for free, neutral discussion spaces. Geneva can
provide such spaces, not only in diplomatic settings, but
also in public or academic debates.
In the digital age, many societies seek the best way to
balance individual freedom and social responsibility.
Geneva's long history since Calvin's time could be a
good example of how to do this. The rule of law and
respect for the common good could help us come up
with solutions that give people as many options as
possible while taking into account the needs of our
communities and society as a whole.
3. Openness and inclusion
Openness and inclusion have been fundamental
characteristics of Geneva for centuries. In the digital
realm, openness and inclusion flourished in the
early years of the internet, with more people getting
connected. However, these trends have been slowing
down recently, and there is a risk that they could be
reversed with the increased fragmentation of the
internet. Thus, there is a need for a renewed push for
digital openness and inclusion.
The open-source movement, for example, should play
a more important and active role in developing digital
infrastructure and apps.
Digital inclusion is more than just being connected
and accessing the internet. First, access should be
affordable. But what's even more important is that
the full use of digital potential requires the right digital
skills, content in local languages and multilingualism,
and the participation of women, youth, and other
parts of society that have been left behind in the past
or since digitalisation began.
All of these aspects of inclusion should be considered
holistically. For example, development assistance for
increasing connectivity and internet access should be
paired with aid for improving digital skills, creating
enabling environments (like policies, regulations,
and institutions), and addressing all other aspects of
inclusion in a comprehensive way.
Geneva is home to many entities that work on various
aspects of digital inclusion, such as ITU, which works on
connectivity, the WTO, and the UN Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD), which works on e-commerce
and the digital economy. Switzerland, as a well-known
donor country, has a long history of helping small and
developing countries in ways that are effective and
impactful. This convergence of International Geneva and
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Why
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Swiss development assistance could facilitate a holistic
approach to digital inclusion worldwide.
4. Diversity and subsidiarity
Diversity starts with our uniqueness compared
to other human beings: age, gender, race, culture,
religion, profession, and other aspects of our identity.
Diversity is also about our local communities, regions,
and nations. Respect for diversity is key to building a
prosperous, inclusive, and harmonious society.
As diversity nurtures innovation and creativity, it has
helped spur many digital developments. Since its
early days, the internet has been a key promoter of
diversity because it connects people from all over the
world. However, tech platforms have made it easier
for groups to form ‘echo chambers,’ or places where
people with similar views stay together and don’t hear
other ideas. Diversity in the digital world may not have
a bright future because tech companies could put
profit ahead of diversity and other non-commercial
values.
The principle of subsidiarity, which makes sure that
policy decisions are made close to the people who are
affected by them, helps support diversity. Subsidiarity
could also prevent abuses by higher-level authorities
while contributing to administrative and policy
decentralisation.
Geneva and Switzerland have a long tradition of
diversity and subsidiarity.
The Swiss federal system ensures that decisions are
made closest to the people and communities affected
by them.
5. Progress and well-being
There is but one solution to the intricate riddle of life;
to improve ourselves, and contribute to the happiness
of others. 23
Mary Shelley
Progress is driven by science and technology and aimed at
increasing the well-being of society. Support for science and
progress has had a long tradition in Geneva since Calvin’s
teachings. Voltaire and other thinkers also saw science as
a way to improve human well-being. Today, it’s no surprise
that the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), and
the University of Geneva are among the most prominent
scientific institutions in Europe and beyond.
The link between scientific progress and well-being has
been the focus of Geneva’s actors, especially in the context
of the realisation of the UN’s Agenda 2030. The scientific
community in Geneva and UN bodies and agencies have
been working together to find connections between
23
Shelley, M. (1826). The last man. London: Henry Colburn.
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
scientific breakthroughs and the sustainable development
goals (SDGs), which address problems like health, food,
poverty, climate, and more.
During the pandemic, when most societal functions
were carried out via digital networks, the link between
digitalisation and human well-being became much
clearer.
6. Trust and confidence
Trust and confidence are values that resonate strongly
with Geneva and Switzerland. This is often shown by
people's trust and confidence in the Swiss banking
system, technology, and government solutions. Some
projects, like the Swiss Digital Initiative's Trust Label
and Trust Valley, try to bring Switzerland's trust-based
tradition into the digital world.
Trust in the online domain is as important as it is offline.
It is the social glue that binds people, communities, and
countries together. It helps to improve the well-being,
success, and stability of societies by reducing conflict and
making it easier for people to work together.
There are many levels of trust and confidence in the
digital space, from trusting the technology itself to
trusting the companies that develop and provide the
services or products, to trusting the governments that
should protect our rights both online and offline.
Trust in technology, the government, and tech companies
is built through clarity about the roles and responsibilities
of digital actors, participation in the creation of digital
policy, oversight (especially of actions that could affect
rights and freedoms), and confidence-building measures
between countries and digital communities.
Technology itself – as has been argued in the case of
blockchain – could facilitate trust and confidence. While
the search for the ‘automation’ of trust continues,
Geneva and Switzerland should focus on contributing
their traditional trust capacity to discussions and
processes focused, for example, on protecting data,
ensuring cybersecurity, and finding future digital
governance solutions.
7. Peace and security
As stated in the UN Charter, and other international
agreements, peace is one of the fundamental values of
humanity.
In L’esprit de Genève, peace has a central role. Geneva has
been the place where many peace negotiations have
been conducted throughout history. It also has a vibrant
role in other activities related to peace: mediation, conflict
prevention and resolution, peace-building, etc. This
connection between peace and security can be clearly
seen in the work done by international organisations in
Geneva.
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
But peace also goes beyond security, as it is more than
just the absence of violence and conflict. Peace requires
a comprehensive approach to human development that
addresses the root causes of conflict; such an approach
would result in greater stability and less social inequality.
Digital technology impacts all phases of peace-related
activities, from focused ones dealing with conflict
resolutions, to a broader, more holistic approach to
peace. The links between peace and digitalisation are
highlighted across a wide range of activities in Geneva.
For example, the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP),
Humanitarian Dialogue, the UN Office at Geneva (UN
Geneva), and Swiss Peace have all started researching
and networking on cyber mediation. Peace is central
in debates on the cyber aspects of disarmament. The
human rights community in Geneva addresses false
information and hate speech, which are becoming more
important to international peace and security efforts.
8. Entrepreneurship and human agency
Geneva has been a trading post for centuries. It can be traced
back as far as Roman times. However, business dynamics
have taken off since Calvin's time, when he created a
theological framework that encouraged entrepreneurship.
Today, Geneva has a strong banking sector, a fastgrowing
tech industry, and a lot of innovative start-ups.
In the city’s tradition, the private sector has helped solve
social problems by supporting humanitarianism and
participating in activities that support the realisation of
the SDGs.
Geneva is home to the Geneva Foundation for Technology
Innovation (Fongit), which is one of the oldest and most
successful start-up generators in Europe. Among others,
it helps researchers from CERN, EPFL, and the University
of Geneva turn research breakthroughs into business
opportunities.
As tech companies worldwide look for the best ways
to combine entrepreneurship and social responsibility,
International Geneva has a few things that make it stand
out: the Calvinist tradition of combining entrepreneurship
and care for the community, a thriving academic and
business scene, and international governance space.
9. Environment and natural habitat
Men argue, nature acts. 24
Voltaire
The interplay between the environment and digitalisation
is being placed at the core of modern governance. The
two impact each other profoundly.
Progress and industrialisation have put a lot of stress
24
Voltaire, F. (1759) Candide, ou l’Optimisme [Candide, or Optimism]. Publisher: Cramer, Marc-Michel Rey, Jean Nourse, Lambert, and other
43

Why
EspriTech de Genève
on our environment. Because of this, the environmental
agenda has become more important than ever, with
issues like pollution, climate change, and protecting
biodiversity.
Digitalisation has both negative and positive effects on
the environment. Examples of negative effects include the
significant energy used by data servers, which account for
2% of global electricity consumption, and the extensive
exploitation of rare materials for the manufacturing of
digital products, which results in e-waste that damages
natural habitats. On the positive side, digitalisation is used
to find and track environmental problems and to model
possible solutions for climate change, ocean pollution,
overfishing, and many other problems.
In Geneva, the interplay between the environment and
digitalisation is addressed in policy discussions on climate
and weather (at the World Meteorological Organization
– WMO), climate change (the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change –IPCC), pollution (the UN Economic
Commission for Europe – UNECE), and environment (the
UN Environment Programme – UNEP – Office for Europe).
The main challenge is to promote more convergence
between environmental and digitalisation policy spaces.
10. Solidarity and the common good
Solidarity and the common good have been important
pillars of L’esprit de Genève, introduced during Calvin’s time
and carefully nurtured for centuries. This is shown not only
in the work of humanitarian organisations such as the ICRC,
but also in the support provided to the poor and migrant
populations, who are the most vulnerable part of society.
Solidarity and the common good are becoming more
important as societies around the world try to restore
social stability, which is now increasingly shaken. Restoring
social stability is not only about sorting out existing
societal problems, but also accounting for emerging
ones. Regarding to social media, online games, VR, and
other online platforms, solidarity takes a new shape and
meaning. Empathy and emotions are nurtured in different
ways in terms of both shape and depth.
We are going through a rupture in the traditional, face-toface
social and emotional bonds that people have had since
the beginning of time. The ways we engage with others and
develop emotional and social links will shape the social
fabric of tomorrow, with far-reaching consequences for
family life, law, and other aspects of society.
Common goods are tangible aspects of solidarity in society.
The concept of digital common goods (digital commons) is
increasingly brought up in discussions around software,
data, and AI. The open-source movement places common
goods at its foundation. Data and AI are talked about
as common goods that could be used for sustainable
development, to reduce inequality, and to promote social
peace.
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Why
EspriTech de Genève
11. Equality, justice, and fairness
When it comes to equality, justice, and fairness, Geneva's
religious, legal, and political traditions could be very helpful
in figuring out how to deal with the effects of digitalisation
on these three social dynamics.
Equality, justice, and fairness are important for keeping
society together and making the economy and society
work well.
Today's world isn't as fair as it could be because digital
technology tends to concentrate data and economic power
in the hands of a few. As digital growth does not ‘lift all boats
equally', many communities are being left behind.
Inequality in the digital sphere takes multiple forms, such
as unequal access to networks and devices (e.g. because
of a lack of infrastructure or money), gaps in digital skills,
and gender imbalances (e.g. men still tend to be more
represented in engineering and computer industries than
women). Digital divides are also triggered by generational
divides and language barriers.
The search for justice and dispute resolution are also
associated with Geneva’s legal institutions. In 1872, Great
Britain and the USA came to Geneva to settle their dispute
in the Alabama Arbitration, one of the first international
legal arbitrations. Geneva is also one of the key places for
companies to settle business disputes through arbitration.
The adjustment of the arbitration system to the digital
realm is gaining momentum. WIPO has set up a system for
dealing with disagreements about internet domain names.
Researchers and academics are looking for new ways
to settle online disputes, like the University of Geneva’s
Massive Online Micro Justice approach.
Since AI apps can amplify biases based on race, gender, age,
and other factors, fairness has become an important issue.
Most of the time, AI is biased because it was built using
biased data that reflects a biased reality. For example, AI
makes decisions on providing loans or prioritising patients
based on a wide range of gender, racial, and age biases.
In Geneva, fairness is addressed in policy discussions on
human rights and in research carried out by academic
institutions.
12. Compromise, trade-offs, and pragmatism
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty
is an absurd one. 25
Voltaire
Achieving a win-win solution is the holy grail of public
policy. But the reality is that we often end up with a
zero-sum outcome in which some gain and others
lose. Because digital technology has so many different
25
Voltaire. (1767). Letter to Frederic II, King of Prussia , 6th of April 1767.
45

Why
EspriTech de Genève
technological, economic, moral, and policy aspects, good
trade-offs are difficult to find.
Geneva has a long history of solving problems in a
practical way, often by compromising to find the best
trade-offs.
This part of EspriTech de Genève is particularly important
as the need for delicate trade-offs in the digital world
grows. Here are some examples:
– Freedom of expression vs. protection of public
order. The well-known debate between Article 19
(freedom of expression) and Article 27 (protection
of the public order) of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights has been extended to the internet.
It is very often discussed in the context of content
control and censorship on the internet.
– Cybersecurity vs privacy. Like security in real life,
cybersecurity may endanger some human rights,
such as the right to privacy. The balance between
cybersecurity and privacy is in constant flux,
depending on the overall global political situation.
After 9/11, with the securitisation of the global
agenda, the balance shifted towards cybersecurity.
Snowden turned it back to privacy. Currently, this
balance is in a delicate flux.
– Protection of authors’ rights vs fair use of
materials, a.k.a intellectual property, is another
‘real’ law dilemma that has taken a new perspective
in the online world.
Geneva’s traditions and current policy environment are
favourable to finding trade-offs between digitalisation’s
many and sometimes contradictory impacts on society.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of our journey through times
and spaces of relevance for the future of digitalisation
and humanity. During our journey, we gathered ideas,
concepts, and traditions that could become part of
EspriTech de Genève’s values. While each of these values
is important on its own, they are even more important
when they work together. For example, digital trust helps
bring about peace and justice, and entrepreneurship and
free will help make progress and improve people's lives.
The journey described in this text is just one of many that
humanity has taken, and is taking, in search of formulas
to deal with the impact of digitalisation on society. This
search is happening worldwide, from local communities
to national parliaments, from regional organisations to
the UN. During this search, we are slowly building a social
contract for our digital and overall future.
As the pages that follow show, Geneva can make
important, useful, and timely contributions to the search
for a social contract for our digital future and our future
in general.
46

Section 2
When
did the policy interplay
between technology
and humanity begin in
Geneva?
49

Geneva historical timeline
Calvin settles in Geneva
Birth of
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Birth of Charles Bonnet,
conceptual father of AI
1536 1712 1720
Voltaire settles in Geneva
1755
Calvin's theology had an
important impact on science,
technology, entrepreneurship,
and social cohesion. Later on,
it became Calvinism, and
hugely impacted the economic,
cultural, and political
development of the United
States.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (b. 28
June 1712, Geneva,
Switzerland), was one of the
most important philosophers
of the Enlightenment. His
most influential works include
the Discourse on Inequality and
The Social Contract.
Charles Bonnet (b. 1720,
Geneva), was a naturalist,
botanist, lawyer, philosopher,
psychologist, and a politician.
In 1769, Bonnet wrote that
'machines could be made to
imitate human intelligence'.
This insight built upon his
conceptual outline of neural
networks, the key AI
technology of our era.
François-Marie Arouet
(1694–1778), better known as
Voltaire, was one of the key
figures of the Enlightenment.
Voltaire lived in Geneva and the
neighbouring village
Ferney-Voltaire, named after
him, from 1755 until his death in
1778. His major works include
Candide, Philosophical Letters,
and Treatise on Toleration.
Voltaire remains the icon of
Enlightenment philosophy
centred on reason, critical
thinking, and scientific inquiry.
ITU established
ICRC established
Birth of
Ferdinand de Saussure
Mary Shelly starts writing
Frankenstein in Villa Diodati
1865
1863
1857
1816
The International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) is a UN
specialised agency for
information and communications
technologies (ICTs)
comprising 193 member states
and over 900 companies,
universities, and international
and regional organisations.
Established in 1863, the
International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) is an
independent international
humanitarian organisation
headquartered in Geneva.
The ICRC is part of the
International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement,
along with the International
Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
and 192 National Societies.
Ferdinand de Saussure was a
Geneva-born linguist, whose
book Course in General
Linguistics (1916) became the
cornerstone of modern
linguistics. Saussure’s work on
language and systems laid the
basis for natural language
processing (NLP) and modern
AI.
Mary Shelley, the British writer,
started writing Frankenstein in
1816 in Villa Diodati in Geneva.
She believed that science and
technology could improve the
human condition and bring
about a utopia. However, she
also recognised the potential for
the abuse and misuse of these
new technologies. As such,
Shelley raised important
questions about the ethics of
progress and the responsible
use of scientific knowledge.
50

WHO founded
IEC headquartered
in Geneva
1948 1948
ISO headquartered
in Geneva
1949
WTO founded
1995
The World Health
Organization (WHO) is a
specialised agency of the UN
whose role is to direct and
co-ordinate international
health developments within
the UN system. WHO is
increasingly involved in
dealing with digital issues,
particularly focusing on the
role of digital technologies in
the attainment of health and
well-being globally.
Founded in 1906, the
International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) is the
world’s leading organisation
for the development of
international standards for all
electrical and electronic
technologies. IEC’s
standardisation work is
advanced by nearly 20,000
experts from government,
industry, commerce, research,
academia, and other
stakeholder groups.
The International Organization
for Standardization (ISO)
is a non-governmental
international organisation
composed of 165 national
standard-setting bodies
that are either part of
governmental institutions,
or mandated by their
respective governments.
The World Trade Organization
(WTO) is an intergovernmental
organisation that deals with the
rules of trade between its
members. Its main functions
include: administering WTO trade
agreements; providing a forum for
trade negotiations; settling trade
disputes; monitoring national
trade policies; providing technical
assistance and training for
developing countries; and
ensuring cooperation with other
international organisations.
GESDA established
GIP established
IGF established
WSIS in Geneva
2019
2014
2006
2003
The aim of the Geneva Science
and Diplomacy Anticipator
(GESDA) is to leverage the
International Geneva
ecosystem to anticipate,
accelerate and translate into
concrete actions the use of
emerging science-driven
topics. GESDA organises an
annual Geneva Science and
Diplomacy Anticipation
Summit and produces the
Science Breakthrough Radar.
The Geneva Internet Platform
(GIP), initiated by the Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs
(FDFA) and the Federal Office
of Communications (OFCOM)
of Switzerland in 2014,
provides a neutral and
inclusive space for digital
policy debates, recognised by
the majority of global actors
as a platform where different
views can be voiced. The GIP is
operated by DiploFoundation.
The Internet Governance
Forum (IGF) was established by
the Tunis Agenda of the World
Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS), as a forum for
multistakeholder policy
dialogue. Its mandate is to
discuss public policy issues
related to key elements of
internet governance, in order
to foster the sustainability,
robustness, security, stability,
and development of the
internet.
WSIS was a two-phase UN
conference which took place in
2003 in Geneva and 2005 in Tunis.
WSIS Forums have taken place
periodically since then. There were
two major outcomes of the Geneva
Summit – the Geneva Declaration
of Principles and the Working
Group on Internet Governance
(WGIG).
51

Section 3
What
digital technologies
and policy issues are
dealt with in Geneva?
53

What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
Digital Technologies and Policy Topics
The Geneva Digital Atlas provides cross-cutting coverage of digital technologies and
governance issues as they are addressed by Geneva-based organisations. In this
section, you will find a survey of what these issues are.
Digital Technologies
Digital technologies are electronic tools, systems,
devices, and resources that can be used to create, store,
or process data for different purposes.
Most of these technologies are intertwined through
their combined use. For instance, data underpins
artificial intelligence (AI), while internet platforms
and applications facilitate the use of certain digital
technologies.
Internet platforms and applications
Internet platforms and applications shape most of our
daily digital experiences, from social media networks to
email, websites, and e-commerce platforms. They are
also the space where some of society’s most prevalent
policy challenges take place, including data breaches,
attacks on privacy, and the spread of misinformation
and hate speech.
A few main protocols enable the functioning of the
internet and its platforms and applications. The
transport control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP)
connects different networks and ensures the flow of
data. HyperText Markup Language (HTML) facilitates the
management and display of information on websites,
social media networks, and e-commerce platforms,
among others.
Cloud computing
Cloud computing offers ubiquitous access to data and
services from any device with an internet connection.
The first wave of cloud computing started with the
use of email servers (Gmail, Yahoo!, etc.), social media
applications (Facebook, Twitter, etc.,) and online
applications (wikis, blogs, online collaborative docs,
etc.). Nowadays, more and more of our digital assets
are moving from our hard disks to the cloud. Apart
from everyday applications, cloud computing is used
extensively for business software. Employing their
large server farms, tech giants such as Apple, Amazon,
Google, and Microsoft are among the main cloud
computing players in the private sector.
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What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
Given its relevance to digital activities and society, cloud
computing is considered part of the critical information
infrastructure. It is directly impacted by policy
processes related to security, privacy, data localisation,
standardisation, and interoperability.
Artificial intelligence
AI refers to a combination of data and algorithms
to perform certain tasks or replicate certain specific
behaviours that normally require human intelligence,
such as visual perception, speech recognition, and
decision-making. AI is an umbrella concept that
includes machine learning, neural networks, speech
processing, and robotics. The common element across
different types of AI are algorithms, i.e. computer codes
carrying the necessary instructions to process data into
information, knowledge, and creative insights.
AI is used in internet services (such as search engines,
social media platforms, e-commerce), manufacturing,
transportation, agriculture, healthcare, and many other
areas. AI is a multifaceted phenomenon with significant
potential for good. However, it can also pose risks to
human rights and safety, and generate labour market
disruptions and other societal issues.
In the field of security, AI empowers lethal
autonomous weapons systems (LAWS); this carries
enormous consequences for the conduct of war
and for humanitarian law. In law, AI automates court
proceedings in many countries. In human rights, AI may
impact humans’ right to free choice in social, economic,
and political life. In the economy, AI facilitates new
business models and furthers the automation of labour.
In medicine, AI has fostered life-altering innovations.
Virtual and augmented reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a set of applications and tools that
simulate the physical environment through digitally
generated images, sounds, and even touch and smell.
Augmented reality (AR) enables users to view the realworld
environment with augmented (added) elements
generated by digital devices (e.g. smartphones).
Major investments by big tech companies in the
metaverse (virtual reality) are likely to make AR and VR
ubiquitous and highly immersive. The shift between
the real and the virtual will be seamless. It will alter
our perception of physical reality with numerous
impacts on personal identity, law, and overall societal
organisation. 1
1
The potential impact of VR/AR on society can be seen in the way that online games affect children and youth.
55

What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
Blockchain
Blockchain is built around a decentralised record of
transactions in the form of a ledger, copies of which are
distributed among users (or nodes). Through distributed
technology and cryptography for the verification of
transactions, blockchain relays trust from a single central
authority to the entire involved community, replacing
traditional structures. Transactions are validated by
all nodes simultaneously, and the transactions are
protected against tampering and revision. The more
digital eyes around the transactions, the lower the
chance of fraud. Cryptography provides a highly reliable
automated system of validating transactions instead of
relying on humans.
Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, are the
best-known applications of blockchain technologies.
Blockchain has also been applied to facilitating free and
fair elections, documenting supply chain performance
for increased efficiency, and facilitating transparent
property transactions.
Blockchain has potential applications and impacts for
security, in the context of the growing demand for
verifiable and reliable information; law, in support of
preserving legal evidence; the economy, via its potential
to develop reliable and inclusive financial mechanisms;
government, in helping reduce administrative burdens,
and health, with its potential to more effectively handle
protected data. In these fields and many others, we are
just starting to witness the full potential of blockchain
applications.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology covers many convergences between
digital technologies and biology with numerous potential
uses: the discovery of new drugs; gene editing, which
is the insertion, deletion, modification, or replacement
of DNA in the genome of a living organism, which has
the potential to correct genetic defects to fight certain
medical syndromes; and brain-machine interfaces (also
called brain-computer interfaces), which allow direct
communication between the human brain and external
devices with a mix of potentials for the treatment of
health problems and the mitigation of major risks from
the possibility of hacking human characteristics and
actions.
Nanotechnology supports the development of devices
on a very small scale, using atoms and molecules. In
addition to applications in medicine for the delivery
of drugs to specific cells or organs, nanotechnology is
used in the hardware industry to develop smaller and
smarter sensors and more compact microprocessors.
In environmental protection, it finds applications in
detecting impurities in water and cleaning up pollutants
and other uses that might help control climate change.
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What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
The internet of things
The IoT offers a new generation of internet-connected
devices and has the potential to significantly impact
environmental monitoring, agriculture, and disaster
recovery, among others. IoT applications include
consumer electronics (internet-connected smart
devices and automated or connected home appliances),
vehicles (including self-driving cars), municipal
infrastructure (smart cities and smart houses, which
connect in wide systems), and medical devices (which,
for instance, allow medical professionals and patients
to monitor health issues).
Other sectors that use IoT technology include energy,
infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing. IoT
devices and systems are often empowered by sensors
that collect a lot of data, which triggers many questions
on data ownership and protection.
The main issues related to the IoT are security (which
looks at the vulnerability of smart devices, and the
need for security by design and default practices);
infrastructure (including standards and protocols);
privacy issues (including access to, misuse of, and the
protection of data); and issues related to emerging
technologies (such as drones, driverless cars, and 3D
printing of human organs).
Quantum computing
Quantum technology powers the shift from storing
and processing information in binary 0 and 1 states
to quantum bits (qubits) that can represent 0 and 1 at
the same time, reducing the time needed to process a
data set. Today’s computing systems, although having
significantly improved decade after decade, can only
solve problems up to a certain size and complexity.
Larger and more complex issues require advanced
processing capabilities, and quantum computing
promises to offer these.
The potential for quantum computing is often seen in
the following fields: secure communication via secure
cryptographic key exchange with major applications
in health, military, financial, and other areas of major
concerns for the security of data exchanges; powerful
computing that can bring about a new level of AI and
other technologies that require enormous processing
power; and measuring and censoring that can increase
the high precision required in medical research and
treatment, such as neural surgery.
While it remains to be seen if and how all of this potential
will be realised, quantum computing is attracting
significant research support from governments and
venture capital investment.
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What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
3D printing
3D printing enables the fabrication of diverse objects,
from those we use every day, such as household items,
medical prosthetics and implants, and even entire
houses. 3D printing opens new economic possibilities
for automated manufacturing with far-reaching
consequences on the labour market. It also poses new
security risks, such as the possibility to print weapons.
As a relatively new technological field, 3D printing
lacks globally adopted standards that can facilitate the
interoperability of the various 3D printing systems and
platforms. Legally speaking, 3D printing opens new
issues related to intellectual property rights in the chain
from designing to printing 3D objects (especially based
on 2D blueprints and designs), and the regulation of
trade that involves only electronic transactions as it will
be the consumer who prints the physical goods.
5G networks
5G, the fifth-generation mobile network technology,
provides more bandwidth and faster transfer of data.
Compared to previous generations of mobile networks,
5G comes with significant improvements in speed,
latency, and bandwidth, enabling the real-time remote
control of automated processes and the greater
optimisation of network traffic.
5G is likely to unlock further potential of the IoT, AI, and
other advanced technologies described in this section.
For example, it can support a massive sensor network
with thousands of simultaneous connections, which
prior generations of mobile networks could not come
close to hosting.
Infrastructure
Digital Policy Topics
The COVID-19 pandemic has vividly shown that digital
infrastructure is the critical infrastructure of modern
society. 2 Many vital services from food supply to health
assistance and education were delivered online.
As our lives shifted online during the lockdowns, the
importance of a safe and running internet increased.
The smooth operation of the internet infrastructure
relies on three main layers: (a) the telecommunication
layer, which carries all digital traffic, for example, a
medium like fibre cables or wireless signals; (b) the
technical standards (internet) layer, which enables
computers and networks to communicate with each
2
On the Common Heritage of Mankind and the internet’s critical infrastructure, see the statement by Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona, Malta.
58

What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
other and exchange data (TCP/IP); (c) the content
and standards layer, which enables computers to
communicate with users, including, for example, HTML
for web browsing.
The telecommunication layer encompasses a wide
range of technologies and systems that carry digital
traffic, including landline and mobile telephone
networks, power grids, undersea cables, and satellite
links. Frontier technologies in this field include 5G
mobile networks, innovative wireless solutions, such as
low-orbit satellite networks providing access to remote
areas, and smarter use of unused frequencies in the
radio spectrum (e.g. white spaces). With the fast growth
of the internet, the telecommunications infrastructure
has expanded and continues to expand with more
cables and satellites providing increased bandwidth
and speed.
The internet layer ensures the flow of data among
internet applications. This flow is enabled by TCP/IP and
other standards set by IETF. Given the core relevance
of these standards to the internet, they are carefully
and constantly reviewed by IETF. Any changes to TCP/
IP require extensive prior discussion and proof that
they are an effective solution (i.e. the ‘running code’
principle).
Internet protocol (IP) numbers are unique numeric
addresses that every device connected to the internet
must have; each address specifies how to reach a
network location (e.g. a website) via the internet routing
system. Generally speaking, no two devices connected
to the internet can have the same IP address.
One of the main challenges to the system is the
depleting pool of IP version 4 (IPv4) numbers and the
slow transition to version 6 (IPv6). The pressure for a
swift transition towards IPv6 will continue to increase as
users demand more IP numbers due to each user using
more devices, as well as future IP number needs for IoTconnected
devices. There are also ongoing discussions
– within the technical community and standard-setting
organisations – about the need to upgrade TCP/IP in
order to handle new digital developments.
The content and application layer is the top layer, which
facilitates development and uses web applications,
apps, and other tools. The user experience of digital
technology comes through apps and web pages on this
layer.
The main standard for running the web is HTML, which
is managed by the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3).
At the content and application layer, digital policy takes
greater prominence, including content policy, dealing
with fake news, and filtering hate speech.
Accessibility for people with disabilities is also managed
at the content and application layer of the internet
infrastructure.
59

What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
Security and safety
The vulnerability of the internet is the vulnerability
of modern society. With more than 3 billion users,
the internet is the critical infrastructure of today’s
society. The financial sector, governmental services,
the security sector, schools, hospitals, and citizens are
increasingly and irreversibly dependent on the internet.
A cyberattack on a hospital during a pandemic crisis
could result in the loss of human lives, while attacks
on financial institutions could destabilise the entire
economy of a country.
However, security has mostly been an afterthought
since the early days of the internet as many marketdriven
tech companies have employed a ‘release now,
patch later’ approach. The growing use of cyberspace
by state and non-state actors for malicious purposes
threatens peace and security, trust in the digital
economy and services, and the potential for the digital
transformation of societies and economies.
Security risks for citizens, companies, and countries are
interrelated. Vulnerabilities exploited by criminals can
easily slide into a military arsenal and vice versa. Thus,
effective digital security requires a holistic approach to
better tackle the interplays between security, economic
development, human rights, as well as sociocultural
and infrastructural aspects.
Four main sets of topics are covered in security
and safety online: international peace and security,
cybercrime, child safety online, and online violent
extremism.
International peace and security
As countries invest in defensive and offensive cyber
capabilities, their impact on international peace and
security is intensively discussed. These capabilities range
from developing cyber tools to attack the information
security of other parties or protect from such attacks,
to leveraging technologies such as AI, robotics, and 3D
printing in the context of military operations. It is in
this context that cyber conflicts and responsible state
behaviour in cyberspace are now placed high on the
agendas of regional and international organisations, as
states attempt to agree on key issues such as conduct
in cyber conflicts (How can existing international law be
applied to cyberspace? Should new legal instruments
be developed as well?); humanitarian law (How can
the Geneva Conventions be applied to cyber conflicts?
Should new instruments be devised?); and weapons and
disarmament (How can cyberweapons be introduced
into the disarmament process?).
Digital technologies also impact the use of nuclear
technology and associated risks. Another area of
security and safety concerns is the use of facial
recognition technology (FRT) and biometrics. The use of
60

What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
FRT without proper checks and balances, and outside
the rule of law, can lead to mass surveillance and the
violation of human rights.
Cybercrime
Cybercrime is a crime committed via the internet and
computer systems. One category of cybercrime is
the that affecting the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of data and computer systems. It includes
unauthorised access to computer systems, illegal
interception of data transmissions, data interference
(damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration of
suppression of data), system interference (the hindering
without right of the functioning of a computer or other
device), forgery, fraud, and identity theft.
Other types of cybercrimes are content-related
and involve the production, offering, distribution,
procurement, and possession of online content deemed
as illegal according to national laws. Examples include
online child sexual abuse material, material advocating
a terrorist-related act, extremist material (material
encouraging hate, violence or acts of terrorism), and
cyberbullying (engaging in offensive, menacing, or
harassing behaviour through the use of technology).
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol,
and various other organisations coordinate a wide range
of activities against cybercrime, and tech companies
are also active participants in fighting cybercrime and
making cyberspace more stable and secure.
Child safety online
Combating online child sexual abuse and exploitation is
the most developed area of international cooperation
against cybercrime. Many efforts focus on education
and awareness raising to increase the safety of users, in
particular children (who make up a third of online users),
and to prevent cybercrime, scams, and cyberbullying.
The protection of children online summons the most
intensive international cooperation in the digital
policy field, involving tech companies, civil society,
governments, and international organisations.
Online violent extremism
Violent extremism online can be defined as the
use of the internet to promote terrorist causes and
recruit terrorists. Terrorists use online propaganda to
radicalise or recruit supporters and new members, and
even to inspire ‘lone wolf attacks’. Online propaganda
also contributes to the main goal of terrorist activities:
fomenting fear in society.
The online distribution of terrorist propaganda and
violent extremist content has become a recurring theme
in international politics, as well as a cause of concern
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What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
for internet companies. Terrorist groups have mastered
the use of the internet for propaganda, attempting to
win the ‘information war’, especially through social
media campaigns.
Human rights
‘The same rights that people have offline must also
be protected online’ is a widely accepted principle
in human rights law. Online, like offline, the value of
freedom, as an expression of the singularity of each
human being, is respected when every member of
society is permitted to fulfil their vocation; seek truth
and profess their religious, cultural, and political ideas;
express their opinions; choose their state of life and, as
far as possible, their line of work; and pursue initiatives
of an economic, social, or political nature.
The impact of digital technology on human rights is
mixed. Whereas the digital realm has opened new
possibilities for the advancement of human rights
and freedoms, it has also triggered and amplified
infringements of the very same rights. Our fundamental
rights are now subject to increased risks. To illustrate
this mixed impact of digitalisation, social networking
platforms have facilitated the exercise of our right to
freedom of expression and information, but have also
enabled censorship and violence against journalists.
Data protection and the right to privacy have come
into sharper focus following the revelation of the
extensive amassing and use of personal data by social
media and other tech companies. The right to privacy
underpins other rights and freedoms, including the
freedoms of expression, association, and belief.
Moreover, the use of surveillance technologies that
gather our sensitive information has made the
exercising of our right to privacy increasingly complex.
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),
which came into force in May 2018, has strengthened
data protection and privacy worldwide by inspiring new
policy conversations and the adoption of new laws.
Data protection and/vs privacy
Privacy is usually defined as the right of citizens to
control their personal information and decide whether
to disclose it. Data protection is a legal mechanism
that ensures privacy. Privacy is a fundamental right,
recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR), and many other international
and regional human rights conventions. Data protection
discussions usually revolve around communication
privacy (no surveillance of communication) and
information privacy (the right of individuals to
determine the handling of their personal data). Given
the centrality of personal data in issues such as privacy
and consumer protection, the topics of big data,
e-commerce and digital business models, freedom of
expression, AI, the IoT, and emerging technologies are
very relevant to this right.
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What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
Freedom of expression is one of the fundamental
human rights, enshrined in several international and
regional human rights instruments. The internet,
with the opportunities it offers people to express
themselves, is an enabler of the exercise of this right.
However, online freedom of expression has also been
a contentious policy area in recent years. The right is
being curtailed through content control, censorship,
and surveillance.
Gender rights online address a major gender gap that
digital developments have amplified. Fewer women
access the internet than men, particularly in developing
regions. In addition, tech industry jobs, especially
decision-making positions in tech, are mostly held
by men. Gender rights online are also important for
containing increasing online violence against women
and girls.
The rights of people with disabilities have been
strengthened with new online tools and services that
can overcome disability barriers. Yet, there are still
major obstacles due to the limited accessibility of some
platforms and tools. The main framework for digital
cooperation is provided by the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities.
The right to be forgotten derives from the right to
erasure, a long-standing principle in EU data protection
laws. In 2014, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU)
extended this right to what is known today as the ‘right
to be de-indexed’. Users can request platforms to deindex
names (i.e. remove them from search results) in
63
justifiable circumstances. The right to be forgotten is
now also regulated by the EU GDPR. In other regions,
several countries (such as Indonesia and South Korea)
have codified this right into law. Court cases have also
been interpreting and applying this right to other online
spaces, such as online company registries and court
databases.
Children’s rights online are of high importance as
one-third of internet users are under 18 years of age.
The human rights approach introduced a new angle
to the previously predominant focus on child security
and safety. The main international instrument is the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
The rights of the elderly online are gaining new
relevance as, by 2035, the number of people over 65
is expected to outnumber those under the age of 18
worldwide. Online technologies can help the elderly
live independent, autonomous, dignified lives, improve
their emotional well-being, and increase their access to
education and lifelong learning.
Legal and regulatory
This cluster includes topics that have a strong legal
component, from data governance and jurisdiction, to
intellectual property rights and arbitration. The topics
interact with other digital policy issues, and, similarly,
legal aspects are prevalent in most internet governance
and digital policy discussions.

What
Digital Technologies and
Policy Topics
Data governance
Data has come into sharper public focus due to its
relevance for personal freedom and agency, economic
activities, and political life. Countries have started
considering data as a national asset. The flow and
storage of data have fast become a geopolitical issue.
Data governance has therefore climbed political
agendas worldwide. The regulation of data technologies
is shaped by policies and laws on security, privacy,
data localisation, standardisation, and interoperability.
The question of jurisdiction over data is becoming
particularly important as authorities around the world
request access to data held on cloud servers beyond
their national jurisdiction. Increasingly, countries are
pushing for data localisation (i.e. requiring domestic
and foreign companies to store data of residents within
national borders), especially when it comes to sensitive
data.
Jurisdiction
Every country has the right to exercise jurisdiction over
its citizens, territory, and subject matter. However,
the relationship between jurisdiction and the internet
has been ambiguous, because the internet is global.
Jurisdiction depends predominantly on the geographical
division of the world into national territories, while the
internet facilitates considerable cross-border exchange,
which is difficult (although not impossible) to monitor
via traditional government mechanisms. The question
of jurisdiction of the internet highlights one central
dilemma: How is it possible to ‘anchor’ the internet
within existing legal and political geographies?
Intellectual property rights
Knowledge and ideas are core resources in the global
economy. Their protection, through intellectual
property rights, has become a key issue in internet
governance debates. For instance, the traditional
concept of copyright has been challenged in numerous
ways, from the simple ‘cutting and pasting’ of texts from
the internet to activities such as the mass distribution
of music and video materials online.
The protection of trademarks in the context of domain
name registrations was one of the early internet
governance issues attracting the attention of the private
sector. AI advancements have brought into focus new
issues such as whether an AI system can or should be
recognised as a creator and granted certain intellectual
property rights.
Liability of intermediaries
Internet intermediaries play a key role in our daily use
of the internet and comprise a wide range of actors,
including internet access providers, hosting providers,
search engines, e-commerce platforms, and social
networking platforms. Given that intermediaries
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What
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Policy Topics
facilitate the flow of third-party information online,
they are often at the centre of legal disputes involving
copyright infringement, the distribution of illegal and
harmful content online, and freedom of expression
breaches.
Intermediaries are the most direct ways for
governments and courts to enforce laws in the digital
space. From a legal perspective, intermediaries can
be held liable for third-party illegal content in many
contexts, including across jurisdictions. To avoid legal
responsibility for internet users’ activities, some
intermediaries – such as hosting providers and search
engines – have started introducing certain controls for
third-party content.
Development
Development and technology have been twins of
progress for centuries. More technology has often led
to greater overall societal development. The record of
tech-driven progress is impressive in many segments,
from improving our well-being to more innovations and
economic growth.
While technology has contributed to alleviating poverty
and improving the well-being of many, it has posed
risks to society. For example, technologies like AI may
challenge the centrality of human beings in the growth
of society and, consequently, the relevance of progress.
As the singularity movement argues, humans may
have to share their unique rule with artificial systems.
Progress may take on a different shape, becoming more
of an ethical issue than a technological one.
Access and the digital divide
The digital divide can be defined as a rift between
those who have access and the capability to use digital
technology, and those who, for technical, political,
social, or economic reasons, do not.
The COVID-19 crisis exacerbated digital divides. Many
communities in rural, remote, and low-income areas
remained unconnected as the rest of the world shifted
online. Already achieved levels of access to education,
health, and markets deteriorated as they remained
disconnected.
Inclusion and inequalities
Inclusion starts with access to networks as a
precondition of all other inclusions. But it is far from
being sufficient. It is also important to foster locally
created content, in familiar languages (which are often
different from the official national language). Content
also needs to be adjusted to the local cultural context,
to enable individuals to perceive the usefulness and
relevance of connecting to the internet.
Inclusion has other aspects including financial
inclusion, i.e. access to affordable, useful, and trusted
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financial and banking services, and economic inclusion,
i.e. participation of all individuals, groups, and
communities in the labour market, and equal access
to entrepreneurship opportunities and other business
activities in the digital economy. Policy inclusion
requires the development of individual and institutional
capacities to formulate and execute policy initiatives
around issues of concern of specific communities, such
as women, the elderly, or youth. 3
Digital technology tends to amplify existing socioeconomic
inequalities, as we have seen during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Many communities in rural, remote,
and low-income areas have remained unconnected
as most of our economic and social life has shifted
online. Without access to the internet, people in such
communities are unable to participate in vital activities
on digital networks.
Capacity development
Capacity development is often defined as the
improvement of knowledge, skills, and institutions
for the effective use of resources and opportunities.
When it comes to internet and digital-related matters,
capacity development comprises both the development
of individual competences (skills and abilities to
meaningfully use digital technologies, including
digital literacy, privacy safeguards, etc.) and the
strengthening of institutional capacities (in particular
for the deployment of infrastructures and technologies,
policymaking, and implementation). The effectiveness
of digital policy and governance depends greatly on the
capacity of nations, organisations, and individuals to
meaningfully participate in policy processes.
Sustainable development
As digital technologies transform industries, economies,
and societies, the concept of sustainable development
is becoming all the more relevant. As enablers, the
internet, AI, the IoT, and other technologies can help
bridge digital divides, tackle global challenges such as
poverty and climate change, and accelerate human
well-being. But digital transformation also increases
inequalities and disrupts social cohesion. It is therefore
a joint responsibility of all actors – public, private, and
civil society – to mitigate and minimise the adverse
effects of technology and ensure that it is the driving
force behind sustainable development.
3
Inclusion often boils down to the simple participation of a few missing actors in the events. Very often, it does not imply the representation of these
communities. Thus, genuine representation would require much more bottom-up capacity development and discussions, which should probably take
place first at the national level, associations (e.g. student unions, associations of indigenous groups), etc. The conclusions of these discussions would
feed into the global debate (individuals travelling to events would be carrying a more mature message forward, due to previous discussions). This is
clearly stated by advocacy groups for persons with disabilities: Nothing about us without us.
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Digital and environment
Digitalisation has a multifaceted impact on nature and
the environment. While technologies such as AI and big
data can monitor and preserve endangered species on
land or detect overfishing practices and pollution levels
in ocean habitats, rapid digital transformation comes
at a cost to our environment. In part, the answer to
this challenge lies in developing technologies that are
sustainable by design to help move the needle towards
a more sustainable and circular economy.
The nexus between environment and digital can be
observed in the following aspects of environmental
policy: atmosphere, biodiversity, climate change,
energy consumption, food and agriculture, land and
deforestation, oceans and seas, use of rare materials,
pollution and e-waste, and water. However, three
policy areas stand out and cover the lifecycle of digital
products and infrastructure: energy consumption
and its relationship to climate change, raw material
extraction and e-waste, and the pursuit of a circular
economy.
Impact of digital growth on energy consumption
and climate change. Digital technology consumes
significant amounts of energy. This is even more so
the case with the latest tech developments, such as AI,
blockchain, and cryptocurrency. Digitalisation’s demand
for energy will only grow as more integrated systems
emerge, especially as 5G and the IoT are adopted and
developed. Thus, there is a need for action aimed at
both reducing energy consumption and ensuring it
comes from renewable sources.
E-waste and the use of raw and rare earth materials.
Digital hardware uses a lot of raw and rare earth
materials, particularly when it comes to the production
of microprocessors, cameras, batteries, and electronic
displays.
The use of raw and rare earth materials has a twofold
impact on the environment. First, their extraction
process is toxic and expensive. ‘Rare’ is not related to
their availability in nature, but rather their toxic and
expensive extraction process. Second, the recycling of
raw and rare earth materials has become a significant
issue when it comes to digital products, resulting in
significant amounts of so-called e-waste. Of the over
50 million tons of e-waste generated annually; only
around 20% is recycled, while the rest is landfilled or
incinerated, degrading our earth, air, and water. This is
a long-term threat to human nature, as heavy metals
such as mercury, lead, bromine, and arsenic seep into
the soil and groundwater.
Inequality is inherent to current e-waste practices as
most e-waste is sent to developing countries, meaning
that the greatest consumers of digital products
(developed countries) are largely spared its adverse
effects. To this end, both the production and disposal
of raw and rare materials open a wide range of
environmental and human rights issues.
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Circular economy as a holistic solution for digital
technology and the environment. The circular
economy is often considered an integral solution that
can protect the environment while maximising the use
and potential of digital technologies.
It opens new possibilities, including reducing pressure
on the environment, improving the security of the
supply of raw materials, increasing competitiveness,
stimulating innovation, boosting economic growth, and
creating jobs.
Sustainable by design and circular economy approaches
are essential in reducing the impacts associated with
digital products. Far greater efforts must be made
in ensuring the longevity of digital products and the
effective recycling of such products.
Economy
The impact of digitalisation on the economy is crosscutting
and profound. On the one hand, digital
technology is a major enabler of economic dynamism.
Humankind can use technology to boost innovation,
increase consumer choices, and enhance human wellbeing.
In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the
digital industry played an important role in providing
critical services for society, from the delivery of food to
online learning and work.
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On the other hand, the benefits of the digital economy
– in terms of productivity and labour opportunities, for
instance – are neither as big nor as evenly distributed
as often claimed.
There is a persistent concentration of digital assets,
such as data sets, in the hands of certain large
technology companies located in a few jurisdictions,
and market forces alone have not been able to ensure
the structural change and technological upgrading of
developing countries.
In addition, the centralisation of the economic power of
tech companies increases as digitalisation penetrates
other segments of the economy, from services to
manufacturing, transportation, and traditional retail.
Through mergers and acquisitions, large companies
are consolidating further across sectors, and the data
they amass in each sector gives them even more of
an edge. Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet (Google),
Meta, Tencent, and Alibaba are increasingly investing in
all parts of the global data value chain: data collection
through platform services; data transmissions through
submarine cables and satellites; data storage (data
centres); and data analysis, processing, and use.
Competition policy and anti-monopoly
Market regulators worldwide from Beijing to Brussels
and Washington DC are trying to curb the market
domination of tech monopolies and ensure the vibrancy
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What
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The tech sector is prone to concentrating economic
power naturally as it benefits from the networking
effect by which each additional user adds to the value
of companies exponentially. New users also trigger the
data-network effect. Companies use data to attract more
users, who then generate more data, which in turn
helps improve services, and ultimately, attract more
users. This dynamic creates new market distortions, in
particular through the use of data and AI.
The main underlying challenge is that the data network
effect creates natural monopolies that strengthen
consolidation and concentration in the digital economy
and distort market competition.
In dealing with digital antitrust cases, market
competition authorities worldwide enter uncharted
terrain, facing a number of challenges.
First, the current competition regulatory mechanisms
are very slow. Taking five years or more to issue a
decision in a competition case, for instance, is almost an
eternity compared to the fast-changing digital industry.
Second, competition authorities have to gather a lot of
evidence to justify antitrust measures. A case in point
is preemptive mergers, where dominant firms may
swallow up their future rivals. As the latter often have
not sold anything or are operating in a very limited
market niche, no data can be brought to bear on a
decision and so such mergers cannot be challenged.
Third, most small and developing countries are unable
to drive competition policy in the digital realm mainly
due to a lack of capacity in the field of digital regulation.
But the absence of adequate competition policy could
endanger their economic and social stability, as many
local and traditional brick-and-mortar businesses might
be overtaken by global tech giants. Competition policy
can support gradual and well-managed economic
transitions and could facilitate the growth of digital
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in small
and developing economies.
Taxation
Three major developments have put taxation in the
focus of digital policy.
First, governments worldwide are searching for new
fiscal streams to supplement countries’ budgets hit
by public deficits and austerity measures, particularly
after the 2008 financial crisis.
Second, traditional industries, such as advertising and
retail, are increasingly digitalised and often operating
beyond national jurisdictions, leading to shrinking fiscal
revenues for governments.
Third, the tech industry tends to shift profits offshore
to avoid paying taxes in the countries that host their
economic activities.
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The traditional model of taxation is based on the
jurisdiction where tech companies are legally in
corporated. For example, in Europe, many tech
companies are legally incorporated in Ireland, which
is, therefore, also the country where they are taxed.
However, this model is not sustainable as many
countries require taxation in jurisdictions where value
is generated, which is where the users of tech services
are located.
At the global level, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) is the main policy
space for addressing international digital taxation
issues. The 1998 OECD Ottawa Principles, the main
international document on digital taxation, specifies
that offline tax regulations apply online. In October
2021, over 140 countries agreed to a new set of global
tax rules jointly developed by the OECD and the G20.
Trade and e-commerce
Global flows of goods, services, and money have
historically underpinned economic and social
development. These flows have been transported
in many ways: in ships across oceans, in chariots on
ancient highways, in trucks over paved roads, and by
cargo planes. In the twenty-first century, global flows
are increasingly carried by datagrams – packets of
digital information flowing through fibre-optic cables.
The most visible interfaces connecting individuals to
global flows are digital platforms.
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Amazon and Alibaba are the world’s largest e-commerce
companies, maintaining enormous market shares.
Platforms facilitate access to market information and
reduce transaction costs for consumers. They can
democratise e-commerce by facilitating access to the
global market for micro, small, and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) as well. Nevertheless, many MSMEs face
obstacles in accessing these platforms. It may also
be difficult for MSMEs to compete with the products
offered by the platforms themselves.
In a post-pandemic scenario, the shift towards
e-commerce is considered an opportunity to boost
economic recovery. Nevertheless, the acceleration
of e-commerce has occurred mostly in developed
economies and relatively high-income developing
economies.
Even though the pandemic has pushed more
consumers in developing countries to buy online, many
e-commerce businesses in these countries have seen
a slump in sales due to the sharp fall in disposable
income.
SMEs and retail businesses were less able to scale up
their processes and respond to increased demand for
online shopping for goods and services. At the same
time, big internet companies – whose business models
are data-intensive – have seen their profits rise. The
disparity regarding internet usage growth during the
pandemic corroborates the magnitude of the digital
divide.

What
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The uneven digital leap forward taken by many
industries and countries risks widening the gap
between the technological haves and have-nots,
threatening to further damage social cohesion and
global cooperation. In this scenario, international and
regulatory cooperation is of key importance not only to
facilitate seamless cross-border trade but also to foster
inclusion in the digital economy.
Trade agreements create an enabling environment
for e-commerce, but they also result in significant
redistribution and create winners and losers. The
influence of a few countries from the developed
world on agenda-setting and norms-making, and the
influence of private sector groups on the formulation
of trade policy suggest that concentration trends could
be reinforced, both in terms of economic and political
power. Without proactive policies to tackle the digital
and data divides, social and economic inequalities are
likely to increase.
Consumer protection
Consumer trust is one of the main preconditions for the
success of e-commerce. E-commerce is still relatively new
and consumers are not as confident in it as they are in realworld
shopping. Consumer protection is an important
legal method for developing trust in e-commerce.
E-commerce regulation should protect customers in a
number of areas, such as online handling of payment
card information, misleading advertising, or delivery of
defective products.
A new idiosyncrasy of e-commerce is the
internationalisation of consumer protection, which is
not a vital issue in traditional commerce. In the past,
consumers rarely needed international protection; they
were buying locally and therefore needed local customer
protection. With e-commerce, an increasing number of
transactions take place across international borders.
Jurisdiction is a significant issue surrounding consumer
protection. It involves two main approaches. The first
favours the seller (mainly e-business) and is a countryof-origin/prescribed-by-seller
approach. In this scenario,
e-commerce companies have the advantage of relying
on a predictable and well-known legal environment. The
other approach, which favours the customer, is a countryof-destination
approach.
The main disadvantage for e-commerce companies
is the potential for exposure to a wide variety of legal
jurisdictions. One possible solution to this dilemma is a
more intensive harmonisation of consumer protection
rules, making the question of jurisdiction less relevant.
Future of work and labour issues
Another challenge that comes with the digital economy
is related to the future of work and the threat of
potential job loss with the rise of AI, robotics, and
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automation. One of the characteristics of the emerging
labour market will be polarisation towards, on the one
hand, highly specialised top experts, and on the other,
manual workers.
The machinery of the middle layers, especially in
administration and management, is likely to shrink in
size and importance. There is a hope that this shift will
free some time for creative work instead of repetitive
tasks. While it remains to be seen if this promise will
be realised, the immediate focus should be on assisting
transitory generations. Every industrial revolution, from
textile factories to today, had a lost generation that got
caught in the middle of the transition.
In the fast-changing labour landscape, sharing economy
platforms (also known as platforms operating in the
gig, access, or collaborative economy) have given rise to
new types of jobs. Companies operating in the sharing
economy have three main features in common: the
prevalence of contractual and temporary employment,
a digital platform or app for (quasi) peer-to-peer
transactions, and a rating system for evaluating the
quality of the service provided. While these features
have helped companies grow, the sharing economy
also brought issues related to the protection of workers’
social well-being and labour rights into sharper focus.
Sociocultural
The sociocultural cluster includes policy issues
triggered by the broad impact of the internet and digital
technologies on the social and cultural life of modern
society. Among them are content policy, cultural
diversity, and digital identities.
Content policy and media
Content policies have come to the attention of the
global public, especially when such content affects
or disrupts elections and the political processes of
a country. COVID-19 has also triggered ‘infodemics’
that challenge prevailing consensus around facts and
scientific findings. Tech platforms have been placed
under intense scrutiny – especially by governments –
over their ability to identify and remove such content
as swiftly as possible. In some countries, legislation
is replacing self-regulation, which is being deemed
insufficient.
Content issues are addressed from various perspectives,
including government policies on content (motives
for filtering include national security, public order, the
protection of the democratic system, and politically
motivated censorship), human rights (the impact of
content policies on rights such as freedom of expression
and the right to communicate), and technological tools
(such as the use of AI for content filtering).
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The advance of social media has accelerated the
spread of false information and online acts of hate
speech. Supported by new technologies such as AI,
misinformation is today spread at an unprecedented
scale and pace, inflicting harm on human dignity,
health and well-being, targeting certain communities
and vulnerable groups, and eroding trust in democratic
institutions. Demystifying the truth behind fake news
and disinformation is one of the main challenges in the
digital age.
Content issues should be addressed in short-, medium-,
and long-term perspectives. In the short term, urgent
measures should be taken to end the use of social
media for inflaming conflict with potential risks to
human lives and the security of society. Such measures
should be exceptional, and taken for a limited time
in full compliance with the law. In the medium term,
countries should adopt necessary laws and regulations
to govern content policy. Because content policy is so
important for democracy and freedom of expression,
all content policy measures must be governed by
clear legal safeguards. In the long term, content policy
and the fight against fake news must be addressed
via media literacy and critical thinking development
through education.
Cultural diversity and multilingualism
The promotion of multilingualism in the digital space is
both a cultural issue and one related to the need for
the further development of the internet. If the internet
is to be used by wider parts of society, content must be
accessible in more languages.
Advancing multilingualism online requires technical
standards that facilitate the use of non-Latin alphabets,
as well as the implementation of these standards by
developers, vendors, and service providers.
Cultural diversity is a wide concept, and can include
diversity of language, national identities, traditions, and
religions. The relation between the internet (or, more
broadly, ICTs and cultural diversity, in its various forms,
is two-fold. On the one hand, the internet, through its
ability to facilitate both exchanges between individuals
with different cultural backgrounds, and access to vast
resources of information and knowledge, can contribute
to the promotion of cultural diversity at a global level.
The internet also offers individuals new possibilities to
express themselves in ways that reflect their national
and cultural identities; user-generated content, therfore,
becomes a new modality through which the diversity of
cultures is better reflected and promoted worldwide.
On the other hand, cultural diversity is essential to the
development of an inclusive information society that is
based on dialogue and respect among cultures.
In the online environment, the preservation,
enhancement, and promotion of cultural diversity can
be achieved, among other things, through encouraging
the development of local content, which is relevant to
the culture and languages of individuals. Additionally,
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the translation, adaptation, and online distribution of
existing local content, and the preservation of varied
information reflecting indigenous knowledge and
traditions through digital means represent other forms
of promoting cultural diversity. Digital archives can
also contribute to strengthening local communities,
documenting and preserving local heritage. This is
particularly relevant for communities that are isolated
or nomadic, whose technological needs might require
approaches that are entirely localised. The production
and distribution of software in local languages also have
the potential to increase the rates of internet adoption.
Digital identities
Digital identities shape human rights and the overall
participation of individuals in digitally driven economic
and social life. Digital identity refers to identifying
individuals directly via an ID or online credentials or
indirectly through transactions we conduct (contacts,
transfers of money) or digital artefacts we use
(mobile, driverless cars, home appliances). Digital
identity solutions are provided by tech platforms and
governments.
Tech platforms, such as Facebook and Google, filled
the gap in digital identity by providing credentials to
access many digital platforms and services. 4 This role
of an ‘identity broker’ gives tech companies significant
power over data and, in turn, a deep understanding
of individuals’ economic, political, and social activities.
Digital identities and associated data are used as the
basis for business models by leading tech companies.
Governments, as traditional providers of the identity
of citizens, have been trying to govern digital identities
as well. One of the most developed systems is
represented by India’s Aadhaar and India Stack, which
aim to provide a digital identity to 1.3 billion citizens as
part of public services with the necessary mechanisms
for the protection of their identity, privacy, and security.
Based on this publicly owned infrastructure, businesses
and other actors can provide their services, such as
e-commerce or inclusive finance.
Digital identity opens many policy issues. These include
the protection of privacy and anonymity of biometric
data, the protection of children, and potential risks
of misuse of digital identity in the case of conflict and
crisis.
4
Many apps and online services can be accessed by existing Facebook or Google profiles or credentials. Users do not need to provide new usernames
and passwords.
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Section 4
How
do legal and policy
instruments facilitate
digital governance in
Geneva?
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How
Legal and Policy Instruments
Legal and Policy Instruments
Different kinds of instruments are used to implement
regulations, policies, and programmes. In the digital
realm, there is a mix of traditional instruments applied
to digital issues (conventions and standards) and new
approaches being developed specifically for digital
issues (e.g. online dispute resolution mechanisms).
This section summarises the main instruments used in
the work of actors presented in the Geneva Digital Atlas.
International law: Conventions and treaties
On the international level, most digital relations
between domestic entities and states are managed
by the rules of international private law (conflict law in
the Anglo-Saxon tradition), which deals with contracts,
torts, and commercial responsibilities. International
public law, which regulates relations between
countries, is currently in a transition phase when it
comes to digitalisation. So far, there are few treaties
and conventions dealing exclusively with digital issues.
One of the first instruments was the Council of Europe
Convention on Cybercrime, adopted in 2001.
In Geneva, ITU is the repository of the wide
set of conventions and treaties dealing with
telecommunications infrastructure, such as the
International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs).
In the coming years, the main challenge will be to apply
a wide set of existing conventions and treaties on the
environment, human rights, trade, and humanitarian
issues to the digital realm. As the principle ‘offline rules
apply online’ 1 is accepted as a customary rule, the
main focus will be on the implementation process. In
some cases, the specificities of digital issues could be
addressed by adopting additional protocols to existing
treaties and conventions.
Soft law: Declarations, resolutions,
recommendations, guidelines, and compacts
Soft law instruments include declarations, resolutions,
recommendations, guidelines, and compacts that are
not legally binding as are treaties and conventions.
Ultimately, soft law can evolve into customary law if
countries follow the practices outlined in soft law rules.
Some of the first soft law instruments in the digital
realm are the documents developed in the context
of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS),
including the Declaration of Principles, the Geneva Plan
of Action, and the Tunis Agenda for the Information
Society. In cybersecurity, soft law instruments are UN
General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions adapting the
reports developed by the UN Government Group of
Experts (UN GGE) and Open-Ended Working Group (UN
OEWG). A major development will be the Global Digital
1
For the application to online/offline human rights see A/HRC/32/L.20 https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/32/L.20
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Legal and Policy Instruments
Compact as the UN Secretary-General called for its
adoption in 2024.
Soft law instruments have a few advantages compared
to treaties for dealing with digital topics. First, they
are less demanding from a legislative perspective
because they do not require formal ratification by
national parliaments. Second, they are flexible enough
to facilitate the testing of new approaches and adjust
to rapid developments in the digital field. Third, soft
law can facilitate easier involvement of civil society,
business, and academia in the development and use of
digital technologies.
Digital standards
Our digital reality is shaped and supported by the
standards guiding the manufacture and use of digital
devices and services, from our mobile phones to social
media platforms and video-conferencing services.
Digital standards foster interoperability, quality of
service, and safety. Thus, they have high importance
for innovation, economic growth, safety, and the
sustainability of the digital space. Increasingly, human
rights and the public interest are entering the focus of
digital standards, especially those dealing with data, AI,
and biotechnology.
As policy implementation instruments, standards are
increasingly used to address topics where countries do
not agree on international conventions.
The global standardisation landscape is very complex,
consisting of a diverse set of organisations, working
methods, and procedures, with three main groups of
actors:
- Formal standards development organisations
(SDOs): ITU (for telecommunications standards),
the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO; for business and security standards), and
the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC; for electronic device standards).
- Quasi-formal organisations: the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF; for internet
standards), the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Wi-Fi Alliance (for
Wi-Fi standards), and W3C (for web standards).
- Industry forums and consortia.
Geneva hosts all three major SDOs while other
standardisation organisations are located in other
countries and regions.
Self-regulation: Business policies and terms of
reference
Business policies and terms of reference shape the
digital realities of billions of users of Facebook, Twitter,
and other digital services. Business policies are
probably the most impactful digital policy instruments.
We accept them whenever we want to use some (now)
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Legal and Policy Instruments
indispensable digital services. Self-regulation was
very useful in the internet’s infancy; however, with the
growing power of tech platforms, public authorities
have started questioning self-regulation instruments,
especially in areas of high public interest such as data
protection, content policy, and freedom of expression.
Sustainable development goals
There are no dedicated SDGs for digital technology in
the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The
way the 2030 Agenda addresses digital developments
is an example of a technology-neutral approach where
rules and policies are more related to values and society
than to specific technologies. This makes the 2030
Agenda applicable to any current and future digital
developments from AI to biotechnology.
There are two forms of interplay between digitalisation
and the SDGs. The first and main one is the use of
digitalisation for the achievement of the SDGs. The
second is the use of the SDGs as an instrument for
the implementation of digital governance – providing
an interdisciplinary approach to digital policy and
establishing guardrails for AI developments.
The interdisciplinary approach to digital policy is a
serious challenge for synchronising digital policy to the
transversal impact of digital concepts on society. In the
current language, the SDGs can help break down policy
silos.
The SDGs can also serve as guardrails for the
development of AI. If AI developers follow the SDGs,
their algorithms will holistically support the core values
of humanity. In addition to ethics, which is currently a
focus of AI debates, their algorithms would also increase
inclusion in economic and social life, reduce inequalities,
and support marginalised communities. Since each
aspect of AI development is covered by 17 SDGs and
169 targets, the global tech and governance community
should start using them as available, practical, and
measurable guidelines for the development and
monitoring of AI applications.
Impact assessments and due diligence
Impact assessments and due diligence are ex-ante
policy instruments for dealing with the uncertainty of
digital developments that may pose significant risks for
society.
Impact assessments are particularly important in
the field of AI, which has a profound impact on core
human values, including the preservation of human
life (autonomous weapons), human dignity (respect for
privacy), human well-being (mental health, reducing
poverty), human agency (labour rights, and the rights
to choice and decision-making), our natural habitat
(climate change, e-waste), and human diversity
(protection of vulnerable and marginalised groups).
Impact assessment mechanisms contribute to trust-
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Legal and Policy Instruments
building if they are transparent, inclusive, and evidencebased.
While all actors, including companies and academia,
can establish impact assessments mechanisms,
governments are responsible for setting the framework
for these activities and leading impact assessment on
digital technologies that might pose major risks for the
public order, health, and overall well-being of human
society.
There are new practices and initiatives for digital impact
assessments. The UNESCO Recommendation on the
ethics of AI, for instance, provides elaborate proposals
for impact assessment in AI development. Businesses
can develop impact assessments by following the UN
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Due diligence is a well-established legal principle that
includes taking all necessary steps to prevent negative
outcomes, such as cybersecurity risks or misuse of
the system. It does not guarantee that prohibited
developments will not occur, but it provides immunity
from legal responsibility for companies if they have
proactively taken all due diligence measures.
Oversight
Once a digital technology is deployed, it requires oversight
of its impact. National regulators perform oversight in
many sectors. In addition to telecommunications and
data, regulators are increasingly covering the crosscutting
impact of digitalisation on finance, market
access, and security.
AI governance initiatives emphasise the need for
human oversight as a primary requirement, with
special significance in the use of autonomous weapons
and juridical decisions. Oversight is also important for
minimising the bias of AI in automated systems.
One overlooked and underutilised system for digital
and AI oversight is the SDG system of goals, targets, and
indices, as discussed earlier in this section. It provides
quantifiable criteria for the oversight of the crosscutting
impacts of digitalisation on society.
Whistle-blowers have historically been and continue to
be important contributors to oversight. In particular,
their insights on the workings of tech companies,
including business decisions and the development of
AI, are providing useful input for parliaments and the
general public for digital policy actions. Given their
importance for future digital developments, tech
whistle-blowers should enjoy special legal protection.
Digital strategies
Digital strategies build awareness and put all actors
from national, regional, and global levels on, if not the
same, at least a closer policy page. As digital topics
came into focus, national and other strategies started
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How
Legal and Policy Instruments
appearing. Ten years ago, cybersecurity strategies
emerged to address the challenges and vulnerabilities
of cyberspace. Five years ago, the main focus was
on data strategies. Today, countries worldwide are
adopting AI strategies to steer the development of AI
and AI-based technologies.
Digital strategies are used by Geneva-based actors to
foster action on digitalisation with special focuses on
cybersecurity, e-commerce, data, and AI.
Dispute resolution and mediation
In addition to the courts, alternative dispute resolution
(ADR) and online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanisms
are used extensively for solving disputes and conflicts
in the digital realm. Compared to traditional courts, ADR
and ODR offer more flexible, less expensive, and faster
ways of settling disputes. It is also easier to enforce
arbitration decisions following the New York Convention
on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral
Awards, as national courts are now obliged to enforce
arbitration awards.
Typically, digital cases are addressed in traditional
arbitration using a well-developed system of rules and
institutions when dealing with commercial disputes.
There are new types of dispute resolution mechanisms
such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Policy (UDRP), developed by the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO) and the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN),
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as the primary dispute resolution procedure in issues
related to domain name registrations.
Many internet companies (e.g. Google, Meta, and
Twitter) have also developed their own mechanisms.
Following the CJEU ruling on the right to be forgotten,
Google established a special procedure allowing
individuals to request the removal of websites from
search results.
The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the use of ODR
instruments because traditional courts could not meet
in person. We will see the impacts of this change in ODR
resolutions in the future.
Geneva, in addition to hosting WIPO's Arbitration and
Mediation Centre (which deals, among other issues,
with domain name disputes), has a vibrant arbitral
scene. There are also practitioners and academics
who discuss and practice innovative approaches to
arbitration using online tools as well as dealing with
resolving online disputes.

Section 5
Who
are the main digital
actors in Geneva?
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The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development
ITU | Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva 20 | Switzerland
ITU Liaison Office to the UN | 2 UN Plaza | Suite 2524 | New York, NY 10017, USA
UNESCO | Place de Fontenoy | 75352 Paris | France
www.broadbandcommission.org

About the Broadband Commission
The Broadband Commission for Sustainable
Development is a high-level public-private partnership
fostering digital cooperation and developing actionable
recommendations for achieving universal meaningful
connectivity as a means of advancing progress on the
sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Established in 2010 by ITU, UNESCO, HE President Paul
Kagame of Rwanda, and Mr Carlos Slim Helú of Mexico,
its mission is to boost the importance of broadband on
the international policy agenda and expand broadband
access to every country. Today, the Commission is
composed of ~50 Commissioners who represent a
cross-cutting group of top CEOs and industry leaders,
senior policymakers and government representatives,
and experts from international agencies, academia, and
organisations concerned with development.
The Commission acts as a UN advocacy engine for the
implementation of the UNSG’s Roadmap for Digital
Cooperation, leveraging the strength of its membership
and collective expertise to advocate for meaningful, safe,
secure, and sustainable broadband communications
services that are reflective of human and children’s
rights.
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The Broadband Commission puts universal
broadband connectivity at the forefront of global
policy discussions. With a membership of
high-level public and private sector leaders,
we develop practical and sustainable
policy recommendations to accelerate
progress towards achieving the
UN 2030 Agenda and our seven
Advocacy Targets.
Leadership
Message by the Broadband Commission Leadership
President Paul Kagame, Co-Chair, President of Rwanda “The transformational impact of
broadband on people’s lives and global economies is no longer questionable; the remaining
challenge is to extend these obvious benefits to the majority of global citizens and allow them
to unleash their creative potential to fully integrate into the information-driven global economy.
This will require new frameworks for global cooperation in the areas of investment, research,
and technology. The Broadband Commission for Digital Development will work to realise this
potential”.
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Message by the Broadband Commission Leadership
Mr Carlos Slim Helu, Co-Chair, Founder of the Carlos Slim Foundation and Grupo Carso
“Without a doubt, broadband is the nervous system of today’s new civilisation, so broadband
access is a top priority for our technological society. It is very important that broadband be a highquality
universal service at a low cost. Because of its health, education, and knowledge benefits,
among others, governments and regulatory agencies should be strongly fostering broadband
development. Broadband is not a gap, but a bridge between developed and developing countries,
providing access to all of the services of modern society for the well-being of the population in
general.”
Ms Doreen Bogdan Martin, Co-Vice Chair, Secretary General of ITU “Today’s world faces
significant challenges, from the triple planetary crisis to gender inequality to a third of humanity
without internet access. Reconciling the slow progress of digital inclusion with the breakneck
pace of digital transformation has never been more urgent, especially in the age of AI. Halfway
to Agenda 2030, the Broadband Commission is bringing us closer to universal connectivity by
advocating for investment in affordable broadband, digital skills, and safer digital applications –
everything that makes connectivity meaningful.”
Ms Audrey Azoulay, Co-Vice Chair, Director General of UNESCO “None of the major
challenges facing the world today can be met by any one country on its own without relying on
the fundamental pillars of science, education, and culture. Thus, UNESCO can and must fully
participate in a world order based on multilateralism and humanist values.”
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The Commission develops policy recommendations and
thought leadership focused on the use of broadband
connectivity to accelerate progress towards achieving
the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
and universal and meaningful connectivity. To mobilise
efforts to bring the life-changing benefits of digital
transformation to everyone, the Broadband Commission
puts broadband connectivity at the forefront of global
policy discussions.
The Commission’s efforts are detailed in our flagship
annual collaborative State of Broadband Report and
Year in Review, and throughout the year, take the form
of thematic Working Groups and their publications,
regular meetings, and advocacy activities on the margins
of other key events such as SDG Digital, GSMA’s MWC,
HLPF, WSIS, and UNGA.
The Broadband Commission outlines its seven objectives
in its 2025 Broadband Advocacy Targets. These targets
reflect ambitious and aspirational goals and function
as a policy and programmatic guide for national
and international action in sustainable and inclusive
broadband development.
Each year, the Commission hosts Working Groups to dive
deeper into prominent issues affecting broadband access,
affordability, and use. Working Groups are proposed
and led by Commissioners, with the support of external
experts. The culmination of the discussion and research
of these groups is a consensus-based collaborative report
which provides policy recommendations for achieving
the issues examined, in alignment with the Commission’s
targets and elements of the UN 2030 Agenda.
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Credit: broadbandcommission.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Telecommunications infrastructure
The Broadband Commission promotes the adoption of
best practices and policies that enable the deployment
of broadband networks at the national level, especially
among developing countries. We engage in advocacy
activities aimed at demonstrating that broadband
networks are fundamental to modern societies and the
achievement of the UN sustainable development goals
(SDGs). Each year, the Broadband Commission publishes
a State of Broadband Report, providing a global overview
of the current state of broadband network access and
affordability and use, an update on the Commission’s
7 Advocacy Targets, and insights/impact stories from
Commissioners on multistakeholder actions for
accelerating the achievement of universal meaningful
connectivity.
The Commission has launched a number of Working
Groups focused on connectivity infrastructure
and financing, including the World-Bank-led Digital
Infrastructure Moonshot for Africa and the Working
Group on 21st Century Financing Models for Sustainable
Broadband Development. These initiatives aim to provide
governments and policymakers, and the private sector
and development partners, with a set of holistic policy
recommendations to accelerate broadband connectivity,
close digital gaps, and foster innovative financing and
investment strategies to achieve the Commission’s
targets for broadband and to provide universal and
affordable access to the internet. The Working Group on
School Connectivity, also identified a set of core principles
to help governments and other interested stakeholders
to develop more holistic school connectivity plans.
Access
When advocating for the rollout of broadband
infrastructure and bridging the digital divide, the
Commission underlines the increasing importance of
internet access and adoption as an enabler of inclusive
sustainable growth and development. We pay particular
attention to aspects related to infrastructure deployment
in developing countries, inclusive and relevant digital
content creation and education, connectivity for small
businesses, and access to broadband/internet-enabled
devices.
Recent broadband reports covering these topics include
the Commission’s Working Groups on Connectivity for
MSMEs, Smartphone Access, and Data for Learning.
These Working Groups aim to advance progress on
the Commission’s 2025 Advocacy Targets on micro-,
small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), universal
connectivity and digital skills development.
The Broadband Commission has also developed the
Broadband Transforming Lives campaign to further
illustrate the global use of broadband in everyday life, and
its potential to bridge the gender digital divide, empower
youth and small businesses, and improve public services
like healthcare and government services.
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Sustainable development
The Commission advocates for actions to be taken by all
relevant stakeholders with the aim of closing the digital
divide, a crucial step towards achieving the SDGs. The
Commission’s annual State of Broadband Report looks
at the progress made in implementing broadband
networks in various countries around the world, which
it regards as an essential element in addressing the
digital divide.
The Commission also assesses the impact of digital
technologies on specific issues covered by the SDGs.
One example is the Working Group on Virtual Health
and Care, whose final report outlines practical
recommendations for the future of digital health
services and is presented in a framework of six key
policy pillars. In addition, the Working Group on
Smartphone Access examines the smartphone access
gap and provides strategies for achieving universal
smartphone ownership so that all communities may
benefit from access to digital services.
In support of SDG Digital, an event hosted by ITU and
UNDP with the aim of bringing digital SDG solutions
to scale, Broadband Commissioners offered insights
into the various use cases for digital technologies
to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs,
highlighting the crucial importance that everyone plays
in harnessing the power of digital for a brighter future.
Interdisciplinary approaches:
Global Digital Compact
The work of the Commission contributes to the UN
Secretary General’s Global Digital Compact, which
outlines shared principles for an ‘open, free and secure
digital future for all’. The Commission prepared a
contribution to the Global Digital Compact, in which
we call for the Compact to be anchored in the vision
of a connected, inclusive, and sustainable world and
expresses the need to ensure consistency between
existing multilateral and multistakeholder forums and
mechanisms, avoiding duplication and ensuring that
efforts complement, build on, and reinforce existing
frameworks and successful activities, which have
proven to be impactful.
Through our various Working Group initiatives and
the advocacy of our Commissioners, the Broadband
Commission is an exemplary example of SDG 17:
‘Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise
the global partnership for sustainable development’
in action. The Commission’s policy recommendations
advocate implicitly for global digital cooperation,
providing considerations for all sectors to enhance
collaboration to reach the goal of universal meaningful
connectivity.
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
Resources
On the Broadband Commission’s website, social media,
and various online channels feature landmark reports,
which are available for free:
– Making Connectivity Work for MSMEs
– The Transformative Potential of Data for Learning
– Strategies Towards Universal Smartphone Access
– Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation:
Competencies for Civil Servants
– Broadband Commission 2020 Universal
Connectivity Manifesto
– The Future of Virtual Health and Care
– 21st Century Financing Models for Bridging
Connectivity Gaps
– Connecting Learning Spaces: Possibilities for
Hybrid Learning
– Importance of ICT and Global Cooperation for
Future Epidemic Management
– Reimagining Global Health through Artificial
Intelligence: The Roadmap to AI Maturity
– Balancing Act: Countering Digital Disinformation
While Respecting Freedom of Expression
– The Digital Transformation of Education:
Connecting Schools, Empowering Learners
– Connecting Africa Through Broadband: A Strategy
for Doubling Connectivity by 2021 and Reaching
Universal Access by 2030
– Epidemic Preparedness: Preventing the Spread of
Epidemics Using ICTs
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– Digital Health: A Call for Government Leadership
and Cooperation between ICT and Health
– The Promise of Digital Health: Addressing Noncommunicable
Diseases to Accelerate Universal
Health Coverage in LMICs
– Child Online Safety: Minimising the Risk of
Violence, Abuse and Exploitation Online
– Digital Gender Divide: Bridging the Gender Gap in
Internet and Broadband Access and Use
The Broadband Commission has also been instrumental
in launching the following global initiatives:
– EQUALS: The ITU/ITC/GSMA/UN Women Global
Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age
– GIGA: The ITU/UNICEF Global Initiative to
Connect Every School to the Internet by 2030
– The Child Online Safety Universal Declaration
– Partner2Connect Digital Coalition
– SDG Digital
Social media channels
Facebook @broadbandcommission
Flickr @Broadband Commission
LinkedIn @broadband-commission
X @UNBBCom
YouTube @Broadband Commission

European Organization for Nuclear Research
(CERN)
Esplanade des Particules 1 | 1211 Geneva 23 | Switzerland
www.home.cern

About CERN
CERN is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading
laboratories for particle physics. At CERN, physicists
and engineers probe the fundamental structure of the
universe. To do this, they use the world’s largest and most
complex scientific instruments – particle accelerators
and detectors. Technologies developed at CERN go on
to have a significant impact through their applications in
wider society.
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The spirit of openness is one of CERN’s core values;
we actively promote the open sharing of what we
develop and produce.
Fabiola Gianotti
Director-General
Message by the CERN Director-General
CERN’s mission is to perform world-class fundamental research in particle physics. We also play
a vital role in developing cutting-edge technologies, bringing nations together, and training the
young generation. CERN is a driver of innovation for the benefit of science and society. The openscience
approach we embrace and promote is essential to achieve our objectives.
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Message by the CERN Director-General
High-energy physics research is highly collaborative; open science is encoded in CERN’s DNA.
This spirit of openness is one of CERN’s core values and we actively promote the open sharing of
what we develop and produce. The World Wide Web is one prominent example. In 1989, Sir Tim
Berners-Lee gave a short paper to some of his colleagues at CERN. Behind the rather basic title,
‘Information Management: A Proposal’, was a vision that would transform the way we accessed
information and connected at a global level. It was the vision that became the World Wide Web,
whose software was released in 1993 free of charge for everyone to use and develop. CERN
continues to be a pioneer in open science, supporting open-source hardware (with the CERN
Open Hardware Licence), open access publications (with the Sponsoring Consortium for Open
Access Publishing in Particle Physics – SCOAP3), and open data (with the Open Data Portal for
the LHC experiments).
The COVID-19 outbreak necessitated an extraordinary collaborative effort from the scientific
community and required scientists to act quickly in sharing results across disciplines and across
national borders. CERN contributed to this effort by hosting, preserving, and sharing COVID-19-
related datasets, software, preprints, and other research objects via its open source Zenodo
digital repository.
We value our partnerships with other international organisations, working together for the
collective good and drawing on our respective experience and expertise. In February 2022,
CERN was the winner of the special award for effective and innovative online meetings at the 7th
Geneva Engage Awards online event, organised by the Geneva Internet Platform, for developing
and deploying the free and open-source service for online meetings ‘Indico’ that has been
adopted by the United Nations and other organisations in Geneva and beyond to organise more
than 900,000 events around the world.
By accelerating open science, CERN advances inclusiveness and collaboration to reduce divides
and inequality across national borders, disciplines, and sectors even through times of pandemics,
conflict, and uncertainty.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
CERN has had an important role in the history of
computing and networks. The World Wide Web (WWW)
was invented at CERN by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. The web
was originally conceived and developed to meet the
demand for automated information-sharing between
scientists at universities and institutes around the
world. Grid computing was also developed at CERN
with partners and thanks to funding from the European
Commission. The organisation also carries out activities
in the areas of cybersecurity, big data, machine learning
(ML), artificial intelligence (AI), data preservation, and
quantum technology.
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Credit: home.cern

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence 1
Through CERN openlab, CERN collaborates with leading
information and communications technology (ICT)
companies and research institutes. The R&D projects
carried out through CERN openlab address topics
related to data acquisition, computing platforms,
data storage architectures, computer provisioning
and management, networks and communication, ML
and data analytics, and quantum technologies. CERN
researchers use ML techniques as part of their efforts
to maximise the potential for discovery and optimise
resource usage. ML is used, for instance, to improve
the performance of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
experiments in areas such as particle detection and
managing computing resources. Going one step further,
at the intersection of AI and quantum computing, CERN
openlab is exploring the feasibility of using quantum
algorithms to track the particles produced by collisions
in the LHC, and is working on developing quantum
algorithms to help optimise how data is distributed for
storage in the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG).
This research is part of the CERN Quantum Technology
Initiative (QTI) activities, launched in 2020 to shape
CERN’s role in the next quantum revolution.
– CERN openlab: a public-private partnership in
which CERN collaborates with ICT companies and
other research organisations to accelerate the
development of cutting-edge solutions for the
research community, including ML.
– CERN QTI: a comprehensive R&D, academic, and
knowledge‐sharing initiative to exploit quantum
advantage for high-energy physics and beyond.
Given CERN's increasing ICT and computing
demands, as well as the significant national and
international interests in quantum‐technology
activities, it aims to provide dedicated
mechanisms for the exchange of both knowledge
and innovation.
Cloud computing 2
The scale and complexity of data from the LHC, the
world’s largest particle accelerator, is unprecedented.
This data needs to be stored, easily retrieved, and
analysed by physicists all over the world. This requires
massive storage facilities, global networking, immense
computing power, and funding. CERN did not initially
have the computing or financial resources to crunch
all of the data on site, so in 2002 it turned to grid
computing to share the burden with computer centres
around the world. The WLCG builds on the ideas of
grid technology initially proposed in 1999 by Ian Foster
and Carl Kesselman. The WLCG relies on a distributed
1
AI-related projects are developed and referred to as part of the CERN openlab activities.
2
Within its work, CERN refers to ‘cloud computing’ as ‘distributed computing’.
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computing infrastructure, as data from the collisions of
protons or heavy ions are distributed via the internet for
processing at data centres worldwide. This approach of
using virtual machines is based on the same paradigm
as cloud computing. It is expected that further CERN
developments in the field of data processing will continue
to influence digital technologies.
Telecommunication infrastructure 3
In the 1970s, CERN developed CERNET, a lab-wide network
to access mainframe computers in its data centre. This
pioneering network eventually led CERN to become an
early European adopter of TCP/IP for use in connecting
systems on site. In 1989, CERN opened its first external
TCP/IP connections and by 1990, CERN had become the
largest internet site in Europe and was ready to host the
first WWW server. Nowadays, in addition to the WLCG
and its distributed computing infrastructure, CERN is
also the host of the CERN Internet eXchange Point (CIXP),
which optimises CERN’s internet connectivity and is also
open to interested internet service providers (ISPs).
– How the Internet came to CERN
– CERN Internet eXchange Point (CIXP)
Digital standards 4
Ever since releasing the World Wide Web software
under an open-source model in 1994, CERN has been a
pioneer in the open-source field, supporting open-source
hardware (with the CERN Open Hardware Licence), open
access (with the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access
Publishing in Particle Physics SCOAP3) and open data (with
the CERN Open Data Portal). Several CERN technologies
are being developed with open science in mind, such as
Indico, InvenioRDM, REANA, and Zenodo. Open-source
software, such as CERNBox, CERN Tape Archive (CTA),
EOS, File Transfer Service (FTS), GeantIV, ROOT, RUCIO,
and service for web-based analysis (SWAN) has been
developed to handle, distribute, and analyse the huge
volumes of data generated by the LHC experiments and
are also made available to the wider society.
– Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) (in the
context of the additional work done by IETF on
internet standards)
– Pushing the Boundaries of Open Science at
CERN: Submission to the UNESCO Open Science
Consultation
3
Within its work, CERN refers to ‘telecommunication infrastructure’ as ‘network infrastructure’.
4
Within its work, CERN addresses ‘web standards’ as ‘open science’.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
Data governance 5
CERN manages vast amounts of data; not only scientific
data, but also data in more common formats such as
webpages, images and videos, documents, and more.
For instance, the CERN Data Centre processes on average
one petabyte (one million gigabytes) of data per day. As
such, the organisation notes that it faces the challenge
of preserving its digital memory. CERN also points to the
fact that many of the tools that are used to preserve data
generated by the LHC and other scientific projects are
also suitable for preserving other types of data and are
made available to wider society.
The CERN Open Data Policy for scientific experiments
at the LHC is essential to make scientific research more
reproducible, accessible, and collaborative. It reflects
values that have been enshrined in the CERN Convention
for more than 60 years that were reaffirmed in the
European Strategy for Particle Physics (2020), and aims
to empower the LHC experiments to adopt a consistent
approach towards the openness and preservation of
experimental data (applying FAIR standards to better
share and reuse data).
EOSC Future is an EU-funded project that is contributing
to establishing the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
to provide a Web of FAIR Data and Services for science
in Europe. The implementation of EOSC is based on
the long-term process of alignment and coordination
pursued by the Commission since 2015.
CERN joined the recently formed EOSC Association in
2020. The EOSC Association is the legal entity established
to govern the EOSC and has since grown to more than
250 members and observers.
– DPHEP (Data Preservation in High Energy Physics)
(CERN is a founding member)
– The CERN Open Data Policy
– EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) (CERN is
a mandated organisation and a member of the
EOSC Association)
– Online learning opportunities – through CERN
academic training
– Online introductory lectures on quantum
computing – through CERN QTI
Future of meetings
More information about ongoing and upcoming events,
you can find on the events page.
Social media channels
Facebook @cern
Instagram @cern
LinkedIn @cern
X @CERN
YouTube @home.cern
5
Within its work, CERN refers to ‘data governance’ as ‘data preservation’.
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Commission on Science and Technology for Development
(CSTD)
Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.unctad.org/en/Pages/CSTD.aspx

About the CSTD
The Commission on Science and Technology for
Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary of the UN Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC). It was established
to advise the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on
science and technology issues through analysis and
appropriate policy recommendations. It is the focal
point of the UN for science, technology, and innovation
for development.
Under the mandate given by ECOSOC, the CSTD
leads the follow-up to the outcomes of the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and
advises ECOSOC accordingly, including through the
elaboration of recommendations aimed at furthering
the implementation of the WSIS outcomes.
The UN Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) is responsible for the servicing of the CSTD.
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In a complex knowledge-based world with so many
challenges, we must prioritize international
cooperation on science, technology, and
innovation to benefit everyone and foster
equitable sustainable development.
Ana Cristina das Neves
Chair
Message by the CSTD chair
Cascading crises and systemic shocks have left developing countries with increasing debt,
stagnating growth, and limited resources to cope. Our goals for a sustainable future are in
jeopardy, with reversals in progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in
recent years. The economic, social, and environmental challenges we face are daunting. Science,
technology and innovation (STI) represents a great hope for offering potential solutions to the
critical challenges that face humanity today.
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Message by the CSTD chair
As the focal point in the United Nations system for STI for development, the Commission’s role
is pivotal in promoting the use of STI to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. We see this as a critical element for fostering the ability of countries
to harness STI as essential tools for solving the national and international economic, social,
and environmental challenges that we must overcome to improve welfare for all countries and
people while also taking care of the planet.
The CSTD is an international platform that brings countries together to foster international
understanding, share experiences, and collaborate on STI for development. We address key
thematic issues related to sustainable development and the SDGs, with two thematic issues
discussed each year, and an annual follow-up to progress made in the implementation of the
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). This year, we are also launching the WSIS+20
review process that will take place in 2025. It promotes concrete collaborations between member
states to enable developing countries to benefit from and use frontier technologies and more
traditional technologies to address their development challenges. We also provide a space for
discussing national STI policies and strategies employed by member countries in their pursuit
of sustainable development and sharing different national policy experiences and perspectives.
We are proud to support multilateral collaboration on STI for the benefit of all humanity and help
to bring hope for realistic solutions to a world under great strain.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The CSTD reviews progress made in the implementation
of and follow up to the WSIS outcomes at regional and
international levels. It also discusses science, technology,
and innovation (STI), including frontier technologies,
many of which are digital technologies and are largely
linked with digitalisation. Based on thematic reviews
and discussions, the CSTD prepares draft resolutions
for ECOSOC. These draft resolutions tackle issues
ranging from access to the internet and information
and communication technologies (ICTs) and frontier
technologies to the use of these technologies in achieving
sustainable development. Sustainable development
is linked particularly to the 2030 Agenda and the 17
sustainable development goals (SDGs), including topics
in recent years related to climate action (SDG 13), clean
water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean
energy (SDG 7), sustainable cities and communities (SDG
11), Industry 4.0 (under SDG 9), and partnerships (SDG
17). Digital technologies play a role in all SDGs. At each of
its annual sessions and intersessional panels, the CSTD
addresses two priority themes regarding the use of STI,
including digital technologies, in different areas related to
the various SDGs.
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Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence 1
As part of its work on assessing the impact of technological
change on inclusive and sustainable development, the
CSTD is also exploring the role of frontier technologies
including artificial intelligence (AI). At its 22nd session, the
CSTD pointed out that AI and other frontier technologies
offer significant opportunities to accelerate progress in
achieving the SDGs, while also posing new challenges
(e.g. disrupting labour markets, exacerbating or creating
new inequalities, and raising ethical questions). The CSTD
focused its 2019–2020 intersessional work on digital
frontier technologies, such as AI, big data, and robotics.
For 2021, the CSTD chose another digital technology –
blockchain for sustainable development – as a priority
theme. In 2022, the CSTD deliberated on industry 4.0
technologies (such as AI, big data, IoT, and robotics)
for inclusive development. For 2023, the themes were
using STI solutions, especially digital technologies to
achieve SDG 6 on water and sanitation, and technology
and innovation for cleaner and more productive and
competitive production (including digital Industry 4
technologies). The most recent themes, for 2024, are
Data for Development and Global cooperation in STI
for development (which includes cooperation on digital
infrastructure and digital technologies).
– Harnessing rapid technological change for
inclusive and sustainable development (2020)
(report for the 23rd CSTD session)
– Harnessing blockchain for sustainable
development: prospects and challenges (2021)
(report for the 24th CSTD session)
– Industry 4.0 for inclusive development (2022)
(report for the 25th CSTD session)
– CSTD Dialogue, which brings together leaders
and experts to address the question: ‘What must
be done to ensure that the potential offered by
science, technology, and innovation (STI) towards
achieving the SDGs is ultimately realised?’ This
dialogue also aims to contribute to ‘rigorous
thinking on the opportunities and challenges of STI
in several crucial areas including gender equality,
food security and poverty reduction.’
– Articles on the webpage explore AI-related issues,
such as the role of AI in health, a principled
approach to AI (written by actors from different
stakeholder groups), and Investing in AI-driven
innovation for social good.
– A hybrid of a physical and online side event on AI
strategies organised during the 25th CSTD.
– A side event on the multifaceted implications of AI
organised during the 26th CSTD
– Ensuring safe water and sanitation for all:
A solution through science, technology and
innovation (2023)
1
Within the work of the CSTD, AI is placed under the term ‘frontier technologies’, which also includes big data analytics, biotech and genome editing, and
the (IoT) https://unctad.org/en/Pages/CSTD/CSTD-About.aspx
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– Technology and innovation for cleaner and more
productive and competitive production (2023)
Access 2
During its annual sessions and intersessional panels,
as well as in its draft resolutions for ECOSOC, the
CSTD tackles aspects related to the digital divide, and
outlines the need for further progress in addressing
the impediments that developing countries face in
accessing new technologies. It often underlines the
need for coordinated efforts among all stakeholders
to bridge the digital divide in its various dimensions:
access to infrastructure, affordability, quality of access,
digital skills, gender gap, and others. To this aim, the
CSTD recommends policies and actions to improve
connectivity and access to infrastructure, affordability,
multilingualism and cultural preservation, digital skills and
digital literacy, capacity development, and appropriate
financing mechanisms. There is an annual follow-up to
the progress made on WSIS implementation, which is a
critical international process for evaluating progress in
overcoming the digital divide in internet access within
and across countries. There is also a 20-year review of
WSIS that is now beginning, called WSIS+20, which will
be held in 2025 in the General Assembly. The CSTD has
been undertaking a series of global and regional open
consultations to gather inputs from multistakeholders
for its report on WSIS+20 to be submitted, through
ECOSOC, to the General Assembly in 2025.
– ECOSOC and General Assembly Resolutions
related to WSIS and ICT4D
– 2021 Report of the Secretary-General: Progress
made in the implementation of and followup
to the outcomes of the World Summit on
the Information Society at the regional and
international levels
– 2022 Report of the Secretary-General: Progress
made in the implementation of and followup
to the outcomes of the World Summit on
the Information Society at the regional and
international levels
Sustainable development
As the UN focal point for STIfor development, the
CSTD analyses the impact of digital technologies on
sustainable development (assessing opportunities, risks,
and challenges), including from the perspective of the
principle of ‘leaving no one behind’. The CSTD also works
to identify strategies, policies, and actions to foster
the use of technology to empower people and ensure
inclusiveness and equality. In addition, it acts as a forum
for strategic planning, the sharing of good practices,
and providing foresight about emerging and disruptive
2
In the CSTD’s work, disparities related to access to the internet are referred to as the ‘digital divide’.
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technologies.
– UNGA Resolution: Impact of rapid technological
change on the achievement of the sustainable
development goals
– ECOSOC resolutions related to science and
technology for development
– GA resolutions on science, technology and
innovation for development.
– The impact of rapid technological change on
sustainable development (2019). The paper was
prepared by UNCTAD – which services the CSTD –
in response to the UNGA resolution 72/242 which
asks the CSTD to give due consideration to the
impacts of key rapid technological changes on the
achievement of the SDGs.
Capacity development
Capacity development is one of the recurring themes that
appear in draft resolutions prepared by the CSTD on the
implementation of and follow-up to the WSIS outcomes.
The CSTD often emphasises the need for countries and
other stakeholders to focus on capacity development
policies and actions to further enhance the role of the
internet as a catalyst for growth and development.
Strengthening the capacity of stakeholders to participate
in internet governance processes is another objective
the CSTD has been calling for, especially in regard to the
Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
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– Articles on the webpage explore issues related
to capacity development, such as enhancing the
participation of women and girls in STEM careers
(written by actors from different stakeholder
groups).
– Project on using digital technologies for
development: CropWatch Innovative Cooperation
Programme
– Project of Harnessing space technological
applications in sustainable urban development
Interdisciplinary approaches: Internet
governance
The CSTD was mandated to review the IGF process
and suggest improvements. To this aim, the Working
Group on Improvements to the IGF was established
and a report recommending a number of action items
regarding the IGF was delivered in 2012. The CSTD was
also entrusted with the mandate to initiate discussions
about enhanced cooperation in internet governance. It
convened two working groups on enhanced cooperation
(2013–2014 and 2016–2018); although consensus
seemed to emerge on some issues, a divergence of
views persisted on others and the Working Group could
not reach consensus on recommendations on how to
further implement enhanced cooperation as envisioned
in the Tunis Agenda.
– Report of the chair of the working group on
enhanced cooperation (2018)

DIGITAL TOOLS
– CSTD working group to examine the mandate
of WSIS regarding enhanced cooperation as
contained in the Tunis Agenda (2014)
– Working group on enhanced cooperation (2016–
2018)
– Working group on enhanced cooperation (2013–
2014)
Digital tools
Social media channels
Facebook @UNCTAD
Flickr @UNCTAD
Instagram @unctad
LinkedIn @UNCTAD
X @UNCTAD
YouTube @UNCTADOnline
UNCTAD is in charge of servicing the CSTD. As such,
digital tools used by UNCTAD (e.g. platform for online
meetings, social media for communications purposes)
are also employed for CSTD-related purposes. For
example, the 23rd and 24th CSTD annual sessions as well
as the intersessional panel of the 24th CSTD were purely
virtual, using the Interprefy platform. The intersessional
panel and the annual session of the 25th CSTD were
hybrid, combining online and in-person participation.
The online platforms used were Interprefy and Zoom,
respectively. CSTD meetings have returned to a more
conventional in-person format, but digital platforms
remain widely in use for the work of the CSTD.
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The Consumer Unity & Trust Society
(CUTS International Geneva)
37-39 Rue de Vermont | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.cuts-geneva.org

About CUTS
Since its establishment in 1983–84, CUTS International
has been a leading southern voice in the space of trade,
economics, and development to ensure consumer
sovereignty. As digitalisation accelerated across sectors,
CUTS has undertaken many research, advocacy,
networking, and capacity-building initiatives, within
the realm of the digital economy to enable consumers,
particularly the poor and marginalised social groups,
to achieve their right to basic needs, sustainable
development, and good governance through a strong
consumer movement.
Being a global independent non-profit, non-governmental
organisation (NGO) working on public policy issues,
CUTS addresses three core areas: Rules-based Trade,
Effective Regulation and Good Governance. Within these
focus areas, CUTS has undertaken multiple initiatives
promoting competition, investment, regulation, trade,
and governance reforms across sectors, through
evidence-based research in least developed and
developing countries. This is being done through a
strongly rooted presence across India and at the global
level including Lusaka (Zambia), Nairobi (Kenya), Accra
(Ghana), Hanoi (Vietnam), Geneva (Switzerland) and
Washington, D.C. (USA).
Established in 2008, CUTS International Geneva is
a non-profit NGO that catalyses the pro-trade, proequity
voices of the Global South in international trade
and development debates in Geneva. Through its work,
it has made a name for linking people and issues in the
world of multilateral trade with their counterparts in
related policy areas. These include regional integration,
agriculture, environment, competition, investment, and
consumer protection, among others.
Its vision is to pursue social justice and economic equity
within and across borders by persuading governments
and empowering people. Its mission is to establish
and promote a pro-trade pro-equity credible southern
NGO voice as well as the means to achieve this in the
policymaking circles working on trade and development
and other related issues in Geneva. Its objectives are to:
– Improve inclusivity in relevant policymaking
processes and decisions through better
participation of developing countries’
stakeholders, including at the grassroots level.
– Build capacity of policymakers, negotiators, and
other important stakeholders through demanddriven
and needs-based research and analysis.
– Contribute to a deeper and broader understanding
of relevant issues through targeted and researchbased
outputs.
– Enhance policy coherence at all levels by analysing
and raising the profile of issue linkages.
– Facilitate mutual learning through information
and knowledge sharing across networks.
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– Stimulate common interests among developed
and developing countries through advocacy,
dialogues, and networking.
CUTS adopts a bottom-up approach that promotes
the engagement of key stakeholders in designing and
implementing economic development policies, from the
national to the international level. Their successful work
methodology relies on research and analysis to inform
advocacy and training activities, involving networks of
beneficiaries at all stages. With offices in India, Kenya,
Zambia, Vietnam, Ghana, Geneva, and Washington DC,
CUTS’s family of organisations has made its footprints
in the realm of economic governance across the
developing world and beyond.
As a vibrant advocate of South-South Cooperation,
CUTS has been forming and maintaining strategic
alliances with like-minded organisations in over 40
countries, particularly in the developing world.
At the international level, it has established formal
institutional relationships with several international
governmental organisations, which their work seeks
to influence. These are the World Trade Organization
(WTO) – Accredited NGO; the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – Observer
Status; East African Community secretariat (EAC) –
Memorandum of Understanding; and the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) – Observer Status.
119

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We must advance fair markets and effective
regulations to enhance consumer welfare
and rights so as to promote an inclusive
digital economy.
Pradeep S. Mehta
Secretary-General
Message by the CUTS Secretary-General
In an increasingly digitalised socio-economic world, CUTS International is actively engaging with
multiple aspects of the digital economy including digital financial services, telecommunication,
e-commerce, urban mobility, data protection and privacy, online problematic content, encryption,
Ethical 6G and Multi-Party Privacy. Centred on the voice of consumers, CUTS has adopted a
bottom-up approach to various issues about competition and economic regulation within the
digital economy.
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Message by the CUTS Secretary-General
On issues related to the digital economy, particularly encryption, privacy and data protection,
strategic affairs, consumer trust and safety, CUTS continues to provide evidence-based strategic
suggestions to relevant policymakers and regulators. This has been coupled with advocacy
and outreach efforts to relevant stakeholders including civil society organisations and media
organisations, among others. Thus, an outcome-driven approach is followed while promoting
fair markets to enhance consumer welfare and economic growth.
To ensure that regulations are sensitive towards all stakeholders, both businesses and
consumers, in the area of the digital economy CUTS has undertaken and/or is implementing
multiple projects such as Consumer Impact Assessment of Data Localisation; Ease of Doing
Digital Business; Identifying Elements of Ethical Framework for 6G and Creating Opportunities
for India and Australia; and mapping of the digital landscape in the Philippines, Kenya, Vietnam,
Bangladesh, Ghana, and India, among others.
These projects contribute to existing literature within the digital realm and to building capacity
among consumers in developing countries. Inherently, these activities are aimed at building the
capacity of southern civil society across Africa and Asia for achieving inclusive economic growth
and sustainable development.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
CUTS’s work and expertise span three functional areas:
– Rules-based Trade
– Effective Regulation
– Good Governance
CUTS International Geneva and its sister CUTS
organisations in India, Kenya, Zambia, Vietnam, and
Ghana have made their footprints in the realm of
economic governance across the developing world. Their
activities stretch from Asia to Africa, South America, and
beyond.
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Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
E-commerce
E-Commerce and African Regional Integration
CUTS works towards sound digital policy, fair rules, and
e-commerce readiness, which can enable developing
countries to harness the potential of e-commerce for
their sustainable development, firms, and vulnerable
communities. CUTS supports developing countries
in effectively harnessing innovation and intellectual
property systems to spur industrialisation in the digital
era, while responding to climate change, food security,
and other sustainable development challenges.
Support facility on WTO E-Commerce Joint
Statement Initiative
As WTO JSI talks on Electronic Commerce gained
momentum in 2021, CUTS’s ad-hoc support facility on
the subject established under its WTO Umbrella Grant
attracted trade negotiators’ interest beyond its initially
intended audience. Indeed, beyond delegates from the 11
targeted beneficiary countries, other developing country
negotiators sought to benefit from the support.
Through over 70 interventions, CUTS provided beneficiary
delegates with clarifications on negotiating texts, factual
briefings on negotiated topics, and occasional drafting
support for submissions and proposals. This informed
their participation in e-commerce talks, on topics such
as e-signatures, electronic contracts, open government
data, online consumer protection, spam, paperless
trading, cybersecurity, and others.
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From April 2019 to June 2020, CUTS International Geneva
undertook a project titled E-Commerce and African
Continental Integration, with funding support from the
German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The objective of the project was to ensure that African
stakeholders, policymakers, and trade negotiators knew
suitable policy options through which African continental
integration could harness the sustainable development
potential of e-commerce, specifically in the context of the
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Through research and dialogue, the project contributed
to, inter alia: (1) better-informed participation of African
negotiators, with lessons learned discussed with them
at various dialogues; and (2) supported structures
and processes involved in promoting e-commerce
development in Africa, including on regulatory matters
and AfCFTA discussions, etc.
Economic policy
CUTS strives for well-functioning markets that support
inclusive and progressive structural transformation and
helps developing countries enact and implement effective
competition regimes that improve the level-playing
field for their firms and the welfare of their consumers.
CUTS promotes sound investment regimes that foster
increased and sustainable foreign direct investment
(FDI) inflows, and supportive structural transformation
for people and micro, small, and medium enterprises

(MSMEs) in developing countries. It empowers consumers
to uphold their rights to fair, safe, and informed access to
basic necessities, and advise governments accordingly.
It supports the effective design and implementation of
balanced, transparent regulations to foster better access
to key services for businesses and consumers towards
sustainable development, job creation and structural
transformation.
Sustainable development
Trading system
CUTS strives to preserve a strong and functioning
multilateral trading system including through support
for better participation of smaller developing countries
and least developed countries (LDCs), and to promote
balanced and fair rules for all to support sustainable
development at the national, regional, and international
levels. Its work helps WTO members converge on
creative solutions to restore WTO’s leadership for setting
global trade rules sensitive to small developing countries’
special needs.
CUTS also helps developing country groups to identify,
defend, and advance their interests in WTO discussions
and negotiations on a level-playing field, backed by
evidence and private sector feedback. CUTS works
to bring together developed and developing country
negotiators to share information and perspectives to
build trust and convergence among them and in the
trading system as a whole.
Between 2019 and 2022 for instance, CUTS’s WTO
Umbrella Grant project strengthened the capacity of
developing and LDC trade officials as they determined
their level of engagement, strategy, and approach to
the WTO JSIs: E-Commerce; Investment Facilitation for
Development; and MSMEs.
Undertaken jointly with the International Institute
for Sustainable Development (IISD) and with funding
support from the UK’s Trade and Investment Advocacy
Fund (TAF2+), project achievements notably included (1)
clarified national positions on the Electronic Commerce
JSI in six countries; (2) text proposals submitted by
beneficiary countries in JSIs, notably outlining options for
capacity building; (3) contributions to the establishment
of a ‘Scope and Definitions’ Sub-group in Investment
Facilitation Talks; (4) and realising the MSME Informal
Working Group’s (MSME IWG’s) vision for a Trade4MSMEs.
org online platform.
Plurilateral and regional agreements have become a
major driving force of global trade integration, creating
new opportunities for people, provided agreed regimes
are fair and sound. CUTS’s work seeks to ensure that
preferential trade agreements negotiated by and among
developing countries leverage trade integration in pursuit
of inclusive and sustainable development for people.
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Trade Policy at Work may be a powerful force for
sustainable development, structural transformation, and
poverty reduction. It helps developing countries monitor
and wisely use standards and non-tariff measures (NTMs)
to support their sustainable development, as well as
boost their participation in global trade and value chains.
CUTS assists developing countries in effectively
implementing agreed trade rules, while also leveraging
preferences and special and differential treatment (SDT)
granted by trading partners. CUTS helps them promote
predictable and efficient administrative procedures that
make moving goods across borders cheaper and faster,
hence boosting the competitiveness of MSMEs.
Environment and climate change
CUTS helps developing countries participate in climate
talks on a level-playing field and to identify, defend,
and advance their interests in UNFCCC negotiations,
backed by evidence and private sector feedback.
Through research and advice, they help developing
countries devise adaptation strategies for more resilient
economies and support developing country negotiators
and policymakers in crafting mitigation solutions in areas
of their interest, for example agriculture. CUTS strives for
the implementation of the Paris Agreement in a gendersensitive,
inclusive, and sustainable way (i.e. supportive
of economic and social development).
CUTS also strives for climate-resilient, sustainable
economies, and livelihoods by supporting
environmentally sound policies and strategic use of
global climate talks. The economies of developing
countries typically rely on sectors that are highly
dependent on environmental resources, such as
agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Developing
countries have embraced environment-related issues
in their policy agendas, although their implementation
capacity often remains limited.
CUTS sensitise governments about key linkages between
the environment and other areas, for example, agriculture,
the rise of global value chains, and the ongoing digital
revolution. It promotes the sustainable management of
life on land and life below water, highlighting the potential
roles of trade therein. CUTS’s effort to promote the agroprocessing
industry in East Africa as an effective weapon
against climate change’s impact on agriculture leading
to poverty reduction was captured in Kenya’s new
Trade Policy as a policy measure. It also found a place in
Burundi’s Industrialisation Policy.
Sustainable agriculture
CUTS promotes sustainable agricultural systems that
secure food for all by advising on the adoption of climateresilient
policy solutions, as well as holistic policies for
agro-processing. Most developing countries remain net
food importers, while their exports are faced with a
complex global agricultural trade regime. CUTS’s work
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DIGITAL TOOLS
promotes properly functioning agricultural trade rules
and food commodity markets, which should allow
developing countries to leverage trade to improve
their food production, value addition, and security.
Commercial farming is rare in developing countries, the
potential of agriculture is huge, and solutions exist. For
instance, technology and digitalisation can help transform
agricultural systems, making them more sustainable and
attracting youth into new jobs.
Capacity development
Since 2017, CUTS’s just-in-time Course on Digital
Commerce jointly undertaken with DiploFoundation
and ITC has been pursuing a very concrete goal:
to assist trade professionals to better understand
what digitalisation and the internet mean for trade
negotiators, and help them ensure their countries
reap the benefits of the digital economy. The training
has equipped them with up-to-date, neutral, objective
knowledge, in a user-friendly and informative format.
Over the years, the course has helped trade negotiators
and policymakers navigate an ever more complex
digital commerce agenda. It has provided them with
a common space to explore the connection between
trade and the digital economy and the development
implications of this interplay.
In 2021, the course was thoroughly reviewed and
updated to answer the pressing needs of digital
commerce practitioners by exploring in depth the
issues covered by the JSI on Electronic Commerce,
such as cross-border data flows and data localisation,
network neutrality, online consumer protection and
privacy, spam, open government data, customs duties
on electronic transmissions, cybersecurity, and access
to the source code of computer programs. Throughout
the years, the course received over 300 applications
from 98 countries and delivered training to 138
individuals from 72 countries. The most represented
regions among course participants were Africa, Asia,
and Europe. According to the results of a survey, 93%
of the course alumni would recommend this course to
colleagues working in their organisations. Also, 100%
of the alumni were of the opinion that it is important
to continue offering the course in years to come on a
regular basis.
Future of meetings
List of events is available at
https://cuts-international.org/event/
Social media channels
Facebook CUTS International
LinkedIn CUTS International
X @CUTS_Inter
YouTube CUTS International
127

The CyberPeace Institute
Campus Biotech Innovation Park | Av. de Sécheron 15 | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.cyberpeaceinstitute.org

About the CyberPeace Institute
The CyberPeace Institute is an independent and neutral
non-governmental organisation (NGO) that strives to
reduce the frequency, impact, and scale of cyberattacks,
to hold actors accountable for the harm they cause, and
to assist vulnerable communities.
The institute is a Geneva-based NGO, also working in
close collaboration with relevant partners to reduce the
harm from cyberattacks on people’s lives worldwide
and provide assistance. By analysing cyberattacks, we
expose their societal impact and how international laws
and norms are being violated, and advance responsible
behaviour to enforce cyberpeace.
At the heart of the Institute’s efforts is the recognition
that cyberspace is about people. We support providers
of essential services to the most vulnerable members of
society, ultimately benefiting us all, like NGOs and the
devastating impact on beneficiaries and patients, putting
their rights and even lives at risk.
To deliver on this mission, we rely on donations and the
generosity of individuals, foundations, companies, and
other supporters. This support enables us to assist and
support vulnerable communities, including NGOs, to
enhance their resilience to cyberattacks.
The Institute also provides evidence-based knowledge
and fosters awareness of the impact of cyberattacks on
people, to give a voice to and empower victims to highlight
the harm and impact of cyberattacks. We remind state
and non-state actors of the international laws and norms
governing responsible behaviour in cyberspace, and
advance the rule of law to reduce harm and ensure the
respect of the rights of people.
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The CyberPeace Institute is an independent and
neutral non-governmental organisation that
strives to reduce the frequency, impact, and
scale of cyberattacks; to hold actors
accountable for the harm they cause;
and to assist vulnerable communities.
Stéphane Duguin
Chief Executive Officer
Message by the CyberPeace Institute Chief Executive Officer
The CyberPeace Institute significantly contributes to enhancing global cybersecurity, focusing
on protecting vulnerable communities. This aligns with the United Nations sustainable
development goals (SDGs) for 2030, particularly in promoting good health and well-being
(SDG 3), peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16), and effective partnerships (SDG 17).
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Message by the CyberPeace Institute Chief Executive Officer
Cyberthreats have increasingly targeted the healthcare sector, from hospitals to vaccine research
facilities. These attacks not only jeopardise public health and safety but also undermine global
efforts towards achieving the SDGs. The Institute’s Cyber Incident Tracer #Health plays a vital role
in bridging the information gap about such cyberattacks. It helps understand their impact, thereby
guiding policy development and capacity-building initiatives.
For non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which are becoming more reliant on digital tools,
cyberthreats pose significant risks. They often lack the resources to invest in cybersecurity, leading
to disruptions in their services. This affects not only their operations but also the lives of those
they serve. In response, the Institute initiated the CyberPeace Builders programme in 2021. This
programme enhances NGOs’ cyber resilience, ensuring their uninterrupted contribution towards
the 2030 vision. It directly supports SDGs 16 and 17 by fostering strong institutions and partnerships.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has highlighted the strategic use of cyberattacks alongside
traditional military operations. These attacks often target critical infrastructure and civilian services.
Since February 2022, the Institute has been closely monitoring such incidents, particularly in Ukraine.
The Cyber Attacks in Time of Conflict Platform #Ukraine offers extensive analyses of these attacks,
providing insights into the attackers, affected regions, damages, and legal aspects. This platform is
integral to accountability efforts and is expected to extend to other conflict areas.
In 2023, the Institute prepared an analytical report titled CyberPeace Analytical Report: NGOs Serving
Humanity at Risk: Cyber Threats affecting International Geneva. This yet-to-be-published report
underscores the growing cyberthreats faced by Geneva-based NGOs, aiming to raise awareness
and strengthen cyber resilience within the humanitarian sector.
Furthermore, the Institute is developing a novel methodology to assess the societal impact of
cyberattacks. This methodology moves beyond evaluating direct damages, focusing on the broader
effects on society and individuals. The upcoming CyberPeace Watch platform will use this approach,
aligning cyber activities with international law and emphasising the human aspect of cybersecurity.
Recognising that no single entity can alone achieve cyberpeace or fulfil the SDGs, the Institute
advocates for multistakeholder cooperation. This collaboration is crucial for amplifying positive
contributions and building a peaceful and secure cyberspace for everyone.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Created in 2019, the Institute assesses the impact of
cyberattacks from a human perspective, focusing on the
rights of people. We ground our analysis on evidence
and the impact on human well-being, telling the story of
people, linking with the technical reality of cyberattacks,
and assessing it against the violation of laws. The Institute
advocates for an evidence-based, human-centric
approach to the analysis of cyberattacks as essential to
the process of redress, repair, and/or justice for victims.
We work collaboratively in our research, analysis,
assistance, mobilisation, and advocacy. We engage with
vulnerable communities to understand their needs for
cybersecurity support and provides free and trusted
cybersecurity assistance to vulnerable communities.
The CyberPeace Institute:
– assists NGOs and other vulnerable communities to
prepare for and recover from cyberattacks.
– investigates cyberattacks targeting vulnerable
communities, analysing these attacks to provide
alerts and support and for accountability.
– advocates to advance the rule of law and respect
for the rights of people.
– anticipates threats to people associated with
emerging and disruptive technologies.
Examples of operational activities:
– Assisting humanitarian and other NGOs with free
and trusted cybersecurity support.
– Analysing cyberattacks and highlighting their
impact on people and how they violate the rule of
law.
– Documenting violations of international laws and
norms and advocating for strengthened legal
protection in cyberspace.
– Offering expertise and support to states and civil
society in relation to responsible behaviour in
cyberspace.
– Foreseeing and navigating future trends and
threats in cyberspace.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Critical infrastructure
Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure have been on
the rise, from attacks against hospitals and vaccine
supply chains to attacks on the energy sector. When
such disruptions occur, access to basic services is at risk.
It is vital that there is an increase in the capacity and
ability to improve resilience to cyberthreats by critical
sectors, such as healthcare. The CyberPeace Institute
urges stakeholders in diplomatic, policy, operational, and
technical areas to increase their capacity and resilience to
cyberthreats.
The Institute advocates for capacity building aimed
at enabling states to identify and protect national
critical infrastructure and to cooperatively safeguard
its operation. This includes capacity building,
implementation of norms of responsible behaviour, and
confidence-building measures. In strengthening efforts
to protect critical infrastructure, the Institute calls for the
sharing of lessons learned between countries to assist
those with less capacity and fewer capabilities.
NGOs in civilian-critical sectors, for example water, food,
healthcare, energy, finance, and information, need
support and expertise to help them strengthen their
cybersecurity capabilities. While these NGOs provide
critical services to communities and bridge areas not
covered by public and private actors, they lack the
resources to protect themselves from cybersecurity
threats.
134
Examples of the Institute’s work in this regard:
– Calls to governments to take immediate and decisive
action to stop all cyberattacks on hospitals and
healthcare and medical research facilities, as well
as on medical personnel and international public
health organisations.
– Capacity building is essential for achieving cyber
preparedness and resilience across sectors and
fields, and activities focus on providing assistance
and capacity building to NGOs that might lack
technical expertise and resources.
– Publication of the strategic analysis report Playing
with Lives: Cyberattacks on Healthcare are Attacks
on People, and launch of the Cyber Incident Tracer
(CIT) #Health platform that bridges the current
information gap about cyberattacks on healthcare
and their impact on people. This is a valuable source
of information for evidence-led operational, policy,
and legal decision-makers.
– Analysis and evaluation of cyberattacks and
operations targeting critical infrastructure and
civilian objects in the armed conflict between
Ukraine and the Russian Federation through the
publicly accessible Cyber Attacks in Times of Conflict
Platform #Ukraine and a two-part video series to
offer visual representation of key findings further
developed in our quarterly analytical reports.
– An interactive platform named The CyberPeace
Watch to expand the monitoring to other contexts
including other situations of armed conflict and

to the application of relevant laws and norms.
This informs policy and legal processes and
developments, the preparedness and protection of
critical infrastructure, and cyber capacity building.
– Participation in the INFINITY project to transform
the traditional idea of criminal investigation and
analysis. INFINITY has received funding from the
European Union’s Horizon 2020. Its concept is based
around four core research and technical innovations
that together, will provide a revolutionary approach
and convert data into actionable intelligence.
– Participation in the UnderServed project, an
EUfunded initiative to address the lack of adequate
cybersecurity measures for vulnerable sectors,
including humanitarian, development, and peace
non-governmental organisations (NGO). The
primary objective of the project is to establish a
comprehensive platform for reporting and analysing
cyber threats. This platform is tailor-made for NGOs
vulnerable to cyberattacks, which often lack the
resources to effectively mitigate such threats.
Network security
NGOs play a critical role in ensuring the delivery of critical
services, such as the provision of healthcare, access to
food, micro-loans, information, and the protection of
human rights.
Malicious actors are already targeting NGOs in an effort
to get ransoms and exfiltrate data. Often these NGOs
do not have the budget, know-how, or time to effectively
secure their infrastructures and develop a robust incident
response to manage and overcome sophisticated attacks.
With this in mind, the Institute launched its CyberPeace
Builders programme in 2021, a unique network of
corporate volunteers providing free pre- and post-incident
assistance to NGOs supporting vulnerable populations.
This initiative brings support to NGOs in critical sectors
at a level that is unequalled in terms of staff, tools, and
capabilities. It assists NGOs with cybersecurity whether
they work locally or globally, and supports them in crisisaffected
areas across the globe.
Capacity development
The Institute believes that meaningful change can occur
when a diversity of perspectives, sectors, and industries
work together. To address the complex challenges related
to ensuring cyberpeace, it works with a wide range of
actors at the global level including governments, the
private sector, civil society, academia, philanthropies,
policymaking institutions, and other organisations.
The Institute contributes by providing evidence-led
knowledge, emphasising the need to integrate a genuine
human-centric approach in both technical and policyrelated
projects and processes, and by highlighting the
civil society perspective to support and amplify existing
initiatives.
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
Trainings
The CyberPeace Institute is providing comprehensive
training for NGOs Boards & Staff, Foundations and
Volunteers designed to empower organisations with
vital tools for safeguarding their missions. We recently
launched a Cyber School, in partnership with Microsoft,
to create a unique, free offer to participate in an 8-week
virtual course for everyone who is interested in taking
their first step into a new career path.
Interdisciplinary approaches
To contribute to closing the accountability gap in
cyberspace, the Institute seeks to advance the role of
international law and norms.
It reminds state and non-state actors of the international
law and norms governing responsible behaviour in
cyberspace, and contributes to advancing the rule of law
to reduce harm and ensure the respect of the rights of
people.
Contribution to UN processes
– In 2021–2022, the Institute contributed to and
commented on various UN-led processes (notably
the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts
on Advancing responsible state behaviour in
cyberspace in the context of international security
(UN GGE) and the Working Group (WG) on the use
of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights
and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples
to self-determination).
– Since our inception, the Institute has closely
followed the work of the UN Open-Ended Working
Group (UN OEWG) on developments in the field of
information and telecommunications in the context
of international security, advocating recognition
of the healthcare sector as a critical infrastructure
and raising concerns about the lack of commitment
towards an actionable and genuine human-centric
approach.
– In the Open-Ended Working Group on security of
and in the use of information and communications
technologies 2021–2025 (OEWG II), the Institute
set out three key action areas and related
recommendations, and is contributing its expertise
in relation to the protection of humanitarian and
development organisations from cyberattacks.
– The Institute issued a Statement at the Ad Hoc
Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive
International Convention on Countering the Use of
Information and Communications Technologies for
Criminal Purposes (Cybercrime Convention)
– Moreover, the Institute sought to advance the
Cyber Programme of Action (PoA) by offering
recommendations concerning the range,
organisation, and approaches for stakeholder
participation.
– Also, the Institute welcomed the call for civil society
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organisations to contribute to the Global Digital
Compact and provided a set of recommendations.
Cyber Mercenaries’ Phenomenon” at the 6th edition
of the Paris Peace Forum.
Participation in international initiatives: The Paris
Call Working Groups
The Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace is
a multistakeholder initiative launched by the French
government at the Paris Peace Forum in November 2018.
The Call itself sets out nine principles promoting and
ensuring the security of cyberspace and the safer use of
information and communications technology (ICT).
– To operationalise these principles, in November
2020 six working groups were created to work on
various issues that relate to them. The Institute coled
WG5 with colleagues from Geopolitics in the
Datasphere [Géopolitique de la Datasphère] and
The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS).
– The work of this group led to the Final Report
published during the Paris Peace Forum 2021. It
presents a methodology to facilitate understanding
of how the implementation of normative, legal,
operational, and technical measures, or the lack
thereof, contribute to stability in cyberspace and
ultimately to cyberpeace.
– The Institute contributed to WG3: Advancing the
UN negotiations with a strong multistakeholder
approach, leading to the publication of the final
report on Multistakeholder Participation at the UN:
The Need for Greater Inclusivity in the UN Dialogues
on Cybersecurity.
– The Institute chaired the session “Unpacking the
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At the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos,
in May 2022, the CyberPeace Institute joined Access
Now, the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), Human Rights Watch (HRW),
Amnesty International, the International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC), and Consumers International
to call on decision-makers to take action and initiate a
moratorium limiting the sale, transfer, and use of abusive
spyware until people’s rights are safeguarded under
international human rights law. This is in addition to a call
made in 2021, in which the Institute joined more than 100
civil society organisations calling for a global moratorium
on the sale and transfer of surveillance technology until
rigorous human rights safeguards are adopted to regulate
such practices and guarantee that governments and nonstate
actors don’t abuse these capabilities.
EU Processes
At the Institute, we conduct an evaluation of best practices
in implementing EU regulations, focusing on their
evolution and development to ensure effective execution.
Simultaneously, we analyse EU mechanisms like the EU
Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox, aimed at countering malicious
cyber activities and bolstering resilience, while providing
targeted observations and recommendations.
– We contributed to the Joint Letter of Experts on
Cyber Resilience Act to shed light on the vulnerability

disclosure requirements, which are believed to be
counterproductive.
– We offered recommendations to the working group
of the ITRE Committee (EU parliament).
– We led the workshop for the European Parliament’s
Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) on
the role of cyber in the Russian war against Ukraine:
Its impact and the consequences for the future
of armed conflict, which was then published as a
working paper.
– We provided positions and recommendations on
the EU AI Act (unpublished yet).
Digital technology plays an important role in conflict
mediation and global peacebuilding. It can extend
inclusion, allowing more women or people from
marginalised groups to take part in or follow a mediation
process. It can make mediation faster and more efficient
and can allow mediators to draw on resources from
around the world.
However, digital technology brings risks, too. It
can increase polarisation, for example, and allow
disinformation to spread to more people, more quickly.
It can increase vulnerability to malicious actors, spying,
and data breaches. These risks can undermine trust in
the process.
Mediators work in low-trust, volatile contexts and don’t
always have the knowledge to assess the risks posed by
digital technology. A new online platform helps to raise
awareness of those risks, as well as offering training on
how to deal with them. The Digital Risk Management
E-Learning Platform for Mediators was created in 2021
by the CyberPeace Institute, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace
Foundation, and the UN Department of Political and
Peacebuilding Affairs (UNDPPA) Mediation Support Unit.
As part of the integration and engagement with the
stakeholder ecosystem in Geneva, the Institute is a
member of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Services (CCIG).
Various academic collaborations are ongoing through
participation in conferences, workshops, and lectures,
namely with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Centre for Digital Trust EPFL (C4DT), the University of
Geneva (UNIGE), and the Geneva Graduate Institute. In
2020, the Institute formed a strategic partnership with
the Swiss Trust Valley for Digital Transformation and
Cybersecurity.
The Institute and staff have received several awards for
innovative and continuous efforts promoting cyberpeace
including the 2020 Geneva Centre for Security Policy
(GCSP), second prize for Innovation in Global Security, and
the Prix de l’Economie in 2021 from CCIG.
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Social media channels
The Institute maintains a website providing alerts, blogs,
articles, and publications on key issues related to our
mission for cyberpeace, and we share video materials and
discussion recordings on our YouTube channel.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive updates
about what's happening at the Institute, as well as news
about cyberpeace.
The latest news and developments are shared via
LinkedIn @cyberpeace-institute
X @CyberpeaceInst
139

Datasphere Initiative Foundation
℅ L&S Trust Services | Route de Chene 30 | 1211 Geneva 6 | Switzerland
www.thedatasphere.org

About the Datasphere Initiative Foundation
The Datasphere Initiative is a global network of
stakeholders with a mission to develop agile frameworks
to responsibly unlock the value of data for all.
It has been incubated by the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy
Network – a multistakeholder organisation addressing
the tension between the cross-border nature of the
internet and national jurisdictions.
The Datasphere’s main objectives are the following:
– Provide a platform to unlock the social and
economic value of data access and use.
– Improve coordination and accelerate the adoption
of concrete proposals to overcome the current
tensions and polarisation around data.
– Produce evidence-based analysis on data policy
issues.
– Catalyse human-centric technical, policy, and
institutional innovations.
– Bring a new, holistic and positive approach to the
governance of the Datasphere.
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Geneva is home to many digital policy actors.
Each of us plays a critical role in advancing multis
takeholder discussions on roles and responsibilities
to reduce vulnerabilities in the datasphere.
We believe that by working together with
other actors in the Geneva digital
ecosystem, we can build a more inclusive
and collaborative governance model
for our digital society.
Lorrayne Porciuncula
Executive Director
Message by the Datasphere Initiative Foundation Executive Director
Data is growing at an accelerated pace. It increasingly underpins, affects, and reflects most human
activities. Legitimate concerns, however, have emerged regarding security threats, economic
imbalances, and human rights abuses that can impact a society increasingly dependent on data.
We are also observing an unprecedented proliferation of activities, initiatives, and uncoordinated
actions related to how data should be governed. This is further compounded by the tension
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Message by the Datasphere Initiative Foundation Executive Director
between ideas related to the free-flow of data and data sovereignty, as well a regulatory focus
on personal over non-personal data.
The various issues related to data governance are addressed in separate silos with the patchwork
of uncoordinated actions creating unintended consequences. This is why our network came
together under the framing of the Datasphere to help catalyse the missing taxonomies,
frameworks, and instruments to deal with data through a holistic and innovative perspective
that enables true interoperability.
The Datasphere can be defined as a complex dynamic system encompassing all types of data
and their dynamic interactions with human groups and norms. Approaching the ecosystem
in which all digital data exists as the Datasphere provides the fundamental perspective shift
needed to govern data for the well-being of all.
International cooperation to find solutions for the most pressing global challenges will depend on
our ability to responsibly share data across-borders. Today is the time to be bold and innovative in
enabling the opportunities and addressing the challenges of the technological revolution around
us and to build agile frameworks to responsibly unlock the value of data for all. We should not
shy away from creating experimental and agile spaces that will allow us to jointly investigate
innovative mechanisms that will serve our digital societies.
We hope that the growing global community of the Datasphere Initiative will be able to play its
role to connect silos, translate and help develop taxonomies, and catalyse the needed trust for
truly interoperable solutions that can be implemented now.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The Datasphere Initiative works on three programmes
that promote transnational cooperation and missionoriented
partnerships: Dialogue, Intelligence, and the
Lab.
Digital activities are dedicated to increasing awareness,
building capacity, and identifying real-world challenges
that can be addressed by data and innovative data
governance frameworks.
145
Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Data governance
The Datasphere provides the fundamental perspective
shift needed to govern data for the well-being of all,
building innovative data governance frameworks that are
inclusive, agile, and scalable.
The Intelligence Program gathers evidence on concrete
challenges, identifies innovative data governance
practices, and translates complex technical data issues
into actionable outcomes. The main objectives of this
programme are mapping the relevant actors, policy
processes, innovative approaches, concepts, and trends
in data governance and developing holistic analytical
and measurement frameworks for the Datasphere. The
Intelligence Program includes Framing the Datasphere,
Datasphere Observatory, Mapping the Datasphere,
Sectorial Deep-dives, Datasphere Reviews, and
Datasphere Toolkit(s).
The Datasphere Governance Atlas maps organisations
from around the world all with a mission to address the
multi-dimensional topic of data governance. The analysis
identifies technical and normative approaches to data
governance and puts forward insights into how the data
governance environment is evolving across regions and
sectors.
The Lab Program creates a collective space to showcase and
experiment with innovations in governance frameworks
and technical solutions advancing the vision of a
Datasphere for all. Cross-border Datasphere Sandboxes,
Framework Convention for the Datasphere, Protocol(s)
for the Datasphere, and Datasphere Hackathons are an
important segment of this programme.
Moreover, it is foreseen to launch a Global Sandboxes
for Data Forum in 2024 that will spur the development
and implementation of ​innovative data governance
frameworks ​across borders, through a multistakeholder ​
process, to which local, regional, and global ​experts will
be invited to contribute and learn ​from each other.
As the first regional application of the Global Sandboxes
Forum, the Datasphere Initiative has launched the Africa
Forum on Sandboxes for Data.
Capacity development
The objectives of the Dialogue Program are to inform
(increase awareness of data opportunities and
challenges across regions), advise (develop capacitybuilding
programmes with a regional partner), and
innovate (identify real-world challenges that can be
addressed by data and innovative data governance
frameworks). The Datasphere Dialogues seek to
engage systematically with stakeholders in Europe
and North America but will count with a special focus
on the Global South and sustainability challenges,
supporting local and regional empowerment and
leadership on Data Governance. In addition to global
dialogues, it consists of structured regional efforts
in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
The Dialogue Program includes Datasphere Dialogues,
Datasphere Academy, Datasphere Challenges, and the
Datasphere Summit.
Mapping the Datasphere seeks to investigate paths
to enable the visualisation of the Datasphere as
a whole and its different dimensions, building on
datasets of personal and/or non-personal data
in collaboration with data engineers and policy
practitioners. The ultimate objective is to develop
an interactive Datasphere Observatory platform
where the Datasphere and the repository of collected
information can be visualised in its different layers
and segments of different dataspheres tangible for
users and decision-makers.
Future of meetings
More information is available on the event page.
Social media channels
Instagram @thedatasphere
Instagram @ youth4data
TikTok @ youth4data
LinkedIn @datasphere-initiative
Medium @thedatasphere
X @thedatasphere
YouTube @The Datasphere
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DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
Maison de la Paix | Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2E | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.dcaf.ch

About DCAF
DCAF is dedicated to improving the security of states
and their people within a framework of democratic
governance, the rule of law, respect for human rights,
and gender equality. Since our founding in 2000, DCAF
has contributed to making peace and development more
sustainable by assisting partner states, and international
actors supporting these states, to improve the
governance of their security sectors through inclusive and
participatory reforms. We create innovative knowledge
products, promote norms and good practices, provide
legal and policy advice, and support the capacity building
of both state and non state security sector stakeholders.
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No development is possible when people
live in fear of violence.
Nathalie Chuard
Director
Message by the DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance Director
I am thrilled to lead an organisation with a global reputation for impartiality and excellence
earned over more than 20 years of making people safer. Accountable and effective security
and justice have always been our focus, and today the need for these values appears more
important than ever.
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Message by the DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance Director
Our world is facing numerous simultaneous crises and none of us really knows how it will
play out. With unprecedented levels of political instability around the globe and the number
of people living in extreme poverty on the rise and with most of them living in areas severely
affected by conflict and fragility, the spotlight on the security agenda is getting stronger.
At the same time, the world is becoming more polarised, and security policy more isolationist.
Where countries previously coalesced around international norms and standards on security
governance, some are now being offered alternatives that do not necessarily emphasise
checks and balances on power. Such insecurity can push countries and people towards a less
democratic path. We believe it is therefore more crucial than ever to ensure a people-centred
approach and build trust between citizens and state institutions. This can be achieved in part
by creating space for the media and civil society to play fundamental roles in oversight and
holding security forces and institutions accountable for their actions.
This underlines the importance of a continued commitment to security sector governance
and reform (SSG/R), and the need to remain engaged at the global level and around the
world. Effective and accountable security and justice are the foundation on which peace and
sustainable development are built. Let us be clear here: No development is possible when
people live in fear of violence.
DCAF’s work contributes to leaving no one behind.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Cyberspace and cybersecurity have numerous
implications for security provision, management,
and oversight, which is why DCAF is engaged in these
topics within its work. DCAF has implemented a cycle
of policy projects to develop new norms and good
practices in cyberspace. At the operational level,
cybersecurity governance has become a prominent
part of SSR programming.
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Credit: dcaf.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Digitalisation and cybersecurity are the challenges of
today and tomorrow. They have an overarching impact
on the security sector and the role of the security
sector and governance reform (SSG/R) in the digital
space. In our recent study SSG/R in the digital space:
projections into the future policy, we shed light on
the complex intersection of digitalisation and security
sector governance. It examines how security sector
actors have adapted to the digital transition and the
emergence of new actors within the security ecosystem.
It also provides concrete recommendations on how
to navigate the complexities of digital technologies
and shape ethical technology use and robust digital
governance frameworks.
For newcomers to the field, DCAF offers the introductory
series SSR Backgrounders, with a special issue on the
impact of digitalisation on good governance in the
security sector. It is a first-stop resource to understand
the challenges and considerations for best policy and
practice.
DCAF implements projects that focus on improving
cybersecurity laws and policies, increasing the
capacity of cybersecurity actors, and strengthening
accountability in cybersecurity. One of our priorities is
to strengthen the individual and institutional capacities
of national Computer Emergency Response Teams
(CERTs). These teams are responsible for effectively
and efficiently preventing and responding to attacks
on national systems.
We also run the annual Young Faces research and
mentoring programme, which helps to develop the
next generation of cybersecurity experts in the
Western Balkans. Each year, we select around 30
dynamic, forward-thinking young professionals to
join the programme that enhances their knowledge of
emerging trends in cybersecurity governance.
Research shows that women, girls, and LGBTQ+
people are the most affected by cybersecurity risks.
Our publication and podcast series analyses how
they have been pushed out of cyberspaces by abuse
and discrimination, and what solutions exist to take a
human-centred approach that considers everyone’s
needs in cybersecurity.
In our Donors’ Talk podcast series, we spoke with
DCAF’s Justice Advisor to draw on her 15 years of
experience in justice sector reform to look at success
stories, challenges, and what needs to be considered
when supporting digitalisation projects related to
justice reform.
In Morocco, DCAF supported the National
AntiCorruption Commission with training on the
prevention and investigation of cyber-corruption and
financial cybercrimes. The government commission
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DIGITAL TOOLS
digitalised its internal processes, resulting in more
effective tracking and response to citizens’ data
protection requests.
Legislation databases
DCAF’s three legal databases gather policies, laws, and
decrees governing the security sectors in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, Libya, and Tunisia. Each database
covers the main providers of security and justice, the
formal supervision and management institutions,
and the legislative and regulatory texts covering and
authorising the work of informal control actors (political
parties, media, NGOs, etc.).
A resource for legislators, the justice system, academia,
and civil society, the databases offer both a current
resource and a historical perspective on the evolution
of security sector legislation in the respective countries.
For more tools and resources on cybersecurity
governance and the security sector, visit our website.
Social media channels
Facebook @DCAFgeneva
LinkedIn @DCAF
Spotify @DCAF
X @DCAF_Geneva
YouTube @DCAF Geneva Centre for Security Sector
Governance
Handbook on effective use of social media in
cybersecurity awareness raising campaigns
This handbook provides condensed and easy-tofollow
guidance and examples for designing content
strategies and the efficient use of social media towards
effective public awareness raising on cybersecurity. It
shares the do’s and don’ts of social media, and how
to have a strategic social media presence to support
better cybersecurity.
155

European Broadcasting Union
(EBU)
L’Ancienne-Route 17A | Postal Box 45 | 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex | Switzerland
www.ebu.ch

About the EBU
EBU is the world’s leading alliance of public service media.
It has 112 member organisations in 56 countries and
an additional 30 associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia,
and the Americas. EBU members operate nearly 2,000
television, radio, and online channels and services, and
offer a wealth of content across other platforms.
Together they reach an audience of more than one billion
people around the world, broadcasting in more than 153
languages. The EBU operates Eurovision and Euroradio
services.
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Digital transformation has only just begun.
Noel Curran
Director-General
Message by the EBU Director-General
Public service media (PSM) have been on a journey to transform the way they work and
interact with their audiences but we expect to see the digital revolution accelerate even more
in the years to come.
To survive, organisations in all sectors need to adapt to meet the digital demands of their
audiences.
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Message by the EBU Director-General
As our remit is to serve all sectors of society, we need to ensure our viewers and listeners can
continue to find our content and services wherever and whenever they need.
In a multichannel, multiplatform world, distribution is key. PSM will have to continue to evolve
and develop new services to ensure they reach everyone, everywhere.
This work will touch on many different areas from creating new virtual spaces to developing
new legal frameworks; from finding better ways to use and access audience data to improving
branding and UX and cultivating cross-platform strategies.
At the EBU, we are helping support our members in many different ways. At a regulatory level,
we are campaigning to ensure citizens can continue to easily access and find PSM content
online.
We are bringing broadcasters together to collaborate on new technology, innovation, and
standards. And sharing best practice around digital development, artificial intelligence (AI),
and the metaverse.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Telecommunication infrastructure
EBU members use various types of network
infrastructure for the production and distribution of
PSM content and services to the entire population.
In addition to traditional broadcasting networks –
terrestrial, cable, or satellite – media service providers
use fixed and wireless IP networks. The EBU’s activities
aim to ensure that these networks are capable of
meeting the requirements of PSM organisations and
their audiences in a technically and economically
viable way. This includes technical developments and
standardisation in collaboration with industry partners
as well as engagement with regulators and policymakers
to ensure a suitable regulatory framework for PSM
content and services.
The current focus is on broadband distribution
infrastructure; distribution over internet platforms;
wireless mobile technologies such as 5G; and terrestrial
broadcast networks, including access to spectrum.
The governance of the EBU’s technical work is described
here: https://tech.ebu.ch/about. The current Technical
Committee Workplan (2022-2025) is available here:
https://tech.ebu.ch/publications/tc_workplan_up_
to_2023.
Further information about the EBU’s technical work,
including the scope of different working groups, can be
found at tech.ebu.ch.
Following the start of the war in Ukraine and the 2021
flooding in Europe, the EBU issued a recommendation
to recall the crucial importance of PSM’s delivery to
citizens – for this, no single resilient network will suffice.
Digital standards
Since its inception in 1950, the EBU has been mandated
by its members to contribute to standardisation work
in all technological fields related to media. This work
ranges from TV and radio production equipment to
the new broadcasting standards for transmission. This
mandate has been naturally extended over the years
to the field of mobile technologies, as well as online
production and distribution.
The EBU hosts the digital video broadcasting (DVB)
project, which has developed digital TV standards such
as DVB-T/T2 and DVB-S/S2 which are the backbone
of digital TV broadcasting around the world. DVB is
currently working on an IP-based distribution system
and on DVB-I, a new open standard for content
distribution over the internet. This work is closely
aligned with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project
(3GPP).
The EBU is an active member of a number of other
standards and industry organisations that are
developing specifications relevant to media content
production and distribution, including major standards
161

developing organisations (SDOs) (e.g. the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), 3GPP,
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
but also those with a more focused scope (e.g. Hybrid
broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV), DASH Industry
Forum (DASH-IF), the World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C), RadioDNS 1 , Word Digital Audio Broadcasting
(WorldDAB), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the
Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and
the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
(SMPTE)). In all these organisations, the EBU’s main
objective is to ensure that specifications are capable of
meeting the requirements of EBU members and their
audiences.
In 2019, the EBU launched a 5G Media Action Group
(5G-MAG), an independent non-profit cross-industry
association that provides a framework for collaboration
between media and information and communications
technology (ICT) stakeholders on a market-driven
implementation of 5G technologies in content creation,
production, distribution, and consumption.
Artificial intelligence
AI and data are central themes for PSM today, especially
when it comes to strengthening and personalising
relationships with its citizens. The EBU's AI and
Data Group defines the AI and Data Initiative strategy
and priorities in order to support EBU members' data
usage and AI- and data-driven strategies. It brings
together EBU member delegates and EBU permanent
services delegates, who are directly involved in carrying
out strategic, managerial, analytical, technological, legal,
content-related, or other types of activities related to
data usage in their respective organisations.
A prominent example of the EBU’s use of AI is its PEACH
(Personalization for EACH) initiative, which has brought
together a number of public broadcasters to develop
AI-powered tools to deliver the right content to the right
audience in accordance with current data protection
regulations.
Network neutrality
The EBU’s work in the field of net neutrality focuses on
assisting its members in coordinating their positions
on broadband network neutrality. To this end, it
provides expertise and facilitates initiatives and the
1
RadioDNS is an organisation that promotes the use of open technology standards to enable hybrid radio. Hybrid radio combines broadcast radio and
internet technologies to create a harmonised distribution technology. It relies upon the Domain Name System (DNS).
162

drafting of documents concerning net neutrality at
the EU level. The EBU also encourages its members
to exchange experiences from the national level. Net
neutrality is addressed as part of the EBU’s Legal and
Policy Distribution Group. Net neutrality is seen as a
key principle for public service broadcasters to support
and advocate for, as it ensures their services are equally
accessible by all internet users.
Cybercrime and network security
The EBU has developed a Strategic Programme on
Media Cyber Security, aimed mainly at raising awareness
among its members of the increasing cybersecurity risks
and threats to broadcasting. This initiative also provides
a platform for its members to exchange information on
security incidents (e.g. phishing campaigns, targeted
malware attacks), as well as on lessons learned,
projects, and internal procedures. A dedicated working
group is focused on defining information security best
practices for broadcast companies – it has recently
published a recommendation providing guidance on
cybersecurity safeguards that media organisations and
media vendors should apply when planning, designing,
or sourcing their products and services. The EBU
organises an annual Media Cybersecurity Forum, which
brings together manufacturers, service providers,
and media companies to discuss security issues in the
media domain.
Convergence and OTT
In an environment increasingly characterised by digital
convergence, the EBU is working on identifying viable
investment solutions for over-the-top (OTT) services.
The organisation has a Digital Media Steering Committee,
focused on ‘defining the role of public service media in
the digital era, with a special focus on how to interact
with big digital companies’. It also develops a bi-annual
roadmap for technology and innovation activities and
has a dedicated Project Group on OTT services.
In addition, there is an intersectoral group composed of
EBU members and staff that exchange best practices for
relations between internet platforms and broadcasters.
During the COVID-19 crisis, a coordinated effort by
the technical distribution experts of the EBU and its
members monitored the state of the global broadband
network to help avoid surcharges due to the increased
consumption of on-demand programmes.
This work goes hand in hand with that developed by
the Legal and Policy department – among others with
the Content, Platform, Distribution, and Intellectual
Property Expert Groups, all key in the establishment of
EU rules enabling the proper availability of PSM services
to people across the EU and beyond.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
Capacity development
Most of the EBU’s activities are aimed at increasing
the capacity of its members to address challenges and
embrace opportunities brought about by the digital
age. To that end, through its Digital Transformation
Initiative, the EBU has developed a number of member
support services, such as its expert community
network that gathers over 200 experts from across
its membership, and a digital knowledge hub with a
repository of analyses and best practices. The EBU
also offers a wide range of workshops and other
sessions aimed at creating awareness about the digital
transformation of the public service media, developing
peer-to-peer assessment of members’ digital maturity,
and initiating tailored interventions based on members’
needs.
Social media channels
Facebook @EBU.HQ
Instagram @ebu_hq
LinkedIn @ebu
Podcasts @ebu.ch/podcasts
X @ebu_hq
YouTube @EBU_HQ
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Ecma International
Rue du Rhône 114 | 1204 Geneva | Switzerland
www.ecma-international.org

About Ecma International
Ecma International is a global standards development
organisation dedicated to the standardisation of
information and communication systems. Established
in 1961, Ecma has been a pioneer in providing a
framework for the collaboration of standardisation and
open source. The work is driven by Ecma members
to address market requirements, providing a healthy
competitive environment where competition is based on
the differentiation of products and services, and where
vendors and users can rely on the interoperability of
technical solutions.
Areas of work include the development and
publication of Standards and Technical Reports for
information and communications technology (ICT)
and consumer electronics (CE), with a broad scope of
standardisation topics including hardware, software,
communications, consumer electronics, Internet of
Things (IoT), programming languages, media storage,
and environmental subjects. Ecma’s pragmatic, flexible,
member-driven model is effective at enabling technical
committees to form and iterate rapidly on internationally
recognised open standards.
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Pioneering new technical standards: bringing
together industry, open source community and
technology experts from around the world
to develop standards in a contributiondriven,
consensus-based approach.
Samina Husain
Secretary-General
Message by the Ecma International Secretary-General
Innovation is a constant, and new developments continue to occur. Technology provides a
platform for innovation and creativity. It allows individuals and organisations to explore new
ideas, create novel solutions, and push boundaries. The advancements, development, and
deployment of technology play a significant role in shaping industries, evolving job markets,
and emerging new economic opportunities.
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Message by the Ecma International Secretary-General
The interaction of technology and humanity is also dynamic and shapes the future of society.
It involves a balance between the benefits of technological progress and the challenges of
ethical considerations. Standards play a crucial role, contributing to the efficiency, safety,
interoperability, and overall progress of industry and society.
Ecma plays an important role in developing and providing standards in this dynamic landscape.
These standards provide a common set of rules and specifications, ensuring that products and
systems from different manufacturers can work together seamlessly. This interoperability is
vital for the integration of technologies and the development of complex systems.
Through its standards, Ecma actively fosters innovation by providing a shared framework
within which new technologies and products can flourish. These standards also promote
fair competition by establishing a level playing field, allowing businesses to compete based
on the quality and features of their products rather than on proprietary technologies. At its
core, Ecma believes that standards are the linchpin for promoting consistency, reliability, and
quality across various domains.
Standards play a vital role in driving innovation, facilitating international trade, protecting
consumers, and addressing societal challenges. They provide a foundation for collaboration
and progress, contributing to the overall advancement of industries and societies. In essence,
standards are not just benchmarks; they are the cornerstone upon which our collective
journey towards technological empowerment is built.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
For over 60 years, Ecma has actively contributed to
worldwide standardisation in information technology
and telecommunications. More than 400 Ecma Standards
and 100 Technical Reports of high quality have been
published, covering areas such as data presentation
and communication, data interchange and archiving,
access systems and interconnection and multimedia,
programming languages, and software engineering and
interfaces, two-thirds of which have also been adopted
as International Standards and/or Technical Reports.
One of the first programming languages developed by
Ecma, FORTRAN, was approved in 1965. ECMAScript®
(JavaScript), with several billion implementations, is one
of the most used standards worldwide.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Digital standards
A large part of Ecma’s activity is dedicated to defining
standards and technical reports for ICTs (hardware,
software, communications, media storage, etc.). This
work is carried out through technical committees and
task groups focusing on issues such as information
storage, multimedia coding and communications,
programming languages, open XML formats, and
product-related environmental attributes.
Our members are committed to Ecma’s success and
progress and follow best practices and efficient processes
for the development and approval of standards, making
Ecma a respected and trusted industry association.
Ecma has close working relations - such as liaisons,
cooperation agreements, and memberships - with
European and international standardisation bodies
as well as with some forums and consortia. Our longestablished
relationships with other standardisation
organisations are well maintained and enable us to
publish our specifications as international standards.
Telecommunications infrastructure
– Standards related to corporate
telecommunication networks: ECMA-307; ECMA-
308; ECMA-309; ECMA-326; ECMA-332; ECMA-355;
ECMA-360; ECMA-361
– Standards related to access systems and
interconnection: ECMA-342; ECMA-412; ECMA-
417
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– Standards related to wireless proximity systems.
ECMA-340; ECMA-352; ECMA-356; ECMA-362;
ECMA-373; ECMA-385 ECMA-386; ECMA-390;
ECMA-391; ECMA-403; ECMA-409; ECMA-410;
ECMA-411; ECMA-415; ECMA-368; ECMA-369;
ECMA-381; ECMA-387; ECMA-392; ECMA-397;
ECMA-398; ECMA-399; ECMA-401
– Technical reports related to corporate
telecommunication networks: TR/91; TR/92;
TR/95; TR/96; TR/100; TR/101; TR/102; TR/103;
TR/75; TR/86
Network security
– ECMA-205; ECMA-206; ECMA-219; ECMA-235;
ECMA-271
Sustainable development/Digital and environment
– ECMA-328; ECMA-341; ECMA-370; ECMA-383;
ECMA-389; ECMA-393; ECMA-400
Programming languages such as ECMAScript
(JavaScript) and C#
– ECMA-262; ECMA-334; ECMA-335; ECMA-367;
ECMA-372; ECMA-402; ECMA-404; ECMA-408;
ECMA-414
Data-related standards
– Multiple Ecma standards covering issues such
as data interchange, data presentation, and data
communication

DIGITAL TOOLS
– Ecma technical reports covering data
communication and data interchange
Technical committees (TCs) and task groups (TGs)
covering issues such as access systems and information
exchange between systems (TC51), information storage
(TC31), product-related environmental attributes
(TC38), ECMAScript® language (TC39), office open
XML formats (TC45), and ECMAScript® modules for
embedded systems (TC53).
The Iist of Ecma standards noted above.
Future of standards
The participation in Ecma of many worldwide leading
companies ensures not only the acceptance of Ecma
Standards in European and international standardisation,
but also their worldwide implementation.
Ecma’s goal for the next decade is to continue to play
a key role in the extraordinary development of IT,
telecommunications and consumer electronics, via the
dissemination of new technologies, and by the delivery
of first-class standards to our members, partners, and
the standard-user community. Ecma aims to continue
to bring in major contributions, move technology from
members to mature standards, and collaborate with
the world’s major standards developing organisations
(SDOs).
Future of meetings
Ecma maintains a pragmatic approach to meeting
participation. Our General Assembly typically takes
place as a physical meeting to allow in-person
discussions and interaction among members. For
members who cannot participate in person, remote
attendance is possible with videoconferencing and
other digital tools.
Ecma’s technical committees hold either physical,
hybrid, or virtual meetings depending on their specific
needs.
Ecma meetings are typically held outside of Ecma’s HQ.
As a general principle, members are encouraged to
host meetings. Invitations are by a technical committee
member who host the meeting at a facility of their
choice.
For meetings, consensus building, and voting, Ecma
focuses on being efficient and effective. The meeting
place and mode are decided upon by the committee.
Social media channels
LinkedIn @ecma-international
X @EcmaIntl
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European Free Trade Association
(EFTA)
Rue de Varembé 9-11 | 1211 Geneva 20 | Switzerland
www.efta.int

About EFTA
EFTA is an intergovernmental organisation composed
of four member states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway,
and Switzerland.
Established in 1960 by the EFTA Convention, EFTA
promotes free trade and economic integration between
its members. Since its foundation, relations with the
European Union
(EU) have been at the heart of EFTA’s activities. In 1992,
three EFTA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway)
signed the Agreement on the European Economic Area
(EEA) with the EU, extending the EU’s Internal market to
the three EEA EFTA states.
Since the early 1990s, EFTA has been actively engaged
in trade relations with non-EU countries both inside
and outside Europe.
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EFTA is at the forefront of new developments
in the realm of digital trade.
Henri Gétaz
Secretary-General
Message by the EFTA Secretary-General
EFTA regroups four digitally highly advanced countries that perceive digitalisation as a
key driver of innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth. Individually, the EFTA
states have set out dedicated digital strategies and initiatives spanning areas as diverse as
e-government, the labour market, research and development, the sharing economy, startups,
and international cooperation. They further uphold the protection of personal data and
privacy as a fundamental right. Our three EFTA states that are part of the EEA are also part
of the EU’s internal market, and as such apply EU rules on electronic communication and
information society.
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Message by the EFTA Secretary-General
At EFTA’s headquarters in Geneva, we assist our states in the realisation of their trade policy
objectives with respect to countries outside the EU. On digital trade, we seek to conclude
a dedicated e-commerce chapter with our partners to facilitate and provide basic rules for
trade enabled by electronic means. This includes but is not limited to provisions on paperless
trade administration, open internet access, online consumer trust, electronic payments and
invoicing, and cross-border data transfers. We strive to enrich and expand our network of
trade agreements along the digital axis, fostering interconnection with partners around the
world. EFTA is also at the forefront of new developments in the realm of digital trade, as
testified by our negotiation towards a Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore.
Geneva is a vibrant scene for digital policy, and digital trade policy in particular. By collaborating
closely with partners at the neighbouring World Trade Organization (WTO), the EFTA states
champion initiatives like the Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce, propelling digital trade
to new heights. We do this to make sure that our negotiation objectives reflect the evolving
needs of the digital age. Digital trade is, and will remain, high on EFTA’s agenda.
The pandemic brought the importance of the digital realm into the spotlight. We are working
at the forefront of crafting the rules that will equip our economic operators and citizens with
the tools they need for sustainable prosperity, thereby actively making digital trade happen.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
EFTA’s activities in the context of digital issues pertain
to electronic communication such as the exchange of
information via telecommunications and the internet,
audiovisual services, and information society, including
the free movement of information society services as
well as data protection.
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Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
E-commerce and trade
Future of work
EFTA’s Working Group on Electronic Communication,
Audiovisual Services, and Information Society (WG
ECASIS) deals with legal provisions pertaining to the
EU’s digital strategy: Fit for the Digital Age. As per the
EEA Agreement, the EFTA states (excluding Switzerland)
participate in the EU’s internal market and as such must
apply EU rules on electronic communication, audiovisual
services, and information society. Among other things,
these rules include acts on radio spectrum management,
roaming, privacy protection in electronic networks, net
neutrality, and the deployment of very-high-capacity
networks. Initiatives regarding information society tackle
legal frameworks on the free movement of information
society services and apply to a wide range of economic
activities taking place online. These include rules on
e-commerce, cross-border data flows, the reuse of
public sector information, and cybersecurity, as well as
electronic identification and signatures.
In its trade relations with partners outside the EU, EFTA
facilitates and provides basic rules for trade enabled
by electronic means. In 2021, EFTA finalised its internal
work on a new e-commerce model chapter, which it
now employs in the context of negotiations on free
trade agreements (FTAs) across the globe. The chapter
includes provisions on paperless trade administration,
open internet access, online consumer trust, electronic
payments and invoicing, and cross-border data transfers,
among others. EFTA is further negotiating a Digital
Economy Agreement with Singapore.
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EFTA is also tackling the implications of digitalisation
for the future of work. A resolution and report titled
Digitalisation and its Impact on Jobs and Skills published
by the EEA Consultative Committee highlights the
importance of investments in information and
communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and
new learning methods, including apprenticeships and
workplace training. Moreover, they underline the need
to examine whether and to what extent workers’ private
lives require additional protection in an era of ubiquitous
digital mobile communication.
More recently, the EEA Consultative Committee
adopted a resolution and report on the challenges and
opportunities of greater use of AI in working life, in which
it underlines the importance of addressing issues raised
by the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in worklife
in a systematic and comprehensive manner in the
EEA, while following the principles of transparency and
human monitoring.
Data governance and liability of intermediaries
In the context of the EEA Agreement, WG ECASIS works
with the EU on policies for creating a single market for
data, as well as the conditions for use and access to data
for businesses and governments within the EEA. The
Working Group also engages with the EU to develop a
common regulatory framework for AI. In the area of online

DIGITAL TOOLS
intermediaries, the EEA EFTA states have issued common
position papers (EEA EFTA Comments) on the proposed
European Media Freedom Act and the new EU rules for
internet platforms: the Digital Services Act and the Digital
Markets Act. The EEA EFTA states advocate for additional
safeguards regarding the use of recommender systems,
consumer profiling, and micro-targeted advertising,
in particular when directed at minors and vulnerable
groups. WG ECASIS works to implement EU content rules
affecting trade in the EU’s internal market, particularly
with regard to the dissemination of terrorist content and
child sexual abuse material online.
Privacy and data protection
EFTA’s Expert Group on Data Protection keeps track of
EU initiatives in the domain of data protection, which
has become particularly relevant in the fast-changing
digital environment. The Expert Group contributes to the
development of EU policies and legislation in the field of
data protection by advising the European Commission,
or by participating in the Commission’s committees, in
accordance with the EEA Agreement. The EEA Agreement
covers EU legislation such as the e-Privacy Directive and
Regulation 611/2013 on notifications of data breaches, and
is therefore applicable to three EFTA states. The Expert
Group is coordinating with the European Commission on
new EU data adequacy decisions allowing the international
transfer of personal data with counterparties located
outside the EEA.
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The EFTA trade statistics tool is an interactive tool that
provides data on trade relations with EFTA’s partners over
time and by type of merchandise. An interactive Free Trade
Map illustrates EFTA’s preferential trade relations with
partners worldwide. In August 2023, EFTA updated its FTA
Monitor, originally published in June 2022, which provides
fine-grained data on preference utilisation rates under
EFTA’s existing FTAs, including the EFTA Convention. The
FTA Monitor is updated annually. EFTA has also created a
web tool containing visual presentations explaining how
EU law becomes EEA law.
Future of meetings
In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, EFTA turned to
virtual meetings, for instance in the case of the EEA Joint
Committee, interaction with the EFTA Advisory Bodies,
and FTA negotiations with partners across the globe.
EFTA continues to leverage the benefits of virtual and
hybrid meetings and corollary online platforms, striking
a balance with physical meetings on a needs basis
Social media channels
Facebook @eftasecretariat
Instagram @eftasecretariat
LinkedIn @efta
X @EFTAsecretariat
YouTube @EFTAvideo

Geneva Foundation for Technology Innovation
Fondation Genevoise pour l’Innovation Technologique
(Fongit)
Route de la Galaise 34 | 1228 Plan-les-Ouates | Geneva | Switzerland
www.fongit.ch

About Fongit
Created in 1991, Fongit serves as an innovation hub
dedicated to supporting innovative tech ventures in the
Geneva region. The Foundation empowers innovative
companies to successfully transform technology
through innovation into a growing sustainable
business, delivering economic and social value. Fongit
is supported by the State of Geneva.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Fongit’s mission is to transform technological innovation
into social and economic value. In doing so, the
Foundation assists innovative companies in the digital
economy, by providing them with access to offices and
labs; administrative, governance, and legal support; and
access to financing.
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Credit: fongit.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Digital economy
Through its activities dedicated to supporting innovative
tech start-ups, Fongit contributes to the growth of the
digital economy. Over the years, entrepreneurs supported
by the Foundation have developed companies in areas
such as information and communications technology
(ICT), engineering, and life sciences.
Fongit’s Incubator Program assists start-ups in
transforming ideas and technologies into viable products,
by helping them prepare to fundraise and facilitating
connections with angel investors, institutional funds,
and corporate venture capitalists. After the three-year
incubation period, start-ups tend to remain engaged
with the ecosystem, sharing their experiences, insights,
and best practices. The programme accepts applications
from all over the globe.
The Foundation also offers financing tools – through
the Fongit Innovation Fund (FIF) – to support innovation
processes within Geneva-based universities, research
institutes, and technology companies. The Fund is
supported by the Republic and Canton of Geneva,
the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of
Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP).
Sustainable development
All Fongit-supported start-ups are required to ensure that
they directly or indirectly contribute to the achievement of
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the sustainable development goals (SDGs) through their
work. Fongit works closely with UNEP and ITC to identify
the contribution by its start-ups towards the SDGs.
Interdisciplinary approaches
Fongit, as an innovation leader, recognised the increasing
integration of seemingly unrelated technologies,
prompting a move towards tech convergence. This trend
is notably advanced in the life sciences domain, where
addressing medical challenges involves multidisciplinary
interactions across technologies like ICT, hardware,
physics, and medical expertise. The acceleration in
Geneva’s innovation landscape occurred when life
sciences projects from the Eclosion Foundation were
integrated into Fongit. The positive outcomes include
enhanced collaboration among entrepreneurs, facilitated
by communal spaces, leading to the exchange of ideas
benefitting various sectors. This tech convergence has
driven further innovation at Fongit’s headquarters, with
anticipation of future developments in their startup
ecosystem.
Social media networks
Facebook @fongit.ch
Instagram fongit.ch
LinkedIn @fongit
X @Fongit1
YouTube @Fongit

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The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
(GCSP)
Maison de la paix | Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2D | 1211 Geneva 1 | Switzerland
www.gcsp.ch

About the GCSP
The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) is an
international foundation governed by a 54-member
State Foundation Council serving a global community
of individuals and organisations. Our mission is to
advance peace, security, and international cooperation.
We provide the knowledge, skills and network for 360°
effective and inclusive decision-making.
The GCSP believes that effective and forward-thinking
leaders and organisations need to build a broad picture
of what is happening in an increasingly connected
world. We unravel the intricacies of geopolitics and help
leaders develop new skills and the agility to lead in times
of tumultuous change. The GCSP creates an inclusive
environment for their global community from 174 nations
and across sectors who come together to exchange ideas
and develop sustainable solutions for a more peaceful
future.
Building Peace Together through Education, Dialogue,
Policy, Creativity and Community since 1995.
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The digital revolution is already beginning
to shape the way we live, work,
and govern ourselves.
Thomas Greminger
Director
Message by the GCSP Director
The GCSP believes that effective and forward-thinking leaders and organisations need to
build a broad picture of what is happening in our increasingly interconnected world.
The digital revolution is everywhere, just as cyberspace is: some parts are tangible (e.g.
computers), and other parts we cannot see or touch (e.g. electromagnetic waves). Therefore,
understanding how the digital revolution is shaping the way we live, work, and govern ourselves
requires an interdisciplinary and multilateral approach. Here, at the GCSP, through our three
main activities – executive education, diplomatic dialogue, and provision of policy advice –
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Message by the GCSP Director
and in cooperation with distinguished experts, partners, and our over 9,000 international
professional alumni and Global Fellowship Initiative, we have the capacity and capability to
provide an interdisciplinary and multilateral approach to understanding the digital revolution.
An excerpt of our digital work includes our flagship Executive Education (EE) course on
Cyber Security in the context of International Security (CSIS), Geopolitics and Global Futures
Symposium, and Global and Emerging Risks in the Nexus of Geopolitics and Technology, and
Diplomacy.
The EE course on CSIS is based on cyberspace operations, deterrence, and intelligence
discourse. It provides participants with an understanding of current trends in threats, risks,
and vulnerabilities and how threat actors exploit vulnerabilities to conduct successful attacks.
The Geopolitics and Global Futures Symposium examines multiple dimensions of global
security, and identifies and analyses transformative technologies. Using insights from
neuroscience, it furthers our understanding of international affairs. Topics covered include but
are not limited to Outer Space Security, Transformative Technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence
(AI), autonomous weapons), and their security ramifications and ethical challenges and how
developments in neuroscience can help us better comprehend individual and state behaviour.
Global and Emerging Risks monitors, analyses, and interprets how emerging technologies
such as AI, synthetic biology, neuroscience, quantum computing, and nanotechnologies, will
impact international politics, geopolitics, warfare, and conflicts. Responses to deal with these
global and emerging risks are promoted.
Based on the principles of impartiality, independence, and inclusiveness, the GCSP also
promotes Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogue processes. They bring together different stakeholders
to discuss and find common ground on such issues as outer space security or the catastrophic
risks arising from the interface between AI and weapons of mass destruction.
Finally, we also provide policy advice to decision-makers around the globe on current security
issues, including the digital transformation.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The GCSP provides analysis that covers several digital
topics, including cybersecurity and transformative
technologies. Its executive education is offered online
and in blended formats. In response to COVID-19, the
GCSP launched a series of webinars titled Global Crisis,
Global Risk and Global Consequences.
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Credit: gcsp.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
As part of its Transformative Technologies cluster, the
GCSP looks at AI and several ‘disruptive technologies’;
the term refers to synthetic biology, neuro-morphic
chips, big data, quantum computing, 3D and 4D printing,
brain-computer interfaces, hypersonic technology, and
cognitive enhancement. In particular, the GCSP focuses
on the dual-use character of these technologies,
their potential use in warfare and the future of
warfare, and the existing legal provisions among
warfare and humanitarian rules in relation to such
technologies. Overall, activities as part of this cluster
aim to alert policymakers to both the challenges and
the opportunities associated with these technologies.
These aims are also reflected in associated education
activities, such as the course on Transformative
Technologies and the Future of Geopolitics.
As part of its Global Risk and Resilience Cluster (GRRC),
the GCSP has positioned itself as a thought leader on
risks at the nexus of geopolitics and technology. To
that purpose, it particularly monitors, analyses, and
interprets the impact that emerging technologies
such as AI, synthetic biology, neuroscience, quantum
computing, and nanotechnologies will have on
international politics, geopolitics, warfare, and
conflicts. In addition to identifying emerging risks and
future trends that will impact international security
and warfare, the GRRC also promotes new responses
that can be brought to deal with these emerging risks
notably through the concept of resilience.
– The Impact of Autonomy and Artificial
Intelligence on Strategic Stability
– Perils of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Proliferation: Preventing Non-State Acquisition
– Geopolitical Leadership for Organisational
Impact
– Looking at the Edge: Understanding the Frontiers
of Geopolitical Risk
Cybersecurity
The GCSP tackles cybersecurity issues through
education and training activities, as well as policy analysis
and events. It also provides a platform for dialogue and
exchanges on cyber challenges among cyber experts
from the public, private, and civil society sectors. The
training and education activities cover areas such as
cybersecurity strategy formulation, international law
relating to cyber issues, cyber diplomacy, and broader
capacity-building initiatives (e.g. workshops and student
challenges). Policy papers published by the GCSP focus
on the nature of cybersecurity, developing norms in the
digital era, international legal analyses, and developing
holistic solutions. The flagship course is Cyber Security
in the Context of International Security; other bespoke
courses cater to public and governmental staff and
private and non-governmental employees.
The GCSP’s flagship annual cybersecurity event is the
Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge. In partnership with the
Atlantic Council, this strategy and policy competition
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pits over 200 students from around the world in a
strategy and policy competition. Teams are judged by
experts, high-level policymakers, thought leaders from
industry and the public sector (including NATO and the
EU), and government representatives. The challenge
normally takes place at the GCSP headquarters in
Geneva, but in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
2022 competition took place entirely online.
– Podcast: The Battle for Cyberspace
– The World Health Organisation: The New Cyber
Target During a Global Health Crisis and What we
can Learn
– Technology in the Time of COVID-19
– A Snapshot Analysis of the Crypto AG Revelations
– Going Digital Testimonials
– Why Cybersecurity Matters More than Ever
During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
– The Increasing Importance of Hybrid Politics in
Europe: Cyber Power is Changing the Nature of
Politics
– Spying in a Transparent World: Ethics and
Intelligence in the 21st Century
– Why Should We Care about 3D-Printing and
What are Potential Security Implications?
– Cyber Jihad: Understanding and Countering
Islamic State Propaganda
– Cybersecurity Challenges in the Middle East
– Cyber Security in the Context of International
Security
– Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2022
Capacity development
Many of the GCSP’s activities fall into the category
of capacity development activities. The GCSP
offers courses and other educational and training
programmes related to the internet and digital policy,
such as cybersecurity, transformative technologies,
and strategic foresight.
In addition to capacity building through its executive
education programmes, the GCSP leverages its
considerable intellectual and networking resources (i.e.
its fellows and alumni) to engage with communities
worldwide and foster trust between regions. The
GCSP’s cybersecurity dialogues aim to remove barriers
to communication and encourage the uptake of the
opportunities today’s digital landscape has to offer.
In partnership with the Swiss Federal Department
of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the GCSP convenes a Track
1.5 dialogue process to ensure there is as much
communication as possible between parties who are
often in conflict with one another. This process provides
a platform and a mechanism for the exchange of ideas
to build consensus on topics as diverse as international
norms, agreement on legal paradigms, and regional
socio-economic development.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
Several other events organised by the GCSP also have a
capacity development focus; one example is the annual
Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, a student competition
in international cybersecurity strategy and policy. The
challenge was held entirely online in 2022 in response
to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the publications
produced by the organisation can help inform various
stakeholders about the challenges and concerns in the
area of cyber governance.
– Cyber Security in the Context of International
Security
– Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2022
– Global and Emerging Risks
– Geopolitics and Global Futures Symposium 2022
GCSP offers online courses, webinars, and an online
dialogue series.
Social media channels
Facebook @thegcsp
Instagram @thegcsp
LinkedIn @thegcsp
Podcasts
X @TheGCSP
YouTube @Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
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Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
(Geneva Academy)
Rue de Lausanne 120B | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.geneva-academy.ch

About the Geneva Academy
The Geneva Academy – a joint centre of the University
of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Geneva Graduate Institute
– provides postgraduate education, conducts academic
legal research and policy studies, and organises training
courses and expert meetings. It concentrates on
branches of international law that relate to armed conflict,
protracted violence, and the protection of human rights.
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Digitalisation and new technologies raise crucial
protection issues, both in times of war and peace.
It is one of our priorities to assess whether current
international humanitarian law and human
rights allow these issues to be addressed and
to propose solutions to address protection
gaps.
Gloria Gaggioli
Director
Message by the Geneva Academy Director
We address issues related to digitalisation and new technologies via our research and education
programmes.
Our research explores whether these new developments are compatible with existing rules and
whether international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL) continue to provide
the level of protection they are meant to ensure.
We also equip future practitioners, experts, and decision-makers via our Master’s programmes
and training courses with the legal tools to take up these challenges.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Are new means and methods of warfare compatible
with existing IHL rules? What challenges do big data and
artificial intelligence (AI) pose to human rights? How can
we ensure the right to privacy and protection of the
private sphere in times of war and peace?
New technologies, digitalisation, and big data are
reshaping our societies and the way they organise.
While technological advancements present tremendous
opportunities and promises, rapid developments in AI,
automation, and robotics raise a series of questions
about their impact in times of peace and war.
The Geneva Academy’s research in this domain explores
whether these new developments are compatible with
existing rules and whether IHL and IHRL continue to
provide the level of protection they are meant to ensure.
Its three Master’s programmes and training courses
also train tomorrow’s leaders and decision-makers
in the IHL and IHRL frameworks relevant to digital
activities, including the law of weaponry and new
military technologies.
Its Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) facilitates
exchanges and discussions among various stakeholders
– experts, practitioners, diplomats, and civil society
– around digitalisation and human rights to provide
policy advice on how to harness potential and mitigate
danger in this rapidly changing field.
The Academy’s public events and expert meetings
provide a critical and scholarly forum for experts,
practitioners, and policymakers to discuss and debate
the impact of digitalisation on human rights and
contemporary armed conflicts.
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Credit: geneva-academy.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
New military technologies
New military technologies are transforming the nature
of modern warfare, raising a legitimate concern that
existing laws and regulations will be outpaced by
technological advancement, widening the scope for
rights abuses and impunity.
Objectives
Under the leadership of the Swiss Chair of International
Humanitarian Law (Swiss IHL Chair), Professor Marco
Roscini, the Geneva Academy’s research aims to
identify specific humanitarian threats and legal lacunae
resulting from new military technologies and develop
pragmatic law and policy responses.
The joint initiative on humanitarian impact and
protection carried out with the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) assesses the continued
relevance of IHL in a digitalisation context to develop
law and policy recommendations aimed at mitigating
the identified risks and addressing new protection
needs.
Parallel research on disruptive military technologies
assesses the impact – and related protection needs – of
new military technologies that shape the future digital
battlefield in relation to cyberwarfare, cybersecurity,
and emerging military applications of AI.
Neurotechnology
The Geneva Academy’s research addresses the human
rights implications stemming from neurotechnology
development for commercial, non-therapeutic ends.
These implications include direct externalities (violation
of the rights to privacy, property, freedom from
discrimination, etc.) and indirect externalities (spillovers
for social cohesion, equality, and inter-group tolerance).
As corporate actors become the main producers and
disseminators of neurotechnology, managing these
risks will require enhanced multilateral cooperation
towards developing a common regulatory framework.
A key challenge in this regard is the complex nature of
neurotechnology coupled with the traditional siloing
between human rights, neuroscience, and corporate
communities of practice.
Artificial intelligence
Digital technology advancements have created
opportunities and risks for the promotion, expansion,
and application of human rights. Among the most
topical challenges are the advent of AI and the
possibility that such technologies will grow and
disperse without taking into account human rights
externalities. In the absence of a robust regulatory
framework. AI, coupled with internet reliance, has
also created an opportunity for individuals, non-state
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DIGITAL TOOLS
groups, and states to use web-based platforms to push
content to produce outcomes that violate human rights
(e.g. incitement of discrimination-driven violence). The
coming years represent a critical period for unpacking
and understanding these digital technologies through
a human rights lens and ensuring that regulatory
standards and accountability keep pace with threats.
These challenges are beginning to be discussed at the
multilateral level. At the UN Human Rights Council (HRC),
AI has been examined in terms of its impacts on persons
with disabilities, privacy, and racial discrimination.
The Geneva Academy’s research aims at empowering
key stakeholders with a common understanding of
the principal risks with a view to strengthening the
international human rights framework and crafting
effective regulation. The project will culminate in
guidelines on the development and use of these new
technologies in conformity with human rights.
Data governance
Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC) is a unique
online portal that identifies and classifies all situations
of armed violence that amount to an armed conflict
under IHL.
RULAC currently monitors more than 100 armed
conflicts involving at least 55 states and more than
70 armed non-state actors. These armed conflicts
can be searched via an interactive map that displays
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state parties, and the various types of armed
conflicts: international, non-international, and military
occupations. All the armed conflicts on RULAC are
constantly monitored and regularly updated to include
new developments and fundamental changes that may
affect their classification.
In and Around War(s) podcast
The Geneva Academy’s In and Around War(s) podcast
focuses on contemporary legal issues related to wars.
Each episode discusses related topical issues, including
data protection in war, or warfare and cyberspace.
Online learning
The Geneva Academy’s online part-time Executive
Master in International Law in Armed Conflict and
online short courses and GHRP training courses allow
practitioners to upgrade their legal skills on the many
contemporary challenges in international humanitaria
and human rights law.
Facilitating exchanges and discussions
The Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP), hosted by
the Geneva Academy, provides a neutral and dynamic
forum of interaction for all stakeholders in the field of
human rights to debate topical issues and challenges
related to the functioning of the Geneva-based human

ights system. Relying on academic research and
findings, it works to enable various actors to be better
connected, break silos, and, hence, advance human
rights.
In this context, the GHRP supports the “digital uplift” of
the UN’s human rights system, piloting digital solutions
to facilitate the work of the UN Human Rights Treaty
Bodies.
In a dedicated initiative, the GHRP has created a
directory of Digital Human Rights Tracking Tools and
Databases and continues exploring their impact on the
national implementation of international human rights
obligations and recommendations made by the UN
human rights mechanisms.
Social media channels
Facebook @GenevaAcademyIHLandHR
Instagram @geneva_academy
LinkedIn @Geneva Academy of International
Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
X @Geneva_Academy
YouTube @Geneva_Academy
Future of meetings
Following the COVID-19 crisis, the Geneva Academy
continues to offer many of its events and training
courses in a hybrid format (in-person and online).
In addition, its Executive Master in International Law
in Armed Conflict and related short courses are now
exclusively offered online and therefore also accessible
to practitioners in the field.
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Geneva Environment Network
(GEN)
Chemin des Anémones 11-13 | 1219 Châtelaine-Geneva | Switzerland
www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org

About GEN
GEN, established in 1999, is a cooperative partnership
of more than 100 environmental and sustainable development
organisations based at the International Environment
House in Geneva and at other locations in the
surrounding region. The Secretariat is supported by the
Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and is administered
by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP).
Geneva is a global hub for international environmental
governance with more than 100 organisations committed
to environmental priorities in the following key areas:
Chemicals and Pollution, Climate, Digital Cooperation,
Eco-Humanitarian, Green Economy, Human Rights and
Environment, Nature, and Science.
GEN organises and hosts meetings, roundtables, briefings,
and workshops in preparation for major environmental
negotiations and to promote the dissemination
of information and public awareness of environmental
issues. In addition, GEN actively promotes increased cooperation
and networking among its partners and publishes
a weekly newsletter highlighting the latest news,
resources, events, and jobs in the region.
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Science-based governance and access to data
and technology, respectful of the environment,
are key to ensuring everyone’s right to a
healthy environment.
Diana Rizzolio
Coordinator
Message by the GEN Coordinator
Geneva is one of the main global hubs where digital policies are debated, evaluated, and adopted.
As such, digital cooperation is one of the region’s key areas for international environmental
governance activities and for reinforcing synergies among stakeholders. GEN discussions are
mainly held in preparation for major environmental negotiations and as outreach on their
outcomes. The discussions foster action on the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate
change, and pollution that the world is facing, through science-based governance, leveraging
data and technology respectful of the environment, and ensuring its access to all, to achieve
everyone’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. They involve the numerous
stakeholders that are based in the region specialising in these topics.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES AND POLICY ISSUES
Digital cooperation is one of the key areas of focus of
GEN’s activities.
Data, digital technology, and the environment
Geneva is one of the main global hubs where digital
policies are debated, evaluated, and adopted. As such,
digital cooperation is one of the region’s key areas for
international environmental governance activities and
for reinforcing synergies among stakeholders.
Although advancing technology has always been
coupled with significant impacts on the environment,
recent advances in technology offer ground-breaking
opportunities to monitor and protect the environment,
as well as overall planetary health. By harnessing them
appropriately, the digital revolution can be steered to
act on the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss,
climate change, and pollution, and to advance global
sustainability, environmental stewardship, and human
well-being, towards achieving the right to a healthy
environment for all.
GEN supports International Geneva activities and hosts
meetings, roundtables, briefings, and workshops to
– promote the production of and access to
transparent and high-quality data, which are
crucial to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the right
to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
– discuss digital technology as a carbon producer
and its widespread impact on global sustainability.
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– discuss the contribution of digital technologies,
including Earth observation and data collection
and monitoring, to sustainable consumption
and production patterns, as well as sound
environmental management; and
– emphasise the importance of good governance
in the digital arena and the need for cooperation
among governments, institutions, and other data
producers and users for better sustainability
outcomes.
The organisations in the region that contribute to
the environmental dimension of digital cooperation
listed and partnering with GEN, include the Geneva
Internet Platform (GIP), Group on Earth Observations
(GEO), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU),
Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Global Resource
Information Database (UNEP/GRID-Geneva), and World
Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Sustainable development
Most GEN activities under this basket discuss the
following:
– How technology advancements are associated
with major environmental consequences.
– How recent technological breakthroughs provide
opportunities to monitor and protect the
environment and global health of the planet.

DIGITAL TOOLS
– How the digital revolution may be used to
tackle the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity
loss, climate change, and pollution, while also
advancing global sustainability, environmental
stewardship, and human well-being.
These discussions are held in preparation for major
environmental negotiations and as outreach on their
outcomes. They act on the triple planetary crisis of
biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution that
the world is facing, through science-based governance,
leveraging data and technology respectful of the
environment, and ensuring its access to all, to achieve
everyone’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable
environment.
The website is an important tool for GEN. Updated
daily, it includes information on all partners, their
events, and other resources. All summaries, videos,
and related resources on the events organised by
GEN are accessible through the website. All events are
now hybrid to allow better participation and tools are
developed to encourage active participation.
Future of meetings
Related resources and upcoming events, including
partner events, will appear at https://www.
genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/environment-geneva/
key-areas-sdg/key-areas/digital/
Social media channels
Facebook @GenevaEnvironmentNetwork
Instagram @genevaenvironmentnetwork
LinkedIn @GenevaEnvironmentNetwork
X @GENetwork
YouTube @Geneva Environment Network
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The Group on Earth Observations
(GEO)
Av. de la Paix 7 bis | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.earthobservations.org

About GEO
GEO is a global collaboration dedicated to understanding
our Earth in all its complexity. As a collaborative
intergovernmental body, GEO is dedicated to co-producing
user-driven Earth Intelligence solutions. By collecting and
sharing vital information, ranging from satellite images
of forests to oceanic temperature readings and beyond,
GEO provides a comprehensive view of our planet’s wellbeing,
allowing us to monitor and safeguard its health.
These are not just datasets; they’re the tools that inform
decisions, shaping policies and initiatives worldwide that
guide society towards a sustainable future.
Why GEO? Our planet faces challenges that don’t stop
at borders. From the pressing issues of climate change,
and the alarming loss of biodiversity, to the widespread
pollution affecting our lands, skies, and seas, there’s much
at stake. While the challenges are integrated, the global
response often remains fragmented. Among the evergrowing
flood of information and data sources, there’s
a noticeable gap in cohesive global partnerships. This is
where GEO steps in, striving to unify these fragmented
efforts and championing inclusivity in seeking holistic
solutions for global challenges.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
At GEO, we serve as a collaborative platform where
science, policy, and community interests unite for the
greater good.
Enhanced coordination: Building on our unique
role to lead the development of integrated Earth
Observation (EO) solutions, we focus on coordination
from global to local levels, sharing beneficial practices
and building capacity.
Broad engagement: We actively engage with youth,
indigenous communities, women, and other groups
to amplify voices whose potential to contribute to EO
solutions has not yet been fully realised.
Transformative programmes: Our strategic work
programme activities generate high-added value
towards policy goals, support sustained services for
decision-making, build capacity, and advance equity.
Inclusivity: We are committed to increasing
engagement and building capacity, especially in the
global south. There is a call to fully address and embed
equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) principles in all
GEO undertakings.
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Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Data governance
GEO recognises that the societal benefits arising from
EOs can only be fully achieved through the sharing of
data, information, knowledge, products, and services.
Ever since its inception, GEO has been a strong advocate
for broad and open data-sharing policies and practices
(Open Earth Observation Data). The Data Sharing
Principles (2005-2015) inspired a few members and
participating organisations to evolve from restricted
data policies to Open Data approaches. Data sharing
was also recognised as one of the greatest successes
of the first GEO decade. Embracing the international
trend of Open Data, GEO principals endorsed a new
set of Data Management Principles. These principles
promote ‘Open Data by Default’ and address the need
for discovery, accessibility, usability, preservation, and
curation of data.
To enable indigenous peoples to equitably participate
in and benefit from data creation, application, and
stewardship within contemporary data environments,
the GEO Indigenous Alliance advocates for the
implementation of CARE (collective benefit, authority
to control, responsibility, ethics) with FAIR (findable,
accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles. The
CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are
people- and purpose-oriented, reflecting the crucial
role of data in advancing indigenous innovation, and
self-determination. These principles complement the
existing FAIR principles encouraging open and other
data movements to consider both people and purpose
in their advocacy and pursuits.
Sustainable development
GEO leads global initiatives that explore our planet’s
ecological health, climate challenges, disaster readiness,
resource optimisation, urban sustainability, and
public health priorities. By integrating EOs with global
frameworks like the United Nations 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, GEO
demonstrates our commitment to fostering a healthy,
sustainable, and resilient world.
Driven by the post-2025 strategy, Earth Intelligence
for All, GEO is committed to co-producing actionable
insights with and for our diverse user base.
The GEO Work Programme is the primary instrument
to encourage collaboration among our members,
participating organisations, associates, and other
partners. It aims to fulfil GEO’s mission and vision by
addressing information needs in various fields where
EOs play a crucial role.
The current flagship programmes in the GEO work
programme are GEO Land Degradation Neutrality,
GEO Biodiversity Observation Network, GEO Global
Agricultural Monitoring, the Global Forest Observation
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
Initiative, and the Global Observation System for
Mercury. To facilitate access to EO applications, we are
developing the GEO Knowledge Hub, a digital library.
Ministers and ministerial representatives adopted
the Group on Earth Observations 2023 Cape Town
Ministerial Declaration on 10 November 2023. The
Declaration endorses the GEO post-2025 strategy
Earth Intelligence for All, charges GEO with developing
an implementation plan to guide the execution of the
strategy, and reaffirms the integral role of young people
as catalysts for sustainable development, among other
statements.
GEO assists countries in its region in addressing
sustainable development challenges. The vision of the
GEO Indigenous Alliance is to protect and conserve
indigenous cultural heritage by using EOs science,
data and technology to create a knowledge base that
sustains the Earth we live on.
GEO has developed a series of tools and initiatives
to promote the use of EOs as evidence for decisionmaking.
– GEO Knowledge Hub
– Earth Observations Risk Toolkit
– Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO-BON)
– The Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI)
– The Global Observation System for Mercury
– Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative
– AfriGEO: The African Group on Earth
Observations
– AmeriGEO A Framework for Advancing Data
Driven Decision Making
– AOGEO (Asia-Oceania Group on Earth
Observations)
– EuroGEO
An important convention (not necessarily covering
digital issues directly, but relevant)
– Canberra Declaration (2019)
Social media channels
Facebook @Group On Earth Observations
Flickr @grouponearthobservations
Instagram @grouponearthobservations
LinkedIn @group-on-earth-observations
X @GEOSEC2025
YouTube @Group on Earth Observations
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Graduate Institute of International Studies and Development
(Geneva Graduate Institute)
Case postale 1672 | 1211 Geneva 1 | Switzerland
www.graduateinstitute.ch

About the Geneva Graduate Institute
Geneva Graduate Institute is an institution of research
and higher education at the postgraduate level
dedicated to the study of world affairs, with a particular
emphasis on the cross-cutting fields of international
relations and development issues.
Through its core activities, the Institute promotes
international cooperation and contributes to the
progress of developing societies. More broadly, it
endeavours to develop creative thinking on the major
challenges of our time, foster global responsibility, and
advance respect for diversity.
By intensely engaging with international organisations,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governments,
and multinational companies, the Institute participates
in global discussions and prepares future policymakers
to lead tomorrow’s world.
In 2022, the Institute launched a new Competence
Hub on digital technologies. The Tech Hub brings
together a diversity of internal and external expertise
to explore technologies from a human-centred and
human-biotype-centred perspective. The focus will
be the exploration of current and future technological
innovations from a social science perspective, with
an interest in the socio-political, governance, and
geopolitical consequences of the current technological
revolution. It will progressively structure different kinds
of activities as well as welcome and foster research
projects.
This transdisciplinary and horizontal initiative enables
the Institute to forge and express its own unique
voice on the digital turn and its consequences. It has
indeed a particular role to play in the exploration of
all those questions that need a transdisciplinary social
science and humanities perspective and are by nature
profoundly inter-trans-national. The reality is that the
Institute is already producing research and knowledge
on those questions and diffusing them through teaching
and events.
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The digital turn is creating unprecedented transformations
in our societies, polities, economies and even
in our individual and collective identities. It is
essential that responsible digital technologies
be developed by design and incorporate
principles of human rights, sustainability,
and peacebuilding.
Marie Laure Salles
Director
Message by the Geneva Graduate Institute Director
We have been exploring the question of technology since our early beginnings because of the prominent
role technologies have played throughout the history of international relations, and the strong link in
particular between technological innovation, security, and power.
Digital technology brings many opportunities but also generates new threats. To explore this two-sided
impact and some of its more paradoxical consequences, social sciences are indispensable. The work we
do at the Institute connects technological developments with their sociological, political, human, and
governance context and consequences.
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Message by the Geneva Graduate Institute Director
Examples include the impact of lethal autonomous weapons on humanitarian law, the role of
artificial intelligence (AI) in peace negotiation processes, and the impact of the digital turn on the
reinvention of work and associated economic and social dynamics.
The Institute has a unique role to play as a bridge connecting International Geneva, the city of
Geneva, Swiss foreign affairs institutions, and the world academic community. With students
coming from 120 different countries and a very diverse faculty, the Institute is a melting pot
of skills and cultures. Our aim and very identity are to question and explore contemporary
transitions, ecological and digital in particular.
With the considerable challenges that lie ahead, we must not only create opportunities for
collective exploration and understanding but also for the deployment of new visions, constructive
solutions, and propositions for a desirable, sustainable, inclusive, and plural future. Our expertise
and research in the social sciences allow us to nourish these visions and proposals for the future,
which in turn must guide the development of current and future technologies.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
As part of its main strategy, the Institute seeks to
develop digitally driven innovation in teaching and
research, as well as information technology (IT)
services. At the same time, as a research institution
focusing on global challenges and their impacts, the
digital turn has become one of its fundamental and
policy-oriented research areas.
In terms of research, a growing number of researchers
and PhD candidates analyse the impact of digitalisation
on international relations and development issues.
A few examples of research topics are cybersecurity,
hybrid threats and warfare, surveillance technologies,
internet governance, digital diplomacy, digital health,
digital rights, digital trust, digital economy, the future
of work, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, AI and
humanitarian law, and AI and peace negotiations
among others. The Institute has also developed
expertise in using digital technologies as new research
methods, including computational social scientific
methods and big data analytics.
In terms of teaching, its Master, PhD, and executive
education courses are increasingly focused on the
effects of digitalisation on society and the economy, and
more generally the global system. Some examples of
courses are Digital Approaches to Conflict Prevention,
Digital Innovation in Nature Conservation, Internet,
Technology and International Law, Introduction to
Digital Social Science Research, Technology, Society
and Decision-making, The Politics of Digital Design,
AI and Politics, Internet Governance and Economics,
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Technology and Development, and Digital Diplomacy
and Power Relations on Cyberspace. Digital skills
workshops are also organised for students to provide
them with basic digital competence for their future
professional or academic life, including big data
analysis, introduction to programming with R and
Python, and data analysis in various contexts.
The Executive Education Course, upskill series,
titled Artificial Intelligence: A Strategic Asset for
Diplomacy and Organisations, caters to diplomats
and professionals in international missions and
organisations. Recognising the increasing reliance on AI
and digital technologies in these settings, the two-day
course delves into the transformative impact of these
tools on decision-making, negotiation, administrative
tasks, and future scenario prediction. Through
concrete applications and case studies, participants
explore the promises and pitfalls of AI, including its
geopolitical implications. The second day is dedicated
to hands-on practice, allowing participants to use and
discuss innovative digital tools for enhancing their
professional activities.
Over the years, the Institute has developed a
performing IT infrastructure with secured data
storage space and digital platforms (e.g. Campus,
Moodle, TurntIn, Zoom, MyHR, Salesforces, Converis)
to provide seamless services as well as dematerialised/
paperless processes (e.g. student applications, course
registration) for students, staff, and professors.

The Institute has developed digital tools (e.g. app for
students, responsive website) and used digital services
(e.g. social media, Facebook, Google ads) for many
years in its student recruitment and communication
campaigns.
Digital tools are also part of the pedagogical methods
to improve learning. Flipped classrooms, MOOCs,
SPOCs, and podcasts, to name a few, are used by
professors in Master’s and PhD programmes, as well
as in executive education. The Institute also supports
professors in developing pedagogical skills and in
using digital tools. Workshops are offered to all faculty
members at the end of the summer to prepare them
for hybrid teaching and the use of new technological
tools in the classroom.
The Institute also organises workshops, seminars,
film screenings, and other events on the digital turn,
ranging from the digital divide and the governance
and regulatory aspects of data to cybersecurity.
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Credit: graduateinstitute.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Some of the Institute’s prominent research initiatives
are listed under respective digital policy issues sections.
Artificial intelligence
Conflict and peacebuilding
The faculty carries out a number of digital policyrelated
research projects, some of which focus on
AI in particular. For example, the project titled Lethal
Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) and War Crimes:
Who is to Bear Responsibility? aims to clarify whether
and to what extent the requirements for ascribing
criminal responsibility for the commission of an act
– and in particular the key concepts of culpability
theories – can be applied to the use of LAWS in combat
operations. This analysis will serve to identify lacunae
and inconsistencies in the current legal framework in
the face of the advent of military robotics.
This project explores how the increasing digitalisation
of peace processes affects international peacebuilding
efforts that take place in a global environment
characterised by friction between liberal and
authoritarian approaches. To make sense of these
dynamics, the project draws on the concept of
apomediation, to suggest that solutions to conflict
are no longer simply supplied by human agents, but
through a complex entanglement of human-machine
networks.
The Intrepid Project aims to develop a general
understanding of how policy announcements by state
agencies are interpreted by journalists in ways that
send signals, indicate intent, and otherwise provoke
economic and political reactions. Machine learning (ML)
techniques, and the semantic and syntactic properties
of announcement texts are then used to develop
models of the announcement interpretation process.
Global health
A number of projects carried out by the Institute’s
members address the relationship between digital
technologies and health. For instance, the Modelling
Early Risk Indicators to Anticipate Malnutrition
(MERIAM) project uses computer models to test and
scale up cost-effective means to improve the prediction
and monitoring of undernutrition in difficult contexts.
The Institute hosted the Digital Health and AI Research
Collaborative (I-DAIR) directed by former Ambassador
of India and Visiting Lecturer at the Institute Amandeep
Gill. I-DAIR aims to create a platform to promote
responsible and inclusive AI research and digital
technology development for health. This platform
is supported by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy
Anticipator (GESDA).
The project Governing Health Futures 2030: Growing
up in a Digital World, hosted at the Global Health
Centre (GHC), explores how to ensure that digital
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development helps improve the health and well-being
of all, and especially among children and young people.
It focuses on examining integrative policies for digital
health, AI, and universal health coverage to support the
attainment of the third sustainable development goal
(SDG).
Democracy
Questions about the potential impact of the internet
are now routinely raised in relation to political events
and elections in most places. The project on the
Digital Infrastructuring of Democracy asks how the
digital infrastructuring of democracy unfolds through
regulatory and political processes, with a heuristic
focus on both its transnational dimension and its
specific reverberations in democracies of the Global
South. The project concentrates on one thematic
controversy related to each aspect of infrastructure: the
accountability of algorithms for code, data protection
for content, and encryption for circulation.
Taking stock of the centrality of AI in society and in
the citizen-government relation, this project hosted
at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy seeks
to engage with youth in Switzerland to explore the
future role of AI in democracy through storytelling and
narrative foresight. It will give a voice to the citizens of
tomorrow and collaborate with art schools to design
participatory AI art.
Future of work
Focusing on the Global South, the project African
Futures: Digital Labor and Blockchain Technology
strengthened empirical knowledge on changing trends
in employment in the region by way of a two-pronged
approach to the increasingly interconnected global
division of labour: (1) App-based work mediated by
online service platforms and (2) the use of blockchain
technology in mining sites for ethical sourcing,
traceability, and proof of origin.
The emergence of AI and digitally mediated work
represents a fundamental challenge for most
developing economies. Coupled with jobless economic
growth, rising human productivity, and the exponential
increase of the available labourpool, few jobs can be
said to be safe from automated labour. This project
examines the impact of digital work and automation
in the Global South, from blockchain technology to
ride-sharing apps, to inform debates on automation,
computerisation and non-standard forms of work.
Inclusive finance
Projects carried out by the Institute’s members also
address the role of digital technologies in enhancing
financial inclusion. The project Effects of Digital Economy
on Banking and Finance studies digital innovations and
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DIGITAL TOOLS
how fintech extends financial services to firms and
households and improves credit allocation using loanaccount
level data comparing fintech and traditional
banking.
– Digital collections that allow free access to
historical documents, texts, and photographs on
international relations from the sixteenth to the
twentieth century.
– Two free online courses (MOOCs) on globalisation
and global governance.
– Podcasts showcasing professors’ and guests’
expertise (What matters today, In conversation
with, Parlons en).
– Podcasts are also integrated into the curricula of
several international history and interdisciplinary
Master’s courses to encourage students to use
social network platforms to popularise their
findings.
Future of meetings
Events, sessions, and seminars are held online (usually
on Zoom), for example, information sessions for
admitted and prospective students take place online.
Social media channels
Facebook @graduateinstitute
Instagram @graduateinstitute
LinkedIn @geneva graduate institute
X @GVAGrad
YouTube @Geneva Graduate Institute
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Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator
(GESDA)
c/o Fondation Campus Biotech Geneva | Chemin des Mines 9 | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.gesda.global

About GESDA
GESDA was established to explore how future science
breakthroughs can most efficiently be translated into
and used as tools for the benefit of humanity. GESDA
interlinks the digital revolution with other disruptive
fields of science and technology, and with the diplomatic
world.
GESDA’s work is guided by three fundamental questions:
– Who are we, as humans? What does it mean to
be human in the era of robots, gene editing, and
augmented reality?
– How are we all going to live together? How
can technologies reduce inequality and foster
inclusive development?
– How can we ensure the well-being of humankind
and the sustainable future of our planet? How
can we supply the world’s population with the
necessary food and energy and regenerate our
planet?
GESDA brings together an outstanding community of
academic, diplomacy, and impact leaders to reflect and
act on how to use the future to build the present. Its
work is structured around three flagship instruments:
– GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar ®
This digital platform – updated continuously and
released in paper copy on a yearly basis – maps
impactful emerging topics currently researched
in science laboratories across the world and
anticipated breakthroughs at 5, 10, and 25 years.
Curated by the academic community, it provides
descriptions of over 300 breakthrough predictions
relevant to the global community.
– Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation
Summit
Our annual Summit accelerates the science
diplomacy nexus. Bringing science to the table of
multilateralism, it engages diplomacy leaders to
examine the impact of future breakthroughs on
people, society, and the planet, as well as their
implications for future global governance and
geopolitics.
– GESDA Solution Accelerator
GESDA’s instrument to co-construct science
diplomacy solutions with relevant transdisciplinary
and cross-community task forces. In 2022,
GESDA has eight solutions pathways and four
initiatives in the making. These propositions
are communicated at the Geneva Science and
Diplomacy Anticipation Summit.
GESDA structures its anticipation, acceleration, and
translation work across five thematic platforms
addressing potential future science and technology
advances, as well as their related challenges:
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– Quantum revolution and advanced artificial
intelligence (AI), with for instance the challenge of
privacy.
– Human augmentation, with for instance
the challenge of advanced gene editing or
neuroenhancement.
– Eco-regeneration and geo-engineering, with
for instance the challenges of synthetic biology,
decarbonisation, and regenerative agriculture.
– Science and diplomacy, with for instance the
challenge of future world geopolitics, including
multilateral conflict modelling, forecasting, and
prevention.
– Knowledge foundations, with for instance the
challenge of the future of work and labour,
including rising inequalities and inclusive growth.
From the end of 2022 onwards, the GESDA Board of
Directors will choose and fund (in partnership with
other foundations) a limited number of large-scale,
high-impact solutions and initiatives aiming to:
– Help the world population benefit more rapidly
from the advances of science and technology as
stated by Article 27 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (UDHR).
– Contribute to inclusive human development by
reducing poverty and inequality while increasing
the number of developing and emerging
economies, in line with Agenda 2030.
– Leverage the role of Geneva and Switzerland as
a hub of multilateralism capable of anticipating
cutting-edge science and technologies, as well as
translating them into effective tools for humanity.
GESDA was created as a global independent foundation
and a public partnership in 2019, for an initial startup
phase of three years. The founders – the Swiss
Federal Council and the Canton of Geneva with the
City of Geneva – decided in March 2022 to prolong the
Foundation for 10 years.
The ultimate objective remains to strengthen the
contribution of Switzerland to multilateralism as the
host country of the UN in Geneva.
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We are on the right track.
Stéphane Decoutère
Secretary-General
Message by the GESDA Secretary-General
Use the Future to build the Present
During the first three years of our pilot phase, GESDA achieved widespread recognition as a
significant new addition to International Geneva’s wellspring of multilateralism.
Our success was not assured, however, when we set out on this path in 2019. We had the
confidence and support of the Swiss and Geneva governments, but this was by no means
a blank cheque. We had to demonstrate we could fill a gap in the multilateral system within
three year.
In 2021, the hard work and preparation paid off.
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Message by the GESDA Secretary-General
We released our first Science Breakthrough Radar. We held our first Geneva Science and
Diplomacy Anticipation Summit. Both were a huge success — and proved there is strong
interest worldwide in our mission and activities.
Then, in the spring of 2022, the Swiss and Geneva governments renewed their support for
GESDA beyond the pilot phase. We are authorised to launch operations for ten years: from
September 2022 to September 2032.
With this important institutional support, we can now look to the future with confidence and
focus on our core mission and activities. First, we will work to identify the most promising
scientific innovations at 5, 10, and 25 years through our Science Breakthrough Radar which
involves, at last count, 1,200 scientists worldwide. Second, we will discuss the potential
impacts of those breakthroughs at our annual summit gathering of leading figures in politics,
diplomacy, the private sector, and academia. Third, we will work as a catalyst towards finding
solutions that can accelerate the implementation of the United Nations multilateral agenda,
in particular the achievement of its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) for 2030. In all
of these activities, GESDA plays the role of the honest broker.
Our work is creating an important pipeline — a plethora of potentially viable ideas — thanks
to our dedicated multistakeholder task forces that are in charge of our feasibility studies.
Among those, the most advanced to date is in the fascinating digital domain. It is undoubtedly
the rise and promise of quantum computing.
In fact, this is no longer just an idea. We officially announced the creation of an Open Quantum
Institute at our 3rd Geneva Science and Diplomacy Summit on 13 October 2023. CERN, in
collaboration with GESDA and with financial support from UBS, will implement this project,
initially for a three-year pilot phase.
This is at the heart of the GESDA method: fostering collaboration between international
organisations with the support of diplomacy and the private sector.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Advanced computational tools, such as AI and highperformance
computing, are reshaping all fields of
science.
GESDA’s specificity is that it focuses on ‘science
anticipation’.
Its ambition is to comprehend the future digital
disruptions and their implications for other fields of
science, geopolitics, and mankind.
GESDA’s headquarters are located at the Campus Biotech
in Geneva.
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Credit: GESDA

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
The Radar at a Glance
A Swiss foundation with a global reach and a privatepublic
partnership working from Geneva, GESDA
began in September 2019 to develop and promote
anticipatory science and diplomacy for greater impact
and multilateral effectiveness.
The GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar® is a new
tool for multilateralism, informed discussions, and
concerted action. It is a single point of entry to catch up
with the unprecedented pace of science and technology.
Providing a factual basis for eye-opening reflections on
the impacts of future scientific discoveries for people,
society, and the planet(s), this interactive, evolving
instrument is updated once every year.
The GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar® provides
a single entry point for all communities of practice
interested in becoming early adopters of scientific
advances, regardless of whether they are scientists,
political authorities, diplomats working in embassies or
in international organizations, economic actors, nongovernmental
organisations (NGOs),, or citizens from
anywhere in the world.
The GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar® gives an
overview of the emerging trends in five major fields of
science and technology:
1. Advanced AI & Quantum Revolution
2. Human Augmentation
3. Eco-Regeneration and Geoengineering
4. Science & Diplomacy
5. Knowledge Foundations
It offers three complementary points of view on these
five fields, with each point comprising a chapter of the
Radar:
1. Trends – Scientific emerging topics and possible
breakthroughs at 5, 10, and 25 years as they are
currently already cooking in the laboratories.
The 2023 GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar® presents
42 emerging scientific topics and 324 breakthroughs
at 5, 10 and 25 years in the 5 considered fields. Its
Knowledge Foundations’ portion comprises 3 lenses
on philosophy, geopolitics, and science, dealing with 3
fundamental questions about the future of humanity,
which are debated by 84 scholars in philosophy, social
sciences, humanities, and geopolitics.
2. Actions and Debates – What people all over the
world already do with and think about these
possible scientific breakthroughs.
Every edition of the GESDA Science Breakthrough
Radar® includes an analysis of more than 10 million
social media posts and 1.3 million articles in the
mainstream media to take the pulse of society on what
people do and say about emerging scientific topics
presented in the trends chapter of the Radar.
3. Opportunities – Emerging initiatives worth
following and joining.
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The 2023 GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar®
presents the Open Quantum Institute 2023 Incubation
Report, GESDA’s first Solution Ideas ready for pilot
implementation as well as a summary of the Proceedings
of the 2022 Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation
Summit organised once a year by the GESDA Foundation.
The GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar® is a collective
work resulting from the collaboration of 1,542 scientists
around the world who are building the Radar community
within the GESDA Academic Forum chaired by Professor
Michael Hengartner, a member of the GESDA Board of
Directors. The briefs presented in the 2023 edition are
signed off by 58 top scientists.
The total number of contributors to the Radar:
• 543 scientists from 53 countries contributed to
the 2021 edition.
• 774 scientists from 70 countries contributed to
the 2022 edition.
• 848 scientists from 73 countries contributed to
the 2023 edition.
For three days every year in October, the GESDA
Foundation gathers representatives of the communities
of practice interested in discussing and using the
emerging scientific trends depicted in the Radar. This
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation Summit is
where the new annual edition of the Radar is officially
presented and released.
Scouting each year for future breakthroughs and
emerging trends across scientific domains, from natural
and social sciences to engineering and the humanities, is
more critical than ever due to the pace at which science
and technology are evolving. It’s the only way to be
ready for the time when some of these breakthroughs
become a reality. By projecting ourselves into the
future, we aim to detect in advance the major scientific
and technological advances that will change the ways
we live, think, and behave.
Consequently, we give people time to prepare for these
changes with the best possible transitions and empower
them to develop uses of their own that can benefit
everyone. As we learn from the current debates raging
over this year’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence
which is changing almost every industry and starting
to impact society it becomes more difficult to construct
long-term solutions: the debates have begun and are
creating a hurried atmosphere.
What’s new in 2023
Zoom in on the 2023 Edition
Compared to the previous editions released in 2021
and 2022, the 2023 GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar
2023 ® innovates with the following:
– 6 Deep Dives on current and future hot topics
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– 27 Breakthroughs Briefs
– 7 Updates of existing Briefs
– 3 Briefs on emerging topics
– 9 new invited contributions that will nurture the
next editions of the Radar
Deep Dives 2023
Neuro-Augmentation
Neuro-augmentation, one of the fastest-developing
fields of science, involves enhancing our brains and
nervous systems by using advanced technologies,
including advanced AI and quantum computing.
Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, neurotechnology,
and brain-inspired computing are paving the way for
new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and
the enhancement of our cognitive abilities. For many
people, this field is the next big thing.
To delve into these complex topics, experts from
various fields gathered at the GESDA Spring Anticipation
Workshop in Villars, Switzerland They discussed the
current state of neuro-augmentation science and
identified its short-term, mid-term, and long-term
implications and ethical concerns. These discussions
notably aim to guide diplomatic interventions in this
rapidly advancing field, ensuring responsible and
beneficial progress for everybody.
The discussion in Villars focused on three hot topics: (1)
brain hacking, (2) hybrid brain, and (3) artificial cognition
(brain-inspired AI and robotics). Some examples of
these advancements include brain-monitoring devices
and brain-machine interfaces, which allow us to both
read and write signals from our nervous system. These
innovations could have wide-ranging impacts, from
changes in workplace dynamics to new definitions of
what it means to be human. Additionally, scientists are
exploring the creation of brain organoids, interspecies
chimaeras, and genetically modified primates, all of
which are pushing the boundaries of our understanding
of life and the human brain. Moreover, researchers
are investigating the potential for applying our
understanding of the human brain to the development
of computing devices and robots that could someday
possess a form of consciousness.
The Future of Peace and War
After presenting an introductory essay on the topic last
year, the GESDA Geopolitical Lens of the Radar takes a
deep dive into the challenges of peace and war.
Often resulting in violence or conflict, today’s increasing
tensions between countries and power blocs are
aggravated by climate change and competition in the
field of digital technologies.
Anticipation informed by an understanding of science
and technology is, therefore, also essential in the field
of peace and war. It makes possible the creation and
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implementation of appropriate programmes and
strategies to prevent or contain conflict and advance
more promising approaches to peace.
Applying GESDA’s anticipatory methodology to mapping
the future of peace and war involves plotting social and
political scientists’ anticipations of the future.
Unlike the anticipation of breakthroughs or new
applications in the field of technology, foresight in
the fields of social and political sciences entails more
fragile projections accompanied by greater uncertainty,
unanticipated tipping points, and black swan events.
In a series of high-level workshops held in Geneva and
New York in 2023, the three convening organisations
— GESDA Foundation, the Geneva Centre for Security
Policy (GCSP), and the School of International and
Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University — brought
together experts in the field of peace and war to develop
and apply a methodology to anticipate how advances in
science and technology will influence the distribution of
power in the next 10 to 25 years.
Breakthroughs and Opportunities of Advanced AI
and Quantum Revolution
As we witness a remarkable integration of AI and
advanced computing technologies into our daily lives,
the 2023 edition of GESDA Science Breakthrough
Radar® explores these developments, first by featuring
an updated briefing on advanced AI science and
introducing a new brief on unconventional computing,
which highlights alternative computing technologies
that are poised to outperform current state-of-the-art
AI in the future.
Additionally, Radar 2023 includes two invited
contributions that discuss how, on the one hand, AI
is reshaping our understanding of the past and, on
the other hand, how it is increasing the potential for
neuromorphic computing to create robots with genuine
embodied intelligence.
GESDA’s world, however, extends beyond being just
a think tank; it actively seeks to transform knowledge
into action. Building on the scientifically validated
insights gathered in its first Radar released in 2021,
GESDA invested the last two years in conceiving and
designing solution ideas for effective multilateralism
in partnership with its broad science and diplomacy
community.
The Open Quantum Institute (OQI) has emerged as the
first initiative to be incubated by GESDA. An exclusive
report of the incubation phase in 2023 outlines OQI’s
development journey, starting from the anticipation
of quantum technologies in the scientific realm to its
establishment as a validated solution concept for
science diplomacy.
The report elaborates on how the OQI aims to become
the premier hub for applying quantum computing to
achieve the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).
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It details collaborations with partners to broaden access
to quantum computers, underscores the significance
of educational and training programs associated with
the institute, and presents a proposal for shaping a
multilateral governance structure that empowers the
use of quantum computing for the SDGs.
Furthermore, the report emphasises the engagement
of a supportive community of stakeholders in cocreating
OQI’s unique value proposition, ensuring that
quantum technologies benefit society as a whole rather
than a select few.
The Human Right to Science
To mark the 2023 celebration of the 75th Anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
GESDA Science Lens highlights the importance of the
human right to science, as mentioned in international
declarations and covenants.
Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights specifies the right for everyone to benefit from
the advances of science. Other related documents
emphasise that this right includes the responsibility to
use scientific progress and its applications in a manner
that takes into consideration both their benefits and
the potential harm they could do.
In late 2022, GESDA convened a scientific workshop with
the Brocher Foundation in Geneva to get an overview of
the current status of the Human Right to Science, both
generally and more specifically within the health sector.
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The resulting report presented in the 2023 Radar
involves 29 experts in international and humanitarian
law discussing how integrating human rights into the
scientific process can lead to collaborative, holistic,
and inclusive approaches. This approach goes beyond
merely mitigating risks; it encourages responsible
exploration of the opportunities offered by scientific
and technological progress.
The Future of People, Society, and the Planet(s)
Since 2021 in the GESDA Philosophy Lens, a group of
leading philosophers has been exploring how the
advancements outlined in the Radar might reshape
humanity, society, and our relationship with the planet(s).
Each edition of the Radar proposes new points of
view on three fundamental questions that the GESDA
Foundation is addressing:
1. Who are we? What does it mean to be human in an
age of robots, gene editing, and augmented reality?
2. How are we going to live together? Which
deployment of technologies can help reduce inequality
and foster inclusive development and well-being?
3. How can we assure humankind’s wellbeing with
the sustainable health of our planet? How can we
supply the world’s population with the necessary food
and energy while regenerating our planet?
For example, the possible development of ‘conscious’
machines requires us to reflect on our purported

DIGITAL TOOLS
uniqueness as humans, and which properties we
may wish to actively preserve as the sole remit of
human beings. Additionally, the group of philosophers
considers how emerging digital technologies can
impact fundamental aspects of society, from trust and
privacy to democracy and justice. It also addresses the
challenges posed by climate engineering technologies
and how we perceive our control over nature in the face
of environmental disruptions.
People’s Uses and Expectations Regarding Science
Through a detailed examination of global public
sentiment as well as people’s stances on science,
the Radar’s Pulse of Society delves into the influence
of science and technology on humanity’s selfperception,
social interactions, and relationship with
the environment. It also aims to detect the early uses of
advanced technology and underscores the importance
of comprehending public approaches regarding present
and future scientific developments.
To achieve this, the GESDA Foundation uses AI to analyse
both mainstream media and online social platforms.
As it has done every year since its inception in 2021,
GESDA’s analysis provides new insights into the extent
of discussions surrounding topics mentioned in the
Radar, how these topics connect with other themes
both inside and outside the Radar, and what the
evolving sentiment around these subjects is.
It also identifies the actions taken by citizens in response
to their interests related to each topic, spotlighting
noteworthy initiatives and influential figures that have
emerged over the past year. Importantly, this year’s
analysis also includes a comparison of how public
opinions, sentiment, and actions have evolved since the
initial release of the Radar in 2021.
Future of meetings
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation Summit
(annual event in October) – all sessions accessible
online.
Science and Diplomacy Week (annual event in May) –
most sessions accessible online.
GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar (provides a
platform for online contributions).
GESDA regularly contributes to relevant global meetings
across the world.
One of two annual board of directors’ meetings is held
online.
Social media channels
Facebook @GESDAglobal
LinkedIn @gesda-global
X @GESDAglobal
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Geneva Science-Policy Interface
(GSPI)
Uni Mail | Bd du Pont-d’Arve 28 | 1205 Geneva 4 | Switzerland
www.gspi.ch

About the GSPI
The GSPI is a neutral and independent platform that
aims to foster engagement between the research
community and Geneva-based international policy
actors around some of the most pressing global
challenges (including global health, climate change, and
migration).
It works to foster science-policy ecosystems by
brokering collaborations and enhancing capacities
across the interface between the science, policy, and
implementation communities. This includes an annual
call for projects, the Impact Collaboration Programme
(ICP), the production of policy briefs, as well as
learning opportunities and resources to advance the
professionalisation and recognition of the sciencepolicy
field of practice in Geneva and beyond.
The GSPI is based at the University of Geneva. It receives
support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign
Affairs (FDFA) and the backing of leading research
institutions in Switzerland and Europe.
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Digital data has emerged as the cornerstone in
numerous collaborations we foster among
researchers and policy professionals within
the Geneva ecosystem.
Nicolas Seidler
Executive Director
Message by the GSPI Executive Director
Interactions between science and policy actors increasingly gravitate to the production and
analysis of digital data, including evaluating policy interventions, visualising raw data into
interactive insights, or generally transforming data into practical information and knowledge.
Whether faced with data-rich or data-poor contexts, scientists are uniquely positioned to help
decision-makers navigate the complexity of governing global challenges.
Many of the projects we have been supporting between researchers and International Geneva
actors have had a strong digital component, often revolving around building the capacity of
policy actors to harness data into decisions.
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Message by the GSPI Executive Director
These include projects such as:
– A digital toolkit for policymakers to harness key migration-related data, as a
companion to the World Migration Report.
– An online visualisation tool to inform data-driven decision-making on marine
biodiversity conservation, based on machine learning (ML) scenarios.
– The development of authoritative guidance and resources for implementing the
United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in the
technology space.
– Updating the UNSanctionsApp, an interactive analytical tool providing information
about all UN sanctions imposed since 1991, with input from humanitarian actors.
– Training legal professionals on how best to use satellite imagery as evidence in the
investigation of international crimes.
– A project with key health and humanitarian actors aiming to build a community of
practice around the digitisation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) health
protocols relevant to childhood illness in low and middle–income countries (LMICs).
– Developing a practical framework for government officials to assess their national
‘data ecologies’ related to housing policies.
As we work at the interface of the worlds of science and policy, digital tools offer useful ‘boundary
objects’ for policymakers to interact with ever-evolving data in a complex world. While in-person
interactions remain paramount to building successful relationships and trust between science
and policy actors, we expect digital-related projects to remain prominent products and drivers
of such collaborations.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
As part of its activities at the interplay between science,
policy, and implementation actors, the GSPI tackles a
range of digital issues. With data being a centrepiece of
evidence-based policies, many of the GSPI’s activities
touch on digitalisation and the use of digital tools in
domains such as health, migration, development, and
the environment.
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Credit: gspi.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
The project MapMaker, a collaboration between the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich
(ETH Zurich) has enabled the development of an online
visualisation tool to inform data-driven decision-making
on marine biodiversity conservation at the international
level.
Digital standards
Together with the Geneva Health Forum (GHF), the
GSPI has established a working group including key
humanitarian actors to harness knowledge and best
practices around the digitisation of clinical guidelines for
management of childhood illness in primary care in low
and middle-income countries. In line with the efforts
of the WHO, and the principles of donor alignment
for digital health, the working group has developed
recommendations on how digitalisation can improve
the management of childhood illness. In September
2021, the results of this work were shared with experts
and the public, providing a platform for discussions on
the lessons learned and future trends in the field.
Emerging technologies
In 2018, the GSPI organised policy discussions on the
use of drones as part of humanitarian action. The
conversation centred on the practical use of drones
to deliver humanitarian aid and what can be done
by stakeholders such as policymakers, the private
sector, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
to maximise the opportunities and reduce the risks of
such technologies.
At the 2019 Digital Day, together with the University of
Geneva, the GSPI organised a discussion exploring what
experience and know-how Geneva-based organisations
could share to empower and protect users in the
context of the digital revolution.
With a number of other partners, the GSPI co-organised
a discussion at the 2019 WSIS Forum on aerial data
produced by drones and satellites in the context
of aid and development. The session explored the
interplay between international organisations, NGOs,
and scientists and how they can work together to help
monitor refugee settlements, provide emergency
response in case of natural disasters, and scale
agriculture programmes.
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Data governance
The project REDEHOPE of the University of Geneva and
the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has
led to the development of an online diagnostic tool
to help countries identify and visualise issues in their
housing data ecology, and access appropriate datasets
to formulate more robust, evidence-based housing
policies at the country level.
Sustainable development
In 2020–2021, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
Convention secretariat benefitted from the support of
ETH Zurich to develop an online platform to identify
and signal the need for evidence and information to the
scientific community in the field of chemical and waste
management.
A project from ICP 2021 addressed the hurdles facing
policy actors in accessing and making sense of data
in migration research. The project partners (the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the
Graduate Institute) developed an interactive digital
toolkit for policy officials to support them in leveraging
migration research for evidence-based policymaking.
The toolkit, based on IOM’s flagship publication, the
World Migration Report, was launched in June 2022.
ICP 2021 brought support to the development of
interactive analytical tools providing information
about all UN sanctions to inform both humanitarian
practitioners and sanction policy actors on practical
ways to safeguard principled humanitarian action
in areas under a sanction regime. This project is a
collaboration between the Graduate Institute and the
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
ICP 2022 selected a collaboration between ETH Zurich
and IOM that seeks to bring more effective policy
expertise in the management of migration to address
migrants’ needs and increase social cohesion between
migrant and local communities. The collaboration will
develop a toolbox to be used by IOM and its partners
to facilitate the use of the Immigration Policy Lab (IPL)
Integration Index, a survey tool for governments,
nonprofits, and researchers to measure the integration
of immigrants around the world.
Human rights principles
Also in the framework of its ICP, the GSPI has supported
a collaboration between the Geneva Academy of
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
and OHCHR’s B-Tech project. Some of the new fastevolving
technologies, such as cloud computing,
artificial intelligence (AI), facial recognition technologies,
and the internet of things (IoT), can have profoundly
disrupting effects on sociopolitical systems and pose
significant human rights challenges. This initiative
provides authoritative guidance and resources for
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DIGITAL TOOLS
implementing the UNGPs in the technology space
and placing international human rights law (IHRL)
at the centre of regulatory and policy frameworks.
Aimed at policymakers, the technology sector, and
all those working on the regulation of AI, the policy
research carried out in this project (see resulting
Working Paper, 2021) brings fresh insights into how
current initiatives on the regulation of AI technologies
could incorporate the protection and respect for
human rights. Published by the Geneva Academy,
the paper also calls on states to adopt a ‘smart mix’
of mandatory and voluntary measures to support
their implementation and how this applies to the AI
sector. This GSPI-supported science-policy process
will formally feed the development of a ‘UN Guiding
Principles check’ tool (working title), which will provide
states with a roadmap to assess their regulatory
efforts across different policy domains relevant to
technology.
Social media channels
LinkedIn @genevaspi
X @GenevaSPI
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Health AI The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health
Rue Varembé 7 | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.healthai.agency

About HealthAI
HealthAI - The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health
- is a Geneva-based non-profit organisation with the
mission of advancing the development and adoption
of Responsible AI solutions in health through the
collaborative implementation of regulatory mechanisms
and global standards.
HealthAI envisions a world where artificial inteligence (AI)
produces equitable and inclusive improvements in health
and well-being for all individuals and communities.
As the premier implementing partner to ensure global
standards for Responsible AI in health are actively applied,
HealthAI works with countries, normative agencies, the
private sector, and other stakeholders to build national
and regional regulatory capacity so that countries can
actively validate AI technologies, reducing both risks and
long-term costs of AI-enabled health.
With a network of over 45 partners, HealthAI’s work is
rooted in three core principles, namely cultivating trust,
catalysing innovation, and centring equity.
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HealthAI is a neutral non-profit implementing
partner, focused on expanding countries’
capacity to regulate AI in health, leveraging
globally defined standards, processes,
and tools.
Dr Ricardo Baptista Leite
CEO
Message by HealthAI CEO
A lack of governance mechanisms is contributing to the slow adoption of artificial intelligence
(AI) solutions within health systems. Governments are hesitant to approve technologies
without evidence of safety and efficacy, technology developers do not have clear pathways
to regulatory approval, and private sector companies are left to develop ethical frameworks
without a governmental mandate to protect the public good.
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Message by HealthAI CEO
Responding to this new reality and the expressed needs of governments around the world,
HealthAI (formerly known as I-DAIR) has undergone a strategy renewal and rebrand to be
a neutral non-profit implementing partner, focused on expanding countries’ capacity to
regulate AI in health, leveraging globally defined standards. Our three core principles inspire
the way we approach our work and partnerships.
The first is to cultivate trust. Concerns over safety, privacy, accuracy, and effectiveness must
be addressed for these solutions to gain trust and be widely used. The second core principle
is to catalyse innovation. When regulations are responsive and provide clear guidance
on topics of equity, ethics, and safety, we can spur new advancements in the design and
implementation of these technologies. The third core principle is centring equity. Ensuring
that countries, in particular low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), have local regulatory
capacities to validate AI solutions in health will provide a major push in counteracting digital
colonisation and narrowing the digital divide between countries.
Our commitment at HealthAI is to facilitate the local adoption of normative standards set
by international agencies so that the benefits of responsible technology reach the widest
possible audience. We will collaborate with normative bodies and countries to push for the
global harmonisation of regulatory standards for AI in health. Once we have a consensus,
we intend to build capacity at regional and country levels, training local teams of people
who are capable of validating AI tools for health, similar to what is done today for medicines
and medical devices. At the same time, it is important to connect these teams via a global
regulatory network, so as to use that collective intelligence to streamline approval processes
and develop an early warning system for adverse events. Having this network further allows
us to create a global repository where all the validated AI solutions for health are posted and
made known to the public.
Together with our partners, we strive to ensure that responsible and trusted AI solutions are
assured, based on regulatory mechanisms which safeguard against potential harms and are
subsequently adopted by a wide range of countries and health systems.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
AI and other emerging technologies have immense
potential to improve health and well-being but they also
bring a unique set of risks and challenges that must be
addressed to safeguard individuals and communities from
potential harms. Globally, a lack of effective governance
is increasing the risk and hindering the adoption of
Responsible AI solutions towards better health outcomes.
Strong, responsive regulatory mechanisms are required
to establish AI systems’ safety and effectiveness and
build trust for the long-term acceptability and success of
AI-enabled progress in the health sector.
Some countries, mainly those with the highest gross
domestic product (GDP) and the most advanced
technology sectors, have begun integrating AI regulation
into governance structures and national regulations. Most
countries have only just begun considering the regulation
of AI in general terms and even less so within the context
of health. This risks deepening inequity in both access and
outcome between early adopter countries and countries
that do not have the resources or flexibility to match the
pace of technological innovation.
Global efforts addressing the need for AI regulation
through the harmonisation of existing standards are
critical, but require collaborative partners who can
support the implementation of the resulting standards
and recommendations at a local level. With the new
strategy for 2024-2026, HealthAI positions itself as a
premier implementing partner for countries, normative
agencies, the private sector, and other stakeholders to
ensure global standards of Responsible AI in health are
actively applied in the push towards improved health and
well-being outcomes for all in alignment with the SDGs.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
HealthAI’s Core Outputs
To achieve our mission, HealthAI’s work spans four key
areas (Figure 1):
1. Building and certifying national and regional validation
mechanisms on Responsible AI in health:
• Establish in-country, government-led regulatory
mechanisms by implementing global standards
and guidance set by the World Health Organization
(WHO) and others at the country level.
• Support the implementation of existing auditing
tools, and provide guidance on the use of data for
AI solutions validation.
2. Establishing a global regulatory network for knowledge
sharing and early warning of adverse events:
• Facilitate knowledge sharing so as to streamline
the certification of the same technology and to
identify AI solutions that require refinement or reevaluation.
• Rapid notification of adverse events arising from an
AI-driven health solution.
3. Creating a global public repository of validated AI
solutions for health:
• Allow countries to evaluate solution options against
local health needs.
• Surface unmet health needs as insights and
inspiration for technology developers.
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4. Delivering advisory support on policies and regulations:
• Provide technical guidance and insights into global
trends and best practices so as to assist public
and private stakeholders in developing effective
and contextually relevant strategies, policies, and
regulations.
• Democratise AI for health policy-making through
diverse stakeholder and citizen engagement to
cultivate trust and improve inclusiveness.
The outputs will lead to the following outcomes. Stronger
policies, regulations, and institutions will enable the
effective governance and validation of AI and other
emerging technologies, reducing both the risks and
long-term costs of AI-enabled health. In the long term,
countries will be able to identify validated AI solutions
with greater certainty in their efficacy to meet local health
needs, while private sector partners will have clarity about
regulatory requirements and a better understanding of
AI use in health systems and services.
HealthAI’s Impact
HealthAI is dedicated to contributing to enhanced
health and well-being outcomes for all in alignment with
the SDGs. HealthAI aims to achieve this by facilitating
increased access to safe, high-quality, effective, and
equitable AI solutions. This involves ensuring that AI
solutions are not only safe for use but also comply with
rigorous quality standards, delivering the intended health
outcomes or system improvements.

HealthAI commits to providing information on market
access authorisation, and reimbursement processes
while supporting an early-warning mechanism to alert
countries of adverse events. Through streamlined
information sharing between countries and the
establishment of a global repository of validated
AI solutions, the organisation seeks to propagate
the availability of proven Responsible AI solutions.
Furthermore, HealthAI envisions a positive impact
on government revenue from regulatory activities,
generating new sources of income for regulatory agencies
and government budgets. This financial support is crucial
for the sustained funding of regulatory mechanisms and
additional investment capacity, ultimately accelerating
approval processes across countries and leading to cost
savings and bureaucratic streamlining.
Finally, by fostering an ecosystem that ensures
compliance with internationally defined Responsible
AI standards, protects national data sovereignty, and
supports local validation processes that enable feedback
from civil society, HealthAI’s work will increase trust,
investment, and innovation in Responsible AI solutions
for health.
Figure 1. Responsible AI solutions for health
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DIGITAL TOOLS
Definition of Responsible AI
Responsible AI is characterised by AI technologies that
align with established standards and ethical principles,
prioritising human-centric attributes. In the context
of HealthAI, Responsible AI is defined as AI solutions
that exhibit ethical, inclusive, rights-respecting, and
sustainable qualities. These attributes encompass
a commitment to protecting and respecting human
autonomy, promoting well-being and safety, ensuring
technical robustness, safeguarding privacy and data,
adhering to laws and ethics, prioritising transparency
and explainability, maintaining responsibility and
accountability, fostering inclusivity and equity,
upholding diversity and non-discrimination, and
considering societal and environmental well-being.
HealthAI applies these principles across all facets of
AI technologies, from technical development and data
use to technology implementation and its ultimate
impact. This comprehensive definition is drawn from
reputable sources, including WHO, the International
Development Research Center’s AI for Global Health
Initiative, the European Commission’s High-Level
Expert Group on AI, and pertinent journal publications
on the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence in
health.
Social Media channels
LinkedIn @healthaiagency
X @thehealthai
YouTube @I-DAIR
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International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC)
Av. de la Paix 19 | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.icrc.org

About the ICRC
Established in 1863, the ICRC is an independent
international humanitarian organisation headquartered
in Geneva. It defends and promotes the respect of
international humanitarian law (IHL) and is dedicated
to protecting the lives and dignity of victims of war and
to providing assistance. Along these lines, it cooperates
with governments, the private sector, and other entities
affected by international and internal armed conflict and
violence.
Together with the International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies and 192 individual national
societies, the ICRC makes up the so-called International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
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It is all about balance: harnessing technology’s potential
to help while at the same time preventing the harm
that these same technologies may create.
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger
President
Message by the ICRC President
The impact of digital technologies on people, humanitarian organisations, and armed conflict is
growing and evolving. It takes the form of cyberattacks, online misinformation, disinformation,
hate speech, military decision-making supported by artificial intelligence (AI), or the use of
autonomous weapon systems (AWS). In addition, new needs emerge from populations such
as info-as-aid, cash transfer, digital vault, and strong data protection frameworks. New tools
have been used and deployed by organisations, such as AI or biometrics.
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Message by the ICRC President
These evolutions push the ICRC to invest in understanding what opportunities digital
technologies bring, but also the risks they create for populations and for humanitarian
organisations. We put on a protection lens and look at them through the prism of the Red
Cross Red Crescent Fundamental Principles, such as neutrality, impartiality, independence,
and humanity. This means that as a humanitarian organisation, the ICRC engages with
governments, non-state actors, academic institutions, think tanks, and the tech sector to
influence policies, standards, norms, and research and development. We also host expert
and intergovernmental discussions to improve awareness and understanding of international
humanitarian law (IHL) and relevant standards in a digital world. And we have launched a
delegation for cyberspace. Ultimately, we work to ensure the responsible use and deployment
of technologies to not add additional harm to people affected by armed conflicts.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Digitalisation is increasingly present in the context of
armed conflict and violence. On one hand, affected
populations are in demand for digital tools, which
humanitarian organisations need to provide in a
responsible manner. On the other hand, states use cyber
operations as part of warfare with humans affected
by the consequences of such operations and other
digital risks. To this end, humanitarian organisations
also use digital tools to improve their operations.
The ICRC addresses the implications of technology,
which are multifold and range from data protection
for humanitarian actions to the application of IHL to
cyber operations in armed conflict. We host expert and
intergovernmental discussions and have developed
a number of (digital) tools to help improve awareness
and understanding of IHL and relevant standards. The
ICRC cooperates with other organisations on digital
policy issues.
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Credit: icrc.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
The ICRC has explored the impact of AI tools in armed
conflict, in particular their use by armed actors. In a
document titled Artificial Intelligence and Machine
Learning in Armed Conflict: A Human-Centred Approach
(2019, revised 2021), we argue: ‘Any new technology of
warfare must be used, and must be capable of being
used, in compliance with existing rules of international
humanitarian law.’ The document touches on the use
of AI and machine learning (ML) technologies capable
of controlling physical military hardware. It argues
that from a humanitarian perspective, AWS are of
particular concern given that humans may not be able
to control such weapons or the resulting use of force,
and AI-controlled AWS would exacerbate these risks.
The ICRC has urged states to adopt new international
rules on AWS. The position paper also emphasises the
potential for AI to exacerbate the risks to civilians and
civilian infrastructure posed by cyber and information
operations, as well as changing the nature of military
decision-making in armed conflict. The ICRC calls for
a human-centred approach to the application of AI in
armed conflict that preserves human judgement and
jointly with the United Nations Secretary-General, ICRC’s
president is calling for establishing new prohibitions
and restrictions on AWS. The question has been further
explored in other reports, such as Autonomy, Artificial
Intelligence, Robotics: Technical Aspects of Human
Control (2019).
Cyber operations during armed conflict
The use of cyber operations during armed conflict is a
reality today and is likely to increase in future. Through
bilateral confidential dialogue, expert discussions,
participation in intergovernmental processes, and
constant monitoring and analysis, the ICRC is raising
awareness of the potential human cost of cyber
operations and the application of IHL to cyber operations
during armed conflict. Our efforts on this matter date
back over two decades. Ever since, the ICRC has held
the view that IHL limits cyber operations during armed
conflict just as it limits the use of any other weapon,
means and methods of warfare in an armed conflict,
whether new or old.
Over the years, the ICRC has been actively involved
in global policy discussions on cyber-related issues,
including those held within the UN (various Groups of
Governmental Experts (GGEs) and the Open-Ended
Working Groups (OEWGs)). In addition, we convene
regional consultations among government experts on
how IHL applies to cyber operations, and global expert
meetings, such as the potential human cost of cyber
operations and avoiding civilian harm from military
cyber operations during armed conflicts.
Our legal views on how IHL applies to cyber operations
during armed conflict are found in a 2019 position paper
that was sent to all UN member states in the context of
the different UN-mandated processes on information
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and communications technology (ICT) security. The
ICRC explores innovative solutions, such as a digital
emblem, to protect medical and humanitarian missions
in cyberspace.
Recently we haves focused on non-state actors such as
civilians and technological companies getting more and
more involved in cyber operations. We first issued three
documents. The first focuses on the growing trend of
civilians at large getting involved in digital operations
and the related risks. The second focuses on when
might digital tech companies become targetable in war.
And last and more specifically on hacking, we published
a paper called 8 Rules for “Civilian Hackers” During War,
and 4 Obligations for States to Restrain Them.
‘Protection’ in the digital age
Without undermining the positive impact technology
can bring in conflict, including enhancing access to lifesaving
information and potentially minimising collateral
damage, protection work must consider the risks in
the digital age. In other words, it must encompass
the protection of the rights of people when their lives
intersect with the digital sphere. This question remains
under-regarded and a blog post tries to shed light on
this grey area.
The ICRC puts a special emphasis on the impact of
misinformation and disinformation as they can increase
people’s exposure to risk and vulnerabilities. For
example, if displaced people in need of humanitarian
assistance are given intentionally misleading
information about life-saving services and resources,
they can be misdirected away from help and towards
harm.
Hate speech, meanwhile, contributes directly or
indirectly to endangering civilian populations’ safety
or dignity. For example, when online hate speech calls
for violence against a minority group, it can contribute
to psychological and social harm through harassment,
defamation, and intimidation.
These issues have been tackled in a document we
published in 2021 called Harmful Information.
Misinformation and disinformation can also impact
humanitarian organisations’ ability to operate in certain
areas, potentially leaving the needs of people affected
by armed conflict or other violence unmet. When false
and manipulated information spreads, it can erode
trust within communities and damage the reputation
of humanitarian operations.
For the ICRC, whose work is founded on trust, the
spread of disinformation, especially where tensions
are high, could quickly lead to humanitarian personnel
being unable to leave their offices, distribute live-saving
assistance, visit detainees, or bring news to people who
have lost contact with a family member.
Ultimately, it is important also to note that information
operations have limits under IHL!
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Outer space
Space systems have been employed for military
purposes since the dawn of the space era. As the
role of these systems in military operations during
armed conflicts increases, so too does the likelihood
of their being targeted, with a significant risk of harm
to civilians and civilian objects on Earth and in space.
This is because technology enabled by space systems
permeates most aspects of civilian life, making the
potential consequences of attacks on space systems
a matter of humanitarian concern. Find out more in
this blog called War, Law and Outer Space: Pathways to
Reduce the Human Cost of Military Space Operations.
Privacy and data protection
The ICRC plays an active role in regard to privacy and
data protection in the context of humanitarian action.
It has a data protection framework compliant with
international data protection standards that aims to
protect individuals from a humanitarian standpoint.
The framework consists of ICRC rules on personal data
protection, which were revised in 2020 in response to
the rapid development of digital technologies, while
supervisory and control mechanisms are overseen by
an independent data protection commission and a data
protection officer. In 2019, the ICRC spearheaded the
adoption of a resolution on Restoring Family Links While
Respecting Privacy, Including as it Relates to Personal
Data Protection at the International Conference of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent. In 2022, we pushed for the
adoption of a resolution on Safeguarding Humanitarian
Data at the Council of Delegates of the Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement.
Despite the wide range of data sources employed and
dealt with by the ICRC, specific attention is dedicated
to biometric data, which is often used in forensics and
the restoration of family links. To manage this highly
sensitive information and to ensure the responsible
deployment of new technologies (including new
biometric identification techniques), the ICRC has
adopted a Biometrics Policy, which sets out the roles and
responsibilities of the ICRC and defines the legitimate
bases and specified purposes for the processing of
biometric data.
Data protection is also addressed by the ICRC
Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action.
The Handbook provides suggestions as to how current
data protection principles apply to humanitarian
organisations and builds on existing regulations,
working procedures, and practices. The second edition
specifically provides guidance on the technical aspects
of data protection by design and by default and
covers technological security measures. In addition,
through dedicated chapters, it addresses the potential
and risks of digital technology such as blockchain, AI,
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DIGITAL TOOLS
digital identity, and connectivity for data protection in
humanitarian action.
Publications
The ICRC’s Law and Policy blog provides a large number
of short pieces on cyber operations, featuring tech
expert, legal, and policy perspectives.
The ICRC has argued in favour of the digitalisation
of the Geneva Conventions and on the occasion
of the 70th anniversary of these very treaties and
additional protocols, released an IHL digital app. The
app provides access to over 75 treaties including the
Geneva Conventions, and allows users to read through
the content and familiarise themselves with the text.
The ICRC has a number of databases on IHL including
its customary IHL database and the ICRC national
implementation database.
Online learning is also used by the ICRC to promote
the implementation of IHL. In 2019, we launched an
e-learning course entitled Introduction to International
Humanitarian Law aimed at non-legal practitioners,
policymakers, and other professionals who are
interested in the basics of IHL. Other online courses
are available through the ICRC training centre as well as
e-briefings which are available in the e-briefing library.
The ICRC maintains an online training centre and an
app with all ICRC publications in English and French.
Research and development
In 2022, the ICRC opened a Delegation for Cyberspace
in Luxembourg, which serves as a safe and secure
space to do due diligence research and develop and
test solutions and ideas to prepare the ground for
the support, protection, and deployment of digital
services to affected people on a global scale. It will
also further explore what it means to be a digital
stakeholder in a manner compatible with its mandate;
operational modalities; and the principles of neutrality,
independence, and impartiality.
Social media channels
Facebook @ICRC
Instagram @ICRC
LinkedIn @ICRC
TikTok @ICRC
X @ICRC
YouTube @ICRC
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ICT for Peace Foundation
(ICT4Peace)
Route de Ferney 198e | 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex | Geneva | Switzerland
www.ict4peace.org

About ICT4Peace
ICT4Peace has been an independent think tank since
2003 in Geneva. It fosters political discussion and
common action to support international and human
security in cyberspace. All its activities are focused
on the use of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) to fulfil its key goals: save lives,
protect human dignity, and promote peace and
security in cyberspace. ICT4Peace acts as an early
mover in identifying important challenges, bringing
visibility and high-level attention to critical new
issues. It carries out policy research examining how
to use technologies to support state and human
security, and develops capacity building through the
ICT4Peace Academy to support the full participation
of all stakeholders in ICT discussions, negotiations,
and solutions. The description of the concrete areas
of its work can be found in this document. Inter
alia the areas presently covered are deepening the
understanding of the ICT-related activities and services
provided by private (cyber) security companies and
their impacts on human rights, international law, and
security; international law, norms of responsible state
behaviour in cyberspace, including neutrality during
cyberwarfare; mis-and disinformation and hate
speech; gender and ICT; and artificial intelligence (AI),
peace and ethics.
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Building trust for a secure and peaceful digital society.
Daniel Stauffacher
President
Message by the ICT4Peace President
In these extraordinary and challenging times, ICT4Peace calls on world leaders and the
international community to come together to collectively rebuild trust for a peaceful and
prosperous digital society. We must promote the use of ICTs for peaceful purposes and human
dignity and support social cohesion and protect democratic processes. Finally, we must devise
smart public and private ICT partnerships for effective governance of cyberspace. To this end,
ICT4Peace will continue to work in identifying emerging technology challenges, making policy
recommendations, and delivering capacity building to contribute to a safe and secure cyberspace.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Network security, cyberconflict, and warfare
An open, secure, stable, accessible, and peaceful ICT
environment is essential for all and requires effective
cooperation among states, civil society, and the private
sector to reduce risks to international peace and security,
and secure economic and social development. There
are, however, very disturbing trends in the global ICT
environment, including a dramatic increase in incidents
involving the malicious use of ICTs by state and nonstate
actors, such as criminals and terrorists. These
trends create enormous risks to peace and security in
cyberspace for states, but equally to human security
and dignity.
In 2011, ICT4Peace called for a code of conduct and
for norms of responsible state behaviour and
confidence-building measures for an open, secure, and
peaceful cyberspace, and encouraged all stakeholders
to work together to identify new cyber threats and
develop solutions and agreements at national and
global levels. In particular, it advocated against the
increasing militarisation of cyberspace. ICT4Peace
has supported international negotiations at the UN
Governmental Group of Experts (UN GGE) and the
Open-Ended Working Groups (OEWG I and II) in New
York, as well as at the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Organization
of American States (OAS), and the African Union (AU)
with policy recommendations and multiple publications
and workshops. In 2014, ICT4Peace launched its
capacity-building programmes and in 2020 created the
ICT4Peace Academy, in particular for policymakers and
diplomats from developing and emerging economies to
enable them to develop and implement their national
cybersecurity strategies, building computer emergency
response teams (CERTS) and meaningfully engage in the
UN GGE and in the OEWG I 2019–2021 and OEWG II 2021–
2025, but also in bilateral and regional negotiations.
In 2019, at OEWG I in New York, ICT4Peace issued a call
to governments to publicly commit not to attack civilian
critical infrastructure and proposed a states cyber
peer review mechanism for tate-conducted foreign
cyber operations. See also all ICT4Peace inputs to and
comments on OEWG I and the ICT4Peace Submission to
OEWG II 2021–2025.
ICT4Peace has highlighted emerging concerns and
suggested governance solutions in the fields of artificial
intelligence (AI), lethal autonomous weapons systems
(LAWS), and peace time threats.
Capacity development
The ICT4Peace Academy offers custom-tailored
courses to meet organisations’ needs in learning
more about today’s ICT challenges, including cyber
diplomacy, cyber peacebuilding, and cyber (human)
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security. Drawing from an extensive network of expert
practitioners, including diplomats, technologists, and
civil society experts, each customised course offers
the latest in up-to-date information tailored to an
organisation’s particular context and presented in a
live and interactive format. ICT4Peace offers advisory
services to governments, multilateral initiatives, and
the international community to support a peaceful
cyberspace and provides a global hub and policy
space bringing together actors from the technology
community, governments, and civil society.
Regretfully, institution and capacity building in the area
of ICTs for peaceful purposes and peace and security
in cyberspace are not sufficiently recognised as a
development issue and/or treated as a development
priority by the development community, development
partners, or by the millennium development goals
(MDGs) or sustainable development goals (SDGs).
It is hoped that by bringing the discussion around
the need for increased cybersecurity institution
and capacity building (as expressed inter alia by the
UN GGE and OSCE) also into the policy orbit of the
OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC),
cybersecurity capacity building will be recognised as
a development priority by policymakers and more
official development assistance (ODA) will flow into
this sector in a consistent and coherent fashion. In
cooperation with the Estonian and Swiss governments,
ICT4Peace has held discussions with DAC about making
cybersecurity capacity-building ODA-eligible.
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ICT4Peace also published a thought piece on Digitization:
Curse or Blessing for the Bottom Billion, in which the
case for more cybersecurity capacity building in the
context of development cooperation is made.
Content policy
In the area of online content policy, ICT4Peace is
engaged in activities related to the use of the internet
for misinformation, disinformation, defamation,
and hate speech. In today’s information society, the
dissemination of false information can have devastating
consequences, ranging from violent terrorist attacks to
interference in elections, to unnecessary illness, such
as in the current pandemic. ICT4Peace’s research and
publications on misinformation, disinformation and
hate speech looks at the role of social media and other
online platforms/apps in spreading mis/disinformation
online.
Regarding the prevention of the use of ICTs for terrorist
purposes, ICT4Peace co-launched the Tech against
Terrorism Platform with the United Nations Counter-
Terrorism Executive Directorate (UNCTED). ICT4Peace
organised workshops and produced a number of
publications in the aftermath of the Christchurch attack
and the Sri Lanka bombing with the main aim of raising
awareness and supporting the Christchurch Call Summit
Process. Since the emergence of COVID-19, ICT4Peace
has launched a review of the risks and opportunities of
ICTs and social media during a pandemic.

DIGITAL TOOLS
Human rights principles
ICT4Peace has been active in the area of ICTs and human
rights, publishing papers, delivering workshops, and
supporting other actors to address the human rights
implications of digital technologies. It coined the term
‘digital human security’.
Many innovations are designed with the embedded
gender and other biases of their creators, and even the
most helpful technologies remain inaccessible to those
who would benefit the most from them, including
women, girls, and socioeconomically marginalised
populations. ICT4Peace is working with gender-focused
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to address
gender-biases in ICTs.
AI promises to change the very nature of our society,
transforming our conflict zones and ushering in a
new socio-economic era. While the potential benefits
are tremendous, so are the potential risks. This
requires careful analysis to inform policy decisions
on international and international levels. Since 2017,
ICT4Peace has carried out research, published policy
papers, and contributed to international discussions
on AI, ethical, and political perspectives on emerging
digital technologies.
Social media channels
Facebook @ICT4Peace
LinkedIn @ICT4peace
X @ict4peace
YouTube @ICT4Peace Foundation
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279

International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC)
3 rue de Varembé | PO Box 131 | 1211 Geneva 20 | Switzerland
www.iec.ch

About the IEC
The IEC is the world leader in the preparation and
publication of international standards for all electrical,
electronic, and related technologies. A global, not-forprofit
membership organisation, the IEC provides a
neutral and independent institutional framework to
over 170 countries, coordinating the work of more than
20,000 experts. We administer four IEC Conformity
Assessment Systems, which represent the largest
working multilateral agreement based on one-time
testing of products globally. The members of each
system certify that devices, systems, installations,
services, and people perform as required.
IEC International Standards represent a global consensus
of state-of-the art know-how and expertise. Together
with conformity assessment, they are foundational for
international trade.
IEC Standards incorporate the needs of many
stakeholders in every participating country and form
the basis for testing and certification. Every member
country, and all its stakeholders represented through
the IEC National Committees has one vote and a say in
what goes into an IEC International Standard.
Our work is used in the verification of the safety,
performance, and interoperability of electric and
electronic devices and systems such as mobile
phones, refrigerators, office and medical equipment,
or electricity generation. It also helps accelerate
digitisation, artificial intelligence (AI), or virtual reality
applications; protects information technology (IT) and
critical infrastructure systems from cyberattacks, and
increases the safety of people and the environment.
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Digitalisation creates many exciting perspectives
to enhance knowledge exchange at the interface
of science and policy, many of which still
have to be leveraged.
Philippe Metzger
Secretary-General and CEO
Message by the IEC Secretary-General and CEO
IEC Standards enable the dissemination of the most efficient technologies on a global scale, helping
countries and industries to adopt or build sustainable technologies and to apply international best
practices. Our standards make citizens safer, promote economic development, and facilitate access to
investment. The IEC Conformity Assessment Systems add value to international standards by ensuring
that manufacturers keep their promises.
IEC standards and conformity assessment together play a fundamental economic role and support
global trade and commerce. They form the basis for innovation, as well as quality and risk management.
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Message by the IEC Secretary-General and CEO
We help developing countries to build quality infrastructures to ensure that products entering
their markets fulfil required safety and performance criteria. In this way, the IEC’s work work
enables economic actors to compete globally.
Because our standards embody global consensus on methodologies, processes, and
requirements, they are accepted in most of the world. They are essential for industry, utilities,
and critical infrastructure. They provide technical frameworks, metrics, and specifications that
regulators can reference in legislation. Standards also provide governments with technical
references in public tenders, lending confidence that products meet globally agreed rules
that have been developed and accepted by industry and regulators.
Although the IEC deals primarily with technology, we are aware that the challenges that the
world is facing are not only technical, but also social, economic, and environmental. The
digital future we are working to achieve is encapsulated in the IEC mission statement. It says,
quite simply, “IEC everywhere for a safer, more efficient world.” For us, that means supporting
efforts to move towards net zero emissions and the realisation of an all-electric society, which
will ensure global prosperity by providing universal access to affordable electricity, generated
from renewable and sustainable sources.
We believe passionately in the power of consensus-based, international standards to
help society find answers to the many challenges and ethical dilemmas raised by digital
transformation and disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet
of things (IoT). International standards are already providing solutions for many of these
challenges, including, among others, privacy, security, and trust for the widest possible
benefit.
Globally, the work of the IEC fits squarely with the United Nations sustainable development
goals (SDGs). Indeed, IEC standards and conformity assessment contribute, directly or
indirectly, to one or more indicators for all 17 of the SDGs. In short, the IEC provides the knowhow
and guidance for building a greener, cleaner, more equitable world.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The IEC works to ensure that its activities have a global
reach in order to meet all the challenges of digital
transformation worldwide. The organisation covers an
array of digital policy issues.
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Credit: iec.ch

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence and the internet of
things
AI applications are driving digital transformation
across a diverse range of industries, including energy,
healthcare, smart manufacturing, transport, and
other strategic sectors that rely on IEC Standards and
Conformity Assessment Systems. AI technologies allow
insights and analytics that go far beyond the capabilities
of legacy analytic systems.
For example, digital transformation of the grid is
enabling increased automation, making it more
efficient and able to integrate fluctuating renewable
energy sources seamlessly. IEC Standards pave the
way for the use of a variety of digital technologies
relating to smart energy. They deal with issues such
as the integration of renewable energies within the
electrical network but also increased automatisation.
The IEC’s work in the area of AI takes a three-pronged
approach. IEC experts focus on sector-specific needs
(vertical standards) and conformity assessment,
while the joint IEC and International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) technical committee on AI, JTC1/
SC 42, brings together technology experts, as well
as ethicists, lawyers, social scientists, and others to
develop generic and foundational standards (horizontal
standards).
In addition, IEC Safety Standards are an essential
element of the framework for AI applications in power
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utilities and smart manufacturing. IEC Conformity
Assessment Systems complete the process by ensuring
that the standards are properly implemented.
SC 42 addresses some of the concerns about the use
and application of AI technologies. For example, data
quality standards for ML and analytics are crucial for
helping to ensure that applied technologies produce
useful insights and eliminate faulty features.
Governance standards in AI and the business process
framework for big data analytics address how the
technologies can be governed and overseen from a
management perspective. International standards
in the areas of trustworthiness, ethics, and societal
concerns will ensure responsible deployment.
The joint IEC and ISO technical committee also develops
foundational standards for the IoT. Among other things,
SC 41 standards promote interoperability, as well as
architecture and a common vocabulary for the IoT.
Hardware
The IEC develops standards for many of the
technologies that support digital transformation.
Sensors, cloud, and edge computing are examples.
Advances in data acquisition systems are driving the
growth of big data and AI use-cases. The IEC prepares
standards relating to semiconductor devices, including
sensors.

Sensors can be certified under the IEC Quality
Assessment System for Electronic Components (IECQ),
one of the four IEC Conformity Assessment Systems.
Cloud computing and its technologies have also
supported the increase of AI applications. The joint
IEC and ISO technical committee prepares standards
for cloud computing including distributed platforms
and edge devices, which are situated close to users
and data collection points. The publications cover key
requirements relating to data storage and recovery.
Building trust
International Standards play an important role in
increasing trust in AI and help support public and private
decision-making, not least because they are developed
by a broad range of stakeholders. This helps to ensure
that the IEC’s work strikes the right balance between
the desire to deploy AI and other new technologies
rapidly and the need to study their ethical implications.
The IEC has been working with a wide range of
international, regional, and national organisations to
develop new ways to bring stakeholders together to
address the challenges of AI. These include the Swiss
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the
standards development organisations, ISO, and the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
More than 500 participants followed the AI with Trust
conference, in-person and online, to hear different
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stakeholder perspectives on the interplay between
legislation, standards, and conformity assessment.
They followed use-case sessions on healthcare, sensor
technology, and collaborative robots, and heard
distinguished experts exchange ideas on how they
could interoperate more efficiently to build trust in AI.
The conference in Geneva was the first milestone of the
AI with Trust initiative.
The IEC is also a founding member of the Open
Community for Ethics in Autonomous and Intelligent
Systems (OCEANIS). OCEANIS brings together
standardisation organisations from around the world
to enhance awareness of the role of standards in
facilitating innovation and addressing issues related to
ethics and values.
Read more
– e-tech
IEC and ISO Work on Artificial Intelligence
AI for the Last Mile
Computational Approaches for AI Systems
– IEC Blog
Digital Transformation
– Video
Ian Oppermann (AI with Trust)
AI with Trust conference interviews
AI Governance

Network security and critical infrastructure
The IEC develops cybersecurity standards and
conformity assessments for both IT and operational
technology (OT). One of the biggest challenges today
is that cybersecurity is often understood only in terms
of IT, which leaves critical infrastructure, such as power
utilities, transport systems, manufacturing plants and
hospitals, vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks on IT and OT systems often have different
consequences. The effects of cyberattacks on IT are
generally economic, while cyberattacks on critical
infrastructure can impact the environment, damage
equipment, or even threaten public health and lives.
When implementing a cybersecurity strategy, it is
essential to take the different priorities of cyber-physical
and IT systems into account. The IEC provides relevant
and specific guidance via two of the world’s best-known
cybersecurity standards: IEC 62443 for cyber-physical
systems and ISO/IEC 27001 for IT systems.
Both take a risk-based approach to cybersecurity, which
is based on the concept that it is neither efficient nor
sustainable to try to protect all assets in equal measure.
Instead, users must identify what is most valuable
and requires the greatest protection and identify
vulnerabilities.
Conformity assessment provides further security
by ensuring that the standards are implemented
correctly: IECEE certification for IEC 62443 and IECQ for
ISO/IEC 27001.
ISO/IEC 27001 for IT
IT security focuses in equal measure on protecting the
confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data – the
so-called CIA triad. Confidentiality is of paramount
importance and information security management
systems, such as the one described in ISO/IEC 27001, are
designed to protect sensitive data, such as personally
identifiable information (PII), intellectual property (IP),
or credit card numbers, for example.
Implementing the information security management
system (ISMS) described in ISO/IEC 27001 means
embedding information security continuity in business
continuity management systems. Organisations are
shown how to plan and monitor the use of resources to
identify attacks earlier and take steps more quickly to
mitigate the initial impact.
IEC 62443 for OT
In cyber-physical systems, where IT and OT converge,
the goal is to protect safety, integrity, availability, and
confidentiality (SIAC). Industrial control and automation
systems (ICAS) run in a loop to check continually that
everything is functioning correctly.
The IEC 62443 series was developed because IT
cybersecurity measures are not always appropriate
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DIGITAL TOOLS
for ICAS. ICAS are found in an ever-expanding range of
domains and industries, including critical infrastructure,
such as energy generation, water management, and
the healthcare sector.
ICAS must run continuously to check that each
component in an operational system is functioning
correctly. Compared to IT systems, they have different
performance and availability requirements and
equipment lifetime.
Conformity assessment: IECEE
Many organisations are applying for the IEC System of
Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical
Equipment and Components (IECEE) conformity
assessment certification to verify that the requirements
of IEC 62443 have been met.
IECEE provides a framework for assessments in line with
IEC 62443, which specifies requirements for security
capabilities, whether technical (security mechanisms)
or process (human procedures) related. Successful
recipients receive the IECEE industrial cybersecurity
capability certificate of conformity.
Conformity assessment: IECQ
While certification to ISO/IEC 27001 has existed since
the standard was published in 2013, it is only in recent
years that the IEC Quality Assessment System for
Electronic Components (IECQ), has set up a true single
standardised way of assessing and certifying an ISMS to
ISO/IEC 27001.
International standards such as IEC 62443 and ISO/IEC
27001 are based on industry best practices and reached
by consensus. Conformity assessment confirms that
they have been implemented correctly to ensure a safe
and secure digital society.
Read more
– Cyber Security: Ensuring IEC 62443 is
Implemented Correctly
– Understanding IEC 62443
– IECQ Certification, a Crucial Requirement for ISO/
IEC 27001
– Eight Things Organizations Should do to Ensure
Compliance with Cyber Security Regulations
– Cyber Security for Critical Infrastructure
Video
– Cybersecurity for the Healthcare Sector
– Cybersecurity for Power Utilities and other Cyber
Physical Systems
– The IEC has developed a number of online tools
and services designed to help everyone with
their daily activities.
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At a glance
173 10,000+ 1M+ 20,000
bio-digital
-
-
-digital
Social media channels
Facebook @InternationalElectrotechnicalCommission
LinkedIn @IECStandards
Pinterest @IECStandards
X @IECStandards
YouTube @IECstandards
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291

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC)
Chemin des Crêts 17 | 1209 Geneva | Switzerland
www.ifrc.org

About the IFRC
The IFRC is the world’s largest volunteer-based
humanitarian network, reaching 150–250 million people
each year through 191 member National Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies.
The IFRC exists to support the work of its member
National Societies, ensuring that they have the capacities
and systems to be strong, independent, trusted, and
accountable local actors. It connects National Societies
into one international network ensuring principled and
localised action with global reach and impact.
Our community-based work is guided by IFRC’s Strategy
2030, which identifies five global challenges: climate and
environment; evolving disasters and crises; health and
well-being; migration and displacement; and values,
power, and inclusion.
At the same time, the IFRC prioritises National Society
development, strategic and operational coordination,
and influential humanitarian diplomacy, and upholds a
culture of accountability and agility across the network. In
this way, the IFRC network saves lives, builds community
resilience, strengthens localisation, and promotes human
dignity around the world.
All IFRC network activities are inspired by the Fundamental
Principles of the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement: humanity, impartiality, neutrality,
independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
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Data and digital tools help us to better ensure the
delivery of effective and efficient services to the
world’s most vulnerable, through providing
life-saving information to communities,
engaging in impact-based forecasting and
early warning to strengthen community
resilience, collecting community feedback
for informed action and improved
accountability, and sharing knowledge
and skills.
Jagan Chapagain
Secretary-General
Message by the IFRC Secretary-General
Data and digital tools help us to better ensure the delivery of effective and efficient services to
the world’s most vulnerable, through providing life-saving information to communities, engaging
in impact-based forecasting and early warning to strengthen community resilience, collecting
community feedback for informed action and improved accountability, and sharing knowledge
and skills.
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Message by the IFRC Secretary-General
This information helps prepare communities in the face of humanitarian crises and assists them
in taking early actions to respond.
Data and digital tools change how we understand and extend our global impact. With common
data standards and digitally enabled National Societies, we can collect data that shows the
impact of humanitarian services delivered by National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and
the progress we make as a collective network. This helps increase accountability to vulnerable
communities, to donors, to partner organisations, and to ourselves. The data offers us the
insights to influence others for improved policies, investments, and practices, thus extending
our reach.
Data and digital tools also change how we work to achieve these goals. For example, they can
help us to strengthen volunteer engagement and management. The IFRC network relies on
nearly 16.5 million volunteers for humanitarian service delivery. Digital solutions improve how
we recruit, train, retain, and engage with qualified volunteers. Our digital tools also expand how
we engage with people in need of humanitarian assistance. Through self-enrollment mobile
apps, we are providing people with essential information, cash assistance, and referrals for
further assistance — all managed through their mobile phones.
In 2021, the IFRC adopted a Digital Transformation strategy to guide how we change and
accelerate the adoption of data and digital tools across the IFRC network, a goal that is also
emphasised in the IFRC’s Strategy 2030 and Agenda for Renewal. This includes building data
literacy, facilitating peer-to-peer support among National Societies, and forming purposeful
partnerships with private sector, academic, and other humanitarian actors.
The IFRC welcomes other organisations to connect with us to advance how we collaborate and
to better enable digital transformation across the humanitarian sector. We are creating a new
Digital Transformation Impact Platform for this purpose. Contact us to learn more.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The IFRC as a humanitarian organisation and network
uses data and digital tools to increase the speed,
scale, relevance, quality, and accountability of its
humanitarian services to vulnerable communities in
the domains of disasters, climate, and crises; health
and care; and National Society development and
inclusion, protection, and engagement. The IFRC
network has developed a wide range and variety of
data and digital solutions to help improve awareness
and understanding of the need for humanitarian
actions and to support local volunteers and partner
organisations to take fast, effective, and inclusive
action to reduce vulnerability in their communities.
The IFRC cooperates with other humanitarian
organisations, development organisations, academia,
the private sector, and media on digital policy issues.
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Credit: ifrc.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Data governance
– The IFRC is a data-driven organisation dedicated
to making evidence-based decision-making. The
Federation-wide Databank and Reporting System
(FDRS) is an IFRC platform dedicated to providing
insights on the Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC)
National Societies. The data is gathered through a
yearly data collection from 191 National Societies.
– The self-assessment part of the Organisation
Capacity Assessment and Certification (OCAC)
process is intended to capture the strengths
and weaknesses of National Societies as a whole
in relation to a wide range of organisational
capacities.
– The Branch Organizational Capacity Assessment
(BOCA) process is intended to capture the
strengths and weaknesses of National Societies
branches as a whole in relation to a wide range of
organisational capacities.
Capacity development
The IFRC network supports a diverse range of data and
digital tools that facilitate local capacity development.
The Preparedness for Effective Response (PER)
approach serves as a foundational platform to
guide National Societies in assessing and enhancing
their organisational and personnel capacities for
humanitarian response. In addition to the main
assessment platform, PER tools also link to dedicated
eLearning courses on the IFRC Learning Platform and
include a databank of lessons from past response
operations matched to specific PER criteria.
As part of the IFRC’s Digital Transformation strategy
510 (an initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross),
the IFRC has developed a Digital Transformation
Assessment to guide National Societies in assessing
their digital capabilities in terms of people, processes,
and technology. The Assessment also provides directed
guidance on the next steps National Societies can take
to address capability gaps and advance further in the
digital transformation of their humanitarian work.
The IFRC is also well served by the following:
– The Solferino Academy, an innovation ‘do tank’
that promotes learning between National
Societies, leadership development, and innovation
projects. such as a recent action research project
on Collective Intelligence that was conducted in
Cameroon and Nepal together with Nesta in the
UK.
– A dedicated theme for Digital Transformation and
Systems Development under the IFRC Capacity
Building Fund (CBF) that supports National
Societies to make essential investments in capacity
development. Already 39 National Societies have
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accessed the CBF to support digital transformation
initiatives between August 2021 and August 2022,
and another 58 National Societies benefited from
a special programme under the CBF to ensure
that all National Societies have the capability to
digitally connect and collaborate virtually.
– Solutions like New Zealand Red Cross’s Knowledge
Pacific Programme which includes IT-in-a-Box
infrastructure aimed at supporting National
Societies with low capacities to establish a
dependable, secure, modular IT infrastructure for
digital connectivity and services.
In addition, the IFRC network relies on a set of 12
reference centres and other centres of excellence
within the RCRC network to help lead in key thematic
areas and to encourage and advance peer-to-peer
learning within the network. The Global Disaster
Preparedness Center (GDPC), hosted by the American
RC, and 510, hosted by the Netherlands RC, have
prominent programmes to support digital innovation
and services within the network. In addition, a range
of other National Societies are contributing on specific
topics, including the British Red Cross on surge support
for information management; the Spanish Red Cross
on volunteer data management; the Norwegian Red
Cross, the Danish Red Cross, and the Kenyan Red Cross
on the use of Digital ID and digital-based inclusive
currencies.
In line with its service-oriented, demand-driven
approach to building community resilience, the GDPC
has develop the Business Preparedness Initiative (BPI)
Toolkit to save lives, protect livelihoods, and shorten
recovery times following disasters by providing small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) with adaptable
preparedness tools. Atlas: Ready For Business is a free
mobile app currently available in multiple languages
(with more to come) on iOS and Android to help
organisations build adaptability and to create basic
business continuity plans. Workshop in a Box is a
downloadable toolkit that provides all of the support
information and customisable materials a facilitator
needs to promote, organise, and run workshops to help
SMEs take basic steps towards being crisis ready and to
continue their preparedness journey using Atlas.
The GDPC, Google, and the IFRC have also developed
the WhatNow Service, a global platform to assist
National Societies and their local partners to localise
key messages on how individuals, households, and
communities can prepare for, respond to, and recover
from hazards. Any media partner can access the
messages and broadcast them across their networks,
all with the National Society’s name and logo, providing
a mechanism to increase the scale in the dissemination
of harmonised, trusted, actionable guidance, currently
covering 20 hazards in 78 languages. These messages
are across six urgency levels and follow a five-step,
circular process:
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– National Societies adapt key, actionable messaging
to their context.
– National Societies engage with media partners
for the implementation of the service.
– Media partners access National Societies’
WhatNow messages through an open Application
Programming Interface (API) and broadcast
across their networks.
– Communities at risk receive WhatNow messages.
– National Societies engage with communities
for feedback on the process and further adapt
accordingly.
Cash assistance has become an increasingly important
and default tool for humanitarian assistance in
the IFRC network. The Turkish Red Crescent – in
collaboration with the Turkish government, the World
Food Programme (WFP), the European Commission's
Department for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
(ECHO), and the IFRC in the most recent phase – has
developed the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN)
programme using the Kizilaykart payment system,
which has provided monthly cash assistance to Syrian
refugees, reaching in the latest ESSN III phase more
than 2.3 million individuals (410,000 households).
The AccessRC app, developed in collaboration with
RedRose, has provided a game-changing way to
reach, engage, and assist people on the move due to
the Ukraine crisis. The self-enrollment and integrated
assistance model enabled by the AccessRC app – and
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planned as part of a broader Assistance Platform
vision and ecosystem – has enabled National Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies to rapidly extend
their humanitarian assistance to remote locations and
connect people in need to a diverse range of services.
Data and digital tools for Community Engagement and
Accountability (CEA) have also become an essential way
that the IFRC is extending and deepening engagement
with vulnerable communities. A range of tools has
been developed for rumour tracking that were used
extensively in the COVID-19 response and in the
Ukraine crisis response. In addition, 510 (an initiative
of the Netherlands Red Cross), in collaboration with
the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the private
sector company Twilio, and the IFRC, has been leading
the development of a Digital Community Engagement
hub that will enable National Societies to create cloud
messaging services to provide cheap (or even free)
interactive messaging via diverse text messaging
services including WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and
SMS. The hub builds on an extensive set of scripting
templates developed by the NRC and represents a
rare example of creative repurposing of digital tools
between humanitarian organisations.
The IFRC also hosts a Mobile Data Collection working
group and operates its own KoBo and ODK servers
to facilitate access to mobile data collection tools by
National Societies and provide additional back services
to store and manage data. See the IFRC Kobo Toolbox
for more details.

DIGITAL TOOLS
510 (an initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross) has also
created an impact-based forecasting (IBF) system and
portal to help National Societies establish their own data
and analysis platforms to support the development of
forecast-based financing (FbF) initiatives that can use
crisis forecasts as the basis for automatically triggering
funding support and other early action protocols that
can enable National Societies and communities to start
acting as soon as forecasts are issued instead of having
to wait for support until days and weeks after crises
events have happened.
Data digital tools are also providing important
opportunities to advance traditional humanitarian
services. Many National Societies provide ambulance
services in their countries and are increasingly using
data and digital tools to pre-position ambulances in
high-need areas, dispatch at speed, improve routing,
and enable enhanced communication and continuity
of care with hospitals during transit. The IFRC has
conducted a business value case analysis for digitally
transforming ambulance services that compares the
experience and insights in nine National Societies.
The Universal App Program (UAP) provides cuttingedge
mobile app technology free of charge to National
Societies to build first aid awareness by offering
high-quality apps to the public in their countries. The
programme combines two tools – the First Aid app
and the Hazard app – that provide efficient and costeffective
access to mobile applications to reach a
growing number of people with important life-saving
information. The First Aid app contains easy-tounderstand
information about how to identify and
respond to a range of common first aid scenarios
– such as bleeding, heart attacks, choking, and
burns – and supports localisation in local languages,
interactive quizzes, and step-by-step instructions for
users to follow in case of an emergency. The Hazards
app provides preparedness information for more than
12 types of hazards. National Societies can customise
the app according to their common hazards in the
region and based on their local languages. The app also
incorporates emergency alerts from official agencies to
notify users of potential threats affecting their location.
Additionally, the built-in features of these apps will
enable national societies to connect with their public,
solicit donations, and foster partnerships to support
their own preparedness programmes.
IFRC GO is the IFRC emergency operations platform
for capturing, analysing, and sharing real-time data
during a crisis. IFRC GO builds up a collective and
comprehensive picture of a crisis by connecting data
from volunteers and responders in the field who
provide information in real time, i.e. data from their
humanitarian partners and reference material from
across our network. It displays information in a simple
and easy-to-understand way. Users can then turn this
information into reports, maps, graphs, dashboards,
and more. It helps their network better meet the needs
of affected communities. The GO platform is also linked
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to a Surge Information Management Support (SIMS)
group that actively links National Societies and IFRC
Secretariat staff to pool resources and provide remote
support for information management in emergencies.
The V-Community app (available for iOS and Android) is
a multilingual and interactive global platform launched
in 2022, to function as the primary public space where
volunteers and staff of the 192 RCRC National Societies
can interact on all matters related to volunteering. It
consists of three main resources: a chat forum space,
a section for local stories, and a space for exchanging
individual and group messages for further sharing and
collaboration.
The Road Map to Community Resilience (R2R) is a
guide with a new approach and a participatory process
developed by the IFRC to enable communities to become
more resilient through the assessment and analysis of
the risks they face, and the implementation of actions
to reduce these risks. The approach also encourages
use of the Community Resilience Measurement
Dashboard, which provides step-by-step templates
for data collection and enables programme managers
and community volunteers to share the results of their
assessments.
With schools closed around the world during the
COVID-19 pandemic, kids were at home looking for
engaging activities while parents were busy working.
They also had questions about the coronavirus and
needed to learn how to stay safe during this time. The
IFRC introduced a COVID-19 Kids Activity Kit in the form
of activity cards with easy step-by-step instructions
and child-friendly characters. This format, and its
availability in multiple languages, made it easier for
National Society communicators, partners, and the
public to use the resources.
The IFRC also maintains a digital library and an app
with all IFRC publications in English and French.
Social media channels
Facebook @IFRC
Instagram @ifrc
LinkedIn @ifrc
TikTok @ifrc
X @ifrc
YouTube @ifrc
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Internet Governance Forum
(IGF)
Villa Le Bocage | Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva 10 | Switzerland
www.intgovforum.org/en

About the IGF
The IGF provides the most comprehensive coverage
of digital policy issues on the global level. The IGF
Secretariat in Geneva coordinates both the planning
of IGF annual meetings (working together with the
Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) and the wider
IGF community) and a series of intersessional activities
(run all year long). These activities could be summarised
in three ‘multi’ initiatives:
– Multistakeholder participation: It involves
governments, business, civil society, the technical
community, academia, and other actors who
affect or are affected by digital policy issues. This
diversity is reflected in IGF processes, events, and
consultations.
– Multidisciplinary coverage: It relates to addressing
policy issues from technological, legal, security,
human rights, economic, development, and sociocultural
perspectives. For example, data, as a
governance issue, is addressed from standardisation,
e-commerce, privacy, and security perspectives.
– Multilevel approach: As of November 2023, there
are over 165 NRIs. It spans IGF deliberations
from the local level to the global level, through
a network of over 150 national, subregional, and
regional IGF initiatives. They provide context
for discussions on digital policy like the real-life
impact of digitalisation on policy, economic, social,
and cultural fabric of local communities. The IGF
Secretariat supports such initiatives (which are
independent) and coordinates the participation
of the overall network.
The IGF ecosystem converges around the annual IGF,
which is attended by thousands of participants. The
last few IGFs include Paris (2018), Berlin (2019), online
edition due to the pandemic (2020), Katowice (2021),
Addis Ababa (2022), and Kyoto (2023), which engaged
over 11,000 participants, and more than 1,000 speakers
in over 300 sessions.
The intersessional work includes best practice forums
(on issues such as cybersecurity, local content, data and
new technologies, and gender and access); dynamic
coalitions (on issues such as community connectivity,
network neutrality, accessibility and disability, and child
safety online etc.); policy networks (on environment,
meaningful access and Internet fragmentation, artificial
intelligence); and other projects such as Policy Options
for Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion(s) (which
ran between 2015 and 2018) as well as a number of
capacity development activities.
IGF mandate
The IGF mandate was outlined in the Tunis Agenda
for the Information Society of the World Summit on
the Information Society (WSIS, November 2005). It
was renewed for another 10 years by the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) on 16 December 2015, (70/125).
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The main functions of the IGF are specified in Article 72
of the Tunis Agenda. The mandate of the Forum is to:
– Discuss public policy issues related to key
elements of Internet governance in order to foster
the sustainability, robustness, security, stability,
and development of the Internet.
– Facilitate discourse between bodies dealing
with different cross-cutting international public
policies regarding the Internet and discuss issues
that do not fall within the scope of any existing
body.
– Interface with appropriate inter-governmental
organisations and other institutions on matters
under their purview.
– Facilitate the exchange of information and best
practices, and in this regard make full use of the
expertise of the academic, scientific, and technical
communities.
– Advise all stakeholders in proposing ways
and means to accelerate the availability and
affordability of the Internet in the developing
world.
– Strengthen and enhance the engagement of
stakeholders in existing and/or future Internet
governance mechanisms, particularly those from
developing countries.
– Identify emerging issues, bring them to the
attention of the relevant bodies and the
general public, and where appropriate, make
recommendations.
– Contribute to capacity building for Internet
governance in developing countries, drawing on
local sources of knowledge and expertise.
– Promote and assess, on an ongoing basis, the
embodiment of WSIS principles in Internet
governance processes.
– Discuss, inter alia, issues relating to critical
Internet resources.
– Help to find solutions to the issues arising from
the use and misuse of the Internet, of particular
concern to everyday users.
– Publish its proceedings.
In fulfilling its mandate, the Forum is institutionally
supported by the UN Secretariat for the Internet
Governance Forum placed with the Department
of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Its working
modalities also include MAG and most recently the
Leadership Panel, both appointed by the UN Secretary-
General.
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Digital technologies are a proven accelerator of
sustainable development, and it is on us to orient
them in a direction to bring better well-being
to all. This requires good digital policies that
can be achieved only through an inclusive
multistakeholder model for internet governance.
The IGF and international Geneva
create conditions for this.
Chengetai Masango
Head of Office
Message by the IGF Secretariat
ON THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE FORUM’S DIGITAL WORK
To achieve its mandate and set objectives, the IGF has created several concrete work streams in
which everyone can participate.
Intersessional work and capacity development
I Dynamic Coalitions
Dynamic coalitions (DCs) are open, multistakeholder and community-driven initiatives dedicated to
exploring a certain internet governance issue or group of issues. In 2023, 28 active DC’s focused on
topics such as internet rights and principles, innovative approaches to connecting the unconnected,
accessibility and disability, child online safety, etc.
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Message by the IGF Secretariat
II Best Practice Forums
Best Practice Forums (BPFs) provide a platform for stakeholders to exchange experiences in
addressing digital policy issues, and discuss and identify existing and emerging best practices.
BPFs are open, bottom‐up, collective processes, and their outputs are community-driven. In
2022, the most recent BPFs focused on cybersecurity and gender online.
III Policy Networks
Policy Networks (PNs) are facilitated by multistakeholder working groups of experts, based on
broad bottom-up community consultations. As of November 2023, there are over 165 NRIs.
All PNs are facilitated through an open, inclusive, bottom-up, consultative process. Interested
stakeholders are invited to subscribe to dedicated mailing lists or contact the IGF Secretariat
for more information. The most recent PNs focused on cybercecurity, gender online and AI.
National, Regional, and Youth IGF Initiatives
As of July 2022, there are over 150 autonomous national, regional, and youth IGF initiatives
(NRIs) recognised by the IGF Secretariat, open to all to participate.
Developing capacity in internet governance at local and global levels
The IGF Secretariat supports community-centred processes in developing internet
governance capacity. A number of activities focus on developing countries. To date, the
capacity development framework has supported schools on Internet governance, NRIs,
and stakeholder participation in IGF annual meetings, including participation of youth,
parliamentarians and other critical groups such as IG(F) newcomers, women and girls.
IGF annual meetings
Each year, the IGF annual meeting brings together stakeholders from around the world to
discuss some of the most pressing issues in digital policy. A list of the host countries so far is
available on the IGF website.
The 18th annual IGF meeting was hosted by the Government of Japan in Kyoto from 8 to 12
October 2023. The meeting was hosted under an overarching theme: The Internet we want –
empowering all people.
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Message by the IGF Secretariat
The 18th annual IGF meeting was hosted by the Government of Japan in Kyoto from 8 to 12
October 2023. The meeting was hosted under an overarching theme: The internet we want -
empowering all people. The programme was developed around the following themes aligned
with the community’s interests:
- AI & Emerging Technologies
- Avoiding Internet Fragmentation
- Cybersecurity, Cybercrime and Online Safety
- Data Governance and Trust
- Digital Divides and Inclusion
- Global Digital Governance and Cooperation
- Human Rights and Freedoms
- Sustainability & Environment
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Until 2019, IGF annual meetings used to host sessions
tackling a wide range of digital policy issues (for
instance, IGF 2018 had eight themes: cybersecurity,
trust, and privacy; development, innovation, and
economic issues; digital inclusion and accessibility;
human rights, gender, and youth; emerging
technologies; evolution of internet governance; media
and content; and technical and operational issues). In
2019, in an effort to bring more focus within the IGF,
the MAG decided (considering community input) to
structure the IGF programme around a limited number
of tracks: security, safety, stability, and resilience; data
governance; and digital inclusion. This approach was
kept for IGF 2020, which saw four thematic tracks:
data, environment, inclusion, and trust. The thematic
approach did not mean that the IGF saw some digital
policy issues as being less relevant than others,
but rather that it encouraged discussions at the
intersection of multiple issues. The Geneva Internet
Platform (GIP) Digital Watch hybrid reporting for 2023
illustrates this trend, showing that the IGF discussed a
wide range of policy issues (across all seven internet
governance baskets of issues) within the limited
number of thematic tracks.
The leadership panel
In line with the IGF mandate and as recommended
in the Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital
Cooperation, the UN Secretary-General established
the IGF Leadership Panel as a strategic, empowered,
multistakeholder body, to address urgent, strategic
issues, and highlight Forum discussions and possible
follow-up actions to promote greater impact and
dissemination of IGF discussions.
More specifically, the Panel provides strategic inputs
and advice on the IGF; promotes the IGF and its outputs;
supports both high-level and at-large stakeholder
engagement in the IGF and IGF fundraising efforts;
exchanges IGF outputs with other stakeholders and
relevant forums; and feeds input from these decisionmakers
and forums to the IGF’s agenda-setting
process, leveraging relevant MAG expertise.
The 15-member Panel meets at least three times a
year in person, in addition to regular online meetings.
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Future of meetings
Since its first meeting in Athens (2006), the IGF has been
a pioneer in online deliberation and hybrid meetings. In
addition to individual online participation, the IGF has
encouraged the development of a network of remote
hubs where participants meet locally while following
online deliberations from the global IGF. In this way the
IGF has created a unique interplay between local and
global deliberations through the use of technology.
For hybrid meetings delivered in situ and online, the
IGF developed the function of remote moderator, who
ensures that there is smooth interplay between online
and in situ discussions.
The 19th annual IGF meeting will be hosted by the
Government of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in December
2024? The 2025 host is yet to be announced.
Social media channels
Facebook @IGF - Internet Governance Forum
LinkedIn @IGF - Internet Governance Forum
Instagram @intgovforum
Flickr @IGF - Internet Governance Forum
X @intgovforum
YouTube @Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
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International Labour Organization
(ILO)
4 route des Morillons | 1211 Geneva 22 | Switzerland
www.ilo.org

About the ILO
ILO is the United Nations agency for the world of work. It
was founded on the conviction that universal and lasting
peace can be established only if it is based on social
justice.
The ILO brings together governments, employers,
and workers from its 187 member states in a humancentred
approach to the future of work based on decent
employment creation, rights at work, social protection,
and social dialogue.
The ILO’s tripartite membership drafts, adopts, and
monitors the implementation of international labour
standards on key world of work issues – ILO Conventions
and Recommendations.
The ILO undertakes research and data collection across
the range of world of work topics. It publishes flagship
reports and a wide range of publications and working
papers. Its globally renowned set of statistical databases
is maintained and updated with nationally sourced labour
market data.
The ILO manages a wide range of development
cooperation projects in all regions of the world. Realised
in partnership with donor countries and organisations,
these projects aim to create the conditions for delivery of
the ILO’s decent work agenda.
Three initiatives are central to the ILO’s current work:
the establishment of a global coalition to promote social
justice, advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development through the Global Accelerator on Jobs and
Social Protection for Just Transitions, and its four priority
action programmes. The latter focuses on the transition
from the informal to the formal economy, just transitions
towards environmentally sustainable economies and
societies, decent work in supply chains, and decent work
in crises and post-crisis situations.
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Our work on skills is all the more urgent, because
workers stand to be hit by the double impact both
of climate change, and of new technologies
such as AI. Workers will need new skills in
order to adjust to and thrive in the face of
the tough transitions ahead. 1
Gilbert Houngbo
Director-General
Message by the ILO Director-General
Recently, we have seen ongoing disruption in the world of work in particular, and in our societies
more broadly. The world faces a global jobs gap of 453 million people in 2023. The continuing
impact of COVID-19 has not been completely resolved. Inflation has been hitting hard as have
conflict and natural disasters, among other factors. Let’s face it, it is an enormously challenging
time.
1
Gilbert Houngbo, speech to the G20 Online Summit
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Message by the ILO Director-General
Despite these challenges – or rather, because of these issues – the ILO remains as committed as
ever to promoting greater social justice. This was one of the core principles of the ILO’s founding
Constitution in 1919, and the Declaration of Philadelphia in 1944. And it remains just as important
today.
A focus on social justice can help us find solutions to those crises, to the rising inequalities and
growing insecurities in the world of work.
We can do this by:
• facilitating productive employment, including in the care, green, and digital economies;
• promoting universal access to social protection; and
• strengthening labour institutions, notably with constructive social dialogue.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
As the ILO covers the full scope of the world of work,
digital issues are present across the organisation’s
work. The ILO addresses digitalisation through a wide
range of topics including digital labour platforms, digital
skills knowledge, employability, artificial intelligence (AI),
automation and data governance – and more broadly,
the future of work. The ILO also tracks the effects of
digitalisation on specific work sectors, for instance, the
postal and telecommunication services sector.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Access to data
The ILO has long been a leading resource for
policymakers, researchers, and other users of data on
the labour markets and all aspects of the world of work.
ILOSTAT (a portal to its comprehensive labour statistics)
and the ILO Knowledge Portal (offering access to country
information and data on labour laws, standards, policies,
and statistics) make real-time data available to users
around the world. The World Employment and Social
Outlook Data Finder provides customised datasets on
request for measures such as the global labour force,
unemployment, and employment by sector. The ILO also
has a Development Cooperation Dashboard with data
on labour-related policy areas and on the organisation’s
field projects, funding, and expenditures. All materials
published by the ILO are collected and freely available in
Labordoc, the organisation’s digital repository. The ILO’s
new Research Repository allows users to easily access
our knowledge products by topic and author.
Future of work
The future of work has been a key unifying digital issue
in the ILO’s activities for many years. In 2015, the ILO
Director-General presented a report to the International
Labour Conference that proposed a special initiative on
the future of work. Since that time, much of the research
the ILO has undertaken and many of the reports we
have published have fallen under this rubric. In 2019,
the ILO established the ILO Global Commission on the
Future of Work as part of our Future of Work Initiative.
The Commission was composed of representatives from
government, civil society, academia, and business and
worker representatives.
The Commission published a landmark report, Work
for a Brighter Future, that called for a human-centred
agenda for the future of work and explored the impacts
of technological progress in the fields of AI and robotics
and on issues such as the gender labour gap and the
automation of work. That same year, the ILO issued
the ILO Centenary Declaration, which advocated ‘full
and productive employment and decent work’ in the
context of the digital transformation of work, including
platform work. Examining the future of work in its myriad
implications remains a primary focus for the organisation
to this day.
Digital labour platforms and telework
A key focus of ILO research is the effects of digitalisation
on labour market evolution and new forms of work. The
organisation has been closely tracking the implications
of digital labour platforms digital and remote work (e.g.
teleworking).
The ILO has published some essential references on
these new subjects including the World Employment and
Social Outlook report on digital labour platforms and
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the report, Working from Home, published during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Most other ILO studies also reflect
digital issues. For example, recent Global Employment
Trends for Youth reports cover inequalities in youth
labour markets arising from digital transformation, as
well as investment in young people’s skills.
Sustainable development
The ILO is playing a pivotal role in advancing the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, most specifically
specifically sustainable development goal (SDG) 8 (decent
work and economic growth). The ILO is one of the main
actors supporting the Global Accelerator on Jobs and
Social Protection for Just Transitions initiative, the UN
system’s collective response for addressing the multiple
challenges that threaten to erase development progress.
The Global Accelerator aims to direct investments to
help create at least 400 million decent jobs, primarily in
the green, digital, and care economies, and to extend
social protection coverage to the over 4 billion people
currently excluded. The ILO has also created the Decent
Work for Sustainable Development (DW4SD) Resource
Platform, which maps the interplay between sustainable
development and decent work. The platform provides
guidance and working resources to ILO staff, development
partners, UN country teams, and other stakeholders. A
recent ILO report, Transformative Change and SDG 8,
outlines an integrated policy approach that countries can
follow to achieve SDG 8.
Capacity development
Capacity development is another digital-related issue
at the core of the ILO’s activities. As part of our skills,
knowledge, and employability initiatives, the ILO helps
governments develop education and training systems to
take advantage of new educational technologies and give
greater attention to digital skills. We support enterprises
and employers to make investments to expand education
and training programmes, and workers to proactively
upgrade their skills or acquire new ones.
Examples of many resources the ILO has produced are
Digital Employment Diagnostic Guidelines, Digitalization
of National TVET and Skills Systems and Digitalise Your
Business: Digital Strategies for Micro, Small and Medium-
Sized Enterprises. These and many more resources
are available from the ILO’s Skills and Lifelong Learning
knowledge-sharing platform.
Together with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the ILO developed the SKILL-UP programme, which
assists developing countries in building capacity and
improving their digital skills systems, as well as the Skills
Innovation Facility. The Facility focuses on identifying and
testing innovative ideas and solutions to address current
and future skills challenges. In addition, the ILO’s Skills
Innovation Network provides a platform for innovators
to collaborate and share experiences on developing
innovations for skills development.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
The ILO also has a Help Desk for Business on International
Labour Standards that provides assistance to businesses
on how to align their business operations with labour
standards.
Automation and artificial intelligence
The ILO is paying close attention to how automation and
AI are changing the labour markets and the ways we
work. We have examined the impacts of automation in
many publications, for instance, Robotics and Reshoring,
Automation and its Employment Effects: A Literature
Review of Automotive and Garment Sectors, and the
research brief, Who Moves and Who Stays? A number
of recent studies have focused on the labour impacts of
generative AI and the growing use of AI in specific sectors.
Examples include the working papers, Generative AI and
Jobs: A Global Analysis of Potential Effects on Job Quantity
and Quality and Artificial Intelligence in Human Resource
Management: A Challenge for the Human-centred
Agenda? AI has been the topic of recent editions of the
ILO’s Future of Work Podcast series.
Privacy and data protection
In regard to privacy and data protection, the ILO has
published a set of principles on the protection of workers’
personal data, which explores trends, principles, and
good practices related to the protection of personal data.
The International Training Centre, established by the ILO,
provides online courses on a variety of labour issues. The
ILO also organises webinars and uses a number of social
media accounts.
The following digital tools are also available:
- ILOSTAT (portal to labour statistics)
- ILO Knowledge Portal
- ILO Development Cooperation Dashboard
- World Employment and Social Outlook Data Finder
- Labordoc
- Research Repository
Future of meetings
Information on conferences and events is available on
the ILO events page.
Social media channels
Facebook @ILO
Flickr @ilopictures
Instagram @iloinfo
LinkedIn @/international-labour-organization-ilo
TikTok @ilo
X @ilo
YouTube @ilotv
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Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU)
Chemin du Pommier 5 | Case postale 330 | 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex | Switzerland
www.ipu.org

About the IPU
The IPU is the global organisation of national parliaments.
It was founded more than 130 years ago as the first
multilateral political organisation in the world, encouraging
cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the
IPU comprises 180 national Member Parliaments and 15
regional parliamentary bodies.
It promotes democracy and helps parliaments develop
into stronger, younger, greener, more gender-balanced,
and more innovative institutions. It also defends the
human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated
committee made up of MPs from around the world.
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The IPU has become a hub of digital good
parliamentary practice for, about,
and between parliaments.
Martin Chungong
Secretary-General
Message by the IPU Secretary-General
The ideals and practices of democracy have been under great strain these past few years
because of economic crises and the climate emergency, compounded by the COVID-19
pandemic. But, time after time, parliaments have demonstrated their extraordinary resilience
in the ways they have adapted, notably by accelerating their digital transformation. In sharing
the digital experiences of parliaments, the IPU has become a hub of digital good parliamentary
practice for, about, and between parliaments. Ultimately this equips them for the future to
better serve the people they represent.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The IPU’s digital activities have significantly increased
over the past few years with the creation of the
dedicated IPU Centre for Innovation in Parliament. The
Centre researches the impact of digital technologies on
parliaments and coordinates a network of parliamentary
hubs on innovation in parliaments. It also publishes the
landmark World e-Parliament Report and hosts a biennial
World e-Parliament Conference.
The IPU holds many of its inter-parliamentary meetings
either in a virtual or hybrid format as part of its strategy
to bring together as many parliamentarians from around
the world as possible while reducing the carbon footprint
of international meetings.
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Credit: ipu.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Capacity development
In line with its objective to build strong and democratic
parliaments, the IPU assists parliaments in building
their capacity to use information and communications
technologies (ICTs) effectively, both in parliamentary
proceedings and in communication with citizens. The
IPU has also been mandated by its member parliaments
to carry out capacity development programmes for
parliamentary bodies tasked with overseeing the
observance of the right to privacy and individual
freedoms in the digital environment.
The IPU also encourages parliaments to make use of
ICTs as essential tools in their legislative activities. To
this aim, the IPU launched the Centre for Innovation
in Parliament in 2018 to provide a platform for
parliaments to develop and share good practices in
digital transformation strategies, as well as practical
methods for capacity building. The IPU holds the
World e-Parliament Conference, a biannual forum that
addresses, from both policy and technical perspectives,
how ICTs can help improve representation, law-making,
and oversight. Every two years it publishes the World
E-Parliament Report, providing insights into innovation
strategies and good practices, based on survey data
from around 120–140 national parliaments.
As of August 2023, eight regional and thematic
parliamentary hubs were operating under the Centre for
Innovation in Parliament, covering IT governance, open
data and transparency, Spanish-speaking countries,
Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, the Caribbean, and
the Pacific. Each hub is co-ordinated by a national
parliament and brings together parliaments to work on
subjects of common interest, such as remote working
methods during COVID-19.
In 2023 IPU published a Guide to digital transformation
in parliaments, in partnership with the Association of
Secretaries General of Parliament.
Sustainable development
The IPU works to raise awareness about the sustainable
development goals (SDGs) among parliaments, and
provides them with a platform to assist them in taking
action and sharing experiences and good practices in
achieving the goals.
Privacy and data protection
One of the IPU’s objectives is to promote and protect
human rights. Its Committee on Democracy and Human
Rights is involved in activities aimed at contributing
to ensuring privacy in the digital era and the use of
social media as effective tools to promote democracy.
A 2015 resolution – Democracy in the Digital Era and
the Threat to Privacy and Individual Freedoms – calls
on parliaments to create adequate mechanisms for the
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DIGITAL TOOLS
protection of privacy in the online space, and to ensure
that legislation in the field of surveillance, privacy, and
data protection is based on democratic principles.
Freedom of expression
The IPU’s Committee on Democracy and Human
Rights works on promoting the protection of freedom
of expression in the digital era and the use of social
media as an effective tool to promote democracy. In
2015, the IPU adopted a Resolution on Democracy in
the Digital Era and the Threat to Privacy and Individual
Freedoms encouraging parliaments to remove all legal
limitations on freedom of expression and the flow of
information, and urging them to enable the protection
of information in cyberspace, so as to safeguard the
privacy and individual freedom of citizens.
In 2023, the Committee decided to prepare a resolution
titled The impact of artificial intelligence on democracy,
human rights and the rule of law, for adoption in October
2024. Preparation of the resolution is accompanied by
capacity-building activities for parliamentarians on AI.
It offers virtual training sessions for parliamentarians.
Its IPU Parline database is an open data platform on
national parliaments, which includes data on the age
of people in parliament as well as a monthly ranking of
women in national parliaments.
Social media channels
Facebook @InterParliamentaryUnion
Instagram @ipu.parliament_official
LinkedIn @ Inter-Parliamentary Union
X @IPUparliament
YouTube @Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
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International Organization for Standardization
(ISO)
Chemin de Blandonnet 8 | CP 401 | 1214 Vernier | Geneva | Switzerland
www.iso.org

About ISO
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization,
the world’s largest developer of international standards.
It consists of a global network of 170 national standards
bodies – our members. Each member represents ISO in its
country. The organisation brings together global experts
to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensusbased,
market-relevant International Standards. It is
best known for its catalogue of almost 25,000 standards
spanning a wide range of sectors, including technology,
food, and healthcare.
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ISO international standards offer relevant and
actionable solutions to address the complexities
of our digital world.
Sergio Mujica
Secretary-General
Message by the ISO Secretary-General
ISO is known the world over for its capacity to create global solutions to global problems. We bring
together experts to distil state-of-the-art knowledge into practical guidance and requirements that
enable us to address some of our greatest challenges.
In today’s interconnected world, the challenges that we face are both increasingly complex and global
in their nature. Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, and the climate crisis touch all of
our lives. International Standards offer relevant and actionable solutions to address the complexities of
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Message by the ISO Secretary-General
our digital world. ISO standards support global trade, drive inclusive and equitable economic
growth, advance innovation, and promote health and safety to achieve a sustainable future.
Digitalisation not only provides new avenues of human connection and activity but can also
enable us to address existing problems in new ways. Through capturing information, analysing
it, and acting upon it to achieve the best outcomes, we are doing more than just boosting
efficiency. We are beginning to grasp the networks of complex interrelations between our
activities and our environment. ISO digital standards are essential to making this happen.
International standards can sometimes be visible in the physical world, helping us to better
manage resources such as water and energy through digital technology. But often they work
unseen in the background, underlying much of the technology that enables and improves
our everyday lives. And we are going even further, as the traditional method of publishing
and implementing standards is making way for SMART standards, built in to systems and
machines from the outset.
From the way in which information is encoded, transmitted, and stored to the networks
that underpin online shopping, video calls, and streaming our favourite movies, ISO digital
standards are hard at work. More than this, international standards are the digital glue that
binds together the different components of these technologies to revolutionise the way we
live, work, and play.
As an organisation committed to accelerating digital growth and making lives easier, safer,
and better, we are continuing to develop new digital standards. Beyond enabling the SMART
revolution and reinforcing the essentials of interoperability and cybersecurity, ISO standards
provide a globally agreed basis on which innovation can flourish. In line with our 2030 strategy,
we are collaborating with strategic partners and continually evolving our processes.
At ISO, we are on an ambitious digital journey that will change the ways in which standards
are developed and ultimately provide new ways in which they can be accessed and used.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
A large number of the international standards and
related documents developed by ISO are related to
information and communication technologies (ICTs),
such as the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) that
was created in 1983 to establish a universal reference
model for communication protocols. The organisation
is also active in the field of emerging technologies
including blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and
AI. The standards are developed by various technical
committees dedicated to specific areas including
information security, cybersecurity, privacy protection,
AI, and intelligent transport systems.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
The joint technical committee of ISO and the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for AI is known as ISO/
IEC JTC1/SC 42 Artificial intelligence and is responsible
for the development of standards in this area. To date,
it has published 20 standards specifically pertaining
to AI with 35 others in development. ISO/IEC 42001 is
the flagship AI Management System Standard, which
provides requirements for establishing, implementing,
maintaining, and continually improving an AI management
system within the context of an organisation. ISO/IEC
TR 24028 provides an overview of trustworthiness in
AI systems, detailing the associated threats and risks
and addresses approaches on availability, resiliency,
reliability, accuracy, safety, security, and privacy. The
standards under development include those that cover
concepts and terminology for AI (ISO/IEC 22989); bias
in AI systems and AI-aided decision-making (ISO/IEC TR
24027); AI risk management (ISO/IEC 23894); a framework
for AI systems using machine learning (ISO/IEC 23053);
and the assessment of machine learning classification
performance (ISO/IEC TS 4213). Up-to-date information
on the technical committee (e.g. scope, programme of
work, contact details) can be found on the committee
page,
Cloud computing
ISO and IEC also have a joint committee for standards
related to cloud computing which currently has 27
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published standards and a further 5 in development.
Of those published, two standards of note include ISO/
IEC 19086-1, which provides an overview, foundational
concepts, and definitions for a cloud computing service
level agreement framework, and ISO/IEC 22123-3, which
specifies the cloud computing reference architecture.
Standards under development include those on health
informatics (ISO/TR 21332); the audit of cloud services
(ISO/IEC 22123-2); and data flow, categories, and use
(ISO/IEC 19944 series). Up-to-date information on the
technical committee (e.g. scope, programme of work,
contact details) can be found on the committee page.
Internet of Things
Recognising the ongoing developments in the field of IoT,
ISO has a number of dedicated standards both published
and in development, including those for intelligent
transport systems (ISO 19079), future networks for IoT
(ISO/IEC TR 29181 series), unique identification for IoT
(ISO/IEC 29161), Internet of Media Things (ISO/IEC 23093-
3), trustworthiness of IoT (ISO/IEC 30149), and industrial
IoT systems (ISO/IEC 30162). IoT security is addressed
in standards such as ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002,
which provide a common language for governance,
risk, and compliance issues related to information
security. In addition, there are 26 standards under
development, some of which provide a methodology for
the trustworthiness of an IoT system or service (ISO/IEC
30147); a trustworthiness framework (ISO/IEC 30149);

the requirements of an IoT data exchange platform for
various IoT services (ISO/IEC 30161); and a real-time IoT
framework (ISO/IEC 30165). Up-to-date information on
the ISO and IEC joint technical committee for IoT (e.g.
scope, programme of work, contact details) can be found
on the committee page.
Telecommunications infrastructure
ISO’s standardisation work in the field of
telecommunications infrastructure covers areas such as
planning and installation of networks (e.g. ISO/IEC 14763-
2), corporate telecommunication networks (e.g. ISO/IEC
17343), local and metropolitan area networks (e.g. ISO/
IEC/IEEE 8802-A), private integrated telecommunications
networks (e.g. ISO/IEC TR 14475), and wireless networks.
Next-generation networks – packet-based public
networks able to provide telecommunications services
and use multiple quality-of-service-enabled transport
technologies – are equally covered (e.g. ISO/IEC TR 26905).
ISO also has standards for the so-called future networks,
which are intended to provide futuristic capabilities and
services beyond the limitations of current networks,
including the internet. Up-to-date information on the
joint ISO and IEC technical committee that develops
these standards (e.g. scope, programme of work, contact
details ) can be found on the committee page.
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Blockchain
ISO has published 11 standards on blockchain and
distributed ledger technologies: ISO/TR 23455 gives an
overview of smart contracts in blockchain and distributed
ledger technologies; ISO/TR 23244 tackles privacy and
personally identifiable information protection; and ISO
22739 covers fundamental blockchain terminology
respectively. ISO also has a further eight standards on
blockchain in development. These include those related
to: security management of digital asset custodians
(ISO/TR 23576); taxonomy and ontology (ISO/TS 23258);
and guidelines for governance (ISO/TS 23635). Up-todate
information on the technical committee (e.g. scope,
programme of work, contact details, etc.) can be found
on the committee page.
Emerging technologies
ISO develops standards in the area of emerging
technologies.
Dozens of standards in the area of emerging technologies
are those related to robotics. ISO has more than 40
different standards either published or in development
that cover issues such as collaborative robots (e.g. ISO/TS
15066); safety requirements for industrial robots (e.g. ISO
10218 series); and personal care robots (e.g. ISO 13482).
Autonomous or so-called intelligent transport systems
(ITS) standards are developed by ISO’s ITS Technical
Committee and include those for forward vehicle collision

warning systems (ISO 15623) and secure connections
between trusted devices (ISO/TS 21185). Standards are
also being developed to address the use of virtual reality
in learning, education, and training (e.g. ISO/IEC 23843).
Network security
ISO and IEC standards also address information security
and network security . The ISO and IEC 27000 family of
standards covers information security management
systems and are used by organisations to secure
information assets such as financial data, intellectual
property, and employee information. For example, ISO/IEC
27031 and ISO/IEC 27035 are specifically designed to help
organisations respond, diffuse, and recover effectively
from cyberattacks. ISO/IEC 27701 is an extension of ISO/
IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002 for privacy information
management, and details requirements and guidance for
establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually
improving a Privacy Information Management System
(PIMS). Network security is also addressed by standards
on technologies such as the IoT, smart community
infrastructures, medical devices, localisation and tracking
systems, and future networks. Up-to-date information
on the joint ISO and IEC technical committee (e.g. scope,
programme of work, contact details) can be found on the
committee page.
Encryption
As more and more information (including sensitive
personal data) is stored, transmitted, and processed
online, the security, integrity, and confidentiality of such
information becomes increasingly important. To this
end, ISO has a number of standards for the encryption
of data. For example, ISO/IEC 18033-1, currently under
development, addresses the nature of encryption
and describes certain general aspects of its use and
properties. Other standards include ISO/IEC 19772 which
covers authenticated encryption, ISO/IEC 18033-3 which
specifies encryption systems (ciphers) for the purpose
of data confidentiality, and ISO 19092 which allows for
encryption of biometric data used for authentication of
individuals in financial services for confidentiality or other
reasons. ISO also has standards that focus on identitybased
ciphers, symmetric and asymmetric encryption,
public key infrastructure, and many more related areas.
Data governance
Big data is another area of ISO standardisation; around
80% of related standards are developed by the ISO/
IEC AI committee. The terminology for big-data-related
standards is outlined in ISO/IEC 20546, while ISO/IEC
20547-3 covers big data reference architecture. ISO/IEC
TR 20547-2 provides examples of big data use cases with
application domains and technical considerations and
ISO/IEC TR 20547-5 details a roadmap of existing and
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DIGITAL TOOLS
future standards in this area. Up-to-date information on
the technical committee (e.g. scope, programme of work,
contact details) can be found on the committee page.
Digital identities
Digital signatures that validate digital identities help to
ensure the integrity of data and authenticity of particulars
in online transactions. This, therefore, contributes to the
security of online applications and services. Standards
to support this technology cover elements such as
anonymous digital signatures (e.g. ISO/IEC 20008 series);
digital signatures for healthcare documents (e.g. ISO
17090-4 and ISO 17090-5); and blind digital signatures,
which is where the content of the message to be signed
is disguised, used in contexts where, for example,
anonymity is required. Examples of such standards are
ISO 18370-1 and ISO/IEC 18370-2.
Privacy and data protection
Privacy and data protection in the context of ICTs is
another area covered by ISO’s standardisation activities.
One example is ISO/IEC 29101 which describes a privacy
architecture framework. Others include those for privacyenhancing
protocols and services for identification
cards (ISO/IEC 19286); privacy protection requirements
pertaining to learning, education, and training systems
employing information technologies (ISO/IEC 29187-1);
privacy aspects in the context of intelligent transport
systems (ISO/TR 12859); and security and privacy
requirements for health informatics (ISO/TS 14441).
Digital tools
ISO has developed an online browsing platform that
provides up-to-date information on ISO standards,
graphical symbols, publications, and terms and
definitions.
Future of Meetings
Future ISO meetings can be found at ISO - Meeting
Calendar.
Social media channels
Facebook @isostandards
Instagram @isostandards
LinkedIn @isostandards
X @isostandards
YouTube @iso
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International Trade Centre
(ITC)
54-56 rue de Montbrillant | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.intracen.org

About ITC
ITC supports developing countries to achieve tradeled
growth, fosters inclusive and sustainable economic
development, and contributes to achieving the
sustainable development goals (SDGs).
ITC offers small businesses, policymakers, and business
support organisations in developing countries an array
of trade-related practical training and advisory services,
and a wealth of business intelligence data. It helps micro,
small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) become
more competitive and helps to create better regulatory
environments for trade. ITC works to empower women,
youth, and refugees through its programmes, projects,
services, and data, and helps drive digital connectivity
and a global transition to green, sustainable trade.
Established in 1964, ITC is a multilateral agency with a
joint mandate with the World Trade Organization (WTO)
and the United Nations (UN) through the UN Conference
on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
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MSMEs are key to successful digital transformation.
Technical assistance and capacity building are
crucial to ensure that MSMEs are not left behind
in the wave of digitalisation.
Pamela Coke Hamilton
Executive Director
Message by the ITC Executive Director
As world businesses move online, ITC is responding by focusing on the digitalisation of trade and
solving the constraints faced by MSMEs regarding the e-commerce of goods and services, at the
enterprise, business ecosystem, and policy levels.
ITC’s ecomConnect initiative aims to build the world’s largest community of e-commerce entrepreneurs
engaged in the sustainable development of small businesses online.
We already support digital connectivity by improving telecommunications regulations and working
with partners who provide access to technologies and services.
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Message by the ITC Executive Director
We work to improve business ecosystems by collaborating with market partners and
equipping business service organisations (BSOs) with the capacity to support MSMEs in the
digital economy.
We support the development of conducive policy and a regulatory environment for
e-commerce at the national, regional, and multilateral levels, through facilitating domestic
policy reforms, informing policymakers of the needs of MSMEs in relation to e-commerce and
digitalisation, and building capacity for e-commerce-related trade negotiations.
ITC stands ready to work together with partners and stakeholders to help MSMEs around the
world to benefit from e-commerce and digital trade.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
ITC activities in e-commerce and digital trade:
– Focus on the digitalisation of trade and solving the
constraints faced by MSMEs regarding e-commerce
of goods and services, at the enterprise, business
ecosystem, and policy levels.
– Develop small business digital capabilities and
improve e-commerce accessibility in developing
countries for sustainable and inclusive growth
through its ecomConnect programme.
– Support the development of a conducive policy
and regulatory environment for e-commerce at the
national, regional, and multilateral levels, including
facilitating domestic policy reforms, informing
policymakers on the needs of MSMEs in relation
to e-commerce and digitalisation, and building
capacity for e-commerce related trade negotiations.
– Support digital connectivity by improving
telecommunications regulations and working with
partners who provide access to technologies and
services.
– Improve business ecosystems by collaborating
with market partners and equipping BSOs with the
capacity to support MSMEs in the digital economy.
ITC is one of the co-facilitators of the World Summit on
the Information Society (WSIS) action lines in the area
of e-business, as well as a partner agency in UNCTAD’s
e-trade for all initiative.
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Credit: intracen.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
E-commerce and trade
ITC provides capacity building for policymakers on
current issues in the e-commerce policy debate through
training, workshops, and publications contributing to
a conducive policy environment for e-commerce and
digital trade. ITC projects also support developing
countries to review and update e-commercerelated
regulations, and build capacity for effective
implementation of policy reforms.
ITC assists enterprises, in particular MSMEs, in
acquiring the necessary skills and capabilities to trade
on e-commerce channels. Through the ecomConnect
programme, it is engaged in the sustainable
development of small businesses online by facilitating
shared learning, innovative solutions, collaboration,
and partnerships.
ITC’s e-commerce tools help MSMEs assess the
readiness of their business to engage in international
e-commerce, understand the options and costs
of selling on e-commerce platforms, find available
payment solutions, and track sales and site traffic across
different e-commerce platforms in a single dashboard.
ITC’s digital entrepreneurship projects also support
developing countries and MSMEs to build competitiveness
in the rapidly growing global information technology
and business process outsourcing markets.
Capacity development
ITC’s SME Trade Academy offers a series of online
courses and access to educational material on an array
of trade topics. It aims to assist SMEs, policymakers,
and BSOs in building skills for trade development.
ITC also offers training for policymakers on building a
conducive environment for e-commerce and engaging
in negotiations on e-commerce and digital trade.
ITC addresses the challenge of a lack of reliable trade
information on markets by offering market analysis
tools and related market data sources. The Global
Trade Helpdesk provides a one-stop shop for detailed
information about imports, market dynamics, tariffs,
regulatory requirements, potential buyers and more.
ITC market intelligence tools provide users with export
and import statistics from more than 220 countries
and territories and consist of the following: Trade Map,
Market Access Map, Investment Map, Procurement
Map, Export Potential Map, and Sustainability Map.
The ecomConnect community platform, managed by the
ITC’s ecomConnect programme, links entrepreneurs,
industry experts, and business support institutions in
e-commerce to build up connections; acquire digital
expertise through free online courses, e-commerce
tools, and live webinars; and discuss the latest
e-commerce news. The community brings together
more than 5,000 active users from sub-Saharan Africa,
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DIGITAL TOOLS
the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Central
Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
In addition, the ITC library offers a specialised
information resource on international trade as well as
its online catalogue, which is available to all users.
Future of meetings
Social media channels
Facebook @InternationalTradeCentre
Instagram @internationaltradecentre
LinkedIn @@international-trade-centre
X @ITCnews
YouTube @International Trade Centre
See the ITC news and events page.
349

International Telecommunication Union
(ITU, UIT)
Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.itu.int

About ITU
ITU is the United Nations specialised agency for
information and communications technologies
(ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193
member states and a membership of over 900
companies, universities, research institutes, and
international organisations. Established nearly 160
years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental
body responsible for coordinating the shared global
use of the radio spectrum, promoting international
cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving
communications infrastructure in the developing
world, and establishing the worldwide standards that
foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of
communications systems. From broadband networks
to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical
and maritime navigation, intelligent transport systems,
radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based
Earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile
phone, internet, cable television and broadcasting
technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.
For more information, visit www.itu.int
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The role of digital technology in diplomacy is central to
shaping a more equitable and sustainable digital
future for all. This Atlas is a guide to navigate a
constantly evolving technological landscape,
and highlights Geneva as the beating heart
of international digital diplomacy.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Secretary-General
Message by the ITU Secretary-General
The International Telecommunication Union is the United Nations agency for digital technologies.
Established well before the UN in 1865, ITU has overseen more than 150 years of seismic shifts in the
global technological landscape.
But through all those monumental changes, our core mission remains: we are committed to connecting
the world.
Whether it’s through our Radiocommunication Sector, the steward of radio spectrum resources and
satellite orbits that make global communication possible;
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Message by the ITU Secretary-General
Or our Standardization Sector, facilitator of consensus-based technical norms that help
modern networks interoperate;
Or the Development Sector, tracker and enabler of digital inclusion through policy, innovation,
and capacity building initiatives to ensure no one is left behind.
But for the one-third of humanity that is still offline, we still have a long way to go.
While most of us understand the value of connectivity, not everyone is able to benefit from it.
Progress is uneven in bridging the digital divide. Too many struggle with affordability, digital
skills and cybersecurity.
At the same time, advances in new and emerging technologies, from quantum computing to
AI, are opening up a world of fresh opportunities – and raising new risks – in our quest for a
more connected and inclusive world.
With just six years left to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, these innovative
tools are indispensable if we are to meet our 2030 deadline.
But no organization can or should tackle such a formidable feat alone.
Our diverse membership of 193 Member States and over 900 companies, universities,
and international and regional organizations, offers an exceptional platform to nurture
collaborative partnerships that can leverage technology as a force for good while managing
risks.
Bold, creative and innovative partnerships are the key to ensuring that everyone, everywhere,
can enjoy equitable access to life-changing digital products and services.
Together, let’s realize our shared vision of sustainable digital transformation and a universally
connected world.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Some of ITU’s key areas of action include
radiocommunication services (such as satellite
services, and fixed/mobile and broadcasting services),
developing telecommunications networks (including
future networks), standardisation of various areas and
media related to telecommunications, and ensuring
access to bridge the digital divide and addressing
challenges in ICT accessibility. ITU’s work supports
emerging technologies in fields such as 5G, AI,
Intelligent Transport Systems, disaster management,
agriculture, smart sustainable cities, and the IoT;
access and digital inclusion; the accessibility of ICTs
to persons with disabilities; digital health; ICTs and
climate change; cybersecurity; gender equality; and
child online protection, among others. These and
many more ICT topics are covered both within the
framework of radiocommunication, standardisation,
and development work, through various projects,
initiatives, and studies carried out by the organisation.
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Credit: ITU

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Telecommunications infrastructure
Information and communication infrastructure
development is one of ITU’s priority areas. The organisation
seeks to assist member states, sector members,
associates, and academia in the implementation and
development of broadband networks, wired (e.g.
cable) and wireless technologies, international mobile
telecommunications (IMT), satellite communications, the
IoT, and smart grids, including next-generation networks,
as well as in the provision of telecommunications
networks in rural areas.
ITU’s International Telecommunication Regulations
(ITRs) have as an overall aim the facilitation of global
interconnection and interoperability of telecommunication
facilities. Through the ITU Radiocommunication Sector
(ITU-R), ITU is involved in the global management of
the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, used
for telecommunications services, in line with the Radio
Regulations.
The international standards developed by ITU’s
Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T)
enable the interconnection and interoperability of ICT
networks, devices, and services worldwide. It has 11
technical standardisation committees called Study
Groups (SGs), with mandates covering a wide range of
digital technologies:
– SG2 – Operational Aspects
– SG3 – Economic & Policy Issues
– SG5 – Environment, EMF & Circular Economy
– SG9 – Broadband Cable & TV
– SG11 – Protocols, Testing & Combating
Counterfeiting
– SG12 – Performance, QoS & QoE
– SG13 – Future Networks
– SG15 – Transport, Access & Home
– SG16 – Multimedia & Digital Technologies
– SG17 – Security
– SG20 – IoT, Smart Cities & Communities
The work on standards is complemented by shortterm
exploration/incubation ITU-T Focus Groups (FGs)
whose deliverables guide the ITU-T SGs in new areas of
standardisation work:
– ITU-T Focus Group on cost models for affordable
data services (FG-CD)
– ITU Focus Group on metaverse (FG-MV)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Testbeds Federations for
IMT-2020 and beyond (FG-TBFxG)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture (FG-
AI4A)
– ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster
Management (FG-AI4NDM)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Autonomous Networks (FG-
AN)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for
Health (FG-AI4H)
Collaboration among various standards bodies is a high
priority of ITU-T. Various platforms were established to
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support coordination and collaboration on various topics,
for example:
– Global Initiative on AI for Health (GI-AI4H)
– eCollaboration on Intelligent Transport Systems
Communication Standards (CITS)​
– Global Standards Collaboration (GSC)
– World Standards Cooperation (WSC)
– Digital Currency Global Initiative​
– Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI)
Symposium​
– United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC)
initiative
The Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D)
establishes an enabling environment and provides
evidence-based policy-making through ICT indicators
and regulatory and economic metrics, and implements a
host of telecommunications/ICT projects.
In the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic,
ITU-D launched the Global Network Resiliency Platform
(REG4COVID) to address the strain experienced by
telecommunication networks, which are vital to the health
and safety of people. The platform pools experiences
and innovative policy and regulatory measures.
Discussions involving the World Bank, Global System for
Mobile Communications (GSMA), and the World Economic
Forum identified how to bring together communities to
support ITU membership in their response to COVID-19.
The Speedboat Initiative issued a COVID-19 Crisis
Response: Digital Development Joint Action Plan and
Call for Action to better leverage digital technologies and
infrastructure in support of citizens, governments, and
businesses during the pandemic.
Connect2Recover provides country-specific support
to reinforce digital infrastructures – using telework,
e-commerce, remote learning, and telemedicine to
prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to support recovery
and preparedness for potential future pandemics. ITU
worked with the Government of Japan and the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia on this initiative. ITU/WHO Focus Group
on AI for Health works a standardised assessment
framework for the evaluation of AI-based methods for
health, diagnosis, triage, or treatment decisions and
in early 2020 it created an Ad-hoc Group on Digital
Technologies for COVID Health Emergencies (AHG-DT4HE)
to review the role of AI (and other digital technologies)
in combatting COVID-19 throughout an epidemic’s life
cycle; it also delivered guidance on digital technologies
for COVID health emergency. The Group also developed
AI guidance specifically for health on ethics, regulatory
considerations, clinical evaluation, and data quality and
continues work with ITU, WHO, and WIPO on the Global
Initiative on AI for Health.
The impact statement for the Telecommunications
Development Bureau’s (BDT) thematic priority on
Network and Digital Infrastructure is ‘Reliable connectivity
to everyone’.
ITU-D SG1 also focuses on various aspects related to
telecommunications infrastructure, in particular Question
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1/1 on ‘Strategies and policies for the deployment of
broadband in developing countries’; Question 2/1
on ‘Strategies, policies, regulations, and methods of
migration and adoption of digital broadcasting and
implementation of new services’; Question 4/1 on
‘Economic aspects of national telecommunications/ICTs’;
Question 5/1 on ‘Telecommunications/ICTs for rural and
remote areas’; Question 6/1 on ‘Consumer information,
protection and rights’; and Question 5/2 on ‘Adoption of
telecommunications/ICTs and improving digital skills’.
5G
ITU plays a key role in managing the radio spectrum and
developing international standards for 5G networks,
devices, and services, within the framework of the
so-called IMT-2020 activities. ITU-R SGs together with
the mobile broadband industry and a wide range of
stakeholders established the 5G standards.
The activities include the organisation of
intergovernmental and multistakeholder dialogues, and
the development and implementation of standards
and regulations to ensure that 5G networks are secure,
interoperable, and operate without interference.
ITU-T is playing a similar convening role for the
technologies and architectures of non-radio elements
of 5G systems. For example, ITU standards address 5G
transport, with Passive Optical Network (PON), Carrier
Ethernet, and Optical Transport Network (OTN), among
the technologies standardised by ITU-T expected to
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support 5G systems. ITU standards for 5G networking
address topics including network virtualisation, network
orchestration and management, and fixed-mobile
convergence. ITU standards also address ML for 5G and
future networks, the environmental requirements of 5G,
security and trust in 5G, and the assessment of 5G quality
of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE).
Satellite
ITU-R manages the coordination, notification, and
recording of frequency assignments for space systems,
including their associated earth stations. Its main
role is to process and publish data and carry out the
examination of frequency assignment notices submitted
by administrations towards their eventual recording in
the Master International Frequency Register.
ITU-R also develops and manages space-related
assignment or allotment plans and provides mechanisms
for the development of new satellite services by
determining how to optimise the use of available and
suitable orbital resources.
Currently, the rapid pace of satellite innovation is driving
an increase in the deployment of non-geostationary
satellite systems (NGSO). With the availability of launch
vehicles capable of supporting multiple satellite launches,
mega-constellations consisting of hundreds to thousands
of spacecraft are becoming a popular solution for global
telecommunications.

To this end, during the 2019 World Radiocommunication
Conference (WRC-19), ITU established regulatory
procedures for the deployment of NGSO systems,
including mega-constellations in low Earth orbit.
Regarding climate change, satellite data today is an
indispensable input for weather prediction models
and forecast systems used to produce safety warnings
and other information in support of public and private
decision-making.
ITU develops international standards contributing to
the environmental sustainability of the ICT sector, as
well as other industry sectors applying ICTs as enabling
technologies to increase efficiency and innovate their
service offer. The latest ITU standards in this domain
address sustainable power-feeding solutions for IMT-
2020/5G networks, energy-efficient data centres
capitalising on big data and AI, and smart energy
management for telecom base stations.
Emergency telecommunications
Emergency telecommunications is an integral part of
the ITU mandate. To mitigate the impact of disasters,
timely dissemination of authoritative information before,
during, and after disasters is critical.
Emergency telecommunications play a critical role
in disaster risk reduction and management. ICTs are
essential for monitoring the underlying hazards and for
delivering vital information to all stakeholders, including
those most vulnerable, as well as in the immediate
aftermath of disasters for ensuring the timely flow of
vital information that is needed to coordinate response
efforts and save lives.
ITU supports its member states in the four phases of
disaster management:
– Design and implementation of national emergency
telecommunications plans (NETPs).
– Development of tabletop simulation exercises.
– Design and implementation of multi-hazard early
warning systems (MHEWS), including the common
alerting protocol (CAP).
– Development of guidelines and other reports on
the use of ICTs for disaster management.
ITU activities in the field of radiocommunications make
an invaluable contribution to disaster management.
They facilitate prediction, detection, and alerting
through the coordinated and effective use of the
radio-frequency spectrum and the establishment of
radio standards and guidelines concerning the usage
of radiocommunication systems in disaster mitigation
and relief operations.
ITU-T SG2 plays a role as the lead SG on
telecommunications for disaster relief/early warning,
network resilience, and recovery. Other SG are
working on emergency telecommunications within
their mandates. Examples are shown in the following
paragraphs.
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ITU standards offer common formats for the exchange
of all-hazard information over public networks.
They ensure that networks prioritise emergency
communications. And they have a long history of
protecting ICT infrastructure from lightning and other
environmental factors. In response to the increasing
severity of extreme weather events, recent years have
seen ITU standardisation experts turning their attention
to ‘disaster relief, network resilience, and recovery’.
This work goes well beyond traditional protection
against environmental factors, focusing on technical
mechanisms to prepare for disasters and respond
effectively when disaster strikes.
ITU standards now offer guidance on network
architectures able to contend with sudden losses
of substantial volumes of network resources. They
describe the network functionality required to make
optimal use of the network resources still operational
after a disaster. They offer techniques for the rapid
repair of damaged ICT infrastructure, such as means
to connect the surviving fibres of severed fibre-optic
cables. And they provide for ‘movable and deployable
ICT resource units’ in various sizes, such as emergency
containers, vehicles, or hand-held kits housing network
resources and a power source – to provide temporary
replacements for destroyed ICT infrastructure.
ITU is also supporting an ambitious project to equip
submarine communications cables with climate- and
hazard-monitoring sensors to create a global real-time
ocean observation network. This network would be
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capable of providing earthquake and tsunami warnings,
as well as data on ocean climate change and circulation.
This project to equip cable repeaters with climate and
hazard-monitoring sensors – creating Science Monitoring
And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) cables – is
led by the ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force (JTF)
on SMART Cable Systems, a multidisciplinary body
established in 2012. Currently, several projects are
ongoing to realise SMART cables.
In ITU-D, a lot of effort is directed at mainstreaming
disaster management in telecommunications/ICT
projects and activities as part of disaster preparedness.
This includes infrastructure development, and
the establishment of enabling policy, legal, and
regulatory frameworks. ITU also deploys temporary
telecommunications/ICT solutions to assist countries
affected by disasters. After providing assistance for
disaster relief and response, ITU undertakes assessment
missions to affected countries aimed at determining
the magnitude of damage to the network through
the use of geographical information systems. On the
basis of its findings, ITU and the host country embark
on resuscitating the infrastructure while ensuring that
disaster-resilient features are integrated to reduce
network vulnerability in the event of disasters striking
in the future.
ITU is also part of the Emergency Telecommunications
Cluster (ETC), a global network of organisations that
work together to provide shared communications
services in humanitarian emergencies.

ITU-D SQ Question 3/1 ‘The use of telecommunications/
ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management’ was
agreed at the World Telecommunication Development
Conference 2022 (WTDC-22) and will operate for the
2022–2025 study period. This Question continues the
work of Question 5/2 of the 2018–2021 period.
The ITU/WMO/UNEP Focus Group on Artificial
Intelligence for Natural Disaster Management (FG-
AI4NDM), established by ITU-T SG2 has been developing
best practices to leverage AI to assist with data collection
and handling, improve modelling across spatiotemporal
scales, and provide effective communication.
Work includes the following:
– Disruptive Technologies and Their Use in Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management, a 2019
report.
– The Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications
(GET-19), which took place 6–8 March
2019, Balaclava, Mauritius.
– National Emergency Telecommunication Plans.
– Emergency Telecommunication Simulation
Exercises.
– ITU-D SG Question 5/2: Utilizing Telecommunications/ICTs
for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
(2018 – 2021) with video and annual deliverables.
– The Guide to Develop a Telecommunications/ ICT
Contingency Plan for a Pandemic Response 2020,
Focused on Telecommunications/ICT Service
Delivery and Business Continuity in the Context of
a Pandemic.
– ITU published Women, ICT and Emergency Telecommunications
– Opportunities and Constraints
in 2020. It explores the digital gender divide blocking
women from becoming equal stakeholders in
society, putting entire communities at greater risk
during emergencies.
– With the ETC, ITU developed the Disaster
Connectivity Map, with information critical for first
responders on network outages and connectivity
gaps following disasters.
– ITU joined the Crisis Connectivity Charter (CCC)
in 2019, joining the satellite industry and the
humanitarian community in making satellite
communication more available.
– ITU established an ITU Emergency Telecommunications
Roster. ITU staff are trained on the deployment
of ITU telecommunications equipment
and on supporting the ETC on the ground.
– ITU, with the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO),
launched a Call to Action on Emergency Alerting
in 2021, inviting all partners to support countries
in implementing CAP. The organisations are
supporting the WMO to establish a CAP HelpDesk.
– Strengthening the Multi-Hazard Early Warning
Systems, ITU partnered with the United Nations
Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR),
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WMO, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), and the
World Broadcasting Unions in 2020 to develop
Media Saves Lives to reinforce broadcasters’ role in
the early warning chain.
Artificial intelligence
ITU works on the development and use of AI to ensure a
sustainable future for everyone. To that end, it convenes
intergovernmental and multistakeholder dialogues,
develops international standards and frameworks, and
helps in capacity building for the use of AI.
AI and machine learning (ML) are gaining a larger share of
the ITU standardisation work programme in fields such
as network orchestration and management, multimedia
coding, service quality assessment, operational aspects
of service provision and telecom management, cable
networks, digital health, environmental efficiency, and
autonomous driving.
AI for Good is organised by ITU in partnership with 40 UN
sister agencies and co-convened with Switzerland. The
goal of AI for Good is to identify practical applications of
AI to advance the UN SDGs and scale those solutions for
global impact. It’s the leading action-oriented, global, and
inclusive UN platform on AI.
Various ITU-T SGs address aspects of AI and ML within
their mandates. The work has so far resulted in ITU-T
Recommendations and Supplements, for example, in the
L-, M-, P-, and Y-series of ITU-T Recommendations.
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The ITU-T AI/ML in 5G Challenge, introduced in 2020,
rallies like-minded students and professionals from
around the globe to study the practical application of AI
and ML in emerging and future digital communications
networks and sustainable development. The second
Challenge (in 2021) attracted over 1,600 students and
professionals from 82 countries, competing for prizes
and global recognition. The 2022 Challenge covered a
wide range of topics including AI/ML in 5G, GeoAI, and
tinyML. By mapping emerging AI and ML solutions, the
Challenge fostered a community to support the iterative
evolution of ITU standards. To learn more, see the
Challenge GitHub.
Several ITU-T FGs are considering the use of AI and ML
including:
– ITU-T Focus Group on cost models for affordable
data services (FG-CD)
– ITU Focus Group on metaverse (FG-MV)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Testbeds Federations for
IMT-2020 and beyond (FG-TBFxG)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture (FG-
AI4A)
– ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster
Management (FG-AI4NDM)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Autonomous Networks (FG-
AN)
– ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for
Health (FG-AI4H)

Main activities related to ITU-R SGs and reports include:
– ITU-R SG1 covers Spectrum Management and
Monitoring. In relation to AI, Question ITU-R
241/1 ‘Methodologies for assessing or predicting
spectrum availability’ was approved in 2019 and is
under study.
– ITU-R SG6 covers all aspects for the broadcasting
service. SG6 deliverables and work items related
to AI and ML including Question ITU-R 144/6 ‘Use
of artificial intelligence (AI) for broadcasting’; and
Report ITU-R BT.2447 ‘Artificial intelligence systems
for programme production and exchange’.
– AI for Road Safety initiative: Launched in October
2021, the initiative promotes an AI-enhanced
approach to reduce fatalities across road-safety
management, safer roads and mobility, safer
vehicles, safer road users, post-crash response,
and speed control.
During the 40th High-Level Committee on Programmes
(HLCP) session in October 2020, an Interagency Working
Group on AI (IAWG-AI) was established to focus on the
policy and programmatic coherence of AI activities within
the UN. IAWG-AI, co-led by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and ITU,
aims to combine the ethical and technological parts of the
UN to provide a solid foundation for current and future
system-wide efforts on AI, ensuring respect for human
rights and accelerating progress on the SDGs.
ITU also coordinates an annual UN Activities on AI report,
a joint effort with over 45 UN agencies and entities, all
partners of AI for Good or members of the IAWG-AI.
The report usually presents over 250 cases and projects
run by the UN system, in areas covering all 17 SDGs and
ranging from smart agriculture and food systems to
transportation, financial services, and healthcare. The
report contains an Executive Summary which presents
an analysis of all the projects submitted to the report,
providing a snapshot of the key tracks, trends, and gaps
in AI activities within the UN system.
The UN-led initiative, United for Smart Sustainable Cities
(U4SSC), coordinated by ITU, UNECE, and UN-HABITAT
and supported by 19 UN agencies and programmes,
has been examining how AI can be employed in the
smart city domain and through its Thematic Group on
Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in Cities for
implementing AI-based solutions in line with the SDGs.
ITU, through its Development Sector, also holds an annual
meeting for all telecommunications regulators on the
occasion of the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR),
which discusses and establishes a regulatory framework
for all technologies including AI, and addresses this
issue at its two SGs. Several areas under ITU-D SG2
explore applications of AI in various domains to support
sustainable development.
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Critical internet resources 1
Over the years, ITU has adopted several resolutions
that deal with internet technical resources, such as
Internet Protocol-based networks (Resolution 101 (Rev.
Bucharest, 2022)), IPv4 to IPv6 transition (Resolution
180 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)), and internationalised
domain names (Resolution 133 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)).
ITU has also adopted a resolution on its role regarding
international public policy issues pertaining to the
internet and the management of internet resources,
including domain names and addresses (Resolution
102 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)). In addition, the ITU Council
has set up a Working Group on International Internet
(CWG-Internet)-related Public Policy Issues, tasked with
identifying, studying, and developing matters related to
international internet-related public policy issues. This
Working Group also holds regular online open public
consultations on specific topics to give all stakeholders
from all nations an opportunity to express their views
with regard to the topic(s) under discussion.
ITU is also the facilitator of WSIS Action Line С2 –
Information and communication infrastructure.
Digital standards 2
International standards provide the technical
foundations of the global ICT ecosystem.
Presently, 95% of international traffic runs over optical
infrastructure built in conformance with ITU standards.
Video now accounts for over 80% of all internet traffic;
this traffic relies on ITU’s Primetime Emmy-winning
video-compression standards.
ICTs are enabling innovation in every industry
and public-sector body. The digital transformation
underway across our economies receives key support
from ITU standards for smart cities, energy, transport,
healthcare, financial services, agriculture, and AI and
ML.
ICT networks, devices, and services interconnect and
interoperate thanks to the efforts of thousands of
experts who come together on the neutral ITU platform
to develop international standards known as ITU-T
Recommendations.
Standards create efficiencies enjoyed by all market
players, efficiencies, and economies of scale that
ultimately result in lower costs to producers and lower
prices to consumers. Companies developing standardsbased
products and services gain access to global
1
In the work of ITU the issues related to critical internet resources are dealt with as ‘internet public-policy related work’.
2
In the work of ITU the issue of digital standards is addressed as ‘International standards’.
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markets. And by supporting backward compatibility,
ITU standards enable next-generation technologies to
interwork with previous technology generations; this
protects past investments while creating the confidence
to continue investing in our digital future.
The ITU standardisation process is contribution-led
and consensus-based. Standardisation work is driven
by contributions from ITU members and consequent
decisions are made by consensus. The process aims
to ensure that all voices are heard and that resulting
standards have the consensus-derived support of the
diverse and globally representative ITU membership.
ITU members develop standards year-round in
ITU-T SGs. Over 4,000 ITU-T Recommendations are
currently in force, and over 300 new or revised ITU-T
Recommendations are approved each year.
For more information on the responsibilities of
ITU SGs, covering ITU-T SG as well as those of ITU’s
radiocommunication and development sectors (ITU-R
and ITU-D), see the ITU backgrounder on study groups.
The ITU World Telecommunication Standardization
Assembly (WTSA) is the governing body of ITU’s
standardisation arm (ITU-T). It is held every four
years to review the overall direction and structure of
ITU-T. This conference also approves the mandates
of Telecommunication Standardization Sector study
group (ITU-T SSGs) (WTSA Resolution 2) and appoints
the leadership teams of these groups.
WR to TL recognition procedure:
Based on an MoU signed by ITU-T, the International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and the
International Accreditation Forum (IAF), ITU recognises
the Testing Laboratories (TLs). These are accredited
by an Accreditation Body (AB) that is a signatory to
the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for
testing. The scope of accreditation contains ITU-T
Recommendation(s). All TLs which meet the criteria
are listed in the ITU TL Database. More details are also
available in the ITU C&I Portal.
Digital Rights and Human-Centric Technologies
In February 2023, the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights emphasised the necessity of incorporating
human rights into technical standards during a highlevel
meeting at the World Standards Cooperation
(WSC). Moreover, several Human Rights Council and UN
General Assembly resolutions address human rights
and digital technology issues and the development of
the UN Secretary-General’s Guidance on Human Rights
Due Diligence for Digital Technology Use is currently
underway.
ITU has already undertaken various initiatives to
ensure a rights-respecting and inclusive digital
landscape such as the one to ensure gender equity
in its recommendations, promote accessibility for all,
ensure universal access globally, and support the ICT
capacity building of girls. Moreover, ITU understands
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that human-centric technologies are pivotal for
safeguarding individual autonomy, promoting
inclusivity, and upholding the principles of equality
and dignity in the digital realm. Thus, the organisation
actively engages in the development of policies and
technical recommendations that prioritise digital rights,
encompassing privacy, freedom of expression, access to
information, data protection, and non-discrimination.
Additionally, ITU plays a crucial role in facilitating
dialogue and collaboration between our members,
strategic partners, and relevant entities to create
awareness, share best practices, and contribute to the
formulation of international standards that emphasise
human-centric approaches. By championing digital
rights and human-centric technologies, we underscore
our commitment to building a digital future that
prioritises the well-being and rights of individuals
across the global digital landscape.
Internet of things 3
ITU develops international standards supporting
the co-ordinated development and application of
IoT technologies, including standards leveraging IoT
technologies to address urban-development challenges.
The range of application of the IoT is very broad –
extending from smart clothing to smart cities and global
monitoring systems. To meet these varied requirements,
a variety of technologies, both wired and wireless, is
required to provide access to the network.
Alongside ITU-T studies on the IoT and smart cities,
ITU-R conducts studies on the technical and operational
aspects of radiocommunication networks and systems
for the IoT. The spectrum requirements and standards
for IoT wireless access technologies are being addressed
in ITU-R, as follows:
– Harmonisation of frequency ranges, and technical
and operating parameters used for the operation
of short-range devices.
– Standards for wide area sensor and actuator
network systems.
– Spectrum to support the implementation of
narrowband and broadband machine-type
communication infrastructures.
– Support for massive machine-type communications
within the framework of the standards and
spectrum for IMT-Advanced (4G) and IMT-2020 (5G).
– Use of fixed-satellite and mobile-satellite communications
for the IoT.
ITU-D SG2 Question 1/2 ‘Creating smart cities and
society: Employing information and communication
technologies for sustainable social and economic
development’ includes case studies on the application
of the IoT, and identifies the trends and best practices
implemented by member states as well as the challenges
3
Within the work of ITU, the work related to the IoT also includes ‘Smart cities’.
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faced, to support sustainable development and foster
smart societies in developing countries.
ITU-T SG20 is responsible for studies relating to the IoT
and its applications, and smart cities and communities
(SC&C). This includes studies relating to big data aspects
of the IoT and SC&C, digital services for SC&C, and digital
transformation of relevant IoT and SC&C aspects.
ITU and the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) Focus Group on Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital
Agriculture (FG-AI4A), established by ITU-T SG20,
explores how emerging technologies including AI and IoT
can be leveraged for (1) data acquisition and handling,
(2) modelling from a growing volume of agricultural and
geospatial data, and (3) providing communication for
the optimisation of agricultural production processes.
Blockchain
New ITU standards for blockchain and distributed ledger
technology (DLT) address the requirements of blockchain
in next-generation network evolution and the security
requirements of blockchain, both in terms of blockchain’s
security capabilities and security threats to blockchain.
ITU reports provide potential blockchain adopters with
a clear view of the technology and how it could best
be applied. Developed by the FG DLT, these reports
provide an 'assessment framework' to support efforts
to understand the strengths and weaknesses of DLT
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platforms in different use cases. The group has also
produced a high-level DLT architecture – a reference
framework – detailing the key elements of a DLT platform.
It studied high-potential DLT use cases and DLT platforms
said to meet the requirements of such use cases. These
studies guided the Group's abstraction of the common
requirements necessary to describe a DLT architecture
and associated assessment criteria. The resulting reports
also offer insight into the potential of DLT to support the
achievement of the SDGs.
Blockchain and DLT are also key to the work of the Digital
Currency Global Initiative, a partnership between ITU and
Stanford University to continue the work of an ITU Focus
Group on Digital Currency including Digital Fiat Currency
(FG DFC). The Digital Currency Global Initiative provides
an open, neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge
sharing, and research on the applications of Central
Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and other digital currency
implementations. The initiative will share case studies of
digital currency applications, benchmark best practices,
and develop specifications to inform ITU standards.
ITU-T SG3 is studying economic and policy aspects when
using distributed ledger technologies such as for the
improved management of the Universal Service Fund or
to handle accounting.
ITU-T SG5 is studying the environmental efficiency of digital
technologies including blockchain. For example, ITU-T
SG5 has developed Recommendation ITU-T L.1317 on
guidelines for energy-efficient blockchain systems.

ITU-T SG16 Question 22/16 on multimedia aspects of
DLT and e-services and ITU-T SG17 Question 14/17 on
DLT security continue the work of the now closed ITU-T
Focus Group on distributed ledger technologies. Several
Recommendations and Technical Papers have been
produced, and more are being prepared.
Topics of interest for digital financial services (DFS) that
are being studied by Q22/16 and Q7/17 include digital
evidence services, digital invoices, and smart contracts.
ITU-T SG20 Question 4/20 on data analytics, sharing,
processing, and management, including big data aspects,
of the IoT and SC&C, is studying the role of emerging
technologies such as blockchain to support data
processing and management (DPM).
Cloud computing
ITU standards provide the requirements and functional
architectures of the cloud ecosystem, covering interand
intra-cloud computing and technologies supporting
anything as a service (XaaS). These standards enable
consistent end-to-end, multi-cloud management and the
monitoring of services across different service providers’
domains and technologies. They were developed in
view of the convergence of telecoms and computing
technologies that characterises the cloud ecosystem.
Cloud services provide on-demand access to advanced
ICT resources, enabling innovators to gain new capabilities
without investing in new hardware or software. Cloud
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concepts are also fundamental to the evolution of ICT
networking, helping networks to meet the requirements
of an increasingly diverse range of ICT applications.
As innovation accelerates in fields such as IMT-2020/5G
and the IoT and digital transformation takes hold in
every industry sector, the cloud ecosystem will continue
to grow in importance to companies large and small, in
developing as well as developed countries.
ITU-D SG1 Question 3/1 of the 2018–2021 period focused
on the analysis of factors influencing effective access to
support cloud computing, as well as strategies, policies,
and infrastructure investments to foster the emergence
of a cloud-computing ecosystem in developing countries,
among others. For 2022–2025, this topic will be studied
under Question 2/2 ‘Enabling technologies for e-services
and applications, including e-health and e-education’.
Emerging technologies
ITU’s range of work on emerging technologies in fields
such as AI, 5G, IoT, SC&C, ITS, quantum information technologies,
and others have been covered in various other
sections.
ITU-T SG5 on Environment, Electromagnetic Fields (EMF),
and the Circular Economy is responsible for ICTs related
to the environment, energy efficiency, clean energy, and
sustainable digitalisation for climate actions. It carries out
work to study the environmental efficiency of emerging
technologies.

ITU-T SG20 Question 5/20 on the study of emerging digital
technologies, terminology and definitions, serves as a
facilitator with the research and innovation community to
identify emerging technologies requiring standardisation
for the global market and the industry.
U4SSC, through its various thematic groups, explores
how leveraging emerging technologies such as the IoT, AI,
blockchain, and digital twin, can help create a sustainable
ecosystem and improve the delivery of urban services
to improve quality of life for inhabitants. In this context,
U4SSC has published the following reports:
– ​Accelerating City Transformation Using Frontier
Technologies
– Digital Solutions for Integrated City Management
and Use Cases
Quantum information technology
Quantum information technology (QIT) improves information
processing capability by harnessing the principles
of quantum mechanics. It has promoted the second
quantum revolution and will profoundly impact ICT networks
and digital security.
ITU’s work in the area of QIT includes developing
standards. For example, several ITU-T SGs, including SGs
11, 13, and 17 are developing ITU-T Recommendations
in this field. The work has so far resulted in ITU-T
Recommendations and Supplements in the X-, and
Y-series of ITU-T Recommendations.
The ITU-T Focus Group on Quantum Information
Technology for Networks (FG-QIT4N) provided a
collaborative platform for pre-standardisation aspects of
QIT for networks. It adopted nine technical reports.
A 2021 webinar series explores innovative QIT applications
and their implications on security, on classical computing
and ICT networks and the discussion of corresponding
roadmaps for quantum networks.
Network security 4
ITU facilitates the WSIS Action Line C5 – Building
confidence and security in the use of ICTs, bringing
different stakeholders together to forge meaningful
partnerships to help countries address the risks
associated with ICTs. This includes adopting national
cybersecurity strategies, facilitating the establishment
of national incident response capabilities, developing
international security standards, protecting children
online, and building capacity.
ITU develops international standards to build confidence
and security in the use of ICTs, especially for digital
transformation. Topics of growing significance to this
work include digital identity infrastructure, cybersecurity
management, security aspects of digital financial
4
In the work of ITU the issue of network security is addressed as ‘ICT security’.
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services, intelligent transport systems, blockchain and
distributed ledger technology, and quantum information
technologies.
ITU-T SG17 (Security) is the lead study group on building
confidence and security in the use of ICTs; facilitating
more secure network infrastructure, services, and
applications; and coordinating security-related work
across ITU-T SGs. Providing security by ICTs and ensuring
security for ICTs are both major study areas for SG17.
Other ITU-T SGs, such as ITU-T SG9 (Broadband Cable
and TV) and ITU-T SG13 - Future networks and emerging
network technologies contributed to fulfilling the ITU
mandate on cybersecurity.
ITU-T SG5 (Environment, EMF, and the Circular
Economy) studies the security of ICT systems
concerning electromagnetic phenomena (High-
Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP), High Power
Electromagnetic (HPEM), information leakage).
ITU-T SG11 (Protocols, testing & combating
counterfeiting) is developing a series of new ITU-T
Recommendations (e.g. ITU-T Q.3057), which define
the signalling architecture and requirements for
interconnection between trustable network entities
in support of existing and emerging networks. This
Recommendation describes the use of digital signatures
(digital certificates) in the signalling exchange which
may guarantee the trustworthiness of the sender. More
details are available at http://itu.int/go/SIG-SECURITY
WR to combating counterfeiting and stolen ICT devices:
The issue of counterfeit and stolen ICT devices affects all
stakeholders and becomes a big challenge for the entire
ICT industry. ITU, as a specialised agency of the UN on
ICTs, is facilitating industry to cope with such issues. Since
2013, SG11 approved 13 standards and non-normative
documents and organised 11 Workshops and related
events whose main aim was to promote ITU-T SG11’s
current activities and find a way forward. More details
about ITU-T SG11 activities on combating counterfeiting
are available on a dedicated webpage https://itu.int/go/
CS-ICT.
ITU-T SG20 Question 6/20 on Security, privacy, trust
and identification for IoT and SC&C, is working on
developing recommendations, reports, and guidelines
on security and trust provisioning in IoT both at the ICT
infrastructure and future heterogeneous converged
service environments. ITU-R established clear security
principles for IMT (3G, 4G and 5G) networks.
In 2008, ITU launched a five-pillared framework called
the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) to encourage
co-operation with and between various partners in
enhancing cybersecurity globally. The cybersecurity
programme offers its membership, particularly
developing countries, the tools to increase cybersecurity
capabilities at the national level in order to enhance
security, and build confidence and trust in the use of ICTs.
The 2022 session of the ITU Council approved guidelines
for better utilisation of the GCA framework by ITU.
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ITU serves as a neutral and global platform for dialogue
around policy actions in the interests of cybersecurity.
ITU issues the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) to shed
light on the commitment of ITU member states to
cybersecurity at the global level. The index is a trusted
reference developed as a multistakeholder effort
managed by ITU. In the last iteration of the GCI, 150
member states participated.
Alongside the ITU-T’s development of technical standards
in support of security and ITU-R’s establishment of
security principles for 3G and 4G networks, ITU also
assists in building cybersecurity capacity.
This capacity-building work helps countries to define
cybersecurity strategies, assists the establishment of
computer incident response teams (CIRTs), supports the
protection of children online, and assists countries in
building human capacity relevant to security.
For example:
Strategies: ITU assists member states in developing and
improving effective national cybersecurity frameworks
or strategies. At the national level, cybersecurity is a
shared responsibility, which requires co-ordinated action
for prevention, preparation, and response on the part of
government agencies, authorities, the private sector, and
civil society. To ensure a safe, secure, and resilient digital
sphere, a comprehensive national framework or strategy
is necessary.
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CIRTs: Effective mechanisms and institutional
structures are necessary at the national level to deal
with cyberthreats and incidents reliably. ITU assists
member states in establishing and enhancing national
CIRTs. In response to the fast-evolving technologies and
manifestation of related threats, incident response must
be updated and improved continuously.
Building human capacity:
– ITU conducts regional and national cyber drills,
assisting member states in improving cybersecurity
readiness, protection, and incident response
capabilities at regional and national levels, and
strengthening international cooperation among
ITU member states against cyberthreats and
cyberattacks. To date, ITU has conducted cyber
drills involving over 100 countries.
– ITU’s Development Bureau organises regional
cybersecurity forums across ITU regions, helping
build capacity for Telecommunication Development
Bureau (BDT) programmes and facilitating
cooperation at the regional and international levels.
– Through the ITU Academy, ITU offers a number
of training courses for professionals in the field of
cybersecurity.
– BitSight provided access to ITU member states
for its cybersecurity scoring platform – helping
address cybersecurity challenges during the
COVID-19 pandemic and to support member states’
health infrastructure with timely information on
cyberthreats.

– The Women in Cyber Mentorship Programme
builds skills of junior women professionals entering
the field of cybersecurity.
International cooperation: In its efforts on
cybersecurity, ITU works closely with partners from
international organisations, the private sector, and
academia, strengthened by a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with a range of organisations
such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC), World Bank, Interpol, World Economic Forum,
and several others.
Child safety online 5
As part of its Global Cybersecurity Agenda GCA, ITU
launched the Child Online Protection (COP) Initiative in
2008, aimed at creating an international collaborative
network and promoting the protection of children
globally from all kinds of risks and harms related to the
online environment, all while empowering children to
fully benefit from the opportunities that the internet
offers. The initiative focuses on the development
of child online protection strategies covering five
key areas: legal measures, technical and procedural
measures, organisational structures, capacity building,
and international cooperation.
Approaching child online safety with a holistic child-
rights-based approach, the initiative has recently added
to its key objectives the participation of children in policymaking
processes related to child online protection as
well as the digital skills development for children and
their families.
In collaboration with other organisations, ITU has
produced four sets of the 2020 Child Online Protection
(COP) Guidelines, aimed at children, parents, guardians,
and educators, as well as industry and policymakers.
The first set of COP Guidelines were produced in 2009.
The ITU Council Working Group on Child Protection
Online (WG-CP) guides the organisation’s activities in
the area of child safety online.
ITU has launched or supported a range of COP responses
specific to COVID-19, including:
– Global Education Coalition for COVID-19 response
– a collaboration between UNESCO, UNICEF, ITU,
WHO, GSMA, and Microsoft.
– Agenda for Action to reduce the negative impact of
COVID-19 on children.
– COVID-19 and its Implications for Protecting Children
Online (2020) – in collaboration with UNICEF, Global
Partnership to End Violence Against Children
(GPEVAC), UNESCO, UNODC, WePROTECT Global
Alliance, WHO, and World Childhood Foundation
USA (Childhood USA).
– ITU signed an agreement with the SCORT Foundation
5
Within the work of ITU, child safety online is addressed as ‘Child online protection’.
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on COP to empower and protect children online
and offline, both in sport and through sport. It has
contributed to discussions such as Safer Internet
Day 2021 and the 15th European Football for
Development Conference.
– Creating a Safe and Empowering Cyber Environment
for Children (a 2020 agreement between ITU
and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) kicked-off in
August 2021 to further strengthen global efforts
to implement the ITU COP Guidelines. The
programme implements child online safety policies
among governments, industry, and civil society and
focuses on fostering a culture of child online safety.
– ITU has also contributed to the adoption of General
Comment 25 on children’s rights in the digital
environment by the UN Committee on the Rights
of the Child (CRC).
– ITU is working to disseminate Sango’s messages
(COP mascot launched in 2020) to develop relevant
content and raise awareness on COP.
Access
The need for sustained efforts to expand internet
access at a global level and bring more people online
has been outlined in several resolutions adopted by ITU
bodies. The organisation is actively contributing to such
efforts, mainly through projects targeted at developing
countries and focused on aspects such as human and
institutional capacity building, education, and digital
literacy; deployment of telecommunications networks
and establishment of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs);
the creation of broadband public access points to the
internet; and the development and implementation
of enabling policies in areas such as universal access.
The organisation is also studying access-related issues
within its various study groups, and it publishes relevant
papers and studies. ITU also monitors progress made
by countries in addressing the digital divide, through
its periodically updated statistics and studies such as
the ICT Facts and Figures and the series of Measuring
Digital Development reports, including its analysis of
ICT prices. The ITU DataHub brings together a broad
range of indicators and statistics for easy consultation
and download. The Connect 2030 Agenda envisions
specific targets related to internet access; for instance
by 2023, 65% of households worldwide will have access
to the internet; by 2023, 70% of individuals worldwide
will have with access to the internet; and by 2023,
internet access should be 25% more affordable.
Access is treated in most meaningful connectivity-related
Questions of ITU-D SG1 including:
– Question 1/1 on strategies and policies for the
deployment of broadband in developing countries.
Question 2/1 on strategies, policies, regulations
and methods of migration to and adoption of digital
technologies for broadcasting, including to provide
new services for various environments.
– Question 4/1 on economic aspects of national
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telecommunications/ICTs.
– Question 5/1 on telecommunications/ICTs for rural
and remote areas.
– Question 6/1 on consumer information, protection
and rights.
ITU is the facilitator of WSIS Action Line С2 – Information
and communication infrastructure.
Capacity development
ITU is heavily involved in capacity development activities,
mainly aimed at assisting countries in developing their
policy and regulatory frameworks in various digital
policy areas, ranging from the deployment or expansion
of broadband networks, to fighting cybercrime and
enhancing cybersecurity. The ITU Academy provides a
wide range of general and specialised courses on various
aspects related to ICTs. Such courses are delivered
online, face-to-face, or in a blended manner, and span a
wide variety of topics, from technologies and services, to
policies and regulations. ITU also develops digital skills at
basic and intermediate level to citizens through its Digital
Transformation Centre (DTC) Initiative.
The Digital Regulation Handbook and Platform is the
result of ongoing collaboration between ITU and the
World Bank, which started in 2000. Structured by
thematic areas, the Digital Regulation Platform aims
to provide practical guidance and best practice for
policymakers and regulators across the globe concerned
with harnessing the benefits of the digital economy and
society for their citizens and firms. The content provides
an update on the basics of ICT regulation in light of the
digital transformation sweeping across sectors and
also includes new regulatory aspects and tools for ICT
regulators to consider when making regulatory decisions.
The inclusivity of the ITU standardisation platform is
supported by ITU's Bridging the Standardization Gap (BSG)
programme as well as regional groups within ITU-T SGs.
The BSG hands-on SG effectiveness training and updated
guidelines for National Standardization Secretariats (NSS)
assist developing countries in developing the practical
skills and national procedures required to maximise
the effectiveness of their participation in the ITU
standardisation process.
Digital services and applications
The Digital Services and Applications programme offers
member states the tools to leverage digital technology
and ICT applications to address their most pressing
needs and bring real impact to people, with an emphasis
on increasing availability and extending services in
areas such as digital health, digital agriculture, digital
government, and digital learning, as well as cross-sectoral
initiatives to accelerate sustainable development such as
smart villages.
To effectively harness digital services and applications for
socio-economic development, the programme facilitates:
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– development of national sectoral digital strategy
(including toolkits, guidelines, capacity building,
action plans, and evaluations);
– deployment of innovative digital services and
applications to improve the delivery of value-added
services, leveraging strategic partnerships as
catalysts;
– knowledge and best practice sharing through
studies, research, and awareness raising,
connecting stakeholders in converging ecosystems;
and
– addressing emerging technology trends – such as
big data and AI – by collecting and sharing best
practices.
Digital ecosystems
ITU works on helping member states create and
mature their digital innovation ecosystems. The
Digital Ecosystem Thematic Priority has developed a
framework to help countries develop appropriate ICTcentric
innovation policies, strategies, and programmes;
share evidence-based best practices; and implement
bankable projects to close the digital innovation gap.
Countries are empowered to develop an environment
that is conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship,
where advances in new technologies become a key
driver for the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines,
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the
Connect 2030 agenda.
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ITU assists member states through its events, courses,
publications, toolkits, and provision of technical advice.
Its Ecosystem Development Projects initiative, for
example, provides holistic advisory services including
ecosystem diagnosis, risk assessment, good practice
transfer, and capacity building. Events include its
National and Regional Innovation Forums, which bring
ecosystem stakeholders together to equip them with
the skills to build their national innovation ecosystems;
the ITU Innovation Challenges, which identify the best
ICT innovators from around the world and equip them
with skills to scale their ideas to truly impact their
communities; courses on developing and maturing
ecosystems (available at the ITU Academy); and
Digital Innovation Profiles, which provide a snapshot
of a country’s ecosystem status and allowing them to
identify and fill the gaps using ITU tools and expertise.
Sustainable development
ITU, as the UN specialised agency for ICTs, continues
to support its membership and to contribute to the
worldwide efforts to advance the UN 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and achieve its SDGs.
The 17 SDGs and their 169 related targets offer a holistic
vision for the UN system. The role and contribution of
ICTs as essential catalysts to fast-forward achievement of
the SDGs is clearly highlighted and has come into focus
since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Infrastructure,
connectivity, and ICTs have demonstrated their great

contribution and potential to accelerate human progress,
to bridge the digital divides, and to develop digital
societies.
ITU has a key role to play, in realising its main goals
of universal connectivity and sustainable digital
transformation, in contributing to achieving the SDGs.
ITU contributes to the achievement of the SDGs with four
levels of involvement:
- ICTs as an enabler: ITU can be seen as a contributor
to all SDGs through the benefits that ICTs bring to
societies and economies.
- Focus: SDGs with no specific reference to ICTs but
where ITU has demonstrated to have a clear impact
through the benefits ICTs bring to specific sectors
and activities (e.g. e-health, digital inclusion, smart
cities, e-waste, climate change). These are SDGs 1,
3, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
- Key focus: SDGs where ITU has a particularly strong
impact due to its initiatives, and is custodian of some
indicators. These are SDG 4 (Quality Education),
with its Target 4b to ‘…expand globally the number
of scholarships, for enrolment in higher education,
including vocational training and ICTs, technical,
engineering and scientific programmes…’; and
SDG 5 (Gender Equality), Target 5.b on ‘…the use of
enabling technology, in particular ICTs, to promote
the empowerment of women’. And Indicator 5b.1
on the ownership of mobile phones, by sex.
- Main key focus: SDGs where ITU maximises its
contribution, such as SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation
and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the
Goals). Here ITU is also custodian of related Targets
9.c on ‘…. ICTs to provide universal and affordable
access to the Internet…’; and its Indicator 9c.1 on
coverage by a mobile network and by technology.
As well as Target 17.8 to ‘….enhance the use of
enabling technology, in particular information and
communications technology’; and its Indicator
17.8.1 about individuals using the internet.
The ITU Connect 2030 Agenda is specifically dedicated
to leveraging telecommunications/ICTs, including
broadband, for sustainable development. The agenda
is built around five goals: growth, inclusiveness,
sustainability, innovation, and partnership. In addition,
ITU-D works on fostering international cooperation
on telecommunications and ICT development issues,
and enhancing environmental protection, climate
change adaptation, emergency telecommunications,
and disaster mitigation and management efforts
through telecommunications and ICTs. These and other
related issues are explored in reports, guidelines, and
recommendations produced by ITU-D SGs.
Additionally, ITU-T SGs such as ITU-T SG5 on Environment,
EMF, and the Circular Economy is the lead SG and
develops standards on circular economy and e-waste
management, ICTs related to the environment, energy
efficiency, clean energy, and sustainable digitalisation
for climate actions, which help to achieve the SDGs.
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The ITU strategic plan is aligned to the WSIS Action
Lines and SDGs. Since 2015, the WSIS process has
been aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development to ensure that ICTs play the enabling role
in advancing the SDGs.
Inclusive finance 6
ITU has built a substantial programme of work
in support of digital financial inclusion. ITU
standards for digital finance address the security of
telecommunications infrastructure (Signalling System
No. 7 (SS7)) vulnerabilities, SIM vulnerabilities and
SIM fraud), process for managing risks, threats, and
vulnerabilities for digital finance service providers,
assessing the quality of service of mobile networks
to improve reliability and user experience for digital
financial services and methodology for auditing the
security of mobile payment applications to assess their
level of security assurance. They provide for a high
quality of service and user experience, and safeguard
security to build trust in digital finance.
ITU’s work in this field has included the ITU Focus
Group on Digital Financial Services (2014–2017), the
ITU Focus Group on Digital Currency including Digital
Fiat Currency (2017–2019), and the Financial Inclusion
Global Initiative (2017–2021), a four-year programme to
advance research in digital finance and accelerate digital
financial inclusion in developing countries co-led by ITU,
the World Bank Group, and the Committee on Payments
and Market Infrastructures, and with financial support
from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. ITU has also
set up a Digital Financial Services (DFS) Security Lab to
collaborate with regulators from both the telecom and
financial services sectors in emerging economies as well
as regional telecom bodies such as the Communications
Regulators' Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), The
East African Communications Organization (EACO), and
West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly
(WATRA) to adopt the recommendations developed
under the Financial Inclusion Global Initiative and
assess the security of mobile payments applications.
The methodology developed for the security audit of
mobile payment applications would be developed into
a digital public good standard in the future. Through the
Security Lab, some 17 security clinics have been held
in Africa, Latin America, and Asia regions, providing
information and technical guidance to regulators, DFS
providers and mobile network operators in those
regions on how to adopt the security recommendations
for digital finance.
ITU organised the Insights on Digital Financial
Services webinar series in 2020 with the objective
of providing insights on the innovative applications
of telecommunications services, digital payments,
and fintech in addressing COVID-19-triggered social
6
Within the work of ITU, the issues related to inclusive finance are addressed as ‘Digital Financial Services (DFS)’.
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distancing and lockdown and sharing lessons learned
from governments and DFS stakeholders on the
measures that they are implementing. Twelve webinars
were held between May and December 2020 attracting
over 1,000 unique participants from 105 countries. The
webinars focused on topics such as digital identity,
strong authentication technologies, security of digital
financial transactions, handling fraud and scams,
tracking digital financial crimes and fraud, digital
credit technologies, mitigating telecom infrastructure
vulnerabilities for digital finance and central bank digital
currency.
ITU and Stanford University launched the Digital
Currency Global Initiative (DCGI) in 2020 to continue
the work of the ITU Focus Group on Digital Currency
including Digital Fiat Currency. The DCGI provides an
open and neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge
sharing, and research on the applications of Central
Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and other digital currency
implementations.
E-waste
ITU works in developing policies, standards, frameworks,
and guidelines for the efficient disposal of e-waste with
the aim to achieve a circular economy. ITU has the
mandate to promote awareness of the environmental
issues associated with telecommunication/ICT
equipment design and encourage energy efficiency
and the use of materials in the design and fabrication
of telecommunication/ICT equipment that contributes
to a clean and safe environment throughout its lifecycle
(Res.182 (Rev. Busan, 2014));
ITU plays a key role in the UN E-waste Coalition, is
a founding partner of the Global E-waste Statistics
Partnership (GESP), and collaborates with the Circular
Electronics Partnership.
ITU works towards achieving the 2023 targets related
to waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE),
or ‘e-waste’, established in 2018 by the Plenipotentiary
Conference by: increasing the global e-waste recycling
rate to 30%; and raising the percentage of countries
with e-waste legislation to 50%.
ITU-D has been mandated to assist developing
countries in undertaking a proper assessment of the
size of e-waste and in initiating pilot projects to achieve
environmentally sound management of e-waste
through e-waste collection, dismantling, refurbishing,
and recycling. To this end, the organisation supports
countries in developing national policies on e-waste,
and works together with industry partners from the
public and private sector to stimulate coordinated
actions towards a circular economy model. ITU-D and
ITU-T SGs also explore issues related to ICTs and the
environment.
ITU-T has been mandated to pursue and strengthen
the development of ITU activities in regard to handling
and controlling e-waste from telecommunication and
information technology equipment and methods
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of treating it; and to develop recommendations,
methodologies, and other publications relating to
sustainable management of e-waste resulting from
telecommunications/ICT equipment and products, and
appropriate guidelines on the implementation of these
recommendations. ITU-T SG5 on Environment, EMF,
and the Circular Economy is the lead ITU-T SG on the
circular economy and e-waste management.
ITU-T SG5 has a dedicated Question (Q7/5) on ‘E-waste,
circular economy, and sustainable supply chain
management’. This Question seeks to address the
e-waste challenge by identifying the environmental
requirements of digital technologies including IoT, enduser
equipment, and ICT infrastructures or installations,
based on the circular economy principles and improving
the supply chain management in line with SDG 12, target
12.5 by 2030, substantially reduce waste generation
through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
A case study on the Implementation of ITU-T Standards
on Sustainable Management of Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment: The Path to a Circular Economy
in Costa Rica was published in 2021.​
In 2021, ITU with the World Economic Forum released a
toolkit on extended producer responsibility for e-waste
management, with a focus on African countries.
Rights of persons with disabilities 7
ITU works both to promote globally ICT accessibility
for persons with disabilities and to make ITU a more
accessible organisation for persons with disabilities –
Resolution 175 (Rev. Dubai, 2018).
Globally, ITU has continued conducting technical work
in ITU-R, ITU-T, and ITU-D SGs; advancing the use of
telecommunications and ICTs for persons with disabilities;
and developing resources to support member states
in establishing environments that ensure accessible
telecommunications/ICTs – work conducted with the
participation of persons with disabilities and aligned
with the Connect 2030 Agenda. ITU-D advanced regional
initiatives linked to ICT accessibility, with projects, training,
and events, and provided support to ITU administrations
in almost every region, including organising Accessible
Americas and Accessible Events. More information is
available here.
Within the second area of focus, ITU has made progress
in the implementation of its ITU Accessibility Policy
for persons with disabilities, with an updated version
endorsed by ITU Council 2021.
ITU-D Study Question 7/1 continues to focus on
telecommunication/ICT accessibility to enable inclusive
communication, especially for persons with disabilities
for 2022–2025 as has been agreed at WTDC–22.
7
Within the work of ITU the rights of persons with disabilities are addressed as ‘ICT /digital accessibility for all including persons with disabilities’.
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The 2021 released SG Question 7/1 report (available free of
charge in all UN official languages) with its accompanying
video and the focused workshop and webinar confirm
the careful attention given to this topic.
ITU’s work on accessibility includes regional events, ICT
accessibility assessment, and the publication of new
resources and handbooks. ITU has developed capacitybuilding
materials to promote the adoption of accessible
solutions, including 15 video tutorials on development
and remediation of accessible digital content.
A range of activities is detailed below.
– ITU Regional Knowledge Development Platforms/
Forums
– ITU has organised regional events that allow ITU
members and stakeholders to share good practices
and challenges, and to help develop digitally
inclusive societies in these regions.
Further regional events are set out below.
– Accessible Asia-Pacific (ASP): Regional Dialogue on
Digital Transformation: Gearing Up for Inclusive
and Sustainable Development, virtual event, 2021.
– Accessible Arab Region: ICT for ALL, Egypt, 2021,
in partnership with the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA).
Participants identified ways forward to implement
and mainstream digital accessibility, showing
how technology can ensure inclusiveness and
empowerment of all.
– Accessible Americas: ICT for ALL, Cuba 2021,
featured discussions with policymakers and
stakeholders on ICT/digital accessibility in the
context of COVID-19.
– Accessible Africa, virtual, 2021. Five online,
interactive workshops sought to strengthen
capacity for 175 regional Focal Points from 42
African countries on ICT/digital accessibility.
– Accessible Europe: ICT for ALL 2021, virtual, 2021.
Over 240 participants from more than 40 countries
discussed how to remove barriers to enable social
inclusion of persons with disabilities, through
cooperation, programmes, and training.
– Accessible the Commonwealth of independent
states (CIS): In 2021 the CIS Region has shown
increased interest in ICT accessibility implementation
to ensure equal digital empowerment through ICT.
Assessing and monitoring the implementation of ICT
accessibility
– ITU Self-Assessment and Toolkit for ICT Accessibility
Implementation: Towards building Inclusive
Digital Communities. This resource supports all
ITU members, policymakers, and stakeholders
in building inclusive digital communities. It also
enables countries and organisations to assess
themselves, obtaining an immediate overview on
the level of their ICT accessibility implementation.
– ICT Accessibility Assessment for the Europe Region
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provides ICT accessibility assessment for the
Europe region. See also the ITU Assessment of
Digital Accessibility Policies in Serbia.
WSIS Forum 2021: ICTs and Accessibility for Persons
with Disabilities and Specific Needs
– WSIS Forum 2021 featured ICTs and Accessibility
for Persons with Disabilities and Specific Needs,
with virtual workshops on innovative technologies,
bringing together experts and stakeholders to
discuss how to leverage ICTs to help people with
blindness and vision impairment and how to
provide inclusive education for all – showcasing
emerging assistive technologies.
Self-paced online training courses
– In 2021, two self-paced online training courses in
ICT accessibility were developed, available in Arabic,
English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Both ICT
Accessibility: The key to inclusive communication
and Web Accessibility – The Cornerstone of an
Inclusive Digital Society are delivered through ITU
Academy in three modules.
Other accessibility resources
– Additional ICT accessibility training and resources
are available here. The update to the Handbook
on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Broadcasting
networks and systems implementation outlining
Accessibility to broadcasting services for persons
with disabilities is also part of ITU’s accessibility
work.
Events and opportunities to support the global
implementation of ICT accessibility
– ITU contributed to the development of the Disability
Inclusion Practice Note on ICT & Digital Accessibility
and its Additional Resources. ITU participated in the
Digital Inclusion Summit – Leaving No One Behind,
organised by the International Training Centre
in collaboration with the International Labour
Organization (ILO) (July 2021). In 2019, the UN
Disability Inclusion Strategy (UN DIS) was adopted,
including significant inputs from ITU. In 2020, ITU
prepared its report on the strategy implementation
and reviewed its Accessibility Policy accordingly
– ITU contributed to the first-ever celebration of
Universal Design Day in 2021.
– ITU shared its expertise on ICT accessibility and
disability inclusion with 131 UN Country Teams’
representatives during two webinars on ICT and
Digital Accessibility, held virtually in 2021.
Making ITU a more accessible organisation for
persons with disabilities
– ITU continues to ensure accessibility to persons
with disabilities, including staff, delegates, and the
general public.
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– To ensure the structure and content of ITU websites,
videos, publications, digital documents, and digital
information are all digitally accessible, training
events are under preparation (will take place in
February 2022).
– To provide fully accessible ITU events, an invitation
to bid for the provision of real-time captioning
was completed in November 2021. Proposals for
captioning in French, Spanish, and Chinese have
been submitted.
– In 2019, ITU provided captioning across ITU events
and major conferences, sign language interpretation
in selected ITU-T accessibility meetings and in
making ITU websites accessible. ITU has also
modified internal production to generate accessible
publications in the six official languages.
COVID-19: Ensuring digital information is accessible
to all
– In March 2020, ITU issued COVID guidelines on how
to develop inclusive digital information products
and services through different digital platforms,
in all six official UN languages. The guidelines
contain messages and concrete actions to support
policymakers and communicators in ensuring
that COVID-related messages and vital digital
information are accessible to all people, including
persons with disabilities. These ITU guidelines
were globally disseminated and translated into 22
other languages within the framework of the UN
joint COVID-19 response and recovery emergency
working group on health workstream.
– To ensure that deaf and hard of hearing persons
were not excluded, ITU produced a Guideline on
web-based remote sign language interpretation or
video remote interpretation.
Gender rights online 8
ITU is involved in activities aimed at promoting gender
equality and the empowerment of women and girls
through ICTs.
ITU is custodian of three gender-related SDG indicators:
the proportion of individuals who (1) own a mobile
phone; (2) use the internet; and (3) have ICT skills. ITU’s
Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures 2021
shows that, in all regions, the gender Internet divide
has been narrowing in recent years, and calls for more
action on cultural, financial, and skills-related barriers
that impede Internet uptake among women. ITU has
launched several targeted efforts to bridge the gender
digital divide and advance the Connect 2030 Agenda.
Below are some highlights of ITU’s work on gender.
Together with the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women),
8
Within the work of ITU, gender rights online is addressed as ‘Gender digital divide‘.
382

the United Nations University (UNU), GSMA, and the
International Trade Centre (ITC), ITU launched the
EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the
Digital Age with over 100 partners working together to
ensure that women are given access, are equipped with
skills, and develop the leadership potential to work in the
ICT industry. Under this initiative, ITU contributes with
the annual flagship event the EQUALS in Tech Awards.
The awards are given every year to organisations and
individuals working to help girls and women gain equal
internet access, learn digital skills, and find opportunities
in the tech industry. The initiative is dedicated to
encouraging girls and young women to consider studies
and careers in ICTs.
The African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) was started
in Africa in collaboration with UN Women and the African
Union Commission (AUC) with the aim to train and
empower girls and young women aged 17 to 20 across
Africa to become computer programmers, creators,
and designers. The initiative has also been launched in
the Americas region with a focus on equipping girls with
coding skills and generating interest in the pursuit of ICT
careers.
Other activities such as the Women in Technology
Challenge and the EQUALS Women in Tech Network led
by ITU are targeted at advancing women’s engagement
with ICTs for social and economic development.
ITU WRC-19 also adopted a declaration that promotes
gender equality, equity, and parity in the work of the ITU
Radiocommunication Sector.
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ITU is also the facilitator of WSIS Action Line C4 – Capacity
building.
Network of Women (NoW): Encouraging gender
balance
Encouraging and tracking gender-balanced representation
and nominations of women for key roles strengthens
women’s participation in ITU meetings. The aim is to
build a community where female delegates can network,
share their experience ,and promote the participation of
women – increasing their visibility, empowering them, and
encouraging experienced female delegates to mentor ICT
professionals in the digital space.
In 2021, BDT launched the Network of Women (NoW) at
the World Telecommunication Development Conference
(WTDC) to increase the number of women participating
in ITU-D meetings and taking up leadership roles in
preparing the WTDC itself. Within this framework, ITU
launched the global mentorship programme and fireside
discussions.
At the World Radiocommunication Seminar Online
2020, ITU-R launched the NoW for WRC-23 to promote
gender equality, equity and parity within the ITU
Radiocommunication Sector. The NoW for WRC-19
(#NOW4WRC19) efforts culminated in a Declaration
on Promoting Gender Equality, Equity and Parity in the
ITU Radiocommunication Sector, adopted at WRC-19 in
Sharm El-Sheikh.

Capacity-building that empowers indigenous
communities through technology
Capacity-building training for indigenous communities
has empowered indigenous people and communities
through technology. The training is tailored to needs and
interests and has taken into account self-sustainability
aspects and cultural legacy.
The programme has reached 70 indigenous participants
throughout the Americas, 21 of whom have completed
the full programme – from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador,
Honduras, Mexico, and Peru. Thirty per cent of
participants were indigenous women.
The course Technical Promoters in Telecommunications
and Broadcasting in Indigenous Communities requires
one year of study and trains indigenous professionals
in maintaining indigenous networks from infrastructure
to communication delivery. The module boosts the
professional development of professionals and the ability
to contribute to their communities’ socio-economic
development and self-sustainability.
A further course in 2021, on Innovative Communication
Tools on How to Develop, Manage and Operate an
Indigenous Radio Network was offered to 141 indigenous
participants over two editions. Countries represented
included Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
and Venezuela. Thirty per cent of participants completed
all five units of the course, 40.5% of whom were
indigenous women.
ITU and UNESCO are developing activities for rollout at
the WSIS Forum 2022 as contributions to the International
Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032).
Working for digital inclusion for older people
- raising awareness and building resources
For the first time, ITU has addressed digital inclusion for
older people by raising awareness on the topic, leveraging
the capacity of ITU members and stakeholders, providing
policy and strategy guidelines, and developing resources
to support global efforts to overcome this socio-economic
challenge.
Resources supporting older persons in the digital world.
– A video tutorial covering ageing in a digital world,
with captions in all UN languages.
– Ageing in a Digital World – From Vulnerable to
Valuable.
– Self-paced online training: ICTs for Better Ageing
and Livelihood in the Digital Landscape. This ITU
Academy training is available in English, French,
and Spanish and addresses local digital inclusion
policies, strategies and good practices.
The World Telecommunication and Information Society
Day 2022 (WTISD 2022) was dedicated to the theme:
Digital technologies for older persons and healthy ageing.
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ITU contributing to UN work
– Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older People:
Advocacy Brief - highlights the growing public health
and policy concern about these issues, made more
salient by the COVID-19 pandemic. ITU contributed
to the development of this WHO/UN Women brief.
– ITU contributed to the celebration of the UN
International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) in
2021 in the Digital Inclusion For All Ages event jointly
organised with the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the Office
of the Secretary’s-General Envoy on Technology,
and the NGO Committee on Ageing.
Working for increased youth engagement
The ITU Youth Strategy ensures the participation of youth
in ITU in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. The strategy is built on three pillars:
creating a community of young leaders, bringing young
people together to engage with ITU and members, and
fostering participation in ITU activities. More than 40
Youth Task Force members across ITU are coordinating
efforts to implement the ITU Youth Strategy.
The initiatives detailed below have been implemented as
part of the ITU Youth Strategy.
Generation Connect Initiative
Generation Connect, launched in 2020, prepared the
way for the journey to World Telecommunication
Development Conference 2022 and the Generation
Connect Global Youth Summit in 2022.
Generation Connect Visionaries Board
The Generation Connect Visionaries Board offers
guidance to ITU on its youth-related work. The Board,
composed of ITU representatives, eight young leaders,
and eight high-level appointees, advises on the Youth
Summit and the Youth Strategy.
Road to Addis Series – Digital Inclusion and Youth
Events
The ITU Road to Addis series of events has a strong
youth component. An event on International Youth
Day 2021 saw participation of youth as equal partners
alongside the leaders of today’s digital change, while
the Partner2Connect Meeting 2021 launched the
Partner2Connect Coalition.
Implementation of the I-CoDI Youth Challenge
In 2020, ITU organised the International Centre of Digital
Innovation (I-CoDI) Youth Challenge on connecting the
unconnected. Winning pitches focused on technology and
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network development, cybersecurity, digital inclusion,
climate change and environment, and capacity building.
Generation Connect Virtual Communities
In 2021, ITU launched on Facebook, LinkedIn, and
Instagram the new Generation Connect Virtual
communities, inviting youth from the regions to join.
ITU: Current co-chair of the United Nations Inter-
Agency Network on Youth Development
Since March 2021, ITU has been the co-chair of the United
Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development
(IANYD) with a one-year mandate. The Network increases
the effectiveness of UN work in youth development by
strengthening collaboration and exchange across UN
entities.
Capacity Building on Meaningful Youth Engagement
Training on Meaningful Youth Engagement for UN staff
was delivered to ITU staff in 2020; 174 ITU staff attended,
including top management, members of the ITU Youth
Task Force, and professional and administrative staff.
This training was followed in 2020 by two Pitch for Youth
workshops, where teams proposed ideas to an ITU jury
on youth engagement initiatives.
Collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-
General’s Envoy on Youth
ITU works with the Office of the Envoy on Youth to align
the ITU Youth Strategy with the United Nations Youth
Strategy: Youth 2030. ITU has engaged with the UN Youth
Envoy in various ways including the co-creation of the
Digital Technology session of the #YouthLead Innovation
Festival and collaboration on how online efforts are
helping improve children’s online safety.
Additional initiatives
ITU’s work on empowering youth through ICTs includes
the Digital Skills for Jobs Campaign and the ITU Digital
Skills Toolkit.
– In 2020, ITU mounted a Youth Engagement Survey
to consult on how ITU can best engage. The results
of this survey informed the ITU Youth Strategy.
The ITU Kaleidoscope academic conferences invite
students and young researchers to submit original
academic papers and video demonstrations of applied
research, and share their studies and ideas at the
University Exhibit. Kaleidoscope contributes to raising
awareness of the crucial importance of investing in
science, research, and innovation and to inspiring the
younger generations. Young authors, up to 30 years
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of age, presenting papers at the conference receive
Young Author Recognition certificates. For details on
Kaleidoscope see Interdisciplinary approaches section.
Interdisciplinary approaches
Kaleidoscope academic conferences
Kaleidoscope is the ITU flagship event for academia, which
brings together a wide range of views from universities,
industry, and research institutions of different fields to
identify emerging trends in technologies for a digital and
sustainable transformation that can benefit humanity.
Selected papers are presented at the conference and
published in the Conference Proceedings and IEEE Xplore
Digital Library.
By viewing technologies through a Kaleidoscope, these
forward-looking events also seek to identify new topics
for ITU’s work. The objective is to hold these events once
a year in different parts of the world.
Kaleidoscope 2024 on Innovation and digital
transformation for a sustainable world will be
held in parallel with the World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly 2024 (WTSA-24), on 21-23
October, in New Delhi, India. This 15th Kaleidoscope
also aims at engaging youth and future leaders and
empowering academia in India.
ITU Journal
The scholarly ITU Journal on Future and Evolving
Technologies (ITU J-FET) provides complete coverage
of all communications and networking paradigms. ITU
J-FETl considers yet-to-be-published papers addressing
fundamental and applied research. It shares new
techniques and concepts, analyses, and tutorials, as
well as learning from experiments and physical and
simulated testbeds. It also discusses the implications of
the latest research results for policy and regulation, legal
frameworks, the economy and society. This publication
builds bridges between disciplines, connects theory with
application, and stimulates international dialogue. Its
interdisciplinary approach reflects ITU’s comprehensive
field of interest and explores the convergence of ICT with
other disciplines.
ITU J-FET is a quarterly publication, free of charge for both
readers and authors, which offers a platform to share
research on topics of strategic relevance to ITU, such
as Internet of Everything, Terahertz communications,
Wireless communication systems in beyond 5G era,
Internet of Bio-Nano Things for health applications,
Towards vehicular networks in the 6G era, Emerging
trends and applications in future communication
networks, Integrated and autonomous network
management and control for 6G time-critical applications,
Digital continuum and next generation networks,
Future of networking beyond 2030, Innovative network
solutions for future services, Intelligent surfaces and
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their applications towards wide-scale deployment, AIdriven
security in 5G and beyond, Network virtualization,
slicing, orchestration, fog and edge platforms for 5G
and 6G wireless systems, AI for accessibility, Metaverse:
Communications, networking and computing, Intelligent
technologies for future networking and distributed
systems, Next generation computer communications
and networks, Satellite constellations and connectivity
from space, and AI and machine learning solutions in 5G
and future networks.
Under the umbrella of ITU J-FET, a series of webinars
has been launched to feature highly cited academics,
CTOs, and industry leaders, sharing their pioneering
studies and visions, as well as their impactful life lessons
learned over the years that might be useful for students
and young researchers starting their career in the ICT
field. This special series is designed to expand synergies
between academia and industry R&D, placing emphasis
on 5G and 6G and increasing network intelligence.
ITU-Tsinghua University Joint Journal
The Intelligent and Converged Networks (ICN) Journal
focuses on the latest developments in communication
technology. ICN is co-published by Tsinghua University
Press (TUP) and ITU. The journal draws its name from
the accelerating convergence of different fields of
communication technology and the growing influence of
AI and machine learning. An open access publication, ICN
was launched in 2020. All issues can be downloaded for
free at the journal’s online Library and on the IEEE Xplore.
The WSIS process was initiated by ITU in 1998 and it led
the organisation of the Summits in 2003 and 2005 in
coordination with the UN system. In line with its mandate
and the WSIS outcome documents, ITU continues playing
a key lead coordination role in WSIS implementation and
follow-up.
The WSIS Forum represents the world's largest annual
gathering of the ICT for development community.
Co-organised by ITU, UNESCO, the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),
and in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line
Facilitators/Co-Facilitator, the forum has proven to be an
efficient mechanism for coordinating multistakeholder
implementation activities, exchanging information,
creating knowledge, and sharing best practices. It continues
to provide assistance in developing multistakeholder and
public/private partnerships to advance development
goals. The forum provides structured opportunities
to network, learn, and participate in multistakeholder
discussions and consultations on WSIS implementation.
The ITU Contribution to the Implementation of the WSIS
Outcomes is an annual comprehensive report on ITU
activities in the WSIS context from all the three sectors of
the organisation (radiocommunication, standardisation,
and development sectors) and the General Secretariat
on the activities implemented during the respective year.
The report provides updates on the tasks carried out
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y ITU at the operational and policy levels, covering all
assigned mandates with reference to the WSIS process.
ITU plays a leading facilitating role in the WSIS
implementation process, in collaboration with more
than 30 UN agencies in creating an environment for
just and equal information and knowledge societies. As
per Resolution 1332 (modified 2019) ITU membership
resolved to use the WSIS framework as the foundation
through which it helps the world to leverage ICTs in
achieving the 2030 Agenda, within its mandate and
within the allocated resources in the financial plan and
biennial budget, noting the WSIS-SDG Matrix developed
by UN agencies, This close interlink between the WSIS
Action Lines and the SDGs and targets can serve as an
important basis for work on relevant areas outlined in
relevant ongoing processes, for example UN SGs Our
Common Agenda and so on.
ITU’s role in the WSIS process, highlighting the varying
role along the WSIS Action Lines:
– ITU is the sole facilitator for three different WSIS
Action Lines: C2 (Information and communication
infrastructure), C5 (Building confidence and security
in the use of ICTs), and C6 (Enabling environment).
– ITU has also been taking the lead role in facilitating
WSIS Action Line C4 (Capacity building).
– ITU contributes to all the remaining WSIS Action
Lines that are facilitated by other WSIS stakeholders.
The WSIS-SDG Matrix developed by UN WSIS Action Line
Facilitators serves as the mechanism to map, analyse,
and coordinate the implementation of WSIS Action Lines,
and more specifically, ICTs as enablers and accelerators
of the SDGs. This mapping exercise draws direct links
between the WSIS Action Lines and the proposed SDGs to
continue strengthening the impact of ICTs for sustainable
development. Building on the Matrix, the Agenda and
outcomes of the WSIS Forum are clearly linked to WSIS
Action lines and the SDGs highlighting the impact and
importance of ICTs on sustainable development.
The WSIS Stocktaking Process provides a register of
activities – including projects, programmes, training
initiatives, conferences, websites, guidelines, and toolkits
– carried out by governments, international organisations,
the private sector, civil society, and other entities. To that
end, in accordance with paragraph 120 of the Tunis Agenda
for the Information Society adopted by WSIS, ITU has been
maintaining the WSIS Stocktaking Database since 2004
as a publicly accessible system providing information on
ICT-related initiatives and projects with reference to the
11 WSIS action lines (Geneva Plan of Action). The principal
role of the WSIS Stocktaking exercise is to leverage the
activities of stakeholders working on the implementation
of WSIS outcomes and share knowledge and experience
of projects by replicating successful models designed to
achieve the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
The WSIS Prizes contest was developed in response to
requests from WSIS stakeholders to create an effective
mechanism to evaluate projects and activities that leverage
the power of ICTs to advance sustainable development.
Since its inception, WSIS Prizes has attracted more than
350,000 stakeholders. Following the outcomes of the UN
General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS (Res. A/70/125)
that called for a close alignment between the WSIS process
and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Res.
A/70/1), WSIS Prizes continues to serve as the unique
global platform to identify and showcase success stories
in the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and the
SDGs.
The United Nations Group on Information Society (UNGIS)
is the UN system’s inter-agency mechanism for advancing
policy coherence and programme co-ordination on
matters related to ICTs in support of internationally
agreed development goals. Established in 2006 after
WSIS, its mandate includes promoting collaboration and
partnerships among the members of the Chief Executives
Board (CEB) to contribute to the achievement of the WSIS
goals, providing guidance on issues related to inclusive
information and knowledge societies, helping maintain
issues related to science and technology at the top of the
UN Agenda, and mainstreaming ICT for Development in
the mandate of CEB members.
UNGIS remains committed and contributed to the
alignment of the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs.
Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development is an
international, multistakeholder initiative to improve the
availability and quality of ICT data and indicators.
ITU also works in close collaboration with the Office of the
United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology
and in 2022 announced a first-ever set of targets for
universal and meaningful digital connectivity to be
achieved by 2030.
The universal meaningful connectivity targets were
developed as part of the implementation of the UN
Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation
and aim to provide concrete benchmarks for sustainable,
inclusive global progress in specified action areas, such as
(1) Universality, (2) Technology, and (3) Affordability. These
15 aspirational targets are meant to help countries and
stakeholders prioritise interventions, monitor progress,
evaluate policy effectiveness, and galvanise efforts
around achieving universal and meaningful connectivity
by 2030. They are also meant as a contribution towards
the forthcoming Global Digital Compact, as proposed in
the UN Secretary-General's Our Common Agenda report.
A first assessment of how the world currently stands in
relation to the targets is available on ITU’s website here.
– Various platforms used for online meetings: Zoom,
Microsoft Teams, and ITU’s MyMeetings platform.
– The value of ITU-T’s advanced electronic working
environment was highlighted in 2020. Virtual
meetings and electronic working methods
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have come to form the principal platform for
ITU standardisation work as part of the global
response to COVID-19. ITU members engaged in
standard development are making optimal use
of ITU’s personalised MyWorkspace platform and
associated services and tools (e.g. MyMeetings).
Giga: UNICEF- ITU global initiative
Giga is a UNICEF-ITU global initiative to connect every
school to the internet and every young person to
information, opportunity, and choice. Access to broadband
internet and digital learning is critical to global efforts to
transform education to make it more inclusive, equitable,
and effective. Yet right now, the ability to leverage digital
resources is far from equitably distributed: 1.3 billion
children have no access to the internet at home and only
around half of the world’s schools are online.
This digital exclusion particularly affects the poorest
children, girls, and those with disabilities. These learners
miss out on online resources, the option to learn remotely,
and the opportunity to develop digital skills. In 2019, the
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and ITU joined
forces to address this new form of inequality by creating
Giga, a unique global partnership with the bold ambition
to connect every school in the world to the internet by
2030.
What Giga does:
– Giga maps schools and their internet access. No one
knows how many schools there are in the world
(approximately 6-7 million). Giga’s Project Connect
map provides a real-time display of access and gaps
to guide funders and governments and to enable
accountability. Giga has mapped over 2.1 million
schools across 140 countries.
– It creates models for innovative financing. It could
cost over $400 billion to connect every unconnected
school. Giga is working with a diverse array of
partners to develop solutions for affordable,
sustainable connectivity and aims to mobilise $5
billion to catalyse investment in vital connectivity
infrastructure.
– Giga supports governments contracting for
connectivity. It helps governments design the
regulatory frameworks, technology solutions, and
competitive procurement processes needed to get
schools online. Giga and its partners have connected
over 2.4 million students in over 5,800 schools.
Learn more at giga.global
United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) Initiative
ITU facilitates international discussions on the public policy
dimensions of people-centred smart cities, principally
through the U4SSC initiative, an initiative supported by 19
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UN bodies with the aim of achieving SDG 11 (sustainable
cities and communities).
ITU standards have provided a basis for the development
of Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable
Cities. More than 150 cities worldwide have adopted the
indicators as part of a collaboration driven by ITU within
the framework of the U4SSC initiative.
To promote the work of the U4SSC, a series of U4SSC
Country Hubs has been set up globally including in Vienna,
Austria, hosted by the Austrian Economic Centre (AEC), and
in Kyebi, Ghana. U4SSC Hubs provide a unique platform
at the national and local level to accelerate cooperation
between the public and private sector and help facilitate
the digital transformation in cities and communities while
enabling technology and knowledge transfer.
Social media channels
Facebook @ITU
Flickr @ITU pictures
Instagram @ituofficial
LinkedIn @International Telecommunication Union
Podcast @ITUPodcasts
TikTok @itu
X @ITU
YouTube @itutelecommunication
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Joint Inspection Unit
(JIU)
Av. de la Paix 8-14 | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.unjiu.org

About the JIU
The JIU is the only independent external oversight body of
the United Nations system mandated to conduct reviews,
evaluations, and inspections at a system-wide level.
Its mandate is to look at cross-cutting issues and to act as
an agent for change across the UN system. The JIU works
to enhance efficiency in management and administration
and to promote greater coordination among agencies.
It is dedicated to assisting the 28 organisations that
have signed the JIU Statute in meeting their governance
responsibilities. In its reports and notes, the JIU identifies
best practices, facilitates knowledge-sharing, and makes
recommendations to executive heads and governing
bodies, individually or as a group.
Over the years, the JIU has contributed to several areas
of work with the objective of enhancing management
and administrative efficiency and promoting greater
coordination among UN organisations. Some of
the JIU’s key focus points have included executive
management and other administrative matters, human
resources, strategic planning and oversight, resultsbased
management, and risk management, among
others. The JIU recommendations have also supported
senior management teams among UN organisations in
developing or reviewing strategies and policies. Since
1995, its thematic agenda has also included information
and communications technology (ICT) governance. In
recent years, the JIU has approached digital technology
from a more strategic perspective.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Cloud computing
The report entitled Managing Cloud Computing Services
in the UN System (JIU/REP/2019/5) argues for a more
balanced approach in unlocking the potential benefits
of the cloud and in considering specific risks, in addition
to the potential synergies from a UN system-wide
perspective. The JIU proposed a number of safeguards
and actions to expand UN common knowledge on
cloud computing, increase the level of inter-agency
cooperation, and strengthen the negotiating capacity
of UN organisations.
Blockchain
A lucid and balanced analysis of blockchain was
the result of a landmark report on Blockchain
Applications in the UN System: Towards a State of
Readiness. The report starts from the assumption
that the UN cannot stand aside and passively watch
developments in the industry, but it is far from
evangelising the use of blockchain. It offers a critical
assessment of the theoretical benefits of blockchain
and proposes a cautious, yet proactive approach
potential applications. The recommendations made
by the JIU signify a bold move from a traditional
compliance perspective to a more prospective focus,
from a prescriptive standpoint to a more flexible and
anticipative set of actions. The main asset of the report
is an original decision-making matrix – developed in
full consideration of the United Nations context – for
the rigorous determination of use cases for which
the blockchain could be a better option compared to
other alternatives.
Cybersecurity
A comprehensive review of individual and inter-agency
mechanisms dealing with cybersecurity is offered in
the report entitled Cybersecurity in the United Nations
System Organisations. The report assesses how UN
organisations are addressing cybersecurity threats,
and the challenges and risks they face, including risk
mitigation measures. Particular attention is paid to the
vulnerabilities specific to the UN. The review focuses
on the opportunities for strengthening collaboration
and coordination among organisations and for a closer
alignment of physical security and cybersecurity, as
well as for improving linkages between system-wide
strategic direction and operational capacity. Some
recommendations aim at strengthening the key role of
the UN International Computing Centre (UN ICC) as a
cybersecurity service provider.
Capacity development
The issue of e-learning platforms was extensively
addressed for the first time at the UN system-wide level
in a report entitled Policies and Platforms in Support of
Learning: Towards more Coherence, Coordination and
Convergence (JIU/REP/2020/2). The report analyses the
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DIGITAL TOOLS
potential of new digital technologies as a driving factor
that facilitates and stimulates system-wide synergies
and convergence. According to the report, current
technology-enabled trends and capabilities, such as the
increase in remote interactions, mobility, portability,
and use of a personal cloud storage system, require
the adjustment of policies, curricula, and institutional
arrangements. For the UN system, growing digital
infrastructure amplifies the ability of UN organisations
and their staff to access and use nearly unlimited
knowledge resources. The same technologies offer
unprecedented networking options, which should
be unconditionally used for more coherence, coordination,
and convergence among UN agencies.
Social media channels
Facebook @unitednations
Flickr @United Nations Photo
Instagram @unitednations
X @UN
YouTube @United Nations
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399

Kofi Annan Foundation
P.O.B. 157 | 1211 Geneva 20 | Switzerland
www.kofiannanfoundation.org

About the Kofi Annan Foundation
The Kofi Annan Foundation is an independent not-forprofit
organisation, established in Switzerland in 2007
by the late former UN Secretary-General and Nobel
Peace Prize laureate, Kofi Annan. Its board is composed
of prominent personalities from the public and private
sectors, and it has a small team based in Geneva,
Switzerland.
The Kofi Annan Foundation wants a fairer and more
peaceful world, where no one is left behind, democratic
principles and the rule of law are upheld, and divides
are bridged through dialogue and international
cooperation.
The Foundation works closely with partners from
international and regional organisations, foundations,
universities, and civil society. It channels expertise,
convenes all stakeholders around the table, and forges
coalitions of trusted influence that can make change
happen.
The Kofi Annan Foundation has three strategic
objectives:
– Strengthening democracy and elections,
because popular legitimacy provides the basis
for democratic governance, accountability, and
respect for human rights and the rule of law.
– Empowering youth to build a peaceful, sustainable
future because they are active agents of change
and must be given the opportunity to shape the
world they will inherit.
– Advocating for a more effective, inclusive and
equitable multilateral system, and promoting Kofi
Annan’s core belief that structured international
cooperation is key to solving challenges in today’s
interconnected world.
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Kofi Annan once noted that ‘technology does not
stand still, neither should democracy’ and that
ethos has informed not only our work on
democracy, but our work in the areas
of youth, peace, and trust.
Corinne Momal-Vanian
Executive Director
Message by the Kofi Annan Foundation Executive Director
The Kofi Annan Foundation consists of a small team in Geneva that collaborates with partners
across the world. We rely on digital tools and information and communications technologies
(ICTs) to drive our collaborative efforts and deliver programme goals. Harnessing the power of
digital platforms is not only central to our methodology but also critical to addressing many of
the challenges facing our partners and the communities in which we work.
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Message by the Kofi Annan Foundation Executive Director
As Kofi Annan argued, Technology does not stand still, neither should democracy. This
sentiment informs much of our recent work in support of elections and democracy, which
seeks to harness the potential of digital tools and social media to engage, empower, and
educate voters, while mitigating the negative impact of disinformation, hate speech, fake
news, and digital polarisation.
Our objective is to improve and secure the digital space in which elections and political
campaigns increasingly take place, and to protect voters’ fundamental right to have a say in
how they are governed, and by whom.
We remain convinced by, and optimistic about, the potential of digital platforms to provide
unparalleled opportunities to young activists around the world to collaborate in addressing
the challenges facing their generation.
It is largely due to digital innovation that this generation of young people is more connected,
more educated, and more aware of what happens outside their own borders than any
previous generation. The opportunities to share lessons, experience, strategies, and tools,
are greater than ever before.
For our youth leadership programmes including Extremely Together, WYDE Civic Engagement
Accountabilty Hubs, Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize and Kofi Annan Changemakers,
digital and communications tools allow us to mobilise our network to support these young
people, build bridges across countries and create platforms where they can collaborate to
effect positive change in their local communities. Without digital platforms, our ability to
impart the lessons, wisdom, and advice of Kofi Annan would be much reduced.
Kofi Annan reminded us often that our individual responsibility was not to tackle the world’s
greatest problems, rather, if we each did our little bit to make positive change in our own
communities, together we could overcome any challenge.
One of the benefits of our new digital era is that the little bit of which we are all capable is now
limitless; we will continue to see digital tools as central to delivering his vision of a fairer and
more secure world.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The Kofi Annan Foundation addresses digitalisation
within the scope of youth, peace, and trust, as well as
elections and democracy in the follow-up to the Kofi
Annan Commission on Elections and Democracy in the
Digital Age (KACEDDA).
The Commission proposed a series of actions to mitigate
the negative impact of social media on elections and
democracy, several of which the Foundation is directly
implementing. These include new models to counter
political disinformation, pre-electoral pledges regarding
digital behaviour and activities, and the gauging of
digital vulnerabilities of elections. The Foundation is
also mobilising digital tools and platforms to increase
the representativeness and inclusivity of elections and
democratic decision-making, particularly for young
people.
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Credit: kofiannanfoundation.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Violent extremism
The Extremely Together programme consists of young
people from around the world working to counter the
impact of extremism in their own communities. An
initial cohort of ten impressive leaders has grown over
the years to include national hubs in Uganda, Somalia,
and soon the Sahel. Digital tools allow these young
people to draw on the network and support of the Kofi
Annan Foundation and share experiences to improve
the impact of their work.
Fostering youth leadership
Sharing the leadership values, wisdom, and lessons of
Kofi Annan with the next generation is an important
element of the legacy work of the Foundation. Digital
tools allow us to reach young people in every corner of the
globe who would otherwise not be able to benefit from
his advice and that of the people who worked closely
with him. Two cohorts of Kofi Annan Changemakers –
young leaders from different fields and backgrounds –
have now harnessed digital communications tools and
platforms to improve their leadership skills and build
critical capacities.
Content policy
The Foundation works with civil society, electoral
management bodies, and the private sector to
develop capacity and tools to counter electoral-related
disinformation. It is developing tools to mitigate
negative foreign interference in elections and to identify
elections at risk from digital threats.
Ethical and democratic leadership
WYDE Civic Engagement Accountability Hubs brings
together a group of exceptional young leaders from
Sub-Saharan Africa in a comprehensive digital and inperson
training and networking programme to enhance
their skills in ethical and democratic leadership, project
management, advocacy and communications and
develop pilot actions to put their project ideas into
practice with dedicated seed grants.
Supporting elections with integrity
Regarding its activities on elections and democracy,
the Foundation’s digital work is based on KACEDDA's
findings. The Commission was first established in 2018
and was composed of members from civil society and
government, the technology sector, academia, and
the media. The objectives of the Commission were to
identify and frame the challenges to electoral integrity
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arising from the global spread of digital technologies
and social media platforms, develop policy measures to
tackle these challenges and highlight the opportunities
that technological change offers for strengthening
electoral integrity and political participation, and define
and articulate a programme of advocacy to ensure that
the key messages emerging from the Commission were
widely diffused and debated around the world.
In addition to articles that deal with issues such as
the interplay between democracy and the Internet,
the impact of digital on elections and democracy in
West Africa, and the digital dangers to democracy,
the Commission published an extensive report
titled Protecting Electoral Integrity in the Digital
Age. It addresses, among other things, hate speech,
disinformation, online political advertising, and foreign
interference in elections. The report proposes a set of 13
recommendations that address capacity building, norm
building, and actions to be taken by public authorities
and social media platforms. The Foundation is now
working to implement certain recommendations, in
cooperation with key stakeholders from civil society,
academia, the private sector, and government.
Interdisciplinary approaches
Building a more effective architecture for digital
cooperation
The Foundation facilitates the sharing of lessons and
expertise across countries to counter the negative
407
impact of social media on elections, particularly
harnessing the potential of South-South partnerships
and building the capacity of civil society and electoral
stakeholders.
Ensuring the protection of human rights in the digital
era
The Foundation works with electoral stakeholders to
mitigate the impact of online disinformation and hate
speech, and to ensure threats from the digital space do
not undermine citizens’ rights to political participation
and that digital tools increase voters’ ability to make
informed and educated electoral decisions.
Kofi Time: The Podcast
Through our podcast, Kofi Time, we promote Kofi
Annan’s values and the relevance of them today to a
global audience. In our podcast, Ahmad Fawzi, one of Kofi
Annan’s former spokespersons and communications
advisor, examines how Kofi Annan tackled a specific
crisis and its relevance to today’s world and challenges.
Kofi Annan’s call to bring all stakeholders around the
table – including the private sector, local authorities,
civil society organisations, academia, and scientists
– resonates now more than ever with so many who
understand that governments alone cannot shape our
future.
In the first 10-part series, Ahmad Fawzi interviews some
of Kofi Annan’s closest advisors and colleagues including

DIGITAL TOOLS
Dr Peter Piot, Christiane Amanpour, Mark Malloch-Brown,
Michael Møller, and more. Kofi Time is available on the
Kofi Annan Foundation website, SoundCloud, Spotify,
and Apple Podcasts.
Raising awareness of Kofi Annan’s Legacy
The Kofi Annan Foundation uses digital tools to raise
awareness of Kofi Annan’s legacy, by providing electronic
access to selected speeches and quotations as well as to
a collection of his papers compiled by City University of
New York on our website, and to some of his recorded
statements and discussions via our official YouTube
channel.
Future of meetings
The Kofi Annan Foundation regularly organises online
and hybrid webinars, roundtables and regional events on
a variety of topics including; elections in various regions
of the world, youth resilience during the pandemic,
violence against women in politics, disinformation, and
the impact of COVID-19 on democracy and elections,
and more.
The Foundation makes use of digital tools including
Zoom and WhatsApp to connect with our youth leaders
and partners around the world and to share information
about their programmes as well as speaking and
networking opportunities.
Both the Kofi Annan Changemakers and WYDE Civic
Engagement Accountability Hubs programmes are
hybrid, consisting of online modules of learning, training
and presentations.
The Foundation holds its board meetings online, with
decisions on programmatic and resource matters taken
by members participating remotely. We also convenes
its weekly team meetings in a hybrid manner as well
as annual virtual meetings of its Electoral Integrity
Initiative.
Social media channels
Facebook @KofiAnnanFoundation
Instagram @KofiAnnanFoundation
LinkedIn @Kofi Annan Foundation
X @KofiAnnanFdn
YouTube @Kofi Annan Foundation
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409

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) 1
Palais Wilson | Rue des Pâquis 52 | 1201 Geneva | Switzerland
www.ohchr.org/EN/pages/home.aspx
1
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other related UN human rights entities,
namely the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, and the Treaty Bodies are considered
together under this section.

About the OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Office is headed by the OHCHR and
is the principal UN entity on human rights. Also known
as UN Human Rights, it is part of the UN Secretariat. UN
Human Rights has been mandated by the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) to promote and protect all human
rights. As such, it plays a crucial role in supporting the
three fundamental pillars of the UN: peace and security,
human rights, and development. UN Human Rights
provides technical expertise and capacity development
in regard to the implementation of human rights, and
in this capacity assists governments in fulfilling their
obligations.
UN Human Rights is associated with a number of
other UN human rights entities. To illustrate, it serves
as the secretariat for the UN Human Rights Council
(UNHRC) and the Treaty Bodies. The UNHRC is a body
of the UN that aims to promote the respect of human
rights worldwide. It discusses thematic issues and in
addition to its ordinary session, it has the ability to hold
special sessions on serious human rights violations and
emergencies. The ten Treaty Bodies are committees of
independent experts that monitor the implementation
of the core international human rights treaties.
The UNHRC established the Special Procedures,
which are made up of UN Special Rapporteurs (i.e.
independent experts or working groups) working on
a variety of human rights thematic issues and country
situations to assist the efforts of the UNHRC through
regular reporting and advice. The Universal Periodic
Review (UPR), under the auspices of the UNHRC, is a
unique process that involves a review of the human
rights records of all UN member states, providing the
opportunity for each state to declare what actions they
have taken to improve the human rights situations in
their countries. UN Human Rights also serves as the
secretariat to the UPR process.
Certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
and national human rights institutions participate
as observers in UNHRC sessions after receiving the
necessary accreditation.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Digital issues are increasingly gaining prominence in
the work of UN Human Rights, the UNHRC, the Special
Procedures, the UPR, and the Treaty Bodies.
A landmark document that provides a blueprint for
digital human rights is the UNHRC resolution (A/
HRC/20/8) on the promotion, protection, and enjoyment
of human rights on the internet, which was first adopted
in 2012, starting a string of regular resolutions with the
same name addressing a growing number of issues. All
resolutions affirm that the same rights that people have
offline must also be protected online. Numerous other
resolutions and reports from UN human rights entities
and experts considered in this overview tackle an evergrowing
range of other digital issues including the right
to privacy in the digital age; freedom of expression and
opinion; freedom of association and peaceful assembly;
the rights of older persons; racial discrimination; the
rights of women and girls; human rights in the context
of violent extremism online; economic, social, and
cultural rights; human rights and technical standardsetting;
business and human rights; and the safety of
journalists.
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Credit: ohchr.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
In 2018, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion
and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression presented a report to the UNGA on Artificial
Intelligence (AI) Technologies and Implications for the
Information Environment. Among other things, the
document addresses the role of AI in the enjoyment of
freedom of opinion and expression including ‘access
to the rules of the game when it comes to AI-driven
platforms and websites’ and therefore urges for a
human rights-based approach to AI.
For her 2020 thematic report to the Human Rights
Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary
forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia,
and related intolerance analysed different forms of
racial discrimination in the design and use of emerging
technologies, including the structural and institutional
dimensions of this discrimination. She followed up with
reports examining how digital technologies, including
AI-driven predictive models, deployed in the context
of border enforcement and administration reproduce,
reinforce, and compound racial discrimination.
In 2020, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination published its General Recommendation
No. 36 on preventing and combating racial profiling
by law enforcement officials (CERD/C/GC/36), which
focuses on algorithmic decision-making and AI in
relation to racial profiling by law enforcement officials.
In 2021, UN Human Rights published a report analysing
how AI impacts the enjoyment of the right to privacy
and other human rights. It clarifies measures that
states and businesses should take to ensure that AI is
developed and used in ways that benefit human rights
and prevent and mitigate harm.
The UN Human Rights B-Tech project is running a
Generative AI project that demonstrates the ways in
which the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights should guide more effective understanding,
mitigation, and governance of the risks associated with
generative AI.
UN Human Rights also weighs in on specific policy
and regulatory debates, such as by an open letter
concerning the negotiations of a European Union AI Act.
Child safety online 1
The issue of child safety online has garnered the attention
of UN human rights entities for some time. A 2016
resolution on Rights of the Child: Information and Communications
Technologies and Child Sexual Exploitation
adopted by the UNHRC calls on states to ensure
‘full, equal, inclusive, and safe access [...] to information
and communications technologies by all children and
1
Within the work of the OHCHR, ‘child safety online’ is referred to as ‘rights of the child’ and dealt with as a human rights issue.
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safeguard the protection of children online and offline’,
as well as the legal protection of children from sexual
abuse and exploitation online. The Special Rapporteur
on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including
child prostitution, child pornography, and other
child sexual abuse material, mandated by the UNHRC
to analyse the root causes of sale and sexual exploitation
and promote measures to prevent it, also looks
at issues related to child abuse, such as the sexual exploitation
of children online, which has been addressed
in a report (A/HRC/43/40) published in 2020, but also in
earlier reports.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child published
its General Comment No. 25 on Children’s Rights in
Relation to the Digital Environment (CRC/C/GC/25),
which lays out how states parties should implement
the convention in relation to the digital environment
and provides guidance on relevant legislative, policy,
and other measures to ensure full compliance with
their obligations under the convention and optional
protocols in the light of opportunities, risks, and
challenges in promoting, respecting, protecting, and
fulfilling all children’s rights in the digital environment.
Data governance
UN Human Rights maintains an online platform
consisting of a number of databases on antidiscrimination
and jurisprudence, as well as the
Universal Human Rights Index (UHRI), which provide
415
access to recommendations issued to countries by
Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, and the UPR of the
UNHCR.
UN Human Rights also published a report titled A
Human Rights-Based Approach to Data – Leaving
no one Behind in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development that specifically focuses on issues of
data collection and disaggregation in the context of
sustainable development.
UN Human Rights has worked closely with partners
across the UN system in contributing to the Secretary-
General’s 2020 Data Strategy, and co-leads, with the
Office of Legal Affairs and UN Global Pulse, work on the
subsequent Data Protection and Privacy Program.
Capacity development
UN Human Rights launched the Guiding Principles in
Technology Project (B-Tech Project) to provide guidance
and resources to companies operating in the technology
space with regard to the implementation of the UN
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
(UNGPs on BHR). Following the publication of a B-Tech
scoping paper in 2019, several foundational papers
have delved into a broad range of business-related
issues, from business-model-related human rights risks
to access to remedies. At the heart of the B-Tech project
lies multistakeholder engagement, informing all of its
outputs. The B-Tech project is enhancing its engagement
in Africa, working with technology company operators,

investors, and other key digital economy stakeholders,
including civil society, across Africa in a set of African
economies and their tech hubs to create awareness of
implementing the UNGPs on BHR.
Following a multistakeholder consultation held 7–8
March 2022, the High Commissioner presented her
report on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights and Technology Companies (A/HRC/50/56),
which demonstrated the value and practical application
of the UNGPs in preventing and addressing adverse
human rights impacts by technology companies.
Extreme poverty 2
The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human
rights has in recent years increased his analysis of
human rights issues arising in the context of increased
digitisation and automation. His 2017 report to the
General Assembly tackled the socio-economic challenges
in an emerging world where automation and AI threaten
traditional sources of income and analysed the promises
and possible pitfalls of introducing a universal basic
income. His General Assembly report in 2019 addressed
worrying trends in connection with the digitisation
of the welfare state. Moreover, in his 2022 report to
the UNHRC on non-take-up of rights in the context of
social protection, the Special Rapporteur highlighted,
among other things, the benefits and considerable
risks associated with automation of social protection
processes.
Content policy
Geneva-based human rights organisations and
mechanisms have consistently addressed content
policy questions, in particular in the documents
referred under Freedom of Expression and Freedom of
Peaceful Assembly and of Association. Other contexts
where content policy plays an important role include
Rights of the Child, Gender Rights Online, and Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. Moreover, the use of digital
technologies in the context of terrorism and violent
extremism is closely associated with content policy
considerations.
UN Human Rights, at the request of the UNHRC,
prepared a compilation report in 2016, which explores,
among other issues, aspects related to the preventing
and countering of violent extremism online, and
underscores that responses to violent extremism that
are robustly built on human rights are more effective
and sustainable.
Additional efforts were made in 2019 when the Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human
rights and fundamental freedoms while countering
2
Within the work of the OHCHR, ‘extreme poverty’ is dealt with as a human rights issue.
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terrorism published a report where she examined the
multifaceted impacts of counter-terrorism measures
on civic space and the rights of civil society actors
and human rights defenders, including measures
taken to address vaguely defined terrorist and violent
extremist content. In July 2020, she published a report
discussing the human rights implications of the use of
biometric data to identify terrorists and recommended
safeguards that should be taken.
Interdisciplinary approaches
Collaboration within the UN system
UN Human Rights is leading a UN system-wide process
to develop a human rights due diligence (HRDD)
guidance for digital technology, as requested by the
Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation
and his Call to Action for Human Rights.
As part of the implementation of the Secretary-
General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, UN Human
Rights launched the UN Hub for Human rights and
Digital Technology, which provides a central repository
of authoritative guidance from various UN human rights
mechanisms on the application of human rights norms
to the use and governance of digital technologies.
In addition, UN Human Rights is a member of the Legal
Identity Agenda Task Force, which promotes solutions
for the implementation of SDG target 16.9 (i.e. by 2030,
417
provide legal identity for all, including birth registration).
It leads its work on exclusion and discrimination in the
context of digitised identity systems.
Neurotechnology
Rapid advancements in neurotechnology and
neuroscience, while holding promises of medical
benefits and scientific breakthroughs, present a
number of human rights and ethical challenges. Against
this backdrop, UN Human Rights has been contributing
significantly to an inter-agency process led by the
Executive Office of the Secretary-General to develop a
global roadmap for effective and inclusive governance
of neurotechnology.
Secretary-General’s Report on Our Common Agenda
Since the adoption of A/RES/76/6 on Our Common
Agenda in November 2021, the follow-up by the UN
system has been underway. UN Human Rights is coleading
several proposals in collaboration with other
entities, notably on the application of the human
rights framework in the digital sphere, mitigation and
prevention of internet shutdowns, and disinformation.
Smart Cities
Making Cities Right for Young People” is a participatory
research project, supported by the Botnar Foundation,
which examines the impact of the digitalisation of cities
on the enjoyment of human rights. It also examines
strategies to ensure that “smartness” is measured

not solely by technological advancements but by the
realisation and promotion of inhabitants’ human rights
and well-being, and explores ways to promote digital
technologies for civic engagement, participation, and
the public good, with a focus on meaningful youth
participation in decision-making processes. Launched in
2023, this project will survey the current landscape and
detail key human rights issues in urban digitalisation.
Based on participatory research carried out in three
geographically, socially, culturally, and politically diverse
cities, it will produce a report with initial findings and
develop a roadmap for future human-rights-based work
on smart cities.
Migration
In September 2023, UN Human Rights published a study,
conducted with the University of Essex, that analyses the
far-reaching human rights implications of specific border
technologies. It provides recommendations for states
and stakeholders on how to take a human-rights-based
approach in ensuring the use of digital technologies at
borders aligns with international human rights law and
standards. The study draws from a collective body of
expertise, research, and evidence, as well as extensive
interviews and collaborative meetings with experts.
Privacy and data protection
Challenges to the right to privacy in the digital age, such
as surveillance, communications interception, and the
increased use of data-intensive technologies, are among
some of the issues covered by the activities of UN Human
Rights. At the request of the UNGA and the UNHRC, the
High Commissioner prepared four reports on the right
to privacy in the digital age. The first report, presented
in 2014, addressed the threat to human rights caused
by surveillance by governments, in particular mass
surveillance. The ensuing report, published in September
2018, identified key principles, standards, and best
practices regarding the promotion and protection of the
right to privacy. It outlined minimum standards for data
privacy legal frameworks. In September 2021, the High
Commissioner presented a ground-breaking report on
AI and the right to privacy (A/HRC/48/31), in which she
called for a ban on AI applications that are incompatible
with international human rights law, and stressed the
urgent need for a moratorium on the sale and use of
AI systems that pose serious human rights risks until
adequate safeguards are put in place. In September 2022,
the High Commissioner presented a report focusing on
the abuse of spyware by public authorities, the key role
of encryption in ensuring the enjoyment of human rights
in the digital age, and the wide-spread monitoring of
public spaces.
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The UNHRC also tackles online privacy and data
protection. Resolutions on the promotion and protection
of human rights on the internet have underlined the need
to address security concerns on the internet in accordance
with international human rights obligations to ensure
the protection of all human rights online, including the
right to privacy. The UNHRC has also adopted specific
resolutions on the right to privacy in the digital age,
addressing issues such as mass surveillance, AI, the
responsibility of business enterprises, and the key role of
the right to privacy as an enabler of other human rights.
Resolutions on the safety of journalists have emphasised
the importance of encryption and anonymity tools for
journalists to freely exercise their work. Two resolutions
on new and emerging technologies (2019 and 2021) have
further broadened the lens, for example by asking for
a report on the human rights implications of technical
standard-setting processes.
The UNHRC has also mandated the Special Rapporteur
on the right to privacy to address the issue of online
privacy in its Resolution on the Right to Privacy in the
Digital Age from 2015 (A/HRC/RES/28/16). To illustrate,
the Special Rapporteur has addressed the question of
privacy from the stance of surveillance in the digital age
(A/HRC/34/60), which becomes particularly challenging
in the context of cross-border data flows. More recently,
specific attention has been given to privacy of health
data that is being produced more and more in the day
and age of digitalisation and that requires the highest
legal and ethical standards (A/HRC/40/63). In this
vein, in 2020, the Special Rapporteur examined data
protection and surveillance in relation to COVID-19 and
contact tracing in his preliminary report (A/75/147),
in which he provided a more definitive analysis on
how pandemics can be managed with respect to the
right to privacy (A/76/220) in 2021. In another 2020
report (A/HRC/43/52), the Special Rapporteur provides
a set of recommendations on privacy in the online
space calling for, among other things, ‘comprehensive
protection for secure digital communications, including
by promoting strong encryption and anonymityenhancing
tools, products, and services, and resisting
requests for “backdoors” to digital communications’
and recommending that ‘government digital identity
programs are not used to monitor and enforce societal
gender norms, or for purposes that are not lawful,
necessary, and proportionate in a democratic society.’
The Special Rapporteur also addressed the challenges of
AI and privacy, as well as children’s privacy, particularly
the role of privacy in supporting autonomy and positive
participation of children in society, in his report in 2021
(A/HRC/46/37).
Lastly, in 2022, the Special Rapporteur examined
developments in privacy and data protection in Ibero-
America in her report titled Privacy and Personal
Data Protection in Ibero-America: A Step Towards
Globalization? (A/HRC/49/55).
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Freedom of expression
The High Commissioner and his office advocate
for the promotion and protection of freedom of
expression, including in the online space. Key topics
in this advocacy are the protection of the civic space
and the safety of journalists online; various forms of
information control, including internet shutdowns
and censorship; addressing incitement to violence,
discrimination, or hostility; disinformation; and the
role of social media platforms in the space of online
expression.
Freedom of expression in the digital space also features
highly on the agenda of the UNHRC. It has often
underlined that states have a responsibility to ensure
adequate protection of freedom of expression online,
including when they adopt and implement measures
aimed at dealing with issues such as cybersecurity,
incitement to violence, and the promotion and
distribution of extremist content online. The UNHRC has
also been firm in condemning measures to intentionally
prevent or disrupt access to or the dissemination of
information online, and has called on states to refrain
from and cease such measures.
In 2021, at the request of the UNHRC resolution 47/16,
the High Commissioner prepared a report on internet
shutdowns (A/HRC/50/55), which looks at trends in
internet shutdowns, analysing their causes, their
legal implications, and impact on a range of human
rights, including economic, social, and cultural rights.
She called on states to refrain from the full range of
internet shutdowns and companies to uphold their
responsibilities to respect human rights. She stressed
the need for development agencies, and regional
and international organisations to bridge their digital
connectivity efforts with efforts related to internet
shutdowns.
UN Human Rights also weighs in on a range of lawmaking
processes that are relevant for the exercise
of the right to freedom of expression. For example, it
has engaged with the development of the EU Digital
Services Act, commented extensively on global trends
in regulating social media, and participates in the
process of elaborating a Comprehensive International
Convention on Countering the Use of Information and
Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes.
Special Rapporteurs on the promotion and protection
of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
have been analysing issues relating to free expression
in the digital space for more than a decade. Reports
in the first half of the 2010s already addressed the
importance of universal access to the internet for
the enjoyment of human rights, free expression in
the context of elections, and the adverse impacts of
government surveillance on free expression. In 2018,
the Special Rapporteur published a report on online
content regulation. It tackles governments’ regulation
of user-generated online content, analyses the role
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of companies, and recommends that states should
ensure an enabling environment for online freedom of
expression and that businesses should rely on human
rights law when designing their products and services.
The same year, he also presented to the UNGA a report
addressing freedom of expression issues linked to the
use of AI by companies and states. A year later, the
Special Rapporteur presented a report to the UNGA
on online hate speech that discusses the regulation of
hate speech in international human rights law and how
it provides a basis for governmental actors considering
regulatory options and for companies determining how
to respect human rights online.
In 2020, the Special Rapporteur issued Disease
Pandemics and the Freedom of Opinion and Expression,
a report that specifically tackles issues such as access
to the internet, which is highlighted to be ‘a critical
element of healthcare policy and practice, public
information, and even the right to life’. The report
calls for greater international coordination on digital
connectivity given the importance of digital access
to healthcare information. Other reports addressed
the vital importance of encryption and anonymity for
the exercise of freedom of opinion and the threats to
freedom of expression emanating from widespread
digital surveillance.
The Special Rapporteur, while acknowledging the
complexities and challenges posed by disinformation
in the digital age, noted that responses by states
and companies to counter disinformation have been
421
inadequate and detrimental to human rights. In her
2021 report Disinformation and Freedom of Opinion
and Expression (A/HRC/47/25), she examined the
threats posed by disinformation to human rights,
democratic institutions, and development processes,
and called for multidimensional and multistakeholder
responses to disinformation that are well grounded in
the international human rights framework and urged
companies to review their business models and states
to recalibrate their responses to disinformation.
More recently, in 2022, the Special Rapporteur issued
Reinforcing Media Freedom and the Safety of Journalists
in the Digital Age (A/HRC/50/29), a report in which she
calls on states and the international community to
strengthen multistakeholder cooperation to protect
and promote media freedom and the safety of
journalists in the digital age and ensure independence,
pluralism, and viability of the media. She also calls on
digital services companies and social media platforms
to respect the UNGPs on BHR.
Online hate speech and discrimination have also been
addressed by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of
religion and belief. For instance, in a report published
in 2019, the online manifestation of antisemitism
(including antisemitic hate speech) was underscored
and best practices from the Netherlands and Poland
were shared. The report highlights that governments
‘have an affirmative responsibility to address online
antisemitism, as the digital sphere is now the primary
public forum and marketplace for ideas’. In another

document published that same year, the Special
Rapporteur assesses the impact of online platforms
on discrimination and on the perpetuation of hostile
and violent acts in the name of religion, as well as how
restrictive measures such as blocking and filtering of
websites negatively impact the freedom of expression.
The issue of online blasphemy and undue limitations
on expressing critical views of religions and beliefs
imposed by governments has also been addressed on
a number of occasions, including in a report from 2018.
Gender rights online 3
UN Human Rights and the UNHRC have reiterated
on several occasions the need for countries to bridge
the gender digital divide and enhance the use of ICTs,
including the internet, to promote the empowerment
of all women and girls. It has also condemned genderbased
violence committed on the internet. Implementing
a 2016 UNHRC resolution on the Promotion, Protection,
and Enjoyment of Human Rights on the Internet, the
High Commissioner on Human Rights in 2017 prepared a
report on Ways to Bridge the Gender Digital Divide from
a Human Rights Perspective.
Rights of persons with disabilities
The promotion and protection of the rights of persons
with disabilities in the online space have been addressed
on several occasions by the UN Special Rapporteur on
the rights of persons with disabilities. A report from
2016 underscored that ICTs including the internet can
increase the participation of persons with disabilities in
public decision-making processes and that states should
work towards reducing the access gap between those
who can use ICTs and those who cannot.
Nevertheless, a report from 2019 stressed that the shift
to e-governance and service delivery in a digital manner
can hamper access for older persons with disabilities
who may lack the necessary skills or equipment.
The Special Rapporteur also examined the opportunities
and risks posed by AI, including discriminatory impacts
in relation to AI in decision-making systems. In his
2021 report (A/HRC/49/52), the Special Rapporteur
emphasises the importance of disability-inclusive AI and
the inclusion of persons with disabilities in conversations
about AI.
3
Within the work of the OHCHR, ‘gender rights online’’ is referred to as ‘women rights and gender equality online’.
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Freedom of peaceful assembly and
association
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly and association in the digital environment in
recent years has attracted increased attention.
For example, the High Commissioner presented to the
44th session of the UNHRC a report on new technologies
such as ICTs and their impact on the promotion and
protection of human rights in the context of assemblies,
including peaceful protests. The report highlighted many
of the great opportunities for the exercise of human
rights that digital technologies offer, and analysed key
issues linked to online content takedowns, and called
on states to stop the practice of network disruptions
in the context of protests. It also developed guidance
concerning the use of surveillance tools, in particular
facial recognition technology.
The Human Rights Committee published in July 2020 its
General Comment No. 37 on Article 21 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (right of
peaceful assembly), which addresses manifold aspects
arising in the digital context.
The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of
peaceful assembly and of association in 2019 published
a report for the UNHRC focusing on the opportunities
and challenges facing the rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly and of association in the digital age. In following
reports, he condemned the widespread practice of
internet shutdowns and raised concerns about technologically
mediated restrictions on free association and
assembly in the context of crises.
Economic, social, and cultural rights
In March 2020, the UN Secretary-General presented to
the UNHRC a report on the role of new technologies for
the realisation of economic, social, and cultural rights.
He identified the opportunities and challenges held by
new technologies for the realisation of economic, social,
and cultural rights and other related human rights,
and for the human-rights-based implementation of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The
report concludes with recommendations for related
action by member states, private companies, and other
stakeholders.
More recently, in 2022, the Special Rapporteur on Education
presented a report on the impact of digitalisation
of education on the right to education (A/HRC/50/32) to
the UNHRC, calling for the integration of human rights
legal framework in digital education plans in the context
of increasing digitalization of education.
Technical standard-setting and human rights
In June 2023, UN Human Rights presented the first UN
report systematically analysing the intersection of technical
standards-setting and human rights. It sheds light
on how technical standards shape how human rights can
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DIGITAL TOOLS
be enjoyed in a digital environment. It identifies multiple
challenges and provides extensive recommendations for
the effective integration of human rights considerations
into standards-setting processes. UN Human Rights has
initiated a project for the coming years to support the
implementation of those recommendations.
As requested by the UNHRC, in its resolution A/HRC/
RES/47/23, the High Commissioner presented her report
on UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
and Technology Companies (A/HRC/50/56), following
the multistakeholder consultation held on 7–8 March
2022. The High Commissioner’s report demonstrated
the value and practical application of the UNGPs in
preventing and addressing adverse human rights
impacts by technology companies
The UNHRC has developed an e-learning tool to assist
government officials from least developed countries
and small island developing states (SIDS) as per the
mandate of the Trust Fund to develop competencies on
the UNHRC and its mechanisms.
Future of meetings
For more information, visit the UN Human Rights
meetings and events page.
Social media channels
Facebook @UnitedNationsHumanRights
Instagram @unitednationshumanrights
X @UNHumanRights
YouTube @UNOHCHR
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South Centre
International Environment House 2 | Chemin de Balexert 7-9 | 1219 Vernier | Switzerland
www.southcentre.int
taxinitiative.southcentre.int
ipaccessmeds.southcentre.int

About the South Centre
Established in 1995, the South Centre is an
intergovernmental policy research think tank composed
of and accountable to developing country member
states. It researches key policy development issues and
supports developing countries to effectively participate
in international negotiating processes that are relevant to
achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The
South Centre promotes the unity of the Global South in
such processes while recognising the diversity of national
interests and priorities.
The South Centre works on a wide range of issues
relevant to countries in the Global South and the global
community in general, such as sustainable development,
climate change, South-South cooperation (SSC), financing
for development, innovation and intellectual property,
traditional knowledge, access to medicines, health,
biodiversity, trade, investment agreements, international
tax cooperation, human rights, gender, and the fourth
industrial revolution.
Within the limits of its capacity and mandate, the South
Centre also responds to requests for policy advice and
technical and other support from its members and other
developing countries.
The South Centre has observer status in several
international organisations.
428

The legal characterisation and design of a legal
regime for data poses one of the most important
contemporary challenges to policymakers.
This is, of course, not the first time – nor will
it be the last – that technological changes
demand new policy and legal approaches.
But in few cases have the stakes been so
high for future socio-economic
development.
Carlos M. Correa
Executive Director
Message by the South Centre Executive Director
The South Centre is an intergovernmental organisation composed of and accountable to
developing country member states, delivering policy-oriented research on issues relevant
to the achievement of the SDGs. Our priorities include supporting developing countries to
harness digital technologies, advance digital equity and inclusion, and participate effectively
in regulating the global digital economy and shaping the digital governance architecture to
achieve the SDGs.
429

Message by the South Centre Executive Director
We provide a platform for developing countries to advance common digital agendas, in
partnership with stakeholders such as other intergovernmental organisations, academic
institutions, and civil society organisations.
We also assist countries to respond to the changes brought about by the fourth industrial
revolution as part of upgrading industrial policies and catch-up strategies, such as the impact
on investment and trade; the need to increase access to internet connectivity, information
and communications technologies (ICTs), and new technologies; the future of labour; and
building adequate skills. We provide expert input to discussions on digital transformation
issues, including equity in access to digital tools, digital rights, data flows, data sovereignty,
digital education, and taxation of the digital economy. Digital cooperation in the form of
capacity building, access, and technology transfer are key development priorities for the
global digital agenda.
The South Centre supports our members and the Group of (G77) and China in negotiations in
various UN forums including the Global Digital Compact, as well as negotiations on e-commerce
in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in free trade agreements, discussions on digital
health in the context of the World Health Organization (WHO), and discussions on artificial
intelligence (AI) and intellectual property (IP) at the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO).
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Innovation and development is one of the issue areas
the South Centre works on. As part of its efforts within
this domain, it focuses on information technologies.
Moreover, digital issues are also tackled in the domain
of, inter alia, taxation and the digital economy, data
governance, e-commerce, and the fourth industrial
revolution.
The South Centre has produced deliverables/research
outputs in the following areas: digital and financial
inclusion, digital economy, digital taxation, digital
industrialisation, and digital trade, among others.
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Credit: southcentre.int

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Intellectual property rights
In June 2019, it published a policy brief on Intellectual
Property and Electronic Commerce: Proposals in the
WTO and Policy Implications for Developing Countries,
in which it gave an overview of discussions within the
WTO on IP and its potential implications for the digital
economy.
In September 2020, the South Centre published a
research paper on Data in Legal Limbo: Ownership,
Sovereignty, or a Digital Public Goods Regime? and
in 2022, a research paper on The Liability of Internet
Service Providers for Copyright Infringement in Sri
Lanka: A Comparative Analysis. Additional research
will be published on IP and digital-related topics in the
upcoming year.
E-commerce and trade
The digital economy is another issue researched by
the South Centre in the context of development. For
instance, in 2017 it published an analytical note The
WTO’s Discussions on Electronic Commerce, in which
it explores the stance of developing countries (i.e.
readiness in terms of infrastructure, upskilling, etc.)
to engage in cross-border e-commerce. Among other
things, it highlights challenges such as low information
technology (IT) adoption and the lack of electricity
supply that limit the uptake of e-commerce activities in
Africa for instance. Another analytical note published
that same year tackles the impact of the digital economy
on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs),
and looks into the type of e-commerce rules that could
best serve the interests of MSMEs.
The South Centre also provides analyses and organises
many meetings to discuss issues such as the WTO
E-Commerce Moratorium and the Joint Statement
Initiative (JSI) plurilateral discussions on e-commerce.
In 2019, addressed issues on the regulation of the
digital economy in developing countries, namely, the
future of work, market dynamics, and data and privacy
protection.
The South Centre recently published a research
paper on the WTO Moratorium on Customs Duties
on Electronic Transmissions. This paper highlights the
adverse impacts of the continuing moratorium on
developing and least developed countries. Because
of the moratorium, almost all developing and least
developed countries are losing tariff revenues at a time
when they are most needed. With no clarity on the
definition of electronic transmissions and thereby on
the scope of the moratorium, its continuation can lead
to substantive tariff revenue losses for developing and
least developed countries in the future.
The South Centre recently issued a statement on
the landmark shift of the US Trade Representative’s
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decision to rein in the Big Tech digital trade agenda
under the E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative (JSI)
negotiations.
The South Centre also monitors developments and
participates in discussions in the field and across
international organisations in Geneva, including the
UNCTAD eTrade for All initiative.
In 2022, the South Centre organised/co-organised
two sessions during UNCTAD eCommerce week: Data
Regulation: Implications for the Digitization of the
Economy and Development and Exploring a Global
Framework for Data Governance. The South Centre
Executive Director also participated in the eTrade for
All Leadership Dialogue. See the Centre’s contribution
here.
Taxation
The taxation of the digital economy is the single biggest
issue in international taxation today. Countries around
the world are trying to find solutions for taxing Big Tech
companies that operate with very different business
models owing to which they are able to escape taxation
under outdated international tax rules meant for a brickand-mortar
economy. The key solution being negotiated
is known as Amount A of Pillar One of the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s
Two Pillar solution. The South Centre has been actively
involved in Amount A negotiations, briefing its member
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states and submitting comments on every single
set of Model Rules that have been put out for public
comment, articulating the concerns and issues of
developing countries. In 2022, we published the world’s
first set of country-level revenue estimates on Amount
A contrasted with the UN solution of Article 12B of the
UN Model Tax Convention. The revenue estimates were
published for the member states of the South Centre
and the African Union, with whom the study was jointly
conducted. We are coming up with a revised set of
revenue estimates based on the latest version of Amount
A for our member states and these will be released in
late 2023. In October 2023, we published another Policy
Brief titled Beyond the Two Pillar Proposals: A Simplified
Approach for Taxing Multinationals, which offers an
alternative policy solution different from those of the
UN and the OECD.
We also published a Policy Brief in June 2023 titled
Taxation of Digital Services: What hope for the African
States? which argues that African countries need to
improve digital connectivity to be able to collect more
taxes under the OECD digital tax solution of Amount A.
This is because the revenue sourcing rules of Amount A
allocate profits using digital indicators such as viewing
of advertisements, IP addresses, etc.
In the UN Tax Committee, we participated in the
26th Session in New York where we mobilised the
developing country members through peer exchanges
and briefings and also participated in the negotiations
to promote the interests of our member states and

other developing countries, inter alia, on the taxation of
the digital economy.
Ahead of the UN Tax Committee session, we published
a study on the taxation of computer software. The
study on computer software showed that 34 of the
South Centre’s member states could have collected
$1 billion in taxes in 2020 from computer software
sales had there been the corresponding standards by
the UN. The Brief helped mobilise developing country
support and bring to a close a 20-year negotiation on
the taxation of computer software.
We also published a Policy Brief titled Conceptualizing
Remote Worker Permanent Establishment, which
provided an innovative solution for taxing the emerging
phenomenon of Work From Home/Work From
Anywhere.
The UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on
the Digital Economy invited the South Centre to present
to UN member states the policy options for taxing the
digital economy. Our presentation was so appreciated
that the governments of Palestine and Cambodia
immediately requested capacity building on the subject.
Given our expertise in the taxation of the digital
economy, we co-organised in June 2023 a Group of
Twenty (G20)-South Centre event on international
taxation. This was on capacity building for Indian tax
officials on the Two Pillar solution and the international
tax standards being negotiated in the UN. This was
also our first G20 event, and was widely praised and
appreciated by the Indian participants. We mobilised
international tax experts from across Asia, Africa, and
Latin America to share their perspectives on these
topics with Indian officials.
We partnered with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) to co-organise a Capacity Building
Workshop on the taxation of the digital economy in May
2023. The two organisations shared the policy options
available to Sri Lanka to tax the digital economy, which
included a Digital Services Tax. The workshop was
so impactful that within a few days the government
introduced a digital services tax and in the record time
of two months got it passed by Parliament. We remained
engaged and provided technical briefs to the Sri Lankan
Parliament, particularly the Finance Committees.
We were also invited to participate in the Addis Tax
Initiative (ATI) General Assembly in Zambia where we
provided capacity building on ATI member states on the
taxation of the digital economy. After the workshop, the
Finance Ministry of Zambia reached out to the South
Centre Tax Initiative (SCTI) for detailed policy advice.
Multiple news channels and agencies regularly solicit
the South Centre’s views on the concerns of the
developing countries in international tax negotiations
on the taxation of the digital economy.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
Sustainable development
The South Centre has delved into the interplay between
digital technologies and development on several
occasions through its research outputs. In 2006, it
published an analytical note titled Internet Governance
for Development. The document argues that affordable
access to the internet allows for better education
opportunities, greater access to information, improved
private and public services, and stronger cultural
diversity. More specifically, the document provided
recommendations on issues such as openness (e.g.
leaving the policy space open for developing countries),
diversity (e.g. multilingualism), and security (e.g. funding
of computer security incident response teams (CSIRTs))
to maximise the outcomes of discussions for developing
countries at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
A year later, the South Centre published the research
paper Towards a Digital Agenda for Developing
Countries, in which it looks into the conditions, rights,
and freedoms necessary for developing countries
to benefit from digital and Internet resources.
By bringing together several different strands of
ongoing discussions and analyses at the national and
international levels, it provides a direction for further
research and policy analysis by laying the groundwork
and creating awareness of the relevance and scope
of digital and internet content for policymakers in
developing countries.
In 2020, the South Centre continued to research
the impact of digital technologies in the context of
development. Its research paper The Fourth Industrial
Revolution in Developing Nations: Challenges and
Roadmap tackles trends in emerging technologies such
as big data, robotics, and the internet of things (IoT), and
identifies challenges, namely, the lack of infrastructure,
a trained and skilled workforce, scalability, and funding
faced by developing countries. It goes on to propose
a strategic framework for responding to the fourth
industrial revolution, which focuses on capacity building,
technology incubations, scientific development, and
policymaking.
Discussions towards the adoption of a Global Digital
Compact (GDC) have been included as one of the proposals
made by the United Nations Secretary-General
(UNSG) in his report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982).
The main objective of this proposal is “to protect the
online space and strengthen its governance” based on
“shared principles for an open, free and secure digital
future for all”. The issue of digital governance is quite
complex and includes the need to reaffirm the fundamental
commitment to connecting the unconnected;
avoiding fragmentation of the internet; providing people
with options as to how their data is used; applying
human rights online; and promoting the regulation of
AI.
The need to guarantee the implementation of human
rights online requires that discussions leading towards
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the GDC are conducted with upmost transparency,
public disclosure, and accountability. Likewise, the private
IT sector must respect human rights, apply human
rights due diligence and increased accountability, and
allow broader oversight from the state and civil society.
In some instances, public-private partnerships (PPPs)
can be a useful tool to support an inclusive digital
transformation, but public participation and oversight
of PPPs, guided by strong principles of transparency
and the protection and respect for human rights, are
necessary to support the transfer of technology, skills,
and knowledge needed to promote an inclusive digital
transformation. The South Centre has actively engaged
with other partners to strengthen multilateralism in
this process and to limit the detrimental impacts of
multistakeholderism in global governance.
The South Centre combines expertise in global matters
of governance in the discussion of the GDC with
the objective of strengthening multilateralism through
an intergovernmental process that protects the voices
of developing and least-developed countries. We prepared
a submission to the GDC on applying Human
Rights Online. In addition, our forthcoming research
paper considers the discussion on the GDC, the current
fragmentation of digital governance from the perspective
of developing countries, and the need to increase
international cooperation directed towards digital
transformation, while highlighting the need to address
climate change, the protection of human rights, and inclusiveness
as the most relevant issues for developing
countries today.
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In light of the health pandemic, the South Centre as
part of its publication series SouthViews, shared the
perspectives of developing countries on digital health,
its challenges and recommendations to overcome
these, and harnessing digital technology for education
in developing countries. A SouthViews on Access to
Medical Equipment in a Pandemic Situation: Importance
of Localized Supply Chains and 3D Printing was also
published.
In 2020 and 2021, a SouthViews on Technology and
Inequality: Can We Decolonise the Digital World?, on
Digital Transformation: Prioritizing Data Localization,
and An Introduction to the UN Technology Bank for the
Least Developed Countries were also published.
A Public Health Approach to Intellectual Property Rights
is a virtual help desk on the use of the Agreement on
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) flexibilities for public health purposes.
The South Centre has general and specific emailing lists
and is moving to institutionally become a paperless
organisation.

DIGITAL TOOLS
Future of meetings
In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the South
Centre has increasingly used Zoom and Microsoft
Teams for online meetings and webinars.
Meetings that the South Centre has organised at https://
www.southcentre.int/category/events/the-southcentre-events/
and https://ipaccessmeds.southcentre.
int/event/ and https://taxinitiative.southcentre.int/
event/
Social media channels
Facebook @South Centre
LinkedIn @South Centre, Geneva
Instagram @southcentre_gva
X @South_Centre
YouTube @SouthCentre GVA
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Swiss Digital Initiative
(SDI)
c/o Campus Biotech | Chemin des Mines 9 | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.swiss-digital-initiative.org
digitaltrust-label.swiss

About the SDI
The SDI is an independent, non-profit foundation established
in 2019. In September 2019, the first Swiss Global
Digital Summit took place in Geneva to provide a platform
to promote in-depth discussions on Ethics and Fairness
in the Age of Digital Transformation. This Summit represented
the starting point of the Foundation. During the
2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, the SDI celebrated
its official launch and the creation of the foundation.
Rooted in Swiss values yet driven by a global vision,
the Foundation is headquartered in Geneva, aiming to
strengthen and advance a trustworthy digital ecosystem
with diverse stakeholders. Its mission is to bring ethical
principles and values into digital technologies through
concrete projects such as the Digital Trust Label (DTL).
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Nicolas Zahn
Managing Director
Doris Leuthard
President
Ensuring a trustworthy digital landscape becomes increasingly
important, especially with the rise of artificial
intelligence. At the SDI, we want to leverage the Geneva
ecosystem to develop projects that help individuals and
organisations working towards trustworthy digital
services.
There is no better place to pioneer and experiment new
tools for digital trust and responsibility than Geneva.
A Label can be a good way to convene all international
stakeholders working on the issue to find a global
consensus.
Message by the SDI Managing Director
For the past decade, digital transformation has altered how humans interact, how companies
conduct business, and how governments work. Technological innovation has created
unprecedented opportunities for citizens, companies, and governments around the world,
allowing great potential to increase productivity and further the welfare of individuals and
societies. Despite the best of intentions, however, technology can cause unintentional harm
and may affect human rights, individual autonomy, financial stability, democratic processes,
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Message by the SDI Managing Director
and national sovereignty. Thus, building trust in digital infrastructure and strengthening digital
ethics and responsibility will be the foundation for societal innovation in the next decade of
digital transformation.
Following the first Swiss Global Digital Summit on ethics and fairness in the digital age,
organised under the patronage of Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer and by digitalswitzerland,
the Swiss Digital Initiative (SDI) Foundation was established in 2019. Through concrete projects,
the SDI tackles the ethical challenges of digitalisation, so that the full potential of digital
technologies can be unleashed to serve communities and society, while also conducting a
global conversation on the ethics of digitalisation.
In an effort to put trust and transparency back into tech, the SDI has developed the first-ever
Digital Trust Label (DTL). This Label is meant to empower users when they use digital services
and to give organisations a way to convey their commitment to digital responsibility. We have
partnered with academic institutions to carry out projects on artificial intelligence (AI) and
corporate digital responsibility (CDR) to raise awareness of data management, privacy, and AI.
Positive effects on human rights and democracy in the digital world will depend not only on
technological innovation but also on human choices regarding the use and design of new
technologies. In this sense, concerted efforts and multistakeholder collaboration are needed
to tackle digital challenges around algorithmic biases, discrimination, and data breaches, but
also on digital literacy and access to information and transparency.
We aim to win over national and international organisations to our vision of digital trust and
help shape the discourse for consumers towards more digital transparency, accountability,
and responsibility. Let us continue to work towards bringing ethical principles and values into
practice and pioneering digital trust. From Geneva to the World!
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
SDI actively works on tangible projects to implement
ethical standards in the digital age, with a primary focus
on cultivating digital trust.
The awareness of the importance of digital trust is
growing. To foster collaboration among like-minded
stakeholders, the SDI has compiled a comprehensive
report on the digital trust ecosystem. Labels and
Certifications for the Digital World – Mapping the
International Landscape takes a closer look at 12 of the
most relevant initiatives and analyses success factors
as well as similarities and differences compared to
the Digital Trust Label (DTL) by the SDI. In addition, it
provides a regularly updated interactive overview to
keep track of the dynamic Digital Trust Ecosystem.
The Digital Trust White paper provides a comprehensive
overview of the dynamic digital trust ecosystem.
The compiled knowledge should form the basis for
better cooperation and knowledge sharing. Instead
of fragmentation, more cooperation is needed to
define internationally valid labels and standards. It
also provides the theoretical background for the SDI’s
ongoing engagement in different working groups, for
example the Working Group on Digital Trust of the
World Economic Forum.
To assess the Swiss population’s mindset regarding
trust in the digital world, a qualitative study Digital
Trust from the User’s Perspective was carried out in
November 2019.
In a trend map Landscape of the Digital Economy
and Society, the trends identified further increase the
importance of trustworthy digital services.
In addition, as a member of the World Economic
Forum’s Digital Trust Working Group, the SDI actively
participates in digital-trust-related activities to advance
digital ethics and responsibility. Earning Digital Trust:
Decision-Making for Trustworthy Technologies is
an insight report published in 2022 emphasising
the importance of leaders cultivating digital trust.
Measuring Digital Trust: Supporting Decision-Making
for Trustworthy Technology, published in October 2023,
supports accessing an organisation’s advancement
in achieving digital trust objectives and the level of
maturity across dimensions.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Digital standards
Digital Trust Label (DTL)
Trust is at the core of every human interaction, and the
relationship we have with technology is no exception.
The ongoing digital transformation needs to be founded
in digital trust to be successful. Users of the digital
space are demanding more and more transparency
in the technology they use and caring more about the
decisions of companies’ leadership. Hence, to address
transparency and trustworthiness in digital technology,
the SDI developed the first-of-its-kind DTL. Launched in
January 2022, the DTL shows that a digital product or
service meets mandatory criteria and thus a certain
standard of trustworthiness. It also provides more
information and transparency for users regarding four
aspects: security, data protection, reliability of the
application, and fair user interaction (use of AI).
The DTL builds trust between the users and digital
technology providers. It benefits all stakeholders:
– Complies with a specific standard and puts the
user at the centre: The digital application meets
35 different criteria in 4 dimensions.
– Offers more transparency and information: Users
understand what happens with their data and
whether an algorithm makes a decision.
– Showcases responsible companies: The DTL
shows that a digital application provider takes its
responsibilities towards its users seriously.
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Priority in addressing digital trust should be given to
digital services that are used in fields where
– the handled data is very sensitive and the
consequences of using digital services matter
greatly;
– automated decision-making algorithms are used;
– there is not much choice whether to use a digital
service; and
– digital services are rolled out at a high pace and
on a large scale.
This particularly concerns digital services in healthcare,
the public sector, the media sector, banking and
insurance, HR, and the education sector.
Artificial intelligence
Ethical Artificial intelligence
As Generative AI is booming, the SDI is committed
to further advancing efforts to guarantee that AI is
developed in a secure, inclusive, and trustworthy
manner for the good and benefit of all.
As part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness of
the importance of digital responsibility and ethics
in AI, the SDI has partnered up with the renowned
Geneva School of Art and Design (HEAD) to create the
interactive experience Adface. The web-based tool
uses AI to analyse a person’s face and create a user
profile to produce targeted advertisements that fit the

DIGITAL TOOLS
assumed profile of the person. This tool shows that AI is
already deeply embedded in and influencing everyday
life (how AI algorithms influence decisions or automate
a person’s decisions) and also how AI algorithms can
make incorrect assumptions. Art and design can be
valuable allies for raising awareness and stimulating
critical thinking around the societal implications of new
technologies.
services. The criteria are based on four categories:
security, data protection, reliability, and fair user
interaction. The Digital Trust Criteria is the base and
inspiration of all the SDI’s projects and trust tools. It
is also a clear starting point for other organisations to
understand what digital trust is and what they should
do to make sure they keep it.
Digital responsibility
The SDI and the Institute for Management Development
(IMD) co-developed a resource to help organisations
understand Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR). The
CDR Starter Kit, based on insights from top organisations
and ongoing IMD research, is here to help businesses
kick-start their CDR journey and sustain their digital
responsibility efforts. Through lessons, common
challenges, inspiration, and additional resources, the
Starter Kit facilitates the adoption of CDR within and
across organisations.
Start your Digital Trust journey with practical
tools!
Digital Trust Criteria Catalogue
An expert group led by the Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has compiled a catalogue
of 35 criteria aimed at building trust for users of digital
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Digital Trust Compass
The Digital Trust Compass is an online self-assessment
tool to determine whether your organisation respects
and protects the interests of its users and to assess
the level of digital trust awareness among end users.
It serves as a compass, guiding you along your digital
trust journey, and providing the right direction.
Digital Trust Guide
Based on the criteria, the SDI has created a user guide
to digital trust. This Digital Trust Guide is designed to
assist businesses or organisations that handle user
data. The primary objective is to support organisations
to establish a robust framework of trust that safeguards
the interests of users based on this guide and continue
their digital trust journey.

Additional resources
SDI Annual Report 2022
DTL Code of Conduct
Digital Trust Expert Group Report 2022
Global Digital Trust Label User Study
Second Public Consultation Report June 2021
Social media channels
LinkedIn @Swiss Digital Initiative
X @sdi_foundation
Instagram @swiss_digital_initiative
446

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD)
Palais des Nations | Av. de la Paix 8-14 | 1211 Geneva 10 | Switzerland
www.unctad.org

About UNCTAD
UNCTAD is a UN body dedicated to supporting developing
countries in accessing the benefits of a globalised economy
more fairly and effectively. It provides analysis, facilitates
consensus building, and offers technical assistance,
thus helping countries use trade, investment, finance,
and technology to support inclusive and sustainable
development.
UNCTAD also works to facilitate and measure progress
towards achieving the sustainable development goals
(SDGs), through a wide range of activities in areas
such as technology and innovation, trade, investment,
environment, transport and logistics, and the digital
economy. It places special emphasis on supporting the
most vulnerable developing countries, including least
developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing
countries (LLDCs), small island developing states
(SIDS), and African countries to build resilience to
economic shocks and to achieve structural economic
transformation.
UNCTAD’s work often results in analyses, statistics, and
recommendations that inform national and international
policymaking processes, and contribute to promoting
economic policies aimed at ending global economic
inequalities and generating human-centric sustainable
development.
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The acceleration of the use of digital tools and
technologies is happening against a backdrop
of huge digital and data divides, and a highly
unequal distribution of the benefits from the
digital economy. Overcoming this challenge
will determine our ability to meet the
sustainable development goals.
We at UNCTAD are committed to helping
countries tackle these digital inequalities
to promote inclusive sustainable
development.
Rebeca Grynspan
Secretary-General
Message by the UNCTAD Secretary-General
UNCTAD supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalised economy more
fairly and effectively.
We provide analysis, facilitate consensus-building, and offer technical assistance, thus helping
countries use trade, investment, finance, and technology to support inclusive and sustainable
development.
UNCTAD conducts wide-ranging activities in the digital area, from research and analysis to
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Message by the UNCTAD Secretary-General
providing assistance to member states in developing adequate legislative frameworks and
facilitating international dialogue on the development opportunities and challenges associated
with the digital economy.
The widening digital divide and the uneven speed of digital transformation are major global
challenges for the world we aspire to. Today, countries’ ability to participate and benefit from
economic opportunities greatly depends on their digital capacities. And even more so in the
future, as the world goes ever more digital.
Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has made evident the importance of digital technologies and
relevant business models to build resilient systems that are open, inclusive, and secure, and
benefit all.
The problem is that the digital economy of today is highly unequal. One-third of the world’s
population remains offline. Almost three-quarters of people living in LDCs have never been
online. The traditional digital divide is compounded by a data-related divide between countries
due to very high levels of market power concentration along the value chain.
This is why we have strengthened our work in assisting developing countries to enhance their
readiness to engage and integrate into the digital economy. We are also promoting more
multilateral dialogue on digital trade and cooperation to enhance the development potential of
the digital economy.
UNCTAD is also championing better data governance. The way we govern the process of
digital transformation greatly determines the outcome. Governance involves setting the rules
of the game for all actors involved in digitalisation. It affects who will benefit and lose from
digital disruption, how the value created in the digital economy will be distributed, who will be
responsible for addressing possible externalities from the use of digital solutions, and to what
extent digital markets will be competitive and open.
UNCTAD brings together all stakeholders to forge policies and approaches that foster inclusive
and sustainable outcomes. We are committed to providing member states with analysis, data,
and evidence for informed decision-making, policy options, and practices aimed at ensuring
everyone benefits from the digital economy.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
UNCTAD is particularly active in the field of e-commerce,
trade, and the digital economy, carrying out a wide
range of activities from research and analysis to
providing assistance to member states in developing
adequate legislative and regulatory frameworks and
facilitating international dialogue on the development
opportunities and challenges associated with the digital
economy.
UNCTAD also works to facilitate and measure progress
towards achieving the SDGs, in particular through
(but not limited to) its activities in the field of science,
technology, and innovation (STI) for development.
Consumer protection, gender equality, productive
capacity building, and privacy and data protection are
other digital policy areas where UNCTAD is active.
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Credit: unctad.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Data governance
As data has become a key resource in the digital
economy, data governance is a fundamental part of
the work of UNCTAD. This is illustrated, for example, in
the research and analysis work of the Digital Economy
Report 2019, which focused on the role of data as
the source of value in the digital economy and how
it is created and captured and the Digital Economy
Report 2021, which analysed cross-border data flows
and development. Moreover, some of UNCTAD’s work
on e-commerce and digital trade touches specifically
on privacy and data protection issues. For instance,
the eCommerce and Law Reform work dedicated to
supporting developing countries in their efforts to
establish adequate legal frameworks for e-commerce
also covers data protection and privacy among the
key issues addressed. The Global Cyberlaw Trackers
offers information on data protection laws in UNCTAD
member states.
Also relevant for data governance discussions is
UNCTAD’s work on statistics, as the organisation
collects and analyses a wide range of data and statistics
on issues such as economic trends, international
trade, investment, development, and the digital
economy. UNCTAD’s statistical capacity development
activities help countries enhance their statistical and
data infrastructures and often address issues of data
governance, such as statistical confidentiality, access to
data, and privacy protection. UNCTAD also contributes
actively to global work to enhance data governance
in statistics and beyond and to develop universal
principles to guide the collection, dissemination, use,
and storage of data.
UNCTAD makes its data and statistics available as
open-source in the UNCTADstat data centre. Statistics
underpin UNCTAD’s analytical work and are featured in
many publications. The UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics
disseminates key messages from UNCTAD’s statistics
including infographics and UNCTAD’s SDG Pulse offers
statistical information on developments related to the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addition,
Development and Globalization Facts and Figures
publications provide thematic updates on topical
issues with the latest number focusing on SIDS. To
provide timely information on the global economy and
trade, UNCTAD Statistics publishes a weekly Trade and
Economy Nowcast.
UNCTAD is also running several projects focused on
improving the efficiency of data management for
example by developing a plug-and-play system to
compile Trade in Services Statistics, its activities in
the Digitising Global Maritime Trade project, and by
supporting customs operations with the Automated
System for Customs Data. UNCTAD’s own statistical
activities are governed by the UNCTAD Statistics Quality
Assurance Framework, which is aligned with principles
governing international statistical activities.
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– Digital Economy Report 2019
– Data Protection Regulations and International
Data Flows: Implications for Trade and
Development (2016)
– UNCTAD Statistics Quality Assurance Framework
– UNCTADstat Data Centre
– UNCTAD’s SDG Pulse
– UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics
– Trade and Economy Nowcast
– Development and Globalization Facts and Figures
E-commerce and trade
UNCTAD’s work programme on e-commerce and the
digital economy (ECDE Programme), encompasses
several research and analysis, consensus-building, and
technical assistance activities, as follows:
Research and analysis
UNCTAD conducts research and analysis on e-commerce
and the digital economy and their implications for
trade and development. These are mainly presented
in its flagship publication, the Digital Economy Report
(known as the Information Economy Report until 2017),
and in its Technical Notes on ICT for Development. The
Technology and Innovation Report, another flagship
publication, highlights the need to build science,
technology, and innovation capabilities as prerequisites
to enabling developing countries and LDCs to adopt
and adapt frontier technologies, including digital
technologies.
Consensus building on e-commerce and digital
economy policies
UNCTAD’s Intergovernmental Group of Experts on
E-commerce and the Digital Economy meets regularly
to discuss ways to strengthen the development
dimension of e-commerce and the digital economy. The
group’s meetings are usually held in conjunction with
UNCTAD eWeek (formerly eCommerce Week), an annual
event hosted by UNCTAD featuring discussions on
development opportunities and challenges associated
with the digital economy.
UNCTAD also serves as a knowledge partner to the
deliberations of the G20 Digital Economy Working
Group on Data Free Flow with Trust and Cross-border
Data Flows.
Under the auspices of the UN Commission on Science
and Technology for Development (CSTD), UNCTAD
provides substantive work on the follow-up to the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) – a unique
two-phase UN summit that was initiated to create an
evolving multistakeholder platform to address the
issues raised by information and communications
technologies (ICTs) through a structured and inclusive
approach at the national, regional, and international
levels.
455

To that end, the CSTD:
– Reviews and assesses progress at the international
and regional levels in the implementation of action
lines, recommendations, and commitments
contained in the outcome documents of the
Summit.
– Shares best and effective practices and lessons
learned and identifies obstacles and constraints
encountered, and actions and initiatives to
overcome them alongside important measures
for further implementation of the Summit
outcomes.
– Promotes dialogue and fosters partnerships,
in coordination with other appropriate UN
funds, programmes and specialised agencies, to
contribute to the attainment of the Summit.
– Monitors objectives and the implementation of
its outcomes and the use of ICTs for development
and the achievement of internationally agreed
development goals, with the participation of
governments, the private sector, civil society,
the UN, and other international organisations
in accordance with their different roles and
responsibilities.
E-Commerce assessments and strategy formulation
The eTrade Readiness Assessments (eT Readies) assist
LDCs and other developing countries in understanding
their e-commerce readiness in key policy areas to
456
better engage in and benefit from e-commerce. The
assessments provide recommendations to overcome
identified barriers and bottlenecks to growth and
enjoying the benefits of digital trade.
UNCTAD’s work on on ICT policy reviews and national
strategies involves technical assistance, advisory
services, diagnostics, and strategy development on
e-commerce, and national ICT planning at the request of
governments. Through an analysis of the infrastructural,
policy, regulatory, institutional, operational, and socioeconomic
landscape, the reviews help governments
to overcome weaknesses and bureaucratic barriers,
leverage strengths and opportunities, and put in place
relevant strategies.
Legal frameworks for e-commerce
UNCTAD’s e-commerce and law reform work helps
to develop an understanding of the legal issues
underpinning e-commerce through a series of capacitybuilding
workshops for policymakers at the national
and regional levels. Concrete actions include assistance
in establishing domestic and regional legal regimes to
enhance trust in online transactions, regional studies
on cyber laws harmonisation, and the global mapping
of e-commerce legislation through its Global Cyberlaw
Tracker.
Measuring the information economy
UNCTAD’s work on measuring the information economy

includes statistical data collection and the development
of methodology, as well as linking statistics and policy
through the Working Group on Measuring E-commerce
and the Digital Economy, established by the
Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-Commerce
and the Digital Economy. Figures are published in the
biennial Digital Economy Report and the UNCTADstat
Data Centre. Technical cooperation here aims to
strengthen the capacity of national statistical systems
to produce better, more reliable, and internationally
comparable statistics on the following issues: ICT use
by enterprises, size and composition of the ICT sector,
and e-commerce and international trade in ICT-enabled
services.
Smart partnerships through eTrade for all
The eTrade for all initiative (eT4a) is a global collaborative
effort of 35 partners to scale up cooperation,
transparency, and aid efficiency towards more inclusive
e-commerce. Its main tool is an online platform
(etradeforall.org), a knowledge-sharing and information
hub that facilitates access to a wide range of information
and resources on e-commerce and the digital economy.
It offers a gateway for matching the suppliers of
technical assistance with those in need. Beneficiaries
can connect with potential partners, and learn about
trends, best practices, up-to-date e-commerce
indicators, and upcoming events all in one place. The
initiative also acts as a catalyst of partnership among
its members for increased synergies. This collaboration
has concretely translated into the participation of
several eT4a partners as key contributors to the various
eWeeks organised by UNCTAD and in the conduct and
review of eTrade Readiness Assessments.
Market access and rules of origin for least developed
countries
LDCs are granted preferential tariff treatment in the
markets of developed and developing countries under
several schemes and arrangements. Since its inception,
UNCTAD has assisted governments in developing
preferential rules of origin (RoO). UNCTAD assists
governments and regional economic communities,
as well as the AfCFTA Secretariat, in negotiating and
drafting their RoO. Most recently, UNCTAD's technical
assistance has focused on the implementation of the
World Trade Organization's (WTO's) 2005 Hong Kong
decision on Duty-free, Quota-free (DFQF) market
access, and understanding and drafting RoO.
UNCTAD has undertaken extensive research on DFQF
and RoO.
The UNCTAD Database on the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides information on
trade statistics, rules of origin, and tariff offers under
AfCFTA at the Harmonized Commodity Description
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and Coding System (HS) subheading (6-digit) level. 1 The
database enables automatic data visualisation to create
a snapshot of the object of interest and matching trade
statistics within the AfCFTA tariff offers, and product
-specific rules of origin where available.
The UNCTAD Generalized System of Preferences
(GSP) utilisation database provides information on the
utilisation of the GSP schemes as well as other trade
preferences granted to developing countries and LDCs
under GSP, DFQF arrangements, and trade preferences
under reciprocal free trade agreements (FTAs).
– Digital Economy Report 2019 – Value Creation
and Capture: Implications for Developing
Countries (2019)
– Towards E-commerce Legal Harmonization in the
Caribbean (2018)
– eTrade Readiness Assessments for Least
Developed Countries
– Handbook on Duty-Free and Quota-Free Market
Access and Rules of Origin for Least Developed
Countries (Part I)
– Handbook on Duty-Free and Quota Free Market
Access and Rules of Origin for Least Developed
Countries (Part II)
– Handbook on Preferential Market Access for
ASEAN Least Developed Countries (Part III)
– Compendium of Technical Notes Prepared for
the LeastDdeveloped Countries WTO Group on
Preferential Rules of Origin
– Getting to Better Rules of Origin for LDCs Using
Utilization Rates
– eCommerce and Law Reform
– Global Cyberlaw Tracker
– eTrade for all initiative
– eTrade for Women programme
– Rapid eTrade readiness assessments
– ICT policy reviews
– Measuring e-commerce and the digital economy
– Intergovernmental Group of Experts on
E-commerce and the Digital Economy
– Database on the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA)
– Database on the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP),
– Compendium of technical notes II prepared for
the LDC WTO Group on preferential rules of
origin
– The Utilization of Trade Preferences by COMESA
Member States
– The Digital Economy Report counts on
collaboration with organisations such as ITU,
ITC, WTO, the World Bank, and UN regional
commissions.
1
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System – commonly known as the Harmonized System or HS – is an internationally standardised
nomenclature for the description, classification, and coding of goods. 458

– UNCTAD partners with various organisations
in the context of the eT4a initiatives. Examples
include ILO, WIPO, the World Economic Forum,
UN regional commissions, etc.
Consumer protection 2
Through its Competition and Consumer Policies
Programme, UNCTAD works to assist countries in
improving their competition and consumer protection
policies. It provides a forum for intergovernmental
deliberations on these issues; undertakes research,
policy analysis and data collection; and provides
technical assistance to developing countries. The
Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer
Protection Law and Policy monitors the implementation
of the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection, and
carries out research and provides technical assistance
on consumer protection issues (including in the context
of e-commerce and the digital economy).
UNCTAD’s work programme on consumer protection
is guided, among others, by the UN Conference of
Competition and Consumer Protection (held every five
years).
Given the significant imbalances in market power in
the digital economy, competition policy is becoming
increasingly relevant for developing countries. UNCTAD
addresses this issue in the Intergovernmental Group of
Experts on Competition Law and Policy.
UNCTAD also runs the Research Partnership Platform,
aimed at contributing to the development of best
practices in the formulation and implementation of
competition and consumer protection laws and policies.
UNCTAD serves as co-lead of the One Planet Network
- Consumer Information for Sustainable Consumption
and Production Programme, along with the German
government and Consumers International, which
implements and supports projects, undertakes
research, identifies and encourages policies, and
provides collaboration opportunities for anyone
looking to engage and assist consumers in sustainable
consumption. In 2022, the programme issued Guidelines
for Providing Product Sustainability Information in
E-commerce.
– Voluntary Peer Reviews of Consumer Protection
Law and Policies
– Intergovernmental Group of Experts on
Consumer Protection Law and Policy
– Intergovernmental Group of Experts on
Competition Law and Policy
– Research Partnership Platform on Competition
and Consumer Protection
– UN Conference of Competition and Consumer
Protection
2
Consumer protection and competition are jointly addressed in UNCTAD’s work.
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Creative economy
The UNCTAD Creative Economy Programme recognises
the importance of cultural and creative industries and
their contribution to the global economy. UNCTAD is
mandated to conduct research and policy analysis,
consensus building, and technical cooperation.
The increased digitalisation of creative goods and
services heavily influences this vibrant sector. The
Creative Industry 4.0 report looks at the implications for
the creative economy of the rapid changes in automated
technology and advanced internet communication that
came to be known as Industry 4.0. Using a sustainable
development lens, the report looks at economic and
social development opportunities driven by digitalisation
and advanced technologies for developing countries.
UNCTAD supports countries in measuring the economic
contribution of their creative economy and developing
appropriate policies for an increasingly digitalised
environment. The report Mapping the Cultural and
Creative Industries of Angola, among others, looks
at some creative industries heavily impacted by
digitalisation, such as music, digital media, video games,
and visual arts. In parallel, UNCTAD also organised a
capacity-building workshop on intellectual property
rights (IPR) for creative industry workers in Angola,
covering IPR-related issues in the digital environment.
These activities were part of the EU-UNCTAD Joint
Programme for Angola: Train for Trade II.
Sustainable development
UNCTAD works to facilitate and measure progress
towards achieving the SDGs. It is a custodian agency
and partner for nine SDG indicators related to trade,
tariffs, development finance, debt, investment, illicit
finance, and enterprise sustainability. This entails a
global responsibility for UNCTAD to develop concepts
and methods to track progress with these indicators,
and to support member states in strengthening their
capacity to measure and analyse progress to effectively
target policy efforts towards meeting the SDGs.
UNCTAD releases data-driven analyses on progress
towards the SDGs in the areas of trade, development,
investment, finance, and technology, including ICTs and
digital trade in its annual SDG Pulse online publication.
UNCTAD’s work to facilitate and measure progress
towards the SDGs includes (but is not limited to)
activities in the field of STI for development. The
organisation supports countries in their efforts to
integrate STI in national development strategies,
through initiatives such as Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy Reviews and capacity-building
programmes (such as the Innovation Policy Learning
Programme). The eT4a initiative is also intended to
contribute to several SDGs, especially in relation
to decent work and economic growth, innovation
and infrastructure, global partnerships, and gender
equality. UNCTAD’s Investment Policy Framework
460

for Sustainable Development provides guidance for
policymakers in formulating national investment
policies and in negotiating investment agreements. The
organisation is also part of the Toolbox for Financing
for SDGs – a platform launched in 2018 at the initiative
of the President of the UN General Assembly to assist
countries and financial actors in exploring solutions to
the challenges of financing the SDGs.
UNCTAD carries out research and analysis work
covering various development-related issues, examples
being its Digital Economy Report and the Technical
Notes on ICT for Tevelopment. As the body responsible
for servicing the CTSD, UNCTAD also assists the CSTD in
its sustainable development-related work, for instance
by preparing studies and reports on issues such as
the impact of advanced technologies on sustainable
development.
UNCTAD’s Productive Capacities Index (PCI) is a dynamic
and practical tool to support developing countries in
understanding the status of their productive capacity
and how this can be improved. It builds on UNCTAD’s
long-standing work on productive capacities essential
for generating inclusive and sustained economic growth
and achieving sustainable development.
The PCI covers 194 economies for the period 2000-
2022. The set of productive capacities and their specific
combinations are mapped across 42 indicators. This
makes our PCI multidimensional in its analytical abilities.
The index can help diagnose areas where countries
may be leading or falling behind, spotlighting where
policies are working and where corrective efforts are
needed. It suggests a roadmap for future policy actions
and interventions under each of its eight components:
human capital, natural capital, ICTs, structural change,
transport, institutions, and the private sector.
It was developed in response to the ECOSOC resolution
(E/RES/2017/29) encouraging UNCTAD “to pursue its
methodological work to measure progress in and
identify obstacles to the development of productive
capacities in developing countries”.
The PCI has been peer-reviewed and validated at
national and regional levels by leading technical
experts across the UN system, as well as by academics
and government stakeholders. Stakeholders in select
countries have been trained on how to use the index
in their development policymaking processes. UNCTAD
stands ready to conduct more training sessions at the
request of countries.
Other UNCTAD activities designed to contribute to
sustainable development cover issues such as climate
change, the circular economy, and intellectual property
with a focus on the most vulnerable developing
countries including SIDS, LDCs, LLDCs, and African
countries.
– UNCTAD’s SDG Pulse
– The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in
461

Building Resilient Communities, including through
the Contribution of Citizen Science (2020)
– The Impact of Rapid Technological Change on
Sustainable Development (2019)
– Building Digital Competencies to Benefit from
Frontier Technologies (2019)
– Digital Economy Report 2019
– Technical Notes on ICT for Development
– Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable
Development
– UNCTAD Productive Capacities Index:
Methodological Approach and Results
– PCI database
– Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
Reviews
– Innovation Policy Learning Programme
– Investment Policy Hub
– Toolbox for Financing for SDGs
– UNCTAD services the UN Commission on Science
and Development
– Voluntary Sustainability Standards and BioTrade:
Is there a connection?
– Voluntary Sustainability Standards Sustainability
Agenda and Developing Countries: Opportunities
and Challenges
Capacity development
UNCTAD, as the United Nations Forum on Sustainability
Standards (UNFSS) secretariat, co-organised with
the Quality Council of India the third International
Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards (ICSTS)
on 2-3 November 2023, a convention that occurs every
other year. The convention brought together experts
and practitioners to discuss innovative ideas, best
practices, policies, and underlying themes to highlight
the pivotal role played by sustainability standards as an
enabler for sustainable development and trade.
Many activities undertaken by UNCTAD have a capacity
development dimension. For instance, its work on
e-commerce and trade includes supporting developing
countries in establishing adequate legal frameworks in
these areas (e.g. its eCommerce and Law Reform work)
and in producing statistics that can guide effective
policymaking (e.g. the Measuring E-commerce and the
Digital Economy activities, the Productive Capacities
Index and the ICT Policy Reviews). UNCTAD’s E-Learning
on Trade platform provides courses and training on
issues such as trade, gender, and development and
non-tariff measures in trade.
The TRAINFORTRADE programme has recently
launched a project on blended learning strategy to
boost the digital economy in SIDS. The project is structured
to encompass the legal aspects of e-commerce,
digital economy statistics, and digital identity for trade
and development.
UNCTAD also works to build capacity in STI policymaking
in developing countries, through initiatives such as the
Innovation Policy Learning Programme and STI training
462

provided in the context of the P166 programme.
Additionally, UNCTAD's Virtual Institute – run in cooperation
with universities worldwide – is dedicated
to building knowledge for trade and development.
Another area where UNCTAD provides capacity
building for developing countries is that of statistics:
The organisation and its partners assist national
statistics organisations in the collection, compilation,
and dissemination of their statistics in domains such as
trade, sustainable development, and investments.
– Building Digital Competencies to Benefit from
Frontier Technologies (2019)
– eCommerce and Law Reform
– Measuring e-commerce and the Digital Economy
– ICT Policy Review
– Innovation Policy Learning Programme
– UNCTAD's Virtual Institute
– E-Learning on Trade Platform
Gender rights
UNCTAD runs a Trade, Gender, and Development
programme dedicated to assisting countries in
developing and implementing gender-sensitive trade
policies, conducting gender impact analyses of trade
policies and agreements, and strengthening the links
between trade and gender. One notable initiative is the
eTrade for Women initiative, dedicated to advancing the
empowerment of women through ICTs.
463
UNCTAD works to strengthen countries' capacity to
develop and use gender-relevant statistics to inform
trade policy. In 2018, UNCTAD developed a conceptual
framework to measure gender and trade to support
policymakers and national statistics offices in assessing
gender equality in international trade and reviewing
existing data in this field. Guided by this framework,
UNCTAD is working on a project with the economic
commissions for Africa (ECA) and Europe (ECE) to
strengthen the capacity of interested countries in Africa,
Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to
develop and use statistics for more gender-responsive
trade policy and to inform the analysis of the gendered
impacts of COVID-19 through trade. A pilot in Georgia
provided new gender-in-trade indicators for trade
policy by reusing existing data; work in four additional
countries is ongoing in Africa. This work has given the
basis for preparing compilation guidelines on gender
and trade statistics to help scale up this work globally.
UNCTAD also leads a work stream to include gender
equality and inclusiveness considerations in the update
of the United Nations Trade Statistics manuals used by
all countries globally.
Other initiatives undertaken in this area include
capacity building on trade and gender, the Women in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM): Changing the Narrative Dialogues, and the
project Data and Statistics for More Gender Responsive
Trade Policies in Africa, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
– Comparing Global Gender Inequality Indices:

Where is Trade? (2019)
– Making Trade Policies Gender-Responsive: Data
Requirements, Methodological Developments
and Challenges (2019)
– Better Data and Statistics for Gender-Responsive
Trade Policy (2018)
– eTrade for Women Initiative
– Trade, Gender and Development Programme
– Capacity Building on Trade and Gender
Within its analytical work on trade and gender, in a recent
policy review 2023, UNCTAD analysed the implications
of e-commerce for women small entrepreneurs in
developing countries. The study is addressed to a variety
of stakeholders, but especially policymakers, to provide
guidance on how to design policies and measures
that enhance women’s beneficial participation in the
economy by leveraging e-commerce.
Through its online courses on trade and gender,
UNCTAD bridges knowledge gaps on the links between
trade policy and gender equality and women’s
economic empowerment. With around 2,000 alumni
from 180 countries, this online capacity-building
initiative remains a particularly effective and inclusive
tool to enhance knowledge in a still relatively new field
of trade policy.
Non-tariff barriers
UNCTAD has developed digital tools to assist businesses
and governments alike to identify non-tariff barriers
(NTBs) and non-tariff measures (NTMs), which help
make international trade more transparent.
– In collaboration with the AfCFTA Secretariat, an
NTB online reporting, monitoring and eliminating
mechanism was developed to help remove NTBs
to intra-African trade. Using the online platform is
open to all African business sectors and users can
report any obstacles when trading goods.
– The UNCTAD Trains Portal acts as a single window
for importers/exporters, policymakers, and
researchers to access data on trade regulations,
NTMs, and some practical information on target
markets. Using digital technology, the interface
features an interactive map on NTM coverage
worldwide at users’ fingertips.
– UNCTAD offers various online courses on nontariff
measures (NTMs). Government officials can
benefit from executive courses where we highlight
the need to identify regulations containing NTMs,
which are essential for lawmaking and negotiations.
UNCTAD can support governments in various
activities related to NTMs, such as enhancing
transparency, building a comprehensive database,
and providing technical support. Researchers can
build deep analyses of NTMs and their impacts on
trade in particular regions and sectors based on
the knowledge gained from our executive course
or analysis course on NTMs.
464

DIGITAL TOOLS
Voluntary Sustainability Standards
Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) are guidelines
for producing, selling, and purchasing products in
a sustainable manner. VSS provide consumers with
information about the sustainability efforts taken for a
product’s production and manufacturing, with the aim
of positively affecting communities, the environment,
and the economy. However, in the last two decades,
there has been an exponential growth in the demand
and supply of leading VSS-compliant products, leading
to a growth in their proliferation and a lack of evidence
of the work that VSS do. UNCTAD, as the secretariat of
the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards
(UNFSS), works on issues pertaining to VSS; undertakes
research, policy analysis, and data collection; and
provides support to developing countries with regard
to work related to VSS. As a means to establish credible
research on the impacts that VSS have, UNCTAD also
developed the VSS Analytical Toolkit to identify the
challenges and perceptions behind adopting a VSS
scheme, and to explore policy options to address them.
Sustainable development: Linking Voluntary
Standards to Sustainable Development Goals (2020),
Voluntary Sustainability Standards and BioTrade:
Is there a connection? and Voluntary Sustainability
Standards Sustainability Agenda and Developing
Countries: Opportunities and Challenges
Gender Rights: Exploring the Role of Voluntary
Sustainability Standards (VSS) for Women's Economic
Empowerment in the Agriculture Sector in Developing
Countries (2022).
Digital tools and initiatives eGovernment portals
UNCTAD’s easy-to-use digital government platforms
enable civil servants to quickly build online publicfacing
services so their governments can deliver on
and mobilise funding for climate, jobs, environment,
health, food, and other SDGs. Service delivery can
include registering carbon emitters and removers as
part of the Paris Agreement; delivering certificates
of incorporation and business permits in hours, not
weeks; tracking extended producer responsibility;
simplifying the delivery of production permits for
vaccines and pharmaceuticals; helping farmers access
key government services; and much more.
Civil servants use the intuitive drag-and-drop system
to create online public services. They don’t require
any prior IT knowledge or equipment. It works for any
service in any ministry and is compatible with existing
digital IDs and government websites to ensure a
seamless user experience.
The system is quickly scalable. Civil servants have access
to the Digital Government Academy and can train
colleagues to develop digital services across ministries
and governments while avoiding the costs, timelines,
465

consultants, and complexities traditionally associated
with digital government projects.
Detailed data generated by these systems show
important increases in access to public services by
demographics such as young people, women, and rural
populations. Governments use this data to fine-tune
delivery.
Additional digital tools and online platforms:
– UNCTAD Global Cyberlaw Tracker
– eTrade for all platform
– UNCTADstat Data Centre
– UNCTAD's Virtual Institute
– E-Learning on Trade platform
– UNCTAD’s Productive Capacities Index
– Database on the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA)
– Database on the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP)
– UNCTAD’s Illicit Financial Flows tools
– TRAINFORTRADE
– UNCTAD World Consumer Protection Map
Social media channels
Facebook @UNCTAD
Flickr @UNCTAD
Instagram @unctad
LinkedIn @UNCTAD
X @UNCTAD
YouTube @UNCTADOnline
Many of UNCTAD’s publications are released as digital
publications only.
466

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE)
Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva 10 | Switzerland
www.unece.org

About UNECE
UNECE is one of five regional commissions of the UN.
Its major aim is to promote pan-European economic
integration. To do so, it brings together 56 countries in
Europe, North America, and Central Asia, which discuss
and cooperate on economic and sectoral issues.
UNECE works to promote sustainable development and
economic growth through policy dialogue, negotiation
of international legal instruments, development of
regulations and norms, exchange and application of best
practices, economic and technical expertise, and technical
cooperation for countries with economies in transition.
It also sets out norms, standards, and conventions to
facilitate international cooperation.
470

Digitalisation is high on the agenda for governments
in North America and the Pan-European region,
and cuts across UNECE’s work, from transport
to trade, statistics and beyond. Together, we
must continue to ensure the digital transition
is both sustainable and inclusive.
Tatiana Molcean
Executive Secretary
Message by UNECE
Digital technologies are unleashing changes that are reshaping economic sectors and business
models. They offer new opportunities for individual advancement and for social engagement.
In its multiple areas of work, UNECE responds to the changes driven by digitalisation. But we
are also actively shaping and taking advantage of the opportunities that digital technologies
open to advance sustainable development and increase prosperity in our region.
471

Message by UNECE
Examples of our activities:
– Collaboration with the private sector and the use of digital technologies underpins a
major initiative to promote circularity through traceability in the garment and footwear
sector. The Sustainability Pledge provides a UN-brokered way for industry stakeholders
to advance responsible business models and verify sustainability claims. UNECE has
developed a blockchain platform, which engages 60 industry partners in 18 countries.
– Through the work of the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic
Business (UN/CEFACT), we are advancing the next generation of standards to digitalise
data and document exchange in multimodal transport and trade.
– The automotive sector is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digitalisation.
New possibilities for vehicle automation, connectivity, and shared mobility have
emerged. UNECE’s normative work through the World Forum for the Harmonization of
Vehicle Regulations facilitates progress and collaboration in these areas.
– Digitalisation holds multiple promises to deal with the challenges posed by ageing
populations, including the delivery of assistance, lifelong learning, and labour market
participation. UNECE has been facilitating the exploration of policy solutions to reap
these benefits and prevent exclusion.
Climate change demands faster progress and new solutions to address unrelenting
environmental pressures. The contribution of digital technologies, which can increase
efficiency and raise innovation, will be critical in these efforts.
With the focus of the 70th session of the Economic Commission for Europe on digital and
green transformation, UNECE intends to step up our work in this area and cooperate with
governments and partners to shape the future we want.
472

DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
UNECE’s work touches on several digital policy issues,
ranging from digital standards (in particular in relation
to electronic data interchange for administration, commerce,
and transport) to the internet of things (IoT) (e.g.
intelligent transport systems). Its activities on connected
vehicles and automated driving systems are essential
to seize the benefits of technical progress and disruptions
in that field and to operationalise new mobility
concepts such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS). Its UN/
CEFACT develops trade facilitation recommendations
and electronic business standards, covering both commercial
and government business processes. UNECE
also carries out activities focused on promoting sustainable
development, in areas such as sustainable and
smart cities for all ages; sustainable mobility and smart
connectivity; and measuring and monitoring progress
towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
UNECE’s work in the field of statistics is also relevant for
digital policy issues. For example, the 2019 Guidance
on Modernizing Statistical Legislation – which guides
countries through the process of reviewing and revising
statistical legislation – covers issues such as open
data, national and international data exchanges, and
government data management.
UNECE carries out extensive work in the area
of sustainable transport leading on several UN
Conventions. Accession to the conventions continues
to increase as more and more member states realise
the benefits in the time taken and associated costs in
the movement of goods. Numerous digitised systems
have been developed, and are maintained, hosted,
and administered under the auspices of UNECE. For
a number of other tools and mechanisms, work is
underway.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Digital standards
UNECE’s intergovernmental body UN/CEFACT continues
making great strides in the area of digital standards. In
a recent collaboration with the International Federation
of Freight-Forwarders Associations (FIATA), it developed
the electronic FIATA Multimodal Bill of Lading (eFBL) data
standard. The basis of the mapping of the Negotiable
FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (FBL) with the
UN/CEFACT Multimodal Transport (MMT) reference data
model, allows the exchange of BL data in a standardised
way, facilitating interoperability between all modes of
transport and industry stakeholders. Similar to other data
standards developed by UN/CEFACT, the data standard
is offered as open-source for all software providers
and industry stakeholders to implement. UNECE’s
standardisation work builds on a family of reference data
models in alignment with its strategy to become the next
generation of global standards for trade and transport
information exchange. Other digital standards in the areas
of supply chain management, agriculture, and travel and
tourism (e.g. Buy Ship Pay Reference Data Model, Textile
and Leather Data Model (Part 1 and Part 2), and Travel
and Tourism Experience Programme Data Model) are a
great step toward paperless trade and benefit all actors
of the supply chain by reducing costs, increasing security,
and gaining efficiency.
– UN/EDIFACT
– UN/CEFACT eCert
– UN/CEFACT FLUX
– UN/CCL
– XML Schemas
– Various other standards cover areas such as
supply chain management, transport and logistics,
agriculture, accounting and audit, travel and
tourism, and the environment.
– UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic
Business (UN/CEFACT)
– UN/CEFACT Github Repository
– UN/CEFACT Collaborative Environment (CUE)
– UNECE Trade Facilitation Implementation Guide
– UN/CEFACT Streamline Presentation of Standards
– UN/CEFACT Guidance Material
Internet of things and artificial intelligence
As the UN centre for inland transport, UNECE hosts
the international regulatory platforms in the field of
automated driving and intelligent transport systems. It
hosts multilateral agreements and conventions ruling
the requirements and the use of these technologies
(such as the UN agreements on vehicle regulations and
the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic). Its activities (e.g.
facilitating policy dialogue and developing regulations
and norms) contribute to enabling automated driving
functionalities and ensuring that the benefits of these
technologies can be captured without compromising
safety and progress achieved in areas such as border
crossing and interoperability. It also collaborates with
other interested stakeholders, including the automotive
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and information and communications technology (ICT)
industries, consumer organisations, governments, and
international organisations.
Another area of work for UNECE is related to harnessing
smart technologies and innovation for sustainable and
smart cities. In this regard, it promotes the use of ICTs in
city planning and service provision and it has developed
(together with ITU) a set of key performance indicators
for smart sustainable cities. UNECE also works to
facilitate connectivity through sustainable infrastructure.
For instance, it assists countries in developing smart grids
for more efficient energy distribution, and it administers
international e-roads, e-rail, and e-waterway networks.
UNECE launched the Advisory Group on Advanced
Technology in Trade and Logistics (AGAT) in 2020 on
topics, such as distributed ledger technologies (DLT)
including blockchain, IoT, and AI.
The UNECE High-Level Group on Modernisation of
Official Statistics (HLG-MOS) has been at the forefront of
modernisation initiatives in the field of official statistics.
These initiatives include innovative areas such as big
data, synthetic data, and machine learning (ML). A UNECE
guide, Machine Learning for Official Statistics, can help
national and international statistical organisations to
harness the power of ML to modernise the production
of official statistics. Responding to the growing interest in
LLM, HLG-MOS is working on a white paper to establish
a common understanding of LLM’s potential within the
statistical community by exploring implications and
opportunities for official statistics.
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In trade, the newly released UN/CEFACT JSON-LD Web
Vocabulary complements and enhances the capabilities
of AI systems for trade-related exchanges. It aims
to support the interoperability of trade by allowing
supply chain actors to more easily integrate a common
vocabulary in their business tools (e.g. software
applications, AI algorithms) to ensure that data shared
between different entities (e.g. suppliers, manufacturers,
distributors, transporters, financiers, and regulators) is
consistent and easily interpretable, reducing errors and
misunderstandings.
Artificial intelligence for energy
AI and other technologies are inspiring energy suppliers,
transmission and distribution companies, and demand
sectors (buildings, industry, transport) to establish new
business models to generate, deliver, and consume
energy in a more sustainable way.
UNECE established a task force on digitalisation in
energyto offer a platform for cross-industry experts from
the energy sector and digital innovation to develop a
unified voice on digitalisation in energy.
The group found that AI and digitalisation have the
potential to reduce residential and commercial buildings’
energy use by as much as 10% globally by 2040 if applied
throughout a building’s value chain and life cycle. In
particular, applications of AI may help optimise a building’s
orientation for solar heat gain and predict power and
heat needs, thus increasing overall energy security and

maximising the integration of renewable energy sources.
The group also found that AI and digitalisation could
help achieve energy savings of at least 10%–20% in the
industrial sector (which consumes around 38% of global
final energy and produces 24% of greenhouse gasses).
UNECE has partnered with the University of Zürich
to develop an AI-powered tool that will offer a realtime
interactive compendium of information and data
resources on the resilience of energy systems. The
platform will equip policymakers with a cutting-edge
tool that will inform their policy decisions by facilitating
knowledge management and dissemination capabilities.
It is also meant to help identify technology and policy
breakthroughs and mobilise financial flows for resilience.
The European Investment Bank, the International
Atomic Energy Agency, the International Energy Agency,
the International Telecommunication Union, the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe,
the World Meteorological Organization, the World Bank,
and other organisations contribute their knowledge base
to support and shape this tool.
Automated driving
– Revised Framework Document on Automated/
Autonomous Vehicle (2022)
– Guidelines and Recommendations Concerning
Safety Requirements for Automated Driving
Systems (document endorsed in June 2022)
– Guideline for Validating Automated Driving System
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(document endorsed in June 2022)
– Paper on Artificial Intelligence and Vehicle
Regulations (2018) and update (2022)
– UN Regulation No. 157 on the Type Approval of
Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) (2020),
amended in June 2022
– Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully
Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic
– Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968)
– All You Need To Know About Automated Vehicles
(2022)
– UN Regulation on Uniform Provisions Concerning
the Approval of Vehicles with regard to Cyber
Security and of their Cybersecurity Management
Systems
– UN Regulation No. 156 – Software Update and
Software Update Management System
– Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable
Cities (2015)
– Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully
Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic
– Artificial Intelligence and Vehicle Regulations I.
Introduction II. Some Terms And applications
– World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle
Regulations (WP.29)
– Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and
Connected Vehicles
– Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1)
– UNECE Committee on Urban Development,
Housing and Land Management
– Advisory Group on Advanced Technologies (AGAT)

| UNECE
– ITU and UNECE co-organise the annual Future
Networked Car symposium
– ITU and UNECE have developed key performance
indicators for smart sustainable cities
– United for Smart Sustainable Cities – UNECE is one
of the coordinators
– Artificial Intelligence Demystified - Background,
Principles and the Main Applications of Artificial
Intelligence and Related Concepts
Blockchain
UNECE’s subsidiary body UN/CEFACT has been exploring
the use of blockchain for trade facilitation. For instance,
work carried out within the Blockchain White Paper
Project has resulted in two white papers: One looking at
the impact of blockchain on the technical standards work
of UN/CEFACT and another looking at how blockchain
could facilitate trade and related business processes.
The ongoing Chain Project is focused on developing
a framework/mechanism for the development and
implementation of blockchain services infrastructure, and
creating a whitepaper on strategy for the development
and implementation of interoperable global blockchain
technology infrastructure. Another blockchain-related
project looks into the development of a standard on the
creation of a cross-border inter-customs ledger using
blockchain technology.
– White Paper: Technical Applications of Blockchain
to UN/CEFACT Deliverables (2019)
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– White Paper: Blockchain in Trade Facilitation (2019)
– Briefing Note on Blockchain for the United Nations
SDGs (2018)
– UN/CEFACT Chain Project
– UN/CEFACT Project: Cross Border Inter-ledger
Exchange for Preferential COO Using Blockchain
Critical infrastructure
UNECE achieved a transformative milestone with regard
to cybersecurity in the broad automotive sector with the
adoption of UN Regulation No. 155 (Cyber Security and
CSMS) and UN Regulation No. 156 (Software Updates).
Before that, cyber risks related to connected vehicles
were apparent but not systematically addressed.
Security researchers alerted the public of them by
revealing various vulnerabilities. There were only narrow
standards and guidelines for securing vehicles, such as
standards for secure communication among Electronic
Control Units (ECUs) and for hardware encryption.
UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle
Regulations (Working Party on Automated/Autonomous
and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) WP.29) adopted two
important new regulations on cybersecurity and
over-the-air software updates and led to the situation
where cybersecurity became non-negotiable for
securing market access via type approval for those
countries applying this regime. GRVA also developed
recommendations on uniform provisions concerning
cybersecurity and software updates for countries
applying the self-certification regime.

– Proposal for Recommendations on Uniform
Provisions Concerning Cyber Security and
Software Updates (Global recommendation)
Under the 1958 Agreement (binding to 54 countries)
– UN Regulation No. 155 on Cyber Security and
Cyber Security Management
– UN Regulation No. 156 on Software Updates and
Software Updates Management Systems
– World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle
Regulations (WP.29)
– Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and
Connected Vehicles
– Access to the text of UN Regulations No. 155 and
No. 156 and their amendments
Data governance
UNECE carries out multiple activities of relevance for the
area of data governance.
First, its work on trade facilitation also covers data
management issues. For example, it has issued a white
paper on data pipeline concept for improving data quality
in the supply chain and a set of Reference Data Model
Guidelines. Several projects carried out in the framework
of UNECE’s subsidiary UN/CEFACT also cover data-related
issues. Examples include the Buy-Ship-Pay Reference
Data Model (BSP-RDM), the Supply Chain Reference Data
Model (SCRDM), the Multi-Modal Transport Reference
Data Model (MMT-RDM), the Cross-border Management
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Reference Data Model Project (to provide a regulatory
reference data model within the UN/CEFACT semantic
library in order to assist authorities to link this information
to the standards of other organisations), the Sustainable
Development and Circular Economy Reference Data
Model Project, and the Accounting and Audit Reference
Data Model Project.
Second, UNECE has a statistical division, which
coordinates international statistical activities between
UNECE countries and helps to strengthen, modernise,
and harmonise statistical systems under the guidance
of the Conference of European Statisticians. Its activities
in this area are guided by the Fundamental Principles of
Official Statistics, adopted in 1992 and later endorsed
by the ECOSOC and the UNGA. Areas of work include
economic statistics, statistics on population, gender and
society, statistics related to sustainable development and
the environment, and modernisation of official statistics.
In 2019, UNECE published a Guidance on Modernizing
Statistical Legislation to guide countries through the
process of reviewing and revising statistical legislation.
The guidance covers issues such as open data, national
and international data exchanges, and government data
management.
Third, UNECE keeps abreast of external developments,
(e.g. in Europe or an Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) country), related to
challenges related to AI, privacy, and human rights. This
is the case for example with the activities on transport
and automated vehicles. The GRVA is reflecting on

the impact of general AI policies in its activities and
developed possible ways to add layers in its multi-pillar
approach to validate the performance of the Automated
Driving System, and therefore to integrate considerations
on data management in the context of AI agent training,
support features, and functions of automated driving,
and collaborate with the automotive sector on this matter.
– White Paper: Data Pipeline (2018)
– Reference Data Model Guidelines (2016)
– Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (1992)
– Guidance on Modernizing Statistical Legislation
(2019)
– Impact of AI on ADS Assessment (2022)
– Conference of European Statisticians
– High-Level Group for the Modernisation of Official
Statistics (HLG-MOS)
– UN/CEFACT Reference Data Model
– UN/CEFACT Project: Cross-border Management
Reference Data Model
– UN/CEFACT Project: Accounting and Audit
Reference Data Model Project
– UN/CEFACT Project: Sustainable Development and
Circular Economy Reference Data Model
E-commerce and trade
UNECE’s subsidiary, UN/CEFACT, serves as a focal point
(within ECOSOC) for trade facilitation recommendations
and electronic business standards, covering both commercial
and government business processes. In collaboration
with the Organization for the Advancement of
Structured Information Standards (OASIS), UNECE developed
the Electronic business using eXtensible Markup
Language (ebXML). Another output of UNECE is represented
by the UN rules for Electronic Data Interchange for
Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT),
which include internationally agreed upon standards, directories,
and guidelines for the electronic interchange
of structured data between computerised information
systems. UNECE has also issued recommendations on issues
such as Single Window, electronic commerce agreements,
and e-commerce self-regulatory instruments. In
addition, UN/CEFACT works on supporting international,
regional, and national e-government efforts to improve
trade facilitation and e-commerce systems.
– UN rules for Electronic Data Interchange for
Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/
EDIFACT)
– Recommendation 25 – Use of the UN Electronic
Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce
and Transport Standard (UN/EDIFACT)
– Recommendation 26 – The Commercial Use of
Interchange Agreements for Electronic Data
Interchange
– Recommendation 31 – Electronic Commerce
Agreement
– Recommendation 32 – E-Commerce Self-
Regulatory Instruments (Codes of Conduct)
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Recommendation 33 – Single Window Recommendation
– Electronic business using eXtensible Markup
Language (ebXML)
– White Paper: PaperlessTrade (2018)
– UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic
Business (UN/CEFACT)
– Trade facilitation recommendations | UNECE
In addition, UN/CEFACT is reviewing its mandates and developing
white papers analyzing how AI can be used to
facilitate trade processes. This includes examining how AI
technology could be used to facilitate trade and related
processes in the international supply chain including the
study of areas such as data privacy, AI-based trade policies,
the use of AI in e-Commerce and payments; how
existing UN/CEFACT deliverables could be used in AI applications;
and possible changes to existing UN/CEFACT
deliverables, or new deliverables, that could be considered
to support AI trade facilitation applications.
Digital and environment
UNECE’s work in the area of environmental policy covers a
broad range of issues, such as air pollution, transboundary
water cooperation, industrial safety, environmental
democracy, the green economy, environmental
monitoring and impact assessment, and education for
sustainable development. Much of this work is carried
out by the Committee on Environmental Policy, which,
among other tasks, supports countries in their efforts
480
to strengthen their environmental governance and
assesses their efforts to reduce their pollution burden,
manage natural resources, and integrate environmental
and socio-economic policies. UNECE has put in place an
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Programme
to assist member states in working with environmental
data and information and enable informed decisionmaking
processes. As part of this programme, it promotes
the use of electronic tools for accessing information and
knowledge on environmental matters and is supporting
the continued development of a Shared Environmental
Information System across the UNECE region. The system
is intended to enable countries to connect databases and
make environmental data more accessible
The INForest database offers the most up-to-date
source of information about the size of the forest area
in the UNECE region, how it has changed over decades,
the structure of forests, the goods and services forests
provide, as well as their contribution to the economy,
society and the environment.
UNECE has developed policy guidance to support the
digital inclusion of older people. In the Rome Ministerial
Declaration on Ageing, adopted in June 2022, Ministers
pledged to ‘promote age-friendly digitalisation, products
and services, and support innovation for the silver
economy’.
Recognising the importance of environmental, social,
and governance (ESG) traceability in achieving SDG 12
and considering the rich body of expertise and standards

already available through UNECE, UNECE broadened
the focus of the Team of Specialists (ToS) on sustainable
fisheries to (ESG) traceability of sustainable value chains
in the circular economy.
UNECE Environmental Conventions and Protocols
(not necessarily covering digital issues directly, but
relevant):
– Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air
Pollution
– Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment
in a Transboundary Context
– Convention on the Protection and Use of
Transboundary Watercourses and International
Lakes
– Convention on the Transboundary Effects of
Industrial Accidents
– Convention on Access to Information, Public
Participation in Decision-making and Access
to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus
Convention)
– Updated recommendations on the more effective
use of electronic information tools aim to assist
Parties, Signatories and other interested States in
promoting development, maintaining, enhancing,
and using electronic information tools and applying
modern digital technologies (blockchain, AI, digital
twins, augmented reality, etc.) to support the
implementation of the Aarhus Convention (2021)
– Consultation on the Recommendations on
Electronic Information Tools
– Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer
Registers to the Aarhus Convention
– Final Review Report on the Establishment of the
Shared Environmental Information System (report,
March 2021)
– Pan-European Strategic Framework for Greening
the Economy
– Batumi Initiative on Green Economy (BIG-E)
– UNECE Protocol on Strategic Environmental
Assessment
– InForest – your data and knowledge platform for
forests in the UNECE region
– Policy Brief on Ageing in the Digital Era (2021)
– Ministerial Declaration: A Sustainable World for
All Ages: Joining Forces for Solidarity and Equal
Opportunities Throughout Life (2022)
– Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment
– Task Force on Environmental Statistics and
Indicators
– Task Force on Waste Statistics
– Aarhus Convention Task Force on Access to
Information
– UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section
– ToS on ESG Traceability of Sustainable Value
Chains in the Circular Economy
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Sustainable development
UNECE assists countries in its region to address
sustainable development challenges (in areas such as
environment, connectivity, and urbanisation) through
offering policy advice; leveraging its norms, standards,
and conventions; and building capacities. It focuses on
driving progress towards the following SDGs: good health
and well-being (SDG 3), clean water and sanitation (SDG
6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), decent work
and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation and
infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities
(SDG 11), responsible consumption and production
(SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15).
Gender equality (SDG 5) and partnerships (SDG 17) are
overarching for all UNECE activities. Activities undertaken
by UNECE concerning these SDGs converge under four
high-impact areas: sustainable use of natural resources;
sustainable and smart cities for all ages; sustainable
mobility and smart connectivity; and measuring and
monitoring progress towards the SDGs.
UNECE has developed a series of tools and standards to
support countries in measuring and monitoring progress
towards the SDGs. It has also put in place an Innovation
Policy Outlook, which assesses the scope, quality, and
performance of policies, institutions, and instruments
promoting innovation for sustainable development.
– Halfway to 2030: How Many Targets will be Achieved
in the UNECE region? Snapshot and Insights in 2022
(report, 2022)
– Measuring and Monitoring Progress towards the
Sustainable Development Goals (report, April 2021)
Privacy and data protection
The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle
Regulations has included guidelines on cybersecurity
and data protection in its consolidated resolution on
the construction of vehicles, including principles of
lawful, fair, and transparent processing of personal
data: (1) respecting the identity and privacy of the data
subject; (2) not discriminating against data subjects
based on their personal data; (3) paying attention to the
reasonable expectations of the data subjects with regard
to the transparency and context of the data processing;
(4) maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of
information technology systems and in particular not
secretly manipulating data processing; (5) taking into
account the benefit of data processing depending on the
free flow of data, communication and innovation, as far as
data subjects have to respect the processing of personal
data with regard to the overriding general public interest;
and (6) ensuring the preservation of individual mobility
data according to necessity and purpose.
These guidelines were referred to in the Resolution on
Data Protection in Automated and Connected Vehicles
adopted during the 39th International Conference of
Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners Hong Kong,
25–29 September 2017.
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DIGITAL TOOLS
UNECE hosts several portals, applications, and digitalised
conventions.
– eTIR International System Application
The Customs Convention on the International Transport
of Goods under Cover of TIR (Transports Internationaux
Routiers) Carnets (TIR Convention, 1975) is one of the
most successful international transport conventions. It
is the only universal customs transit system in existence.
The TIR system, used by over 34,000 transport and logistics
companies in its 77 contracting parties, has already
reduced cross-border transport time by up to 80%, and
costs by up to 38%. The eTIR international system aims
to ensure the secure exchange of data between national
customs systems related to the international transit of
goods, vehicles, or containers according to the provisions
of the TIR Convention and to allow customs to manage
the data on guarantees, issued by guarantee chains to
holders authorised to use the TIR system.
– ITDB: International TIR Data Bank
The ITDB is an international online repository of
information for all those authorised by contracting
parties to use the TIR procedure. It is an integral part of
the eTIR International system since only users approved
in ITDB can use the eTIR system. The main goal of the
ITDB is to foster the exchange of information between
competent authorities of contracting parties and national
associations.
– eCPD
The Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD) system (i.e. a
passport card for your vehicle) facilitates the temporary
importation of private and commercial vehicles. The
CPD system is based on two international conventions:
the 1954 Customs Convention on the Temporary
Importation of Private Road Vehicles and the 1956
Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation
of Commercial Road Vehicles. Hosted by UNECE, the
conventions combined have 96 contracting parties. Work
has started to prepare the appropriate amendments
to the 1954 and 1956 conventions describing the eCPD;
prepare the high-level architecture including the concepts
and functional and technical specifications of the future
eCPD application; and develop the eCPD system based
on these specifications.
– eCMR
The eCMR is based on the provisions of the Convention
on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods
by Road (CMR) (1956) and especially on the provisions of
the Additional Protocol to CMR Concerning the Electronic
Consignment Note (2008). UNECE, which administers the
CMR Convention, has been mandated by governments to
administer the eCMR protocol and to establish a formal
group of experts on the operationalisation of the eCMR
procedure.
Digital visualisation
– International Transport Infrastructure Observatory
(ITIO)
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The observatory will be developed on a geographic
information systems (GIS) platform with three main
pillars of services: it offers an electronic repository of
UNECE inland transport conventions, an innovative tool
to finance transport infrastructure, and a way to promote
sustainable regional and interregional connectivity.
– ITIO GIS Platform: Climate Change Adaptation and
Transport Infrastructure Tool
The ITIO GIS platform assists the analysis of possible
future impacts of climate change on transport networks.
The tool enables experts to identify sections of transport
networks potentially exposed to the effects of climate
change.
Digital enabler
– SITCIN: Sustainable Inland Transport Connectivity
Indicators tool
The SITCIN tool allows countries to measure their
degree of transport connectivity, both domestically and
bilaterally/sub-regionally, as well as in terms of soft and
hard infrastructure.
– UNECE Dashboard of SDG Indicators
UNECE digital tools facilitating access to statistical
information:
– UNECE Statistical Database
– UNECE Statistics Wikis
– UNECE Active Ageing Index Wiki
UNECE online platforms and observatories gather
updates and policy resources to help member states
respond to the COVID-19 crisis:
– Platform for National Statistical offices
– Food Outlook
– Observatory on Border Crossings Status
– Data Sources on Coronavirus Impact on Transport
– COVID-19: The Role of the Water Convention and
the Protocol on Water and Health
Social media channels
Facebook @UNECE
Flickr @UNECE
Instagram @un_ece
LinkedIn @United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe
X @UNECE
YouTube @UNECE
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484

UN International Computing Centre
(UNICC)
Octagon Building | Chemin du Pavillon 2 Grand-Saconnex | 1218 Geneva | Switzerland
www.unicc.org

About UNICC
UNICC has over 50 years of experience as the largest
strategic partner for digital solutions and cybersecurity
within the UN system. We design and deploy
transformational digital tools and programmes to
support over 90 partners in fulfilling their mandates.
UNICC is committed to delivering innovative, forwardlooking,
reliable system-wide solutions in line with the
UN Secretary-General’s Strategy on New Technologies,
the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital
Cooperation, and the UN’s Common Agenda. With our
world-class Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, data and
analytics practice, and an array of platform, software,
and infrastructure solutions, UNICC serves the entire
UN family and other international organisations with
similar missions and values for the benefit of the world.
As a part of the UN family, UNICC espouses the same
values that the UN embraces. As a strategic partner,
UNICC’s guiding values are unmatched and underlie
our continued growth: respect, curiosity, pride, passion,
flexibility, honesty, and transparency.
488

Technology has the capacity to be the world’s great
equaliser, enabling the conditions for greater
peace and prosperity on a global scale.
Sameer Chauhan
Director
Message by the UNICC Director
As the leading strategic partner for digital solutions to the UN family, UNICC faced the
COVID-19 crisis with continued innovation and an expanded range of digital tools. We found
countless opportunities to support the UN through technology, and serving organisations in
the areas of client services, cybersecurity, analytics and data management, software services
and cloud, network and infrastructure services, as well as platform services.
489

Message by the UNICC Director
The impact of technology on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is ever-growing. As
the Decade of Action moves forward, UNICC is proud to continue supporting all SDGs, with
a focus on implementing SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 13: Climate
Action, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, in line with the UN Secretary-General’s
Strategy on New Technologies, the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation,
and the UN’s Common Agenda.
Technology has the capacity to be the world’s great equalizer by enabling the conditions for
greater peace and prosperity on a global scale. UNICC harnesses its unique capabilities as the
main cybersecurity and digital solutions provider for the UN system, helping our clients and
partners reach the most vulnerable in the field during exceptional and trying times.
490

DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
UNICC provides core digital business services to UN
agencies and related international organisations, including
client services; support for innovative technologies,
cybersecurity, data, and analytics;software as a service
and cloud integration services; and infrastructure
and platform services including network services,
enterprise backup, ERP, web hosting, and enterprise
collaboration platforms. UNICC offers cost savings,
business efficiencies, and volume discounts based on the
scale of its engagements. These services are designed
to protect organisational assets, intellectual property,
sensitive data, and reputation, and leverage the shared
expertise of the umbrella of UN organisation, with shared
innovative solutions being adaptable to client needs.
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Credit: unicc.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Digital solutions, services, and tools
The need for digital and technological solutions is at
an all-time high across businesses and sectors. With
the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all areas of
humanitarian development have seen an increased
call for advanced technology products and services
to respond to the many challenges the world is facing.
Digital transformation allows for more productivity,
streamlined operations, cost efficiencies, agility, and
resilience in ever-changing scenarios and is a catalyst
for economic growth.
UNICC is responding to this growing need for digital
business solutions with innovation and state-of-theart
digital business solutions tailored to many of its
more than 80 clients and partner organisations. With
UNICC’s shared services business model, clients can
benefit from affordable, accessible, flexible solutions
to support their mission delivery. At the same time,
member states benefit because more UN entities are
harnessing smart technologies to fulfil their mandates,
reaching further into the field to support country
offices and their results. UNICC continues to fine-tune
many of these new technologies and through strategic
partnerships, their impact is even greater.
For more information, visit the UNICC website.
UN Digital ID
To provide the UN workforce with a universal, easyto-use,
system-wide identity.
To provide the UN workforce with a universal, easy-touse,
system-wide identity.
UN Digital ID is a unique identity for each UN staff
member, from onboarding to retirement. Having
a unique identification across the UN system not
only reduces data fragmentation and duplication,
but also simplifies and streamlines processes and
transactions across all business functions between
staff and organisations, and among UN organisations
themselves. As a data exchange platform, UN Digital ID
will allow staff from participating organisations to share
any of their HR and related information with complete
visibility, consent, and security.
UN Digital ID is part of UN 2.0, the UN Secretary-
General’s push to achieve an efficient and data-driven
transformation.
Read more here.
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UNICC Cloud
The first secure private cloud environment for the UN
system
UNICC is partnering with Canonical, the publisher of
Ubuntu and provider of open-source security, support,
and services, to build and deliver the first secure private
cloud environment for the UN system, providing cuttingedge
security and data sovereignty for the UN’s most
sensitive data and software applications.
UNICC Cloud leverages the advantages of cloud
computing and the legal protections offered by UN
Privileges and Immunities, with the unique added benefit
of direct and independent control over data through
nodes operated exclusively at UNICC data centres and
the guarantee of UNICC’s world-class cybersecurity
capabilities. The first node will be located in UNICC’s data
centre in Valencia, Spain, thanks to the generosity of the
Spanish government. Discussions to create additional
nodes are underway with various UN member states.
Read more here.
UNHCR and Regional Call Centre
UNICC Supports UNHCR Regional Call Centre for
Ukrainian Refugees
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with the support of
UNICC, has partnered with industry experts ServiceNow,
British Telecom (BT), and Thirdera to set up a regional
contact centre (RCC) for refugees fleeing the ongoing war
in Ukraine.
Bringing together the best of Service Now, BT, Thirdera,
and UNICC’s digital expertise and solutions, the new
UNHCR RCC solution offers refugees a user-friendly,
multilingual platform to access vital information on
emergency services, assistance, and psychosocial
counselling services as well as identifying vulnerable
refugees and referring them to specialists for follow up
support. The RCC also provides information on education,
employment, healthcare, housing, and legal support.
Read more here.
Cybersecurity
A cybersecure digital environment for the UN family
UNICC’s cybersecurity services cover oversight,
governance, and threat intelligence sharing, as well as
advisory services and a spectrum of programmatic and
operational components. UNICC Cybersecurity has grown
its global programme to serve over 50 UN partners and
international organisations since its inception in 2017.
Services range from the Common Secure Threat
Intelligence Network of over 40 UN organisations, to
maturity assessments, ISO certification support, SOC and
SIEM support, as well as security incident response and
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
forensics, business continuity management, and industrystandard
operational processes.
UNICC is certified with ISO 27001 and was awarded a
2020 and 2017 CSO 50 Award for its Common Secure
Information Security services, demonstrating outstanding
business value and thought leadership.
Read more here.
UNRWA and Digital Services Hub
Transformative eUNRWA digital services platform
and mobile app
UNICC recently provided the advisory support and
technical know-how to help the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) build the
eUNRWA digital services hub for refugees. Leveraging the
technologies and framework built for the UNJSPF Digital
Certificate app, UNICC streamlined a platform and mobile
application for refugee online and mobile digital services.
The UNICC solution, scaled up to support potentially up
to 5 million refugees, enables ‘life event‘ requests for
services and documentation, including refugee birth and
marriage certificates, work documentation, etc.
The solution went live successfully in all five fields of
operations of UNRWA, namely, Jordan, Gaza, West Bank,
Lebanon, and Syria, where more than 5.5 million refugees
are registered with UNRWA. This solution is envisaged to
provide a one-stop shop for Palestine refugees to profit
from UNRWA’s digital services.
Read more here.
UNDP’s AIDA portal
Artificial Intelligence powers UNDP’s Evaluation
Office solutions
Independent evaluation offices play a major role in
gleaning and sharing years of evaluation knowledge and
experience for UN agency programme delivery. This is
never an easy task. Finding valuable information is timeconsuming,
methodical, and often manual, with multiple
sources and document types to process.
In partnership with UNICC and Amazon Web Services,
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
launched AIDA 2.0 (Artificial Intelligence for Development
Analytics), with new analytical capabilities in 2023. This
cutting-edge solution streamlines the scanning of more
than 6,000 evaluation reports to understand keywords,
context, and intent using AI capabilities, returning
meaningful answers to complex questions. New features
include sentiment analysis, pattern detection, topic
modelling and summarisation, and data visualisation.
With UNICC’s support, UNDP’s AIDA portal is accessible
to Evaluation Office staff who want to learn from past
evaluations to improve programme design and delivery,
offering an innovative solution to search, find, and share
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lessons learned and build on successes from country
programmes worldwide.
Read more here.
Data Action Portfolio
Driving data for digital transformation across the UN
family
The Data Strategy of the Secretary-General for Action by
Everyone, Everywhere is a call to action for a data-driven
transformation for building ecosystems that unlock
the potential for global action on the SDGs. Data drives
all aspects of the UN’s work and its power, harnessed
responsibly, is critical to global agendas.
As the digital business and technology shared services
hub for the UN, UNICC is uniquely positioned to heed
the call, embrace, and implement the UN Secretary-
General’s data strategy in every corner of the UN system.
UNICC is well-positioned with its Data Action Portfolio to
assist UN agencies in implementing their alignments to
the UN Secretary-General’s Data Strategy, taking their
data programmes to the next level with humanitarian
use cases across many UN agencies, in the areas of
analytics, advanced analytics, data management, and
data exchange as well as data governance.
For more information, please visit the UNICC website.
International criminal investigations
Innovative technology and partnerships for
international criminal investigations
The United Nations Investigative Team to Promote
Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL
(UNITAD) partnered with UNICC and Microsoft to support
advanced data management for accountability in UNITAD
criminal investigations, with UNICC offering Microsoft
Azure hosting services, development, data and analytics,
and cognitive services.
UNICC Data and Analytics, Application Development and
Cloud Infrastructure teams supported the collection,
preservation, and storing of evidence in the form of
images, and audio, video, and digital text files that
have been recovered from sources in the field. This
solution streamlines evidence in independent criminal
proceedings to hold members of ISIL accountable for the
crimes they may have committed.
The partnership helps UNITAD fulfil its mandate in a
more efficient and cost-effective manner by creating new
business opportunities for UNICC clients and partner
organisations to leverage for similar challenges with this
innovative technology.
Read more here.
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Social media channels
Facebook @unicc.ict
LinkedIn @UNICC
X @unicc_ict
YouTube @UN International Computing Centre
496

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
(UNIDIR)
Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva 10 | Switzerland
www.unidir.org

About UNIDIR
Founded in 1980, the UNIDIR is a voluntarily funded,
autonomous institute within the United Nations. One of the
few policy institutes worldwide focusing on disarmament,
UNIDIR generates knowledge and promotes dialogue and
action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva,
UNIDIR assists the international community to develop
the practical, innovative ideas needed to find solutions to
critical security problems.
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Our goal is to build a shared understanding of the
benefits and risks of emerging scientific and
technological innovations.
Robin Geiss
Director
Message by the UNIDIR Director
UNIDIR’s Security and Technology Programme (SecTec) was established to explore the
challenges and opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies in the context of
international peace and security. We break down complex issues by focusing on understanding
new technologies, their applications, their impacts, and the governance tools available to steer
or control future development and use. Key activities of the programme include conducting
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Message by the UNIDIR Director
research studies, convening various types of events, and offering dedicated knowledge that
helps to build both capacity and confidence. In this regard, UNIDIR also focuses on creating
digital tools like the renowned Cyber Policy Portal and the and the recently launched UNIDIR
Artificial Intelligence Policy Portal. Our aim is to support information sharing, trust, and
transparency at all levels of governance and between all relevant actors.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The research areas of UNIDIR’s SecTec focus on
cybersecurity, such as threats and vulnerabilities
related to information and communications
technologies (ICTs), and the use of new technologies
such as artificial intelligence (AI) applications in warfare.
SecTec has supported the UN processes on ICTs Group
of Governmental Experts (GGE) and the Open-Ended
Working Group (OEWG) and continues to support the
OEWG on security of and in the use of ICTs (2021–2025).
It focuses on research and awareness raising on this
topic with a broad range of stakeholders and maps the
cybersecurity policy landscape.
503
Credit: unidir.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Cybersecurity
SecTec builds knowledge and raises awareness of the
security implications of new and emerging technologies.
Cyber stability is one area of focus for UNIDIR, the work
of which supports the implementation of specific norms
and recommendations previously agreed by member
states. It also explores options to strengthen cyber
stability and crisis management mechanisms. UNIDIR
provides technical and expert advice to the chairpersons
of the UN GGE and OEWG on norms, international
law, confidence-building measures, capacity building,
cooperation, and institutional dialogue. The annual
Cyber Stability Conference brings various stakeholders
together to promote a secure and stable cyberspace and
in particular the role of the UN processes such as the
OEWG on Security of and in the Use of Information and
Communications Technologies (2021–2025).
Launched in 2019, the Cyber Policy Portal is an interactive
map of the global cyber policy landscape. It provides
profiles of the cyber policies of all 193 UN member
states, in addition to various intergovernmental
organisations and multistakeholder instruments and
other initiatives. This confidence-building tool supports
informed participation by relevant stakeholders in all
policy processes and promotes trust, transparency, and
cooperation in cyberspace. The updated version of the
portal was launched in May 2022, providing several new
features, such as full text search, and is available in all UN
official languages.
Accessible from the portal, the National Survey of
Implementation of United Nations Recommendations
of Responsible Use of ICTs by States in the Context of
International Security collates national take-up of the
recommendations from the 2015 GGE report, with a view
to assisting assessment of their further development
and implementation. The survey allows UN member
states to conduct regular self-assessments of national
implementation of the recommendations.
It can also support UN member states in responding to
an invitation from the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to
continue to inform the Secretary-General of their views
and assessments on the issue of developments in the
field of ICTs in the context of international security.
It supports transparency, information sharing, and
confidence building by giving UN member states the
possibility of making the results of the survey publicly
available on their national profiles on UNIDIR’s Cyber
Policy Portal.
The Cyber Policy Portal Database provides direct access
to documents and references through the profiles of all
193 UN member states on the Cyber Policy Portal. The
database allows searching across several categories,
including state, type of document, topic, issuing body,
and more.
Publications
– Drawing Parallels: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective
on the Cyber PoA Scope, Structure and Content
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– Use of ICTs by States: Rights and Responsibilities
Under the UN Charter
– Unpacking Cyber Capacity-Building Needs: Part I.
Mapping the Foundational Cyber Capabilities-
– Unpacking Cyber Capacity-Building Needs: Part II.
Introducing a Threat-Based Approach
– Operationalizing a Directory of Points of Contact
for Cyber Confidence-Building Measures
– Towards a More Stable and Secure ICT Environment:
Unpacking Inter-State Cooperation (Conference
Summary Report)
– Wading Murky Waters: Subsea Communications
Cables and Responsible State Behaviour
– Cyber Stability Conference: Protecting Critical Infrastructure
And Services Across Sectors
– India’s International Cyber Operations: Tracing
National Doctrine and Capabilities
– A Taxonomy of Malicious ICT Incidents
– 2021 Cyber Stability Conference: Towards a More
Secure Cyberspace
– Enhancing Cooperation to Address Criminal and
Terrorist Use of ICTs
– Non-Escalatory Attribution of International Cyber
Incidents: Facts, International Law and Politics
– Due Diligence in Cyberspace: Normative Expectations
of Reciprocal Protection of International
Legal Rights
– ICTs, International Security, and Cybercrime
– Applying Chapters VI and VII of the Charter of the
United Nations in the Cyber Context
505
– International Cyber Operations: National Doctrines
and Capabilities Research Paper Series
– International Cooperation to Mitigate Cyber Operations
Against Critical Infrastructure
– Supply Chain Security in the Cyber Age: Sector
Trends, Current Threats and Multi-Stakeholder
Responses
Events
– Digital Tools for Disarmament: An Overview of
UNIDIR Portals and Databases
– Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Internet Fragmentation
– Unpacking Cyber Capacity-Building Needs: From
Research to Action
– Technology Breakfast: Quantum and Cybersecurity
– Protecting Global Internet Infrastructure: A
Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue
– Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue: Subsea Communications
Cables and Responsible State Behaviour
– 2023 Cyber Stability Conference – Use of ICTs by
States: Rights and Responsibilities Under the UN
Charter
– Side Event: A Taxonomy of Malicious ICT Incidents
– 2022 Cyber Stability Conference: Protecting Critical
Infrastructure and Services Across Sectors
– International Cyber Crisis Management Regional
Workshop Series
– National Survey of Implementation of United
Nations Recommendations on Responsible Use

of ICTs by States in the Context of International
Security
– Open-ended Working Group Cyber 201: Framework
Recap
– 2021 Cyber Stability Conference: Towards a More
Secure Cyberspace
– ICTs, International Security, and Cybercrime:
understanding their intersection for better policy
making
– 2020 Cyber Stability Conference: Exploring the
Future of Institutional Dialogue
Artificial intelligence
AI and the weaponisation of increasingly autonomous
technologies is one of UNIDIR’s current research areas.
It aims to raise awareness and build capacities of various
stakeholders, including member states, technical
communities, academia, and the private sector. Research
on AI covers a broad range of topics from human decisionmaking,
autonomous vehicles, and swarm technologies.
UNIDIR SecTec recently launched the Artificial Intelligence
Policy Portal. This tool gathers available information
at the national, regional, and international levels on
policies, processes, and structures that are relevant to
the development and use of AI for military or security
purposes. The Portal has been developed to support
transparency, information sharing, and confidence
building in the field of AI.
Publications
– AI and International Security: Understanding the
Risks and Paving the Path for Confidence-Building
Measures
– Artificial Intelligence Beyond Weapons: Application
and Impact of AI in the Military Domain
– Proposals Related to Emerging Technologies in the
Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems: A
Resource Paper (updated)
– The 2022 Innovations Dialogue: AI Disruption,
Peace and Security
– Uncrewed Aerial, Ground, and Maritime Systems:
A Compendium
– Towards Responsible AI in Defence: A Mapping
and Comparative Analysis of AI Principles Adopted
by States
– Confidence-Building Measures for Artificial Intelligence:
A Framing Paper
– Uncrewed Maritime Systems: A Primer
– Uncrewed Aerial Systems: A Primer
– Uncrewed Ground Systems: A Primer
– Human-Machine Interfaces in Autonomous Weapon
Systems
– UNIDIR on Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Mapping
out Research to the Discussions of the GGE on
LAWS
– Table-Top Exercises on the Human Element and
Autonomous Weapons System
– Known Unknowns: Data Issues and Military Autonomous
Systems
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– The Black Box, Unlocked: Predictability and Understandability
in Military AI
– Modernizing Arms Control: Exploring Responses to
the Use of AI in Military Decision-Making
– The Human Element In Decisions About The Use
Of Force
Events
– Digital Tools for Disarmament: An Overview of
UNIDIR Portals and Databases
– Risks of AI (Report Launch)
– The Application and Impact of Artificial Intelligence
Beyond Weapons (Publication Launch)
– 2023 Innovations Dialogue: The Impact of Artificial
Intelligence on Future Battlefields
– Empowering AI Policy: Introducing the UNIDIR
Artificial Intelligence Policy Portal
– Technological Advances of Uncrewed Systems in
the Air, Land and Maritime Domains
– Human–AI Teaming
– 2022 Innovations Dialogue: AI Disruption, Peace,
and Security
– Towards Ethically Driven Robotics and Automation
Systems
– Predictability and Understandability in Lethal Autonomous
Weapons
– The 2021 Innovations Dialogue: Deepfakes, Trust
and International Security
– Known Unknowns: Data Issues and Military Autonomous
Systems
– Webinar series on the technological, military and
legal aspects of lethal autonomous weapon systems
– Predictability and Understandability in Military AI
Emerging technologies
UNIDIR’s research equally focuses on security dimensions
of innovations in science and technology. In synergy
with the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament
and recent UNGA resolutions on the role of science
and technology in the context of international security,
UNIDIR proactively identifies and examines emerging
and over-the-horizon innovations. It analyses potential
implications for international security and facilitates
dialogue among relevant stakeholders to encourage
cross-sector cooperation.
Publications
– Exploring the Use of Technology for Remote
Ceasefire Monitoring and Verification
– The 2021 Innovations Dialogue Conference Report
– Exploring Distributed Ledger Technology for Arms
Control and Non-Proliferation: A Primer
– Exploring Science and Technology Review Mechanisms
Under the Biological Weapons Convention
– Advances in Science and Technology in the Life
Sciences
– Magnifying Nanomaterials
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Events
– Introduction to Wargaming
– Quantum Technologies and Their Implications for
International Peace and Security
– Exploring Directed Energy Weapons and the Implications
of Their Use Under International Law
– Preparing for the Future of International Peace
and Security
– Brain-Computer Interfaces Webinar Series, Part 3:
Legal and Ethical Challenges
– Brain-Computer Interfaces Webinar Series, Part
2: BCIs in the Context of International Security:
Military Uses, Applications and Risks
– Brain-Computer Interfaces Webinar Series, Part 1:
Existing and Near-Term Uses of BCIs
– Virtual Launch of the Technology and Ceasefires
Publication: Exploring the Use of Technology for
Remote Ceasefire Monitoring and Verification
– Exploring Science and Technology Review Mechanisms
under the Biological Weapons Convention
– New Technological Opportunities to Bolster Treaty
Compliance
– Innovations in Life Sciences
– The 2020 Innovations Dialogue: Life Sciences, International
Security and Disarmament
– Scientific and Technological Responses to Pandemics:
Drawing Parallels Between International
Security and Public Health
– Cyber Policy Portal Database - UNIDIR Cyber Policy
Portal Database is a valuable addition to the suite
of digital tools developed by UNIDIR to promote
transparency, information sharing, and confidenceand
capacity-building in the digital age. With over
1500 documents, the database provides a wealth
of information for policymakers and practitioners
in the field of cybersecurity.
– Artificial Intelligence Policy Portal - The UNIDIR
Artificial Intelligence Policy Portal serves as an
interactive global map of AI policy landscape. It
includes profiles of AI policies for all 193 UN Member
States, along with various intergovernmental
organizations and multistakeholder initiatives.
This tool is designed to encourage informed
participation in all policy processes, fostering
transparency, information sharing, confidence, and
capacity building in the emerging field of AI. UNIDIR
encourages governments to continually share
updates regarding their national profiles using the
AI Policy Portal Submission Survey.
– Biological Weapons Convention National
Implementation Measures Database. Over the last
two decades, many initiatives designed to reduce
biological risks have emerged at the international,
regional, local, and institutional levels, including
risk assessment mechanisms, codes of conduct,
dual-use education, and voluntary peer review
initiatives. It is unclear what happened to many
of these measures or indeed whether they
worked. To take stock of these earlier riskreduction
measures and build an evidence base
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DIGITAL TOOLS
to inform the development of future measures,
UNIDIR developed a virtual repository of these
risk mitigation measures, complete with insights
around lessons learned from these instruments
– Space Security Portal: Space policies and doctrines
are evolving rapidly as more states articulate their
perspectives and approaches to addressing space
security. Building on the success of the Institute’s
Cyber Policy Portal, UNIDIR developed the Space
Security Portal to serve as a one-stop online hub
for materials on the space security policies of
key stakeholders, including states and regional
organisations.
– Uncrewed Aerial, Ground, and Maritime Systems:
A Compendium
– Uncrewed Maritime Systems: A Primer
– Uncrewed Aerial Systems: A Primer
– Uncrewed Ground Systems: A Primer
– Introduction to Wargaming
– Quantum Technologies and Their Implications for
International Peace and Security
– Exploring Directed Energy Weapons and the
Implications of Their Use Under International Law
– Preparing for the Future of International Peace
and Security/
– Technological Advances of Uncrewed Systems in
the Air, Land and Maritime Domains
Future of meetings
UNIDIR has organised virtual events, meetings, and
workshops through video conferencing platforms such
as Zoom and Webex.
In addition, UNIDIR’s 2022 Cyber Stability Conference
was hosted on a browser-based streaming platform,
StreamYard, and was broadcast across various social
media channels.
Social media channels
Facebook @unidirgeneva
Instagram @un_disarmresearch
LinkedIn @UNIDIR
X @UNIDIR
YouTube @UNIDIR-the UN Institute for Disarmament
Research
509

University of Geneva
(UNIGE)
Rue du Général-Dufour 24 | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.unige.ch

About UNIGE
With more than 18,000 students of 150+ nationalities,
UNIGE is the second-largest university in Switzerland.
UNIGE offers 193 study programmes (102 Bachelor
and Master programmes; 91 dotoral programmes) and
392 continuing education programmes. 427 continuing
education programmes covering an extremely wide
variety of fields: exact sciences, medicine, humanities,
social sciences, law, etc.
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Academic skills are essential to understand and
master the digital world. They are also essential
to develop new digitally based tools for
international governance.
Yves Flückiger
Rector
Message by the UNIGE Rector
Digital technology is a major economic, political, societal, and scientific challenge of our time,
which also profoundly affects the academic world. As one of the top 100 higher education
institutions in the world, UNIGE is attentive to digital evolution; we take its developments into
account within the framework of our missions, namely teaching, research, and services to the
community.
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Message by the UNIGE Rector
Teaching and learning activities at UNIGE have integrated digital tools, providing students and
teachers with new capabilities, such as distant learning, sharing platforms, and multimedia
support. Digital technologies also offer new potentialities for research. While computing
speed and power increase and new tools are being developed for collecting, understanding,
and managing data, we observe the emergence of innovative forms of collaboration and
knowledge sharing among researchers. But digital technologies also bring important
challenges for academic institutions and human societies. It is thus UNIGE’s responsibility to
train younger generations to live and work in a digital world. We are also willing to make our
academic expertise available to the public, local actors, and international organisations in
various partnerships and initiatives.
These efforts are an integral part of UNIGE’s Digital Strategy, aimed at developing and enhancing
the university’s expertise in digital technology; promoting the capacity for innovation in terms
of teaching, research, and digital services; developing cooperation with external partners;
and contributing to a constructive and critical dialogue on digital technologies.
The ambition of UNIGE regarding digital transformation is great and so are our expectations. In
recent years, we have opened several professorships related to digital technology in computer
sciences, humanities, law, social sciences, and medicine. For instance, two professorships in
computational diplomacy have been created with the collaboration of the Geneva Science
and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA). Our aim is to improve the understanding of global issues
and provide new tools for international governance. Many more initiatives and projects that
relate to digital technologies are currently being developed within the UNIGE community:
new courses or academic programmes, innovative services and tools to support teachers
and researchers in their daily activities, improved IT systems, etc. The digital transformation
is everywhere, and UNIGE is committed to displaying leadership on the institutional and
academic fronts.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
UNIGE has incorporated digital technology into its
strategy and appointed a vice-rector in charge of defining
and piloting digital initiatives in the fields of education,
research, and services to society. A Digital Transformation
Office was also set up to identify and connect digital actors
within the institution and federate digital activities and
projects while encouraging the emergence of innovative
projects.
The digital strategy in place considers digital technology
both as a tool for teachers and researchers, and as a
subject for teaching and research. It brings UNIGE to the
fore in debates on digital technology at the local, national,
and international level.
An Action Plan accompanies UNIGE’s digital strategy. It is
regularly updated to report on progress and incorporate
new digital initiatives or projects that have emerged
within the university community. It is a guiding document
indicating the activities and projects that the Rectorate
particularly wishes to support.
Many more digital activities are carried out within the
institution, while they are not included in the Action Plan.
This is, for instance, the case of the activities carried out by
the Division of Information and Communication Systems
and Technologies (DiSTIC) along with many digital
projects carried out by the academic community and
central services. UNIGE is internationally recognised for
its research in quantum cryptography, and is developing
high-ranking research activities in the fields of digital
humanities, autonomous vehicles, and digital law.
More information on the university’s digital strategy
and action plan can be found at https://www.unige.ch/
numerique/en
Credit: unige.ch
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Capacity development
In an attempt to develop digital literacy within its
community, UNIGE has put in place a series of measures
to meet the needs of its students, researchers,
administrative staff, and other community members.
To this end, the university offers a series of optional
transversal courses open to all students and provides
training and workshops on particular digital skills and
tools for advanced students and researchers. It is also
developing and deploying its Open Science roadmap,
which includes training on research data management
and Open Access publishing.
As part of its digital strategy, UNIGE created a Digital
Law Center (DLC) at the Faculty of Law. The DLC
provides courses focused on the internet and law. It also
organises its annual Digital Law Summer School, where
participants can discuss digital law and policy issues, such
as cybersecurity, privacy, freedom of expression, and
intellectual property with leading experts from academia
and international organisations. Every year since 2016,
UNIGE has organised the Geneva Digital Law Research
Colloquium (run by the DLC in cooperation with other
leading academic centres, including the Berkman Klein
Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University). This
event is a scientific workshop that gives an opportunity
to next-generation digital law and policy researchers to
present and discuss various digital policy issues, such as
freedom of expression online, copyright, and the internet
of things (IoT) with senior high-level experts.
Together with ETH Zurich, UNIGE recently created a
Lab for Science in Diplomacy (SiDLab). In this respect, it
created two professorships in Computational Diplomacy,
developed jointly by the Global Studies Institute (GSI) and
the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of
Science. One is specialised in data science, particularly
machine learning (ML), and the other focuses on data
categorisation in relation to complexity theories and
global studies. With these two new positions, UNIGE
aims to improve the understanding of global issues by
developing a new theoretical framework for international
relations, using new algorithms and mobilising
computing power to develop scenarios. Leveraging its
multidisciplinary culture, UNIGE has recently created a
transversal Data Science Competences Center (CCSD)
aimed at federating competences from all faculties and
enabling cross-fertilisation between various disciplines
to develop advanced research and services. Since its
creation, more than 600 researchers have joined the CCSD
community and actively participate in its research and
learning activities. To support the teaching community
with digital transformation, UNIGE has created a portal
for online and blended learning with a set of resources
to help tutors prepare their courses and classes. Some of
the resources are intended for self-training, while others
provide users with training/coaching opportunities with
UNIGE e-learning and blended learning experts.
When students are positioned as partners in university
communities, they become active participants with
valuable expertise to contribute to shaping the process
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DIGITAL TOOLS
of digital transformation. The Partnership Projects
Program (P3) provides students, alongside academic and
professional staff, with the opportunity to bring forward
their ideas to improve the digital tools and services at the
university. Students and staff are engaged on a project
they designed, and they work together towards the
shared goal of learning from their partners and improving
the university with a solution meeting their needs. At the
end of the project, the university may carry on with the
implementation of the proposed solution, leading to a
new digital service or tool for the community.
UNIGE maintains an IT Service Catalogue where
students and staff members can access all digital tools
the university provides, such as the UNIGE Mobile App,
Moodle, UNIGE’s data storage system, and many others.
UNIGE also offers a number of MOOCs (massive open
online courses) open to everyone. Subjects range from
Human Rights to Chemical Biology, from Water Resources
Management to Exoplanets, or from Investment
Management to Global Health.
Future of meetings
UNIGE events are places where experts can meet and
exchange ideas, where knowledge and information can
be passed on to the university community and to society
at large. They are living pillars of UNIGE’s research,
teaching and public service missions. The organisation of
these events has been severely challenged by COVID-19,
but the use of digital tools has made it possible to keep
these meeting and exchange places alive. It was also an
opportunity to rethink the formats and ambitions of
UNIGE events for the long term, as digital tools have the
potential to facilitate access to knowledge, increase the
influence of UNIGE events, and reduce the environmental
impact of participants’ travels.
Many UNIGE events are now being organised in a
virtual or hybrid format, such as the Dies Academicus
and public and scientific conferences organised by the
faculties. For instance, the series of public conferences
Parlons numérique organised each year by the Digital
Transformation Office has a hybrid format allowing
remote participants to interact with the speakers. A
dedicated website helps UNIGE community members
willing to organise virtual or hybrid events.
Social media channels
Facebook @unigeneve
Instagram @unigeneve, @unigenumerique
LinkedIn @universite-de-geneve
X @UNIGE_en, @unigenumerique
YouTube @Université de Genève
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United Nations Institute for Training and Research
(UNITAR)
Av. de la Paix 7bis | 1202 Geneva 2 | Switzerland
www.unitar.org

About UNITAR
UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip diplomats
from newly independent UN member states with the
knowledge and skills needed to navigate the diplomatic
environment.
Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise
and experience in designing and delivering a variety of
training activities. It has become a leading institute in
the provision of customised, creative learning solutions
to institutions and individuals from both the public and
private sectors.
UNITAR provides training and capacity development
activities to assist mainly developing countries, with
special attention to least developed countries (LDCs),
small island developing states (SIDS), and other groups
and communities who are most vulnerable, including
those in conflict situations.
In 2020, UNITAR provided learning, training, and
knowledge-sharing services to 322,410 individuals,
representing a 142% increase from 2019 figures. This
increase is attributed largely to the continued delivery
of the introductory e-Learning course on climate change
administered in partnership with agencies of the One UN
Climate Change Learning Partnership, and due to many
programmes turning to online offers during the COVID-19
pandemic. Of the learning-related beneficiaries, 78%
came from developing countries, of which 15% are LDCs
and SIDS.
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We need to reach people in the millions rather than the
tens of thousands for Agenda 2030 and the
sustainable development goals to take root.
Technology, especially enhanced connectivity,
is making possible an exponential growth
in the number of learners and
beneficiaries that UNITAR is reaching.
Nikhil Seth
Executive Director
Message by the UNITAR Executive Director
UNITAR helps member states and other UN stakeholders implement the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development by providing modern and innovative learning services that meet
internationally recognised quality standards. Our activities, and the results they produce, vary
tremendously in scale and impact. Ranging from short, intensive, executive-type training to
mid- and large-sized capacity development projects spanning months and indeed years, the
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Message by the UNITAR Executive Director
outcomes of our work are both immediate, by contributing to the development of knowledge
and skill sets of individual beneficiaries, as well as mid to long term, by contributing broader
organisational and institutional changes.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the world, bringing about economic and social
upheavals, without mentioning the suffering and losses that so many people around the
world have had to endure. Like most organisations, COVID-19 affected UNITAR’s work since
much of our programming is usually delivered in the field. By leveraging our virtual learning
environment, mobile learning, and other available IT tools, we were able to continue our
learning services despite COVID-related restrictions. In fact, in 2020, approximately 80% of
our events were delivered online, as compared to 38% in 2019. Despite COVID-19’s many
negative impacts, the world of learning became more interconnected during the pandemic,
and we significantly increased our outreach and impact through the use of digital platforms
and tools.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Of UNITAR’s activities, in 2020, due to the COVID-19
pandemic-related travel and physical meeting
restrictions, approximately 80% of events were
delivered online, as compared to 38% in 2019. Most
of UNITAR’s face-to-face activities take place in field
locations, and the remainder are conducted from
UNITAR’s headquarters in Geneva and through its outposted
offices in New York City and Hiroshima.
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Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
UNITAR’s work is driven by its programmatic divisions,
of which some have made extensive use of artificial
intelligence (AI). UNITAR’s Satellite Center (UNOSAT)
and its Rapid Mapping Service first introduced AI-based
methods (UNOSAT FloodAI) during the rainy season in
the Asia-Pacific region with a targeted focus on countries
affected by the southwest monsoon season from June
to September 2020. It was in that context, in July 2020,
that an AI algorithm became operational for the first
time following a request by the United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
after heavy monsoon rains around the Brahmaputra
River and in the Sylher district in Bangladesh. Going
forward, UNOSAT intends to further develop AI
applications for rapid mapping by focusing on the user
experience and scaling up how it monitors flood-prone
areas. This entails further training for the machines and
automatic communication between the AI algorithm
outputs (disaster maps) and the visualisation dashboard
developed by UNOSAT.
UNITAR’s Division for Prosperity looks at AI and
several emerging technologies such as blockchain
and augmented reality, and considers their impact on
individuals, societies, and inclusive and sustainable
economic growth. One example is its Frontier
Technologies for Sustainable Development: Unlocking
Women's Entrepreneurship through Artificial
Intelligence (AI) in Afghanistan and Iraq course.
Cybersecurity
UNITAR tackles cybersecurity issues through education
and training activities, as well as events. Its training and
education activities cover areas such as cybersecurity,
cyberwarfare, cyber operations and human rights,
digital diplomacy, and broader capacity building
initiatives (e.g. e-workshops and the ‘in-focus series’).
Particular courses and workshops include Digital
Diplomacy and Cybersecurity, Diplomacy 4.0, the
In-Focus Series on International Humanitarian Law
and Cyberwarfare, as well as the Cybersecurity and
Information Technology Series.
Intellectual property law and data governance
UNITAR also covers copyright, patent, and trademark
issues in courses such as the Introduction to International
Intellectual Property Law, which considers the role of
intellectual property in the modern economy, while
examining the fundamentals of copyright protection
and patent law in the international community.
Furthermore, UNITAR tackles issues related more
broadly to data governance (e.g. official statistics, data
governance, communities and partnerships, and the
data value chain) through massive online open courses
(MOOCs) such as the Introduction to Data Governance
for Monitoring the SDGs, which analyses effective
data governance systems for monitoring progress in
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achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs)
and explores how to manage data-related partnerships,
capabilities, and resources in the context of the SDGs.
Capacity development
Being one of the UN’s main training organisations, most
of UNITAR’s activities fall in the category of capacity
development.
UNITAR offers online, face-to-face, and blended-format
courses for both institutions and individuals. Since the
launch of its 2018–21 strategic framework and extended
through its current 2022–25 strategic framework, its
work is guided by strategic objectives organised around
four thematic pillars of the 2030 Agenda, namely Peace,
People, Planet, and Prosperity, in addition to the crosscutting
divisions on Multilateral Diplomacy and Satellite
Analysis and Applied Research (UNOSAT) as well as the
health-focused Defeat-NCD Partnership. Some of the
division’s capacity building and training programmes
cover internet- and digital-policy-related areas, such
as privacy and data protection, cybersecurity, and
cybercrime, new emerging technologies (blockchain, AI,
and augmented reality), and digital diplomacy.
UNITAR also offers a wide range of Master’s programmes
and graduate certificates related to diplomacy,
peace and security, human rights, and humanitarian
interventions.
Furthermore, UNITAR organises special events such
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as the Geneva Lecture Series, which consists of open
lectures that are held on a regular basis at the Palais des
Nations in Geneva to raise awareness of specific global
challenges and deepen and broaden the participation
of citizens and civil society.
Privacy and data protection
Privacy and data protection are two interrelated
internet governance issues. Data protection is a legal
mechanism that ensures privacy, while privacy is a
fundamental human right. UNITAR deals with legal
mechanisms ensuring data protection and privacy in
numerous courses and events. One example is the
course on Introduction to Privacy and Data Protection
Law (2020), where different legal mechanisms that
protect privacy worldwide are analysed in depth.
UNITAR offers its training and courses through its
e-learning platform as well as a number of different
online platforms that provide users with tools and
resources in specific thematic areas.
– UN SDG: Learn – SDG Learners Today, SDG
Leaders Tomorrow!
– UN CC: E-learning Platform
– E-tutorial and Global Framework for Climate
Services
– Global Anti-Corruption Training Platform
– Chemicals and Waste Platform
– Mercury Platform

DIGITAL TOOLS
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNITAR
published a number of resources on online learning
and online event management addressing how to make
online events more inclusive, or to turn face-to-face
into online events, designing learning events and online
facilitation cards.
Social media channels
Facebook @UNITARHQ
Flickr @UNITAR
Instagram @unitarhq
LinkedIn @UNITARHQ
X @UNITAR
YouTube @UNITAR
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527

UN Office at Geneva
Palais des Nations | 1211 Geneva | Switzerland
www.ungeneva.org/en/organizations/united-nations-office-geneva

About the UN Geneva
Housed at the Palais des Nations, the UN Geneva serves
as the representative office of the Secretary-General
at Geneva. A focal point for multilateral diplomacy,
UN Geneva serviced around 6,000 meetings in 2022,
making it one of the busiest conference centres in the
world. With more than 1,600 staff, UN Geneva is the
most prominent duty station of the UN Secretariat
outside of headquarters in New York.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
UN Geneva hosts many meetings and processes related
to disarmament, human rights, e-commerce, health,
labour, development, and other areas.
In addition to these meetings, UN Geneva also hosts
several thematic cultural activities and organises the
Ciné ONU project, which uses films to shine a light
on the UN’s work on gender equality, human rights,
humanitarian aid, health, peace and reconciliation, and
many other issues.
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Credits: ungeneva.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Sustainable development
Led by UN Geneva, the SDG Lab is a multistakeholder
innovation space for the sustainable development goals
(SDGs), that inspires and promotes system change
through new lenses to long-term sustainability. An
example of a concrete initiative is the Geneva SDG
Data Forum launched in 2022, in partnership with the
Geneva Graduate Institute and Deloitte Switzerland. The
Geneva SDG Data Forum acts as an informal platform
for individuals and organisations to share SDG data
knowledge through a series of hands-on ateliers on data,
monitoring, and accountability.
The SDG Lab also played a key role in the inception of
the GESDA Open Quantum Institute (OQI) through its
function as an OQI advisory board member, offering
guidance and insights into potential case studies and
applications of quantum technologies for the SDGs and
long-term sustainability.
Other examples of initiatives launched or supported
by UN Geneva in the area of sustainable development
include SDG Acceleration Actions, an initiative dedicated
to mobilising Geneva-based actors working to make SDGs
a reality, and Building Bridges Week, dedicated to creating
an international movement for sustainable finance.
In addition, the International Geneva Perception Change
project – managed by a team of the Office of UN Geneva’s
Director-General – has among its four areas of work the
promotion of the SDGs. SDG Mapping, for instance,
showcases who does what in Geneva towards the
global goals. The other three areas are related to making
information accessible, changing the narratives, and
promoting the work of Geneva-based organisations.
Capacity development
The UN Library and Archives Geneva serves as a space
for knowledge and learning. It facilitates knowledge
exchanges, encourages innovation and collaboration,
and acts as a centre for research on multilateralism.
The library provides access to a diverse set of resources
(books, articles, UN documents, etc.), including on digitalrelated
topics such as economy, trade, human rights, and
peace and security. It also facilitates access to numerous
databases (maintained by various UN entities) such as
the UN Digital Library and the UNIDIR Cyber Policy Portal.
The library coordinates the UN Knowledge and Learning
Commons, together with the Centre for Learning and
Multilingualism. The Commons hosts activities and
learning experiences on various subjects, including
some with a digital dimension, such as technology and
innovation, information literacy, hybrid meetings, digital
accessibility, and multilingualism.
Several online reference services are available for users
of the UN Library & Archives Geneva, for example, ask a
librarian, databases and e-journals, and catalogues and
online requests.
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
The Conference Primers platform gives rapid access to
all conference summaries and to key decisions taken at
meetings held at UN Geneva. It continues to grow, with
advice from experts, contributions from partners, and
research led by the UN Library & Archives Geneva.
In 2022, the Library & Archives also completed a major
five-year project to provide online access to the entire
original archives of the League of Nations between
1919 and 1946: The Total Digital Access to the League of
Nations Archives Project (LONTAD). As a result, nearly 15
million pages of materials are now available online free of
charge. Thanks to this project, every person connected
to the internet now has an opportunity to consult various
documents of the League of Nations online.
The UN Geneva’s podcasts reinforce the organisation’s
outreach efforts, spotlighting issues and bringing the
key messages of the UN to another platform. Scripted,
recorded, and edited at the Palais des Nations, the
English-language podcast UN Catch-up Dateline Geneva
and the French-language podcast ONU Info Genève offer
up the week’s biggest stories from International Geneva,
including from UN agencies and their partners. The
podcasts are available weekly via social media platforms
and UN News.
Geneva has been traditionally strong on peace initiatives.
It is often regarded as a city of choice for mediators and
special envoys because it provides a neutral, discreet,
secure space for dialogue. Many peace talks, and conflict
prevention and mediation efforts are hosted at the Palais
des Nations.
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Digital Mediation Toolkit 1.0, developed by the UN
and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in 2019,
assesses opportunities and risks associated with the
use of digital technologies in the mediation context and
provides concrete examples and advice from experts
and practitioners. The digital technologies and tools
currently used by mediators include social media,
geographic information systems (GIS), and data analytics.
Cyber Hygiene and Digital Risk Management E-Learning
Platform for Mediators is a tool, developed to raise
awareness of the digital risks that mediation practitioners
encounter and build the capacity needed to mitigate and
manage them.
UN Geneva has also participated in the creation of the
Mandate Review and Management System (MRMS), a tool
used by UN Secretariat entities to support the decisionmaking
of the member states. Each year, over 100 complex
oral statements of programme budget implications can
emanate from draft resolutions and decisions of the
Human Rights Council, the intergovernmental body of
the UN system which is headquartered in Geneva. The
MRMS greatly promotes efficiency and transparency and
enhances real-time collaboration in the creation of oral
statements, archiving of data, and the overall workflow
of this process.
UNTERM is a multilingual terminology database
maintained jointly by the UN Secretariat and certain
specialised agencies of the UN system, including the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). UNTERM
provides terminology and nomenclature in subjects
relevant to the work of the UN system. Information is
provided in the six UN official languages, and there are
also entries in German and Portuguese. This database
is a linguistic tool created primarily to facilitate the work
of the staff of the UNsystem and other people around
the world who participate or are interested in the
organisation’s activities.
Future of meetings
UN Geneva provides a key international dialogue and diplomacy
platform. The Division of Conference Management
(DCM) facilitates these discussions and conferences
by providing high-quality services (logistically and substantively)
for UN agencies, international organisations,
and highly sensitive political negotiations.
You can find all the information about meetings and
events in UN Geneva’s meeting and events calendar.
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UN Geneva’s Fully Automated Speech-to-Text (FAST) project
generates conference transcripts with the help of AI.
Since the launch of the English version in 2019, FAST has
scaled up to process thousands of hours of recordings
per year, covering meetings for 40 UN entities. In 2022,
UN Geneva rolled out French and Spanish transcription,
with support from the International Organization of la
Francophonie. The FAST project team has been collaborating
with the machine learning researchers at the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to improve the
latter’s proprietary speech recognition models on thousands
of hours worth of UN Geneva’s training data in six
languages. Thanks to the common pool of data shared by
the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), WIPO, WTO, and
other international organisations, the retrained speechto-text
instances have become more relevant to, and
accurate for, the conferencing environment and multilingual
international speakers. The resulting raw transcripts
are an essential building block for deploying further text
analysis services underpinned by extractive or generative
AI.
The Digital Recordings Portal is the online repository for
all meetings recorded at the Palais des Nations and Palais
Wilson. It is available in English and French, and the
interface is compatible with standard accessibility tools
and controllable via keyboard navigation. Since its update
in 2022, meeting transcripts are generated in English,
French, and Spanish and uploaded to the portal
completely automatically. This allows those with hearing
impairments to readily access the content of meetings
held at UN Geneva. The portal also serves as a crucial tool
for reporting on meeting outcomes. In 2022, more than
2,800 meetings were recorded and published on the portal,
most of them in multiple languages.
With approximately 700,000 users across the globe, Indico.UN
is the UN’s standard solution for participant management.
The software establishes a web-based work-

flow, covering the creation of the event page and set-up
of the registration form, participants registration, registration
vetting, as well as badging and check-in activities.
The system also has a series of elements related to the
dissemination of information and documents, event statistics,
timeline management, and accreditation of users
in need of long-term badges. Indico.UN is a modular system,
very easy to customise by the users of the UN-system
organisations.
Extra-budgetary Cost Calculator is a financial planning
tool that enables extra-budgetary conferencing clients
to generate unofficial cost estimates on a self-service
basis. Users can run multiple scenarios to match their
available budgets by selecting which services to include
or exclude, altering the duration of meetings/conferences
and/or the requirements for meeting services and seeing
the associated cost impact. The calculator includes
costs for services provided by DCM (e.g. interpretation,
documentation, and accessibility services), the Division
of Administration (e.g. sound and audio-recording operators,
technicians, mechanics, IT support), UN Library &
Archives Geneva (e.g. cultural events), and the UN International
School (UNIS) (e.g. webcasting).
Social media channels
Facebook @UN.Geneva
Flickr @UN Geneva
Instagram @ungeneva
Linkedin @ungeneva
X @UNGeneva
YouTube @UN Geneva
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World Economic Forum
Route de la Capite 91-93 | 1223 Cologny | Switzerland
www.weforum.org

About the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a not-for-profit foundation
whose membership is composed of large corporations
from around the world.
We engage political, business, academic, and other
leaders of society in collaborative efforts to shape global,
regional, and industry agendas. Together with other
stakeholders, we work to define challenges, solutions,
and actions in the spirit of global citizenship. The Forum
also serves and builds sustained communities through
an integrated concept of high-level meetings, research
networks, task forces, and digital collaboration.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is one of the Forum’s
key areas of work. Under this focus, we carry out a wide
range of activities covering digital policy issues, from
telecom infrastructure and cybersecurity to the digital
economy and the future of work. We have set up multiple
platforms and global forums focused on bringing together
various stakeholders and initiatives to advance debates
and foster cooperation on the issues explored. We also
publish reports, studies, and white papers on our focus
areas, and feature discussions on the policy implications
of digital technologies in the framework of the Forum’s
annual meeting in Davos and other events organised
around the world.
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Credit: weforum.org

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Telecommunications infrastructure
The Forum’s work in the area of telecom/digital
infrastructure is broadly dedicated to shedding light on
the need to advance connectivity and evolve towards new
network technologies as a way to support the transition to
the fourth industrial revolution and support the growth of
digital economies. For instance, the Global Future Council
of New Network Technologies, active between 2018 and
2020, explored, among others, incentives for network
development and the role of new network systems in
driving value and innovation. The Forum also promotes
the role of digital public infrastructures in enabling digital
inclusion and advancing sustainable development.
A specific focus area for the Forum is 5G. We have
identified 5G as an issue of global importance and work
on analysing the impacts of 5G on industry and society.
In our report titled The impact of 5G: Creating new value
across industries and society, we note that 5G will be
critical because it will enable unprecedented levels of
connectivity, allowing for superfast broadband, ultrareliable
low latency communication, massive machinetype
communications, and high reliability/availability and
efficient energy usage, all of which will transform many
sectors, such as manufacturing, transportation, public
services, and health. In another example, the 5G Outlook
Series: Enabling inclusive long-term opportunities looks
at what can be done to ensure that 5G is a technology
that benefits people, businesses, and society.
The role of satellites in delivering connectivity and the
challenges associated with growing competition in Earth
orbit are other areas explored by the Forum. The Global
Future Council on the Future of Space explores ways
in which international cooperation and public-private
partnerships can drive sustainable and inclusive use of
space resources.
Artificial intelligence
The Forum is carrying out multiple activities in the
field of artificial intelligence (AI). The AI Governance
Alliance brings together industry leaders, governments,
academic institutions, and civil society to shape the
future of AI governance. In April 2023, the Forum
hosted the Responsible AI Leadership: A Global Summit
on Generative AI event, which resulted in the Presidio
Recommendations on Responsible Generative AI – a set
of recommendations for responsible AI development,
open innovation, and social progress. In addition, the
Global Future Council on the Future of AI focuses on
exploring the opportunities and risks associated with
strong forms of AI.
Examples of publications issued by the Forum with a focus
on AI include a Blueprint for equity and inclusion in AI,
a briefing paper on Data Equity: Foundational Concepts
for Generative AI, and a guidebook on Harnessing the AI
Revolution in Industrial Operations.
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The Forum also explores issues related to AI safety,
security, and standards; AI ethics and values; and machine
learning and predictive systems in relation to global risks
and international security. We publish articles on the need
to build a new social contract to ensure that technological
innovation, in particular AI, is deployed safely and aligned
with the ethical needs of a globalising world. We are also
assisting policymakers in devising appropriate AI-related
policies. For instance, we published a Framework for
Developing a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy to
guide governments in their efforts to elaborate strategies
for the development and deployment of AI.
In recent years, AI and its impact on national and
international policy spaces have featured highly on the
agenda of our annual meetings in Davos. AI is also the
focus of dedicated events such as the AI Governance
Summit organised in November 2023.
Blockchain
The Forum works on governance issues related to the
equity, interoperability, security, transparency, and trust
of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT).
We also analyse the relationship between blockchain and
cybersecurity and international security, as well as the
future of computing. We publish papers on issues such
as blockchain data storage, the challenges blockchain
faces and its role in security, as well as guides such as the
Blockchain Development Toolkit to guide organisations
through the development and deployment of blockchain
solutions.
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Internet of things
The Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation explores
various issues related to the implications of connected
devices and smart technologies. For example, the Council
on the Connected World focuses on strengthening
innovation and the global governance of connected
technologies to maximise the positive benefits and
minimise harm for all. One specific area of work for the
Council is the security of IoT devices; in 2022, the Forum
facilitated a joint Statement of Support on consumer IoT
device security outlining key security requirements for
consumer-facing devices. In 2023, the Council published
the State of the Connected World report, which tracks
governance gaps related to IoT.
The Global New Mobility Coalition explores issues related
to sustainable mobility, including when it comes to the
governance of shared, electric, and automated mobility.
Other IoT-related issues that the Forum has been
exploring through various publications and initiatives
include the industrial internet, the safety of smart
home products, and challenges associated with the
concept of the internet of bodies. In cooperation with
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), we
published a report on Realizing the Internet of Things –
a Framework for Collective Action outlining five pillars
for the development of IoT: architecture and standards,
security and privacy, shared value creation, organisational
development, and ecosystem governance.

We also lead the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on
Technology Governance, dedicated to promoting the
responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies.
Emerging technologies
Virtual/augmented reality
The Forum’s Global Future Council on Virtual and
Augmented Reality focuses on raising awareness of the
positive and negative aspects of the widespread adoption
of VR/AR technologies. We carry out policy research and
analysis related to the impact of VR/AR on society and
its security implications in publications on issues such
as immersive media technologies, AR innovation in
manufacturing, and privacy in the context of VR use.
The Forum also pays attention to developments related
to the metaverse and issues various publications on this
topic. For instance, Exploring the Industrial Metaverse:
A Roadmap to the Future provides a framework for
discussing steps towards a valuable ecosystem for
the industrial metaverse, while the reports on Social
Implications of the Metaverse and Privacy and Safety
in the Metaverse explore the implications of metaverse
adoptions for individuals and society at large. These
and similar publications are issued in the context of
the Defining and Building the Metaverse Initiative,
whose focus is on ‘guiding the development of a safe,
interoperable, and economically viable metaverse’.
Quantum computing
The Forum has created the Global Future Council on
the Future of Quantum Economy, which looks into how
various actors (governments, businesses, etc.) can take
action to maximise the potential offered by quantum
technologies. In addition, the Quantum Economy
Network offers a platform for governments, businesses,
and academia to shape the development of quantum
technologies and prepare for their introduction into the
economy. The Quantum Security initiative brings together
stakeholders from governments, the private sector,
academia, and non-profit organisations to exchange
ideas and cooperate on issues related to promoting the
secure adoption of quantum technologies.
The Forum publishes regularly on matters related to
quantum computing and quantum technologies. A few
examples include the State of Quantum Computing:
Building a Quantum Economy, Quantum Computing
Governance Principles, and Transitioning to a Quantum-
Secure Economy.
Cybercrime
Under its Centre for Cybersecurity, the Forum runs the
Partnership against Cybercrime project, focused on
advancing public-private partnerships (e.g. between
law enforcement agencies, international organisations,
cybersecurity companies, and other actors) to combat
cybercrime. Outputs of the partnership include, for
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instance, the Recommendations for Public-Private
Partnership against Cybercrime and the Cybercrime
Prevention Principles for Internet Service Providers.
We host a Cybercrime Atlas Initiative dedicated to
strengthening coordination between the private sector
and law enforcement in fighting cybercrime.
Cybercrime also constitutes the focus of various studies
and articles we have published, which delve into issues
such as emerging threats and ways to tackle them.
Network security/critical infrastructure/
cybersecurity
The Forum has launched a Centre for Cybersecurity
dedicated to ‘fostering international dialogues and
collaboration between the global cybersecurity
community both in the public and private sectors’.
Multiple projects are run under this platform, such as
the Cybersecurity Learning Hub and the Digital Trust
initiative. The cyber resilience of critical sectors, such as
electricity and the oil and gas industry, is also a focus area
for us.
The Centre also issues reports and other publications
covering various cybersecurity topics. Examples include
the Global Cybersecurity Outlook; the insight report on
Cybersecurity, Emerging Technology, and Systemic Risks;
and the Principles for Board Governance of Cyber Risk.
The Forum hosts a Global Future Council on the
Future of Cybersecurity, which explores modalities for
strengthening cyber risk management across economies
and societies. Quantum security and digital trust are
among the Council’s focus areas.
Every year, we bring together actors from the public
and private sectors to foster collaboration on making
cyberspace safer and more resilient, in the framework of
the Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity.
Data governance
The Forum has established a Data Policy Platform
under our Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,
dedicated to developing innovative approaches to enable
the responsible use of data. Within this platform, the
Data for Common Purpose Initiative aims to support the
creation of flexible data governance models, oriented
around common purposes. Examples of white papers
published by the initiative include Data for Common
Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust and Towards
a Data Economy: An Enabling Framework.
The Cross-Border Data Flows project under the Forum’s
Digital Trade Initiative looks at how policymakers can
advance data transfer governance arrangements while
ensuring policy interoperability for data flows.
The Forum regularly publishes reports and papers on
data governance issues such as restoring trust in data,
cross-border data flows, data protection and security,
among others.
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E-commerce and trade and digital business
models
Several activities and projects run by the Forum focus
on e-commerce and broader digital economy-related
issues. Under our Digital Trade initiative (part of the
Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics), we have been
exploring opportunities and challenges associated with
digital trade, while also engaging in the shaping of global,
regional, and industry agendas on digital trade. Projects
run within the initiative include, among others, the Digital
Economy Agreement Leadership Group – which aims
to contribute to the growth of inclusive and sustainable
digital economies, and the TradeTech project – which
facilitates dialogue on public policy and regulatory
practices related to digital trade. The Digital Payments
for Trade and Commerce Advisory Committee – also part
of the Digital Trade initiative – is dedicated to fostering
interoperability, inclusivity, and coherent regulatory
reforms for digital payments.
E-commerce is also tackled in studies, white papers,
and events we produce, which address issues such
as e-commerce in emerging markets, the impact of
e-commerce on prices, and digital currencies.
Under the Centre for the New Economy and Society, we
bring together various stakeholders to promote new
approaches to competitiveness in the digital economy,
with a focus on issues such as education and skills, equality
and inclusion, and improved economic opportunities for
people.
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Future of work
The future of work is a topic that spans multiple Forum
activities. For instance, under the Centre for the New
Economy and Society, several projects focus on issues
such as education, skills, upskilling and reskilling, and
equality and inclusion in the world of work. We have
also launched a Reskilling Revolution Initiative, aimed
at contributing to providing better jobs, education,
and skills to one billion people by 2030. Projects under
this platform include, among others, Education 4.0
(focused on mapping needed reforms to primary
and secondary education systems), Education and
Skills Country Accelerators (dedicated to advancing
gender parity, promoting upskilling and reskilling, and
improving education systems), and Skills-first (focused
on transforming adult education and workforce skills).
Also part of the Reskilling Revolution is the Future Skills
Alliance, whose main objective is to facilitate the adoption
of skills-first management practices and give workers a
fair and equal opportunity to excel in the labour market.
The Forum publishes regular reports on the Future
of Jobs, exploring the evolution of jobs and skills and
how technology and socio-economic trends shape the
workplace of the future. Other notable publications and
tools developed by the Forum include the white paper on
Putting Skills First: A Framework for Action and the Global
Skills Taxonomy.

DIGITAL TOOLS
Cryptocurrencies
The Forum is also active on issues related to digital
currencies and their policy implications. For instance,
its Digital Currency Governance Consortium focuses on
exploring the macroeconomic impacts of digital currencies
and informing approaches to regulating digital currencies.
The Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Policy-Makers
Toolkit, published in 2020, is intended to serve as a
possible framework to ensure that the deployment of
CBDCs takes into account potential costs and benefits.
Various publications have been issued that explore topics
such as the macroeconomic impact of cryptocurrency
and stablecoins, cryptocurrency regulation, and the links
between stablecoins and financial inclusion.
Digital access
The Forum’s EDISON Alliance brings together
governments, businesses, academia, and civil society
to advance equitable access to the digital economy and
bridge digital divides. Part of the Forum’s Centre for
the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Alliance fosters
collaboration to drive digital inclusion and accelerate the
delivery of digital solutions to unserved and underserved
communities, with a focus on health, education, and
financial inclusion. It also provides policymakers with
guidance to make informed decisions that drive financial
inclusions. Tools developed by the Alliance include
principles for digital health inclusion, a guidebook for
digital inclusion bond financing, and a Digital Inclusion
Navigator that provides access to case studies and best
practices related to bridging digital divides.
Digital tools
– Strategic Intelligence: The Forum’s platform
provides access to transformation maps –
mappings of ‘hundreds of global issues and their
interdependencies’.
Social media channels
Facebook @worldeconomicforum
Flipboard @WEF
Instagram @worldeconomicforum
LinkedIn @world-economic-forum
TikTok @worldeconomicforum
X @wef
YouTube @WorldEconomicForum
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World Health Organization
(WHO)
Av. Appia 20 | 1211 Geneva 27 | Switzerland
www.who.int

About WHO
WHO is a specialised agency of the UN whose role is to
direct and co-ordinate international health within the
UN system. As a member state organisation, its main
areas of work include health systems, the promotion
of health, non-communicable diseases, communicable
diseases, corporate services, preparedness, and
surveillance and response.
WHO assists countries in co-ordinating multi-sectoral
efforts by governments and partners (including biand
multilateral meetings, funds and foundations, civil
society organisations, and the private sector) to attain
their health objectives and support their national health
policies and strategies.
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DATA AND DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
WHO is harnessing the power of digital technologies
and health innovation to accelerate global attainment
of health and well-being. It uses digital technology
intensively in its development of activities, ranging
from building public health infrastructure in developing
countries and immunisation to dealing with disease
outbreaks
WHO has strengthened its approach to data by
ensuring this strategic asset has two divisions: (1) the
Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact
and (2) Science Division (Department of Digital Health
and Innovation). This has helped strengthen data
governance by promoting sound data principles and
accountability mechanisms, as well as ensuring that
the necessary policies and tools are in place that can
be used by all three levels of the organisation and
can be adopted by member states. Digital health and
innovation are high on WHO’s agenda; it is recognised
for its role in strengthening health systems through
the application of digital health technologies for
consumers/people and healthcare providers as part
of achieving its vision of health for all.
WHO also established the new Department of Digital
Health and Innovation in 2019 within its Science
Division. Particular attention is paid to promoting
global collaboration and advancing the transfer
of knowledge on digital health; advancing the
implementation of national digital health strategies;
strengthening the governance for digital health at the
global, regional, and national levels; and advocating
for people-centred health systems enabled by digital
health. These strategic objectives have been developed
in consultation with member states throughout 2019
and 2020 and will be submitted for adoption to the
upcoming 2021 World Health Assembly.
The Division of Data Analytics and Delivery for Impact
and the Department of Digital Health and Innovation
work closely together to strengthen links between data
and digital issues, as well as data governance efforts.
Digital health technologies, standards, and protocols
enable health systems to integrate the exchange of
health data within the health system. Coupled with data
governance, ethics, and public health data standards,
digital health and innovation enable the generation of
new evidence and knowledge through research and
innovation and inform health policy through public
health analysis.
More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated
WHO’s digital response, collaboration, and innovation
in emergencies. Some examples include collaborating
to use artificial intelligence (AI) and data science in
analysing and delivering information in response to
the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ (i.e. overflow of information,
including misinformation, in an acute health event,
which prevents people from accessing reliable
information about how to protect themselves);
promoting cybersecurity in the health system, including
hospitals and health facilities; learning from using AI,
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
data science, digital health, and innovation in social
science research, disease modelling, and simulations,
as well as supporting the epidemiological response to
the pandemic; and producing vaccines and preparing
for the equitable allocation and distribution of vaccines.
WHO is a leader among Geneva-based international
organisations in the use of social media, through its
awareness-raising of health-related issues. It was
awarded first prize at the Geneva Engage Awards in
2016, and second prize in 2017.
The WHO/International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health
(WHO/ITU FG-AI4H) works to establish a standardised
assessment framework for the evaluation of AI-based
methods for health, diagnosis, triage, or treatment
decisions.
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Credit: WHO/Rada Akbar

Data and artificial intelligence
The response to COVID-19 reinforced the centrality of
data and AI for the health sector and WHO’s activities.
Data and AI policies are covered by the following
instruments:
– Data policy: Guideline on data integrity
– Data standardisation: Resolution WHA66.24:
eHealth Standardization and Interoperability
(May 2013)
– Data sharing during health emergencies: Policy
Statement on Data Sharing by WHO in the
Context of Public Health Emergencies (as of 13
April 2013) (May 2016) | Best Practices for Sharing
Information through Data Platforms: Establishing
the Principles (April 2016)
– Data and member states: Text for Inclusion in
Data Collection Forms in all Data Collection Tools
(Paper-based, Electronic, or Other) used by WHO
to Collect data from Member States
– Data sharing: FAQs on WHO Data Sharing Policy
in Non-Emergency Contexts | Policy on the Use
and Sharing of Data Collected in Member States
by WHO Outside the Context of Public Health
Emergencies (August 2017) | WHO Statement
on Public Disclosure of Clinical Trial Results (April
2015)
Digital standards
– Integration of Health Information Exchange
(HIE): WHO collaborates with health
information exchange standardisation bodies
and organisations, such as HIE and Health
Level Seven International (HL7 ® ), to promote
sustainable investment in interoperable digital
health technologies and systems. Digital health
technologies, standards, and protocols enable
health systems to integrate the exchange of
health data within the health system. Coupled
with data governance, ethics, and public health
data standards, digital health and innovation
enable the generation of new evidence and
knowledge through research and innovation
and inform health policy through public health
analysis. Promoting Better Integration of
Health Information Systems: Best Practices and
Challenges (2015).
– SMART Guidelines – Digital Adaptation Kits:
Implementation Research and Technical
Support: Digital adaptation kits (DAKs) are
software-neutral, operational, and structured
documentation based on WHO clinical, health
system, and data use recommendations to
systematically inform the design of digital
systems. DAKs include the package of business
process workflows, core data needs, decision
support algorithms, linkages to indicators, and
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functional requirements for a health domain
area, which can then be incorporated more easily
in a digital system. In creating these operational
tools derived from WHO guidelines, DAKs provide
a unique way to reinforce recommendations
and ensure adherence to clinical guidelines and
standards within digital systems for improved
service delivery.
– WHO Guideline: Recommendations on Digital
Interventions for Health System Strengthening:
Recommendations based on a critical evaluation
of the evidence on emerging digital health
interventions that are contributing to health
system improvements, based on an assessment
of the benefits, harms, acceptability, feasibility,
resource use, and equity considerations.
– Classification of Digital Health Interventions v2.0 –
A Shared Language to Describe the Uses of Digital
Technology for Health: The classification of digital
health interventions categorises the different ways
in which digital and mobile technologies are being
used to support health system needs. A shared
and standardised vocabulary was recognised
as necessary to identify gaps and duplication,
evaluate effectiveness, and facilitate alignment
across different digital health implementations.
– Electromagnetic Field and Health Protection: As
the digital reality moves from ‘cable’ to wireless
traffic (Wi-Fi and mobile), a growing number
of concerns are emerging on the impact of
electromagnetic fields on human health. This
technology has become part of the wider public
debate and has given rise to conspiracy theories
such as those that claim 5G spreads COVID-19.
These concerns increase the importance of
WHO’s research and policymaking within a
broader evidence-based discussion on the impact
of Wi-Fi and mobile devices on health. Model
Legislation for Electromagnetic Field Protection
(2006); Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers’ (IEEE) Standard for Safety Levels with
Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency
Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz.
Online gaming: Since 2018, gaming disorder has
been included in WHO’s International Classification of
Diseases (ICD). While the negative impacts of online
gaming on health are being increasingly addressed
by national health policies, it has been recognised
by some authorities, such as the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), that some game-based devices
could have a therapeutic effect. Given the fast growth
of online gaming and its advantages and disadvantages,
the implications on health are expected to become
more relevant.
The health top-level domain name: Health-related
generic top-level domain (gTLD) names, in all languages,
including ‘.health’, ‘.doctor’, and ‘.surgery’, should be
operated in a way that protects public health and includes
the prevention of further development of illicit markets
of medicines, medical devices, and unauthorised health
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products and services. Resolution WHA66.24: eHealth
Standardization and Interoperability (2013).
Net neutrality
The issue of net neutrality (the equal treatment
of internet traffic) could affect bandwidth and the
stability of digital connections, especially for high-risk
activities such as online surgical interventions. Thus,
health organisations may be granted exceptional
provisions, as the EU has already done, where health
and specialised services enjoy exceptions regarding
the principle of net neutrality. Resolution WHA66.24:
eHealth Standardization and Interoperability (2013).
WHO has dedicated cybersecurity focal points, who
work with legal and licensing colleagues to provide
frameworks for the organisation to not only protect
WHO data from various cyber-risks, but also provide
technical advice to WHO and member states on the
secure collection, storage, and dissemination of data.
Health facilities and health data have always been the
target of cybercriminals; however, the COVID-19 crisis
has brought into sharp focus the cybersecurity aspects
of digital health.
Ransomware attacks threaten the proper functioning
of hospitals and other healthcare providers. The global
Wannacry ransomware attack in May 2017 was the first
major attack on hospitals and disrupted a significant
part of the UK’s National Health System (NHS).
Ransomware attacks on hospitals and health research
facilities accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis.
Considering that data is often the main target of
cyberattacks, it should come as no surprise that most
cybersecurity concerns regarding healthcare are
centred on the protection of data. Encryption is thus
crucial for the safety of health data: It both protects
data from prying eyes and helps assuage the fears
patients and consumers may have about sharing or
storing sensitive information through the internet.
Data governance
The 2021 Health Data Governance Summit brought
together experts to review best practices in data
governance, sharing, and use. The result was a call
to action to tackle the legal and ethical challenges
of sharing data, ensure data is shared during both
emergency and non-emergency situations, and
encourage data and research stewardship that
promotes tangible impact. Key WHO resources include
WHO’s Data Sharing Policies, the UN Joint Statement
on Data Protection and Privacy in the COVID-19
Response, and GATHER (Guidelines for Accurate and
Transparent Health Estimates Reporting).
WHO’s SCORE technical package (Survey, Count,
Optimize, Review, and Enable) identifies data gaps
and provides countries with tools to precisely address
them. SCORE has been developed in partnership
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with the Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative. As
part of SCORE, WHO completed the first ever global
assessment of health information systems capacity in
133 countries, covering 87% of the world’s population.
The project Strengthening National Nutrition
Information Systems 1 is running in five countries
in Africa and Asia – Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Laos,
Uganda, and Zambia – for a period of four years
(2020–2024). Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS),
Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and national
nutrition surveys are the major sources of nutrition
data for many countries, but they are complex and
expensive undertakings that cannot be implemented
with the required frequency. It is, therefore, critical
to strengthen or establish integrated nutrition
information systems (NIS) of countries to enhance the
availability and use of routine nutrition data to better
support policy development, programme design and
monitoring.
– Data and digital health in the WHO European
Region in 2022: a year in review
– How can digital technologies be used to enhance
health financing? Claims management in Estonia
– Digital Health in the European Region: the ongoing
journey to commitment and transformation
Data-driven delivery approach
A data-driven delivery approach sharpens WHO’s focus
to address gaps, close inequalities, and accelerate
progress towards national and regional priorities
from WHO regions. The WHO Regional Office for the
Americas is working to create open data platforms for
evidence-based decisions and policymaking. The Core
Indicators Portal provides a dataset of around 200
health indicators for 49 countries across the region from
1995 to 2021. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern
Mediterranean is conducting harmonised health facility
assessments and tracking 75 indicators through the
Regional Health Observatory (RHO). The WHO Regional
Office for Africa has prioritised investments in civil
registration and vital statistics (CRVS) and digital health.
Its integrated African Health Observatory (iAHO)
offers high-quality national and regional health data
on a single platform and District Health Information
Software (DHIS2) is now implemented in all but four
African countries. The WHO Regional Office for South-
East Asia is focused on promoting health equity through
workshops that introduce member states to WHO’s
Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT). High-quality
data on health indicators is available on the Health
Information Platform (HIP). The WHO Regional Office
for Europe is prioritising support for countries’ national
health information systems (HIS) through more robust
1
UNICEF and WHO, with financial support from the European Commission (EC)
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data governance frameworks. Member states also have
access to the European Health Information Gateway,
a one-stop shop for health information and data
visualisation. The WHO Regional Office for the Western
Pacific has released a progress report on each member
state’s journey to achieving universal health coverage
(UHC). Additionally, the Western Pacific Health Data
Platform provides a single destination where countries
can easily monitor and compare their progress towards
national and global health objectives.
Access
WHO is working with Facebook and Praekelt.Org to
provide WHO’s COVID-19 information to the world’s
most vulnerable people through Discover and Free
Basics in a mobile-friendly format. Though over
85% of the world’s population lives in areas with
existing cellular coverage, many people can’t afford
to purchase mobile data consistently and others have
not yet adopted the internet. This initiative enables
underserved communities to access life-saving
COVID-19 health information through participating
operators in more than 55 countries.
Sustainable development
Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3): To achieve a
healthier population, improvements have been made in
access to clean fuels, safe water, sanitation (WASH), and
tobacco control. Greater focus is being placed on leading
indicators for premature mortality and morbidity, such
as tobacco, air pollution, road injuries, and obesity. Due
to COVID-19, 94% of countries experienced disruption
to essential health services. while 92 countries
experienced little change or worsening trends in
financial protection – exacerbated by the continuing
pandemic. Emphasis on primary health care is essential
to equitable recovery.
Climate change (SDG 13): The 10 recommendations in
the COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health
propose a set of priority actions from the global health
community to governments and policymakers, calling
on them to act with urgency on the current climate and
health crises.The 2021 Global Conference on Health &
Climate Change, with a special focus on Climate Justice
and the Healthy and Green Recovery from COVID-19,
convened on the margins of the COP26 UN climate
change conference.
The SIDS Summit for Health in 2021 brought together
small island developing states (SIDS) heads of states,
ministers of health, and others to discuss the urgent
health challenges and needs they face. It helped
amplify SIDS voices, promote collaborative action, and
strengthen health and development partnerships and
financing. It included steps to advance ongoing health
initiatives, and to help drive results at the UN Food
Systems Summit in September 2021, the 26th Climate
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Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021, and the
Nutrition for Growth Summits in December 2021 and
the years following.
Strengthening Health Information Systems for Refugeeand
Migrant-Sensitive Healthcare: Health information
and research findings can provide a platform for
understanding and responding to the health needs of
refugees and migrants and for aligning the efforts of
other sectors and sources of international assistance.
However, the systematic national data and evidence
comparable across countries and over time available for
policy- and decision-making on health of refugees and
migrants from around the world are inadequate. The
WHO Health and Migration Programme (PHM) supports
the strengthening of member state information
systems, providing specialised technical assistance,
response, and capacity building.
Human rights principles
Improving access to assistive technology: Assistive
technology enables and promotes inclusion and
participation, especially of persons with disability,
ageing populations, and people with non-communicable
diseases. The primary purpose of assistive products
is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning
and independence, thereby promoting their wellbeing.
Despite a growing number of people in need
of assistive products in every country, only 5%–15%,
or one in 10 people, has access to assistive products.
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WHO coordinates the Global Cooperation on Assistive
Technology (GATE) as a step towards realising the SDGs
and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UNCRPD), and implementing resolution
WHA71.8 on assistive technology. The GATE initiative has
the goal to support countries in addressing challenges
and improving access to assistive products within their
context. To achieve this, the GATE initiative is focusing
on five interlinked areas (5Ps): people, policy, products,
provision, and personnel.
Data and privacy protection
WHO supports the adoption of the Joint Statement on
Data Protection and Privacy in the COVID-19 Response
in line with the UN Personal Data Protection and Privacy
Principles adopted by the UN System Organizations to
support its use of data and technology in the COVID-19
response in a way that respects the right to privacy and
other human rights and promotes economic and social
development. Organisations in their operations should,
at a minimum:
– Be lawful, limited in scope and time, and necessary
and proportionate to specified and legitimate
purposes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Ensure appropriate confidentiality, security,
time-bound retention, and proper destruction
or deletion of data in accordance with the
aforementioned purposes.
– Ensure that any data exchange adheres to

DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
applicable international law, data protection and
privacy principles, and is evaluated based on
proper due diligence and risks assessments.
– Be subject to any applicable mechanisms and
procedures to ensure that measures taken
with regard to data use are justified by and in
accordance with the aforementioned principles
and purposes, and cease as soon as the need for
such measures is no longer present.
– Be transparent in order to build trust in the
deployment of current and future efforts alike.
Content policy: Infodemics
An infodemic is an overflow of information, including
misinformation, that prevents people from accessing
reliable information; in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic, it hampers the ability of people to know how
to protect themselves. Our current infodemic cannot
be eliminated, but it can be managed by producing
engaging reliable content and using digital, traditional
media, and offline tools to disseminate it; engaging key
stakeholder groups in co-operative content creation
and dissemination; empowering communities to
protect themselves; and promoting community and
individual resilience against misinformation. Digital
health technologies and data science can support these
activities by analysing the information landscape and
social dynamics in digital and analogue environments;
delivering messages; supporting fact-checking
and countering misinformation; promoting digital
health, media, and health literacy; and optimising the
effectiveness of messages and their delivery through
real time monitoring and evaluation (M&E), among
others.
At the Munich Security Conference 2020, WHO Director-
General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated:
‘We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an
infodemic.’ This translated into many WHO initiatives to
counter the infodemic, such as working with the public
and the scientific community to develop a framework
for managing infodemics; bringing the scientific
community together for the 1st WHO Infodemiology
Conference; developing of a draft research agenda
on managing infodemics, cooperating with UN
agencies and the AI community; promoting reliable
WHO information through a co-ordinated approach
with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other major tech
platforms and services; and campaigning to counter
misinformation.
WHO-trained infodemic managers, over 1,300 of them
from 142 countries, are already making great strides
in member states and together around the globe as a
global community of practice. In Serbia, the Laboratory
for Infodemiology and Infodemic Management has
been established at the Faculty of Medicine, University
of Belgrade. With the support of the WHO Country
Office in Serbia, two infodemic managers working
at the Institute of Social Medicine have gathered a
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multidisciplinary team that will be conducting research
and supporting infodemic management in the country
and the region.
Interdisciplinary
Public health challenges are complex and cannot be
effectively addressed by one sector alone. A holistic,
multisectoral, multidisciplinary approach is needed for
addressing gaps and advancing coordination for health
emergency preparedness and health security and is
essential for the implementation of the International
Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.
– WHO Classifications and Terminologies: operates
a one-stop shop for WHO classifications and
terminologies and delivers and scales use of
terminologies and classifications.
WHO maintains a portfolio of digital tools and methods
for emergency preparedness and response, for
example:
– Go.Data is an outbreak investigation tool for field
data collection during public health emergencies.
The tool includes functionality for case
investigation, contact follow-up, and visualisation
of chains of transmission including secure data
exchange and is designed for flexibility in the field,
to adapt to the wide range of outbreak scenarios.
The tool is targeted at any outbreak responder.
– Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS)
is a unique collaboration between various public
health stakeholders around the globe. It brings
together new and existing initiatives, networks,
and systems to create a unified all-hazards, One
Health approach to early detection, verification,
assessment, and communication of public health
threats using publicly available information.
Creating a community of practice for public health
intelligence (PHI) that includes member states,
international organisations, research institutes,
and other partners and collaborators is at the
heart of the initiative; saving lives through early
detection of threats and subsequent intervention
is its ultimate goal. Since January 2022, the lead of
the EIOS initiative is hosted within the new WHO
Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.
As one of the Hub’s flagship initiatives, EIOS
is one of the main vehicles for building a
strong PHI community of practice, as well as a
multidisciplinary network to support it.
– Digital proximity tracking technologies have been
identified as a potential tool to support contact
tracing for COVID-19. However, these technologies
raise ethical and privacy concerns. This document
– Ethical Considerations to Guide the Use of Digital
Proximity Tracking Technologies for COVID-19
Contact Tracing – provides policymakers and
other stakeholders with guidance as to the ethical
and appropriate use of digital proximity tracking
technologies for COVID-19.
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– WHO Digital and Innovation for Health Online
Community to Fight COVID-19 is a platform for
discussion and sharing experiences and innovative
responses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
– The new Survey Count Optimise Review Enable
(SCORE) for Health Data Technical Package was
published during one of the most data-strained
public health crisis responses ever – that of the
COVID-19 pandemic. SCORE can guide countries
to take action by providing a one-stop shop for
best technical practices that strengthen health
information systems, using universally accepted
standards and tools.
– WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence
supports countries, and regional and global
actors in addressing future pandemic and
epidemic risks with better access to data, better
analytical capacities, and better tools and insights
for decision-making.
– Digitalized health workforce education: an
elicitation of research gaps and selection of case
studies. The report outlines research gaps in
utilising digital technology for healthcare worker
education, employing a conceptual framework. It
presents 63 research questions across six domains
for guiding future studies and identifies evidence
gaps in the literature for further research.
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Health data
– WHO Health Data Hub (WHDH) is a single
repository of health data in WHO and establishes
a data governance mechanism for member states.
– Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS)
registers all births and deaths, issues birth
and death certificates, and compiles and
disseminates vital statistics, including cause of
death information. It may also record marriages
and divorces.
– The open-access WHO Snakebite Envenoming
Information and Data Platform is already working
to shorten the time between a snakebite and
receiving antivenom. It does this by mapping
the distribution of venomous snakes, known
antivenoms, and the proximity to health facilities
that stock them.
Public health strategy, planning, and
monitoring
– The Triple Billion Dashboard is the foundation of
WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work
(GPW 13) acting as both a measurement and a
policy strategy. It is an integral part of the GPW
13’s Results Framework, a new tool designed to
measure and improve WHO’s impact on health at
the country level. Measurement of these targets is
closely aligned with those of the SDGs, to reduce

country burden in data collection and streamline
efforts to accelerate progress towards achieving
key targets.
– The organisation also integrates digital health
interventions in its strategies for certain diseases.
WHO’s Global Observatory for e-Health (GOe)
aims to assist member states with information
and guidance on practices and standards in the
field of e-health.
– The newly established Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) Centre for Health enables spatial
representation of data to support better public
health planning and decision-making.
– The Health Equity Monitor is a platform for
health inequality monitoring, which includes
datatabases of disaggregated data, a handbook
on health inequality monitoring, and step-by-step
manuals for national health inequality monitoring
(generally and specifically for immunisation
inequality monitoring).
– The Health Assessment Toolkit is a software
application that facilitates the assessment of
health inequalities in countries. Inequality data
can be visualised through a variety of interactive
graphs, maps, and tables. Results can be exported
and used for priority-setting and policymaking.
Health facilities data
– Harmonised Health Facility Assessment (HHFA)
is a comprehensive, external review tool for
assessing whether health facilities have the
appropriate systems in place to deliver services
at required standards of quality.
– District Health Information Software and Toolkit
for Analysis and Use of Routine Health Facility Data
are open source, web-based health management
information system (HMIS) platforms. The toolkit
provides standards and guidance for the analysis
of Routine Health Information Surveys (RHIS)
data for individual health programmes, as well
as integrated analysis for general health service
management.
– RHIS provides frequent, up-to-date information
on service performance at all levels of the health
system, enabling regular analysis of progress and
timely identification of problems.
Digital health solutions
– The Digital Health Atlas is a global registry of
implemented digital health solutions. It is open
and available to anyone to register and contribute
information about digital implementations. The
registry provides a consistent way to document
digital solutions, and offers functionalities in a web
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platform to assist technologists, implementers,
governments, and donors for inventory, planning,
co-ordinating, and using digital systems for health.
The Digital Health Atlas includes a special focus on
listing digital technologies related to the COVID-19
pandemic. The repository of information is open
to all users to register projects, download project
information, and connect with digital health
practitioners globally.
– Be He@lthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) helps users access
the right information when they need it. In support
of national governments, BHBM is helping millions
of people quit tobacco, and control diabetes and
cervical cancer. It helps people at risk of asthma
and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), and those who care for older people.
– WHO features a new in-game character on
Goodville named Florence, along with exciting
expeditions and in-game events to help players
better understand themselves by providing
advice for achieving and maintaining physical and
emotional well-being.
– WHO has launched a women’s health chatbot
with messaging on breast cancer. The new
chatbot uses the Viber platform to deliver health
information directly to subscribers’ mobile
phones. People subscribing to the new chatbot
will find information on how to reduce the risk of
breast cancer, symptoms and treatment options.
Health-related research
– The WHO BioHub System offers a reliable, safe,
and transparent mechanism for WHO member
states to voluntarily share novel biological
materials, without replacing or competing with
existing systems. Sharing of biological materials
with epidemic or pandemic potential will be
done through one (or more) of the laboratories
designated as a WHO BioHub Facility. This will
allow WHO member states and partners to work
in a better and faster way, to advance research,
and to be more prepared for health emergencies
as well as ensure fairness in access to benefits
arising from this sharing.
Resources
Resolutions and deliberations on eHealth
– Resolution WHA58.28 eHealth
– Resolution WHA71.7 (2018): The resolution urges
member states to prioritise the development and
greater use of digital technologies in health as a
means of promoting Universal Health Coverage
and advancing the SDGs.
– Report EB 142/20 (2018): The Executive Board
in January 2018 considered the updated report
’mHealth: Use of appropriate digital technologies
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for public health’. This updated version of the
report also includes the use of other digital
technologies for public health.
– Report EB139/8 (2016): The Executive Board
considered ‘mHealth: Use of mobile wireless
technologies for public health,’ reflecting the
increasing importance of this resource for health
services delivery and public health, given their
ease of use, broad reach and wide acceptance.
– Resolution WHA66.24 (2013): The World Health
Assembly recognised the need for health data
standardisation to be part of eHealth systems
and services, and the importance of proper
governance and operation of health-related
global top-level Internet domain names, including
‘.health’.
– Resolution WHA58.28 (2005): The World Health
Assembly in 2005 recognised the potential
of eHealth to strengthen health systems and
improve quality, safety, and access to care, and
encouraged member states to take action to
incorporate eHealth into health systems and
services.
– Resolution EB101.R3 (1998): WHO recognised
the increasing importance of the internet and
its potential to impact health through the
advertising and promotion of medical products,
in its resolution on ‘Cross-border Advertising,
Promotion and Sale of Medical Products through
the Internet’.
– Joint Statement on Data Protection and Privacy in
the COVID-19 Response (2020) is developed by the
UN Privacy Policy Group, an inter-agency group
on data privacy and data protection, to support
the privacy protective use of data and technology
by the UN in fighting the current pandemic.
– The purpose of a Global Strategy on Digital Health
(2020–2025) is to promote healthy lives and wellbeing
for everyone, everywhere, at all ages. To
deliver its potential, national or regional digital
health initiatives must be guided by a robust
strategy that integrates financial, organisational,
human, and technological resources.
Relevant policy documents to data and digital health
in the WHO European Region
Digital health
– Regional digital health action plan for the WHO
European Region 2023–2030
– Resolution: leveraging digital transformation for
better health in Europe
Data
– Measurement framework for the European
Programme of Work, 2020–2025: approach,
targets, indicators and milestones
– Development of the measurement framework
for the European Programme of Work, 2020–
2025
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– Resolution: the measurement framework for the
European Programme of Work, 2020–2025
For detailed coverage of WHO resources, tools, and
programmes visit dig.watch/actors and giplatform.org/
actors/world-health-organization.
Future of meetings
The World Health Summit is the world’s leading
global health conference where science, politics, the
private sector and civil society meet for inspiring talks,
enhanced cooperations and new solutions.
Social media channels
Facebook @WHO
Instagram @who
LinkedIn @world-health-organization
Snapchat @who
TikTok @who
X @WHO
YouTube @WHO
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World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO)
Chemin des Colombettes 34 | 1211 Geneva 20 | Switzerland
www.wipo.int

About WIPO
WIPO is a UN agency functioning as the global forum
for IP-related services (patents, copyright, trademarks,
and designs), policy, information, and cooperation.
The organisation was established in 1967. It currently
has 193 member states and over 200 observers
representing non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
and intergovernmental organisations.
WIPO leads the development of a balanced and
effective global IP ecosystem to promote innovation
and creativity for a better and more sustainable future.
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Our digital communications objective is to inform and
inspire businesses, communities, and individuals
so that they can use IP to translate their ideas
into assets that generate income and create
economic and social value.
Daren Tang
Director-General
Message by the WIPO Director-General
WIPO is the UN agency for innovation, creativity, and IP.
Our mission is to help our members use IP as a powerful catalyst to create jobs, attract
investments, grow businesses, and develop economies and societies. In today’s world, this
means harnessing digital tools, workflows, and communications for impact and delivery.
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Message by the WIPO Director-General
We are the only UN agency to provide services directly to enterprises and entrepreneurs,
allowing them a fast, efficient, cost-effective route for moving technology, brands, and designs
across borders.
Take the example of Revalcon in Armenia. Three entrepreneurs, Seryozha Barkhudaryan,
Artyom Tonoyan, and Grigori Kartashyan, believed that providing farmers with access to
technology and data would help them better manage their irrigation and waste less water.
‘The idea is to empower farmers to grow higher yields with fewer resources’, explains Gevorg
Baghdasaryan, their CEO. They are benefitting from copyrights, trademarks, and patents to
transform farming through their smart irrigation systems.
Our digital communications objective is to inform and inspire businesses, communities, and
individuals so that they can use IP to translate their ideas into assets that generate income
and create economic and social value. This in turn will improve the lives of people everywhere.
Take the case of the Madd de Casamance, a fruit from Senegal that is protected as a Geographical
Indication, similar to protection afforded to heritage food products like Gruyère. Young people
are typically responsible for gathering the fruit. They use their earnings to finance their studies.
And women play a key role in processing and selling the juice, syrup, and preserves derived
from the fruit. Through the power of our digital registration systems, their community is
able to bring these products to the world, and through our digital communications the world
learns of their story.
As the agency that supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and digitalisation, as well as
providing services and support, we have to use digital to engage, inform, inspire, and deliver,
so that our presence is not just in a corner of Geneva but truly global.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
WIPO runs several online registration systems for patents
and trademarks.
There are also numerous databases available for use by
stakeholders on the same subjects.
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DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Frontier technologies including artificial
intelligence
WIPO pays particular attention to the interplay between
frontier technologies including artificial intelligence (AI)
and IP.
The WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier Technologies
provides an open, inclusive forum to engage with and
facilitate discussion and knowledge-building among
the widest possible set of stakeholders. It leads the
global discourse on the impact of frontier technologies
on IP, in this fast-moving, complex space. Each year,
WIPO usually holds two sessions of the Conversation
covering both the uses and applications of frontier
technologies to assist IP Offices and IP owners as well
as more conceptual policy-based discussions to ensure
that the IP systems continue to foster innovation. The
five sessions of the WIPO Conversation to date have
focused on AI, data, and frontier technologies in IP
administration.
WIPO has prepared a paper exploring the (potential)
impact of AI on IP policies in areas such as copyright
and related rights, patents, trademarks, designs, and
overall IP administration. It also maintains an AI and
IP strategy clearing house, which collates government
instruments (strategies, regulations, etc.) that are
relevant to AI, data, and IP.
WIPO is also developing and deploying AI solutions
in the context of various activities; relevant examples
are WIPO Translate and the WIPO Brand Image Search,
which use AI for automated translation and image
recognition. The WIPO Index of AI Initiatives in IP Offices
seeks to foster information sharing and collaboration
between national IP Offices working on similar projects.
– Revised Issue Paper on Intellectual Property
Policy and Artificial Intelligence (2020)
– IP and Frontier Technologies
– The WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier
Technologies
– IP and AI
– IP and Data
– AI and IP Clearing House
– Index of AI Initiatives
– Frontier Technologies in IP Administration
– UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital
Cooperation follow-up process | Contributing to
the roundtables on AI and digital platforms.
– Taking part in the Road to Bern via Geneva
dialogues on digital and data cooperation.
– Cooperating with the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the AI for
Good initiative.
– Supporting UNESCO’s work on developing the
first global normative instrument on the ethics of
AI.
– Participating in the work of the Geneva Science
and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), and
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an independent foundation to leverage the
anticipative power of science with diplomacy
organisations and citizens working in Geneva and
around the world.
Alternative dispute resolution and critical internet
resources
WIPO’s activities regarding the Domain Name System
(DNS) revolve around the protection of trademarks
and related rights in the context of domain names.
It developed the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-
Resolution Policy (UDRP) with the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Under
this policy, WIPO’s Arbitration and Mediation Center
provides dispute resolution services for secondlevel
domain name registrations under generic toplevel
domains (gTLDs) to which the UDPR applies.
The Center also administers disputes under specific
policies adopted by some gTLD registries (e.g. .aero,
.asia, .travel). In addition, it offers domain name dispute
resolution services for over 70 country code toplevel
domains (ccTLDs). WIPO has developed a ccTLD
Program to provide advice to many ccTLD registries on
the establishment of dispute resolution procedures.
It also contributes to the work carried out within the
framework of ICANN in regard to the strengthening of
existing trademark rights protection mechanisms or
the development of new such mechanisms.
– WIPO Guide to the Uniform Domain Name Dispute
Resolution Policy
– Guide to WIPO’s services for country code toplevel
domain registries
– WIPO’s Arbitration and Mediation Center
– WIPO Online Case Administration Tools, including
WIPO eADR (allowing parties in a dispute,
mediators, arbitrators, and experts in a WIPO case
to securely submit communications electronically
into an online docket) and online facilities for
meetings and hearings as part of WIPO cases.
Intellectual property rights
Trademarks
WIPO has long been involved in issues related to the
protection of trademarks in the context of the DNS.
The first phase of the WIPO Internet Domain Name
Process, carried out in 1991, explored trademark abuse
in second-level domain names, and led to the adoption,
by ICANN, of the UDRP. WIPO has also contributed to
the development of several trademark rights protection
mechanisms applicable to gTLDs (such as legal rights
objections, the Trademark Clearinghouse, and the
uniform rapid suspension system). The WIPO Arbitration
and Mediation Center administers trademark-related
dispute resolution cases for several gTLDs and ccTLDs.
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Copyright
Liability of intermediaries
WIPO is actively contributing to international
discussions on the opportunities offered by copyright
in the digital environment, especially to developing
economies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and
women entrepreneurs. The organisation administers
the Internet Treaties and the Beijing Treaty, which clarify
that existing copyright and related rights apply on the
internet, and introduce new online rights, while also
establishing international norms aimed at preventing
unauthorised access to and use of creative works
on the internet or other digital networks. The WIPO
Accessible Books Consortium furthers the practical
implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty to increase
the number of books available worldwide in accessible
digital formats. WIPO member states are considering
topics related to copyright in the digital environment
at the multilateral level. WIPO also carries out research
and organises seminars and other meetings on aspects
concerning challenges and possible solutions for taking
advantage of the opportunities offered by copyright
and related rights in the digital era.
– WIPO Copyright Treaty
– WIPO Performances and Phonogram Treaty
– Standing Committee on Copyright and Related
Rights
– Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks,
Industrials Designs and Geographical Indications
– WIPO’s Arbitration and Mediation Center
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Given WIPO’s concerns regarding the protection
of copyright and related rights on the internet, the
organisation is exploring issues related to the roles
and responsibilities of internet intermediaries when
it comes to online copyright infringements. The
organisation carries out or commissions research
and publishes studies on the relationship between
copyright and internet intermediaries (such as
comparative analyses of national approaches to the
liability of Internet intermediaries), and organises
events (seminars, workshops, sessions at the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum and
Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meetings, etc.) aimed
at facilitating multistakeholder discussions on the
potential liability of internet intermediaries concerning
copyright infringements.
– Comparative analysis of national approaches of
the liability of the internet intermediaries (I and II).
Sustainable development
WIPO is of the view that IP is a critical incentive for
innovation and creativity, and, as such, a key to the
success of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The organisation works to enable member states to use
the IP system to drive the innovation, competitiveness,
and creativity needed to achieve the SDGs. It does so,
for instance, through supporting countries in their

DIGITAL TOOLS
efforts to build an innovative IP ecosystem, providing
legislative advice on updating national IP laws, and
supporting judiciary systems in keeping up with
technological innovation. WIPO’s contribution to the
implementation of the Agenda 2030 is guided by its
Development Agenda.
– WIPO and the Sustainable Development Goals –
Innovation Driving Human Progress (brochure)
– The Impact of Innovation – WIPO and the
Sustainable Development Goals
– WIPO GREEN – online marketplace for sustainable
technologies
– COVID-19 Technical Assistance Platform – a one stop
digital platform for technical assistance provided
by WIPO, WHO, and WTO on IP, public health, and
trade matters related to COVID-19.
– Study on the current status in the implementation
of SDGs by National IP Offices.
Climate change
WIPO’s Global Challenges programme brings
together various stakeholders to explore issues
related to green technologies and the environment.
It hosts WIPO GREEN, a multistakeholder platform
aimed to promote innovation and diffusion of green
technologies, and it provides analysis of relevant IP
issues to facilitate international policy dialogue. The
WIPO GREEN platform includes a digital database of
130,000 green technologies in sectors such as energy,
water and transportation. In 2023, WIPO launched the
Green Technology Book, a major digital publication to
showcase concrete solutions related to climate change
mitigation. The report is fully integrated with the WIPO
GREEN database, allowing for continuous additions by
technology providers.
– WIPO GREEN – online marketplace for sustainable/
green technologies
Digital tools
Some examples of the digital tools WIPO uses in relation
to its services:
– WIPO Online Case Administration Tools, including
WIPO eADR (allowing parties in a dispute,
mediators, arbitrators, and experts in a WIPO case
to securely submit communications electronically
into an online docket) and online facilities for
meetings and hearings as part of WIPO cases.
– WIPO GREEN – online marketplace for sustainable
technologies.
– WIPO Match – platform that matches seekers
of specific IP-related development needs with
potential providers offering resources.
– WIPO Alert – platform to upload information on
entities that infringed copyright at national level.
– Madrid e-services – online tools and resources.
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– Electronic Forum – enables the electronic
distribution and submission by email of comments
concerning preliminary draft working documents
and draft reports.
– WIPO Academy – also includes an eLearning
Centre.
– WIPO Connect – enables collective management
of copyright and related rights at local and central
levels.
– ABC Global Book Service – on-line catalogue
that allows participating libraries for the blind
and organisations serving people who are print
disabled to obtain accessible content.
– WIPO Knowledge Centre – hosts virtual exhibitions.
Recent subjects have included geographical
indications, and AI.
Social media channels
Facebook @WIPO
Flickr @WIPO
Instagram @wipo
LinkedIn @WIPO
Podcast @https://www.wipo.int/podcasts/en/
X @WIPO
YouTube @WIPO
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World Meteorological Organization
(WMO)
Av. de la Paix 7bis | 1211 Geneva 2 | Switzerland
www.wmo.int

About WMO
WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations
dedicated to international cooperation and coordination
on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its
interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and
climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water
resources. It boasts a membership of 193 member states
and territories. Weather, climate, and water respect no
national boundaries, and so cooperation is key.
National Meteorological and Hydrological Services
(NMHSs) work around the clock to provide early and
reliable warnings of severe weather. WMO also measures
and forecasts air quality and monitors and projects
climate change. The overriding priority is to save life
and property, protect resources and the environment,
and support socio-economic growth. With this work,
WMO supports NMHSs and meets their international
commitments in disaster risk reduction, climate change
mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable development.
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WMO is central to the exchange of global weather,
climate, water, and ocean data, which enables
humanity to forecast extreme events and better
understand and address the impacts of
increasing global temperatures and
the increasing demand for services
and forecasts.
Petteri Taalas
Secretary-General
Message by the WMO Secretary-General
Weather, climate, and water affects us all.
To understand the full scope of the problem, we must be able to predict climate change
decades, if not centuries, into the future. Gathering and exchanging data is vital for weather
and climate forecasting and is part of WMO’s core mandate.
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Message by the WMO Secretary-General
WMO facilitates the exchange of climate and meteorological data as a global public good.
Data diplomacy informs our efforts to adapt to climate change, increase our resilience, and
help us towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The international exchange of data and observations has been the backbone of WMO since
our establishment. It is key to weather forecasts and warnings, water resource management,
and climate science.
Climate and weather forecasting depend on data captured by tens of thousands of manned
and automatic surface weather stations, national radar networks, ocean observing stations,
and a large constellation of weather and Earth observing satellites. Data is exchanged on
telecommunications networks using protocols and standards developed by WMO experts.
Enormous supercomputers, some of the biggest in the world, process this data to generate
weather forecasts, warnings of extreme events, and predictions of future climate. WMO
also ensures that the data products from these systems are distributed globally to national
meteorological and hydrological services to deliver services to everyone on the planet.
WMO also explores the role of new technologies and their relevance for public weather
services, including using artificial intelligence (AI). Data is also critical for issuing multi-hazard
early warnings from authoritative national sources. There are gaps in least developed
countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS); a global initiative to enhance
global and regional coverage is underway and significantly contributes to achieving universal
protection for life and property.
Data has shown that we are breaking records in greenhouse gas concentrations yearly. There
is a real and proven need for a data-driven global greenhouse gas monitoring infrastructure
that will provide a solid, authoritative basis for governments to monitor their commitments
under the Paris Agreement.
Continued digital cooperation between countries is essential to ensure the timely delivery of
observational data from as many stations worldwide as possible in the shortest time to save
lives and livelihoods.
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DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Data is in WMO’s DNA. Data is gathered from one of
the most diverse data-gathering systems worldwide,
consisting of more than 10,000 manned and automatic
surface weather stations, national radar networks,
ocean observing stations, and weather satellite
constellations. Data exchange underpins all WMO
core functions from weather forecasting to climate,
hydrological, and ocean monitoring. Supercomputers
and global telecommunication systems power the evergrowing
appetite for data.
WMO also explores the role of new technologies and
their relevance for public weather services including
the use of AI approaches. AI complements complex
numerical weather prediction algorithms that process
vast amounts of data and calculate the behaviour
of weather patterns, providing short-term weather
forecasts and long-term climate predictions.
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Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Artificial intelligence
To use its gathered data, WMO makes weatherrelated
predictions via an observation system such
as the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). With
more attention being paid to AI, WMO’s decades-long
experience with the NWP can help understand both the
potential and limitations of AI in dealing with nature,
which is the most complex logical system.
Digital standards
WMO maintains one of the most comprehensive
standardisation systems with a detailed explanation of
each step in the data cycle. WMO guidelines range from
issues such as the position or the type of surface (e.g.
grass) over which weather observation stations should
be placed to uniform and structured standards on data
sharing.
Data governance
WMO Unified Data Policy
The 2021 Extraordinary World Meteorological Congress
approved the WMO Unified Data Policy to dramatically
strengthen the world’s weather and climate services
through a systematic increase in much-needed
observational data and data products across the globe.
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The Unified Data Policy was painstakingly developed
through extensive consultation with thousands of
experts and other global stakeholders to meet the
explosive growth in demand for weather, climate, and
water data products and services from all sectors of
society.
Approval of the Unified Data Policy provides a
comprehensive update of the policies guiding the
international exchange of weather, climate, and related
Earth system data between the 193 WMO member
states and territories. The new policy reaffirms the
commitment to the free and unrestricted exchange of
data, which has been the bedrock of WMO since it was
established more than 70 years ago.
Why has WMO updated its data policy?
Recent decades have seen explosive growth in the
demand for weather, climate, and water monitoring and
prediction data to support essential services needed by
all sectors of society, as they face issues such as climate
change, increasing frequency and impact of extreme
weather, and implications for food security.
The free and unrestricted exchange of observational
data from all parts of the world and of other data
products among all WMO members must be updated
and strengthened to accommodate this growing
demand. As the responsibilities of NMHSs continue to
expand, a growing list of application areas beyond the
traditional weather, climate, and water activities needs
to be supported by WMO observing and data exchange

and modelling systems. WMO data policy must evolve
to accommodate atmospheric composition, oceans, the
cryosphere, and space weather.
What are the benefits of updating the WMO data
policy?
The new WMO Unified Data Policy will help the WMO
community to strengthen and better sustain monitoring
and predicting all Earth-system components, resulting
in massive socio-economic benefits. It will lead to an
additional exchange of all types of environmental data,
enabling all WMO members to deliver better, more
accurate, timely weather- and climate-related services
to their constituencies.
In addition to data sharing, the overall importance
of data has been further highlighted by the WMO’s
Guidelines on Climate Data Rescue, published in
2004. The document tackles why data rescue (i.e.
preservation of vast amounts of collected climate data
and digitalisation of current and past datasets for easy
access) is crucial. It explains that practitioners of data
rescue might encounter obstacles such as the high cost
of data rescue operations and the lack of digital skills
and competencies to use the necessary tools in data
preservation. The Guidelines were updated in 2016 to
reflect the changes in digital technologies since they
were first published. They now outline some of the
necessary steps in the data rescue process, such as
creating digital inventories and digitising data values.
Over the years, WMO has also engaged in the following
data governance developments:
– Cooperation on data in scientific circles through
cooperation between the International Science
Council (ISC) and the WMO World Data Centres
and discussion on data at the World Conference
on Science.
– Cooperation with the International Oceanographic
Commission (IOC), whose Resolution 6 specifies
that ‘member states shall provide timely, free,
and unrestricted access to all data, associated
metadata, and products generated under the
auspices of IOC programmes.’
– Discussion with the World Trade Organization
(WTO) on WMO datasets and competition
provisions in the General Agreement on Trade in
Services (GATS).
– Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Group on
Earth Observations (GEO), which was established
in 2003 to derive data policies for the Global Earth
Observation System of Systems based on the
WMO data exchange system.
– Close work with the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the need
to protect radio frequencies vital for weather
forecasting and data exchange.
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Sustainable development
Climate change is an increasingly recognised global
threat. But what risks does it pose exactly? And how
will climate change and its impacts affect sustainable
development? The complexity of the global climate
system often contributes to significant gaps between
scientific and policy-oriented understandings of
how climate-change-related risks cascade through
environmental, social, and economic systems.
WMO has addressed these gaps by connecting changes
in the global climate system, as measured by the state of
the climate indicators, to the SDGs based on extensive
data collection. The aim is to improve risk-informed
decision-making by aiding policymakers, the scientific
community, and the public to grasp the interconnected
and complex nature of climate change threats to
sustainable development, thereby encouraging more
comprehensive and immediate climate action.
Digital technologies have also played an essential
role in the advancement of the World Weather Watch
(WWW), a flagship WMO programme that allows
for the development and improvement of global
systems for observing and exchanging meteorological
observations. The programme has evolved thanks to
developments in remote sensing; private internet-type
networks; supercomputing systems for data analysis;
and weather, climate, and water (environmental)
prediction models.
World Weather Watch consists of the following main
building blocks:
– National Meteorological Services collect data
on land, water, and air worldwide. The WMO
Information System (WIS) coordinates the data
collection and transmission through its national,
regional, and global centres.
– Regional organisations that act as global hubs
include, for example, the European Centre for
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and
the European Organisation for the Exploitation of
Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
To produce a successful weather forecast, it is essential
to ensure the timely delivery of observational data
from as many stations worldwide as possible in the
shortest time. What follows is an example of the Global
Basic Observing Network (GBON) showing a map of
observation stations worldwide.
Source:
https://wdqms.wmo.int/nwp/land_surface/six_hour/availability/pressure/all/2023-11-27/18
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DIGITAL TOOLS AND INITIATIVES
The Global Telecommunication System (GTS), as part
of the WIS, carries data from observation stations to
national, regional, and global actors. Most of the data
is exchanged via the GTS in real time. Given the critical
relevance of this data in dealing with crises, the GTS
must be highly reliable and secure.
Smart data for evidence-based decision-making
In recent years, WMO has digitised its performance
monitoring through the development of strategic and
thematic dashboards as well as through the increased
use of infographics and story maps, all tools conducive
to evidence-based decision-making. In addition to a
Key Performance Indicators Dashboard, WMO has
launched a Hydro Dashboard, which provides valuable
information on operational hydrological services
worldwide. It is developing similar thematic dashboards
on climate services and global data processing and
forecasting. Internally, WMO has created a centralised
data repository that brings together data from various
systems, surveys, and sources, providing easy access
to reliable data and related data analytics. The data
repository is essential to facilitating the flow of objective,
evidence-based, timely performance information.
The International Cloud Atlas is the official classification
system for clouds and meteorological phenomena
adopted by all WMO members. This Atlas extends
beyond clouds to include hydrometeors, lithometeors,
photometeors, and electrometeors. It serves as
a universal language for communicating cloud
observations, ensuring global consistency in reporting.
The Atlas is a valuable training tool for meteorologists,
and aeronautical and maritime professionals, and
is popular among weather enthusiasts and cloud
spotters, fostering a shared enthusiasm for observing
atmospheric phenomena.
The global website, https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/
home.html, serves as a platform presenting official
weather observations, forecasts, and climatological
information for selected cities worldwide. These data are
provided by National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services (NMHSs) globally. The website includes links
to official weather service websites and tourism boards
whenever possible. The information covers 3,458
cities, with forecasts available for 3,307 cities from 139
members, and climatological information for 2,216
cities from 171 members as of September 2023.
Digital WMO community
WMO established the WMO Community Platform,
which consists of several digital tools that allow for
cross-analysis and visualisation of information from
all WMO member states regarding weather, climate,
and water to provide better insights into the work and
needs of the community and to contribute to greater
participation in good governance. The WMO e-Library
is another tool that gathers and maintains different
publications, including reports and WMO standards.
585

WMO’s Experts Database allows Members to review
and update information about their experts through an
interactive self-service system.
Green WMO
WMO has both virtual and in-person events. WMO
experts are also working to reduce the impact of
global observing systems and other operations on the
environment. WMO is among the first UN organisations
to do completely paperless sessions (all governance
meeting documentation has been digital for many
years). We experimented at the latest Executive Council
meeting (EC-75) with translating the INF documents
(information documents) using AI tools. It may also
be relevant to mention that the draft Strategic Plan
2024-2027 has a new strategic objective (SO) targeted
at environmental sustainability, including green IT and
green meetings.
Useful documents where you can find many links:
– WMO Unified Data Policy Resolution (Res.1)
– Digital Dialogues Focus on Big Data and the Global
Goals
– Observations – Data-Modelling
Social media channels
Facebook @World Meteorological Organization
Flickr @World Meteorological Organization
Instagram @wmo_omm
LinkedIn @world-meteorological-organization
X @WMO
YouTube @worldmetorg
Future of meetings
More information about ongoing and upcoming events,
you can find on the events page.
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587

World Trade Organization
(WTO)
Centre William Rappard | Rue de Lausanne 154 | 1211 Geneva 2 | Switzerland
www.wto.org

About WTO
WTO is an intergovernmental organisation that
deals with the rules of trade among its members.
Its main functions include administering WTO trade
agreements, providing a forum for trade negotiations,
settling trade disputes, monitoring national trade
policies, providing technical assistance and training for
developing countries, and ensuring cooperation with
other international organisations.
WTO members have negotiated and agreed upon rules
regulating international trade, fostering transparency
and predictability in the international trading system.
The main agreements are the Marrakesh Agreement
Establishing the WTO, the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the General Agreement on
Trade in Services (GATS), and the Agreement on Traderelated
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS
Agreement).
590

Building trust in digital trade is essential for a
prosperous and inclusive global economy in the
coming decades, and WTO is uniquely
positioned to contribute to this goal.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Director-General
Message by the WTO Director-General
Our future is digital. In addition to the rise in digital innovation during the past few decades,
the recent COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of digital trade and the digital
transformation of the economy.
According to WTO estimates, global exports of digitally delivered services more than tripled
in value between 2005 and 2019, growing an average of 7.3% per year, 2.7 percentage points
591

Message by the WTO Director-General
higher than the average growth in exports of goods during the same period. While goods
and in-person services trade shrank in 2020 due to the pandemic, digitally delivered services
exports increased by 14%. In 2021 they reached $3.71tn, 30% above the value in 2019.
On the other hand, we are facing a digital divide. While the percentage of internet users in
the world’s population rose rapidly from 54% in 2019 to 63% in 2021, some 2.9 billion people
remain offline, 96% of whom live in developing countries. The digital gender divide is narrowing
globally, but large gaps remain in poorer countries. Globally, an average of 62% of men use
the internet compared with 57% of women.
WTO has a unique role to play in enabling everyone, everywhere, to fully reap the benefits
associated with digital trade. Digitalisation is critical to fostering the participation of the
marginalised in global trade, including micro, small and medium enterprises, women, and
businesses in developing countries.
One of the key outcomes from the recently concluded MC12 is the agreement to reinvigorate
the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, particularly in line with its development
dimension. At MC12, members also agreed to continue the practice of not imposing customs
duties on electronic transmissions until MC13 and to intensify discussions on the scope,
definition, and impact of this moratorium.
In parallel, 90 members are currently negotiating trade-related rules on e-commerce under
the Joint Statement Initiative. To date, participants have reached convergence on several key
provisions, such as online consumer protection, electronic signatures and authentication,
paperless trading, electronic contracts, and transparency. Participants aim to achieve
progress in other areas, including the most challenging ones, for example, cross-border data
flows and localisation.
In moving forward, it is important that WTO continues to provide a forum for inclusive and
constructive engagement, so that everyone has the tools and skills to participate in and
benefit from digital trade.
592

DIGITAL ACTIVITIES
Several internet governance and digital trade policyrelated
issues are discussed in WTO. E-commerce
discussions are ongoing under the Work Programme
on Electronic Commerce and among a group of 90
WTO members currently negotiating e-commerce rules
under the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce.
Discussions focus on several digital issues, including data
flows and data localisation, source code, cybersecurity,
privacy, consumer protection, capacity building, and
customs duties on electronic transmissions.
As part of its outreach activities, WTO organises
numerous events such as the Aid for Trade Global Review
and an annual Public Forum, which brings together
governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
academics, businesses, and other stakeholders for
discussions on a broad range of issues, including many
relating to the digital economy.
593
Credit: Shutterstock

DIGITAL POLICY ISSUES
Telecommunications
In 1997, WTO members successfully concluded
negotiations on market access for basic
telecommunications services, which resulted in new
specific commitments in the sector for a significant part
of WTO membership. These negotiations also resulted
in the Reference Paper, a set of regulatory principles for
basic telecommunication services that various members
have inscribed in their schedules of commitments. Since
1997, the number of members that have undertaken
market access commitments on telecommunications
and subscribed to the Reference Paper has continued
to increase as a result of new governments joining
WTO through the process of accession. Under the JSI
negotiations, participants are discussing a proposal
that seeks to update the provisions of the Reference
Paper.
Digital standards 1
International standards are important to the global
digital economy as they can enable interconnectivity
and interoperability for telecommunications and
internet infrastructures. The WTO Technical Barriers
to Trade Agreement (TBT Agreement) aims to ensure
that technical regulations, standards, and conformity
assessment procedures affecting trade in goods
(including telecommunications products) are nondiscriminatory
and do not create unnecessary obstacles
to trade. The TBT Agreement strongly encourages
that such regulatory measures be based on relevant
international standards.
The TBT Committee serves as a forum where
governments discuss and address concerns with
specific regulations, including those affecting digital
trade. Examples of relevant TBT measures notified to or
discussed at the TBT Committee include (1) measures
addressing the internet of things (IoT) and related
devices in terms of their safety, interoperability, national
security/cybersecurity, performance, and quality; (2)
measures regulating 5G cellular network technology
for reasons related to, among others, national security
and interoperability; (3) measures regulating 3D
printing (additive manufacturing) devices; (4) measures
regulating drones (small unmanned aircraft systems)
due to risks for humans/consumers, interoperability
problems, and national security risks; and (5) measures
dealing with autonomous vehicles, mostly concerned
with their safety and performance.
1
The issue of digital standards is addressed as ‘standards and regulations’ within the work of WTO.
594

Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity issues have been addressed in several
WTO bodies. For example, the TBT Committee has
discussed national cybersecurity regulations applicable
to information and communications technology (ICT)
products and their potential impact on trade. In the TBT
Committee, WTO members have raised specific trade
concerns related to cybersecurity regulations. Some of
the specific issues discussed include how cybersecurity
regulations discriminating against foreign companies
and technologies can negatively impact international
trade in ICT products. Proposals on cybersecurity
have also been tabled in the JSI on e-commerce where
negotiations are ongoing.
Data governance
The growth of the global digital economy is fuelled
by data. Discussions on how provisions of WTO
agreements apply to data flows are ongoing among
WTO members. In this context, is particularly relevant,
as it applies to trade in services such as (1) data
transmission and data processing by any form of
technology (e.g. mobile or cloud technologies); (2) new
ICT business models such as infrastructure as a service
(IaaS); (3) online distribution services (e.g. e-commerce
market platforms); and (4) financial services such as
mobile payments. The extent to which members can
impose restrictions on data or information flows
affecting trade in services is determined by their GATS
schedules of commitments. Under the JSI, proposals on
cross-border data flows have been submitted and are
being discussed. These proposals envision a general
rule establishing the free flow of data for commercial
activities. Proposed exceptions to this general rule are,
to a large extent, similar to the existing GATS General
and Security Exceptions and relate to, for example,
protection of personal data, protection of legitimate
public policy objectives, national security interests,
and exclusion of governmental data. Issues related to
data flows have also been raised by members in other
contexts at the WTO, such as in the Council for Trade
in Services, for instance, when national cybersecurity
measures adopted have been considered by some
members as trade barriers.
Intellectual property rights
The TRIPS Agreement is a key international instrument
for the protection of IP and is of relevance to e-commerce.
The technologies that underpin the internet and enable
digital commerce such as software, routers, networks,
switches, and user interfaces are protected by IP. In
addition, e-commerce transactions can involve digital
products with IP-protected content, such as e-books,
software, or blueprints for 3D-printing. As IP licences
often regulate the usage rights for such intangible digital
products, the TRIPS Agreement and the international IP
595

Conventions provide much of the legal infrastructure
for digital trade.
These conventions include:
– Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial
Property (1967)
– Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary
and Artistic works (1971)
– International Convention for the Protection
of Performers, Producers of Phonograms
and Broadcasting Organizations (the Rome
Convention) (1961)
– Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of
Integrated Circuits (1989)
The role of IP in promoting innovation and trade in the
digital age has been highlighted in recent WTO World
Trade Reports.
– WTR 2018 – The Future of World Trade – How
Digital Technologies are Transforming Global
Commerce;
– WTR 2020 – Government Policies to Promote
Innovation in the Digital Age.
IP-related issues are also being discussed in the JSI.
Submitted proposals include text on limiting requests to
the access or transfer of source code. The source code or
the data analysis used in the operation of programmes
or services is often legally protected by IP law through
copyright, patent, or trade secret provisions. The main
goal of the JSI proposals on access to source code is to
prevent members from requiring access or transfer
of the source code owned by a national of another
member state as a condition for market access. Some
exceptions to this general prohibition have also been
proposed. For example, for software that is used
for critical infrastructures and public procurement
transactions.
Electronic commerce
WTO agreements cover a broad spectrum of trade
topics, including some related to e-commerce, which
has been on the WTO agenda since 1998 when the
ministers adopted the Declaration on Global Electronic
Commerce. The Declaration instructed the General
Council to establish a Work Programme on electronic
commerce. In that Declaration, members also agreed
to continue the practice of not imposing customs
duties on electronic transmissions (the ’moratorium’).
The Work Programme provides a broad definition of
e-commerce and instructs four WTO bodies (Council
for Trade in Goods; Council for Trade in Services;
TRIPS Council; and the Committee on Trade and
Development) to explore the relationship between WTO
Agreements and e-commerce. The Work Programme
and the moratorium on customs duties on electronic
transmissions have been periodically reviewed and
renewed. At its 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12)
in June 2022, WTO members agreed to reinvigorate
the Work Programme, particularly in line with its
596

development dimension, and to intensify discussions
on the moratorium, including on its scope, definition,
and impact. Furthermore, members agreed to extend
the moratorium on customs duties on electronic
transmissions until MC13. 2
At MC11 in 2017, a group of members issued the Joint
Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-Commerce to explore
work towards future WTO negotiations on trade-related
aspects of e-commerce. Following the exploratory
work, in January 2019, 76 members confirmed their
‘intention to commence WTO negotiations on traderelated
aspects of electronic commerce’ and to ‘achieve
a high standard outcome that builds on existing WTO
agreements and frameworks with the participation of
as many WTO members as possible’. Negotiations are
continuing among 90 members 3 and are structured
under 5 themes, namely enabling e-commerce,
openness and e-commerce, trust and e-commerce,
cross-cutting issues, and telecommunications. JSI
participants have reached a high degree of convergence
on e-authentication and e-signatures, e-contracts,
open government data, online consumer protection,
unsolicited commercial electronic messages (spam),
transparency, open internet access, paperless trading,
cybersecurity, electronic transactions frameworks,
e-invoicing and single windows. Negotiations
on electronic transactions frameworks, source
code, cybersecurity, electronic invoicing, privacy,
telecommunications, and customs duties on electronic
transmissions continue. On the margins of the recently
concluded MC12, the co-convenors of the JSI (Australia,
Japan, and Singapore), issued a statement underlining
the importance of developing global rules on
e-commerce and, together with Switzerland, launched
the E-commerce Capacity Building Framework to
strengthen digital inclusion and to help developing and
least developed countries to harness the opportunities
of digital trade.
2
WT/MIN(22)/32; WT/L/1143
3
90 As of 23 October 2023, there are 90 WTO members participating in these discussions, accounting for over 90 per cent of global trade. Albania; Argentina;
Australia; Austria; Bahrain, Kingdom of; Belgium; Benin; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Canada; Chile; China;
Colombia; Costa Rica; Côte d’Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Ecuador; El Salvador; Estonia; Finland; France; Gambia; Georgia; Germany;
Greece; Guatemala; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Hungary; Iceland; Indonesia; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Republic
of; Kuwait, the State of; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius;
Mexico; Moldova, Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Oman;
Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Singapore; Slovak Republic; Slovenia;
Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu; Thailand; Türkiye; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates;
United Kingdom; United States; Uruguay.
597

DIGITAL TOOLS
Access 4
Information Technology Agreement (ITA-I and ITA-
II)
The ITA-I was concluded by 29 participants in 1996.
Through this agreement, participating WTO members
eliminated tariffs and other duties and charges (ODCs)
on hundreds of ICT products – including computers,
laptops, servers, routers, communication devices (i.e.
mobile telephones), semiconductors, semiconductor
manufacturing equipment and parts thereof – to
foster the development of ICT global value chains and
facilitate greater adoption of the ICT products that lie
at the core of a global digital economy and power the
downstream innovative and competitive capacity of
every industry that deploys them. Currently, 83 WTO
members are participants in ITA-I, accounting for
approximately 97% of world trade in ITA-I products. As
technology continues to evolve, ICT is found at the core
of an ever-increasing range of products. At the MC10 in
Nairobi in 2015, over 50 WTO members concluded ITA-
II negotiations and agreed to expand the ITA product
coverage by around 200 products. ICT products such
as GPS navigation equipment, satellites, and medical
equipment were included and tariffs on these products
have been eliminated among ITA-II participants. At
present, the ITA-II consists of 55 WTO members,
representing over 90% of world trade in ITA-II products.
The ITA is being discussed in the JSI under the market
access focus group.
Social media channels
Facebook @WorldTradeOrganization
Flickr @WorldTradeOrganization
Instagram @worldtradeorganization
X @wto
YouTube @WorldTradeOrganization
4
The issue of arbitration is referred to under the issue of ‘market access’ within the work of WTO.
598

599

About the Publisher
Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) and DiploFoundation
WMO Building | Av. de la Paix 7bis | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
www.giplatform.org
www.diplomacy.edu

About Geneva Internet Platform and DiploFoundation
The Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) was initiated
by the Federal Department of Foreign Aff airs (FDFA)
and the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM)
of Switzerland in 2014. Operated by DiploFoundation,
the GIP engages digital actors, fosters e ffective digital
policy, and monitors digital governance in a decisive
time for the future of digital policy. Geneva is the
place where more than 50% of global digital policy
discussions take place. At the GIP we follow these
processes and map the main actors active in this field.
We do so by reporting from the main events, analysing
the main resolutions, and mapping the cross-linkages
among Geneva-based institutions, as our study on the
X-ray of the interlinkages among International Geneva
institutions shows.
The GIP also provides a neutral and inclusive space
for digital policy debates, recognised by the majority
of global actors as a platform where different views
can be voiced and the risks and vulnerabilities of
technology addressed. The activities are implemented
based on several pillars, including a physical platform
in Geneva, the GIP Digital Watch Observatory (the latest
updates, overviews, instruments, resources, events,
and actors on over 50 internet governance and digital
policy topics, trends, and processes), and a dialogue
and innovation lab.
DiploFoundation, a non-profit organisation, was
established in 2002 by the governments of Malta and
Switzerland and has offices in Msida, Malta; Geneva,
Switzerland; Belgrade, Serbia; and Washington, DC,
USA. With the mission to increase the power of small
and developing states to influence their own futures
and development, Diplo’s main activities are dedicated
to developing capacity, organising meetings and
events, delivering courses, conducting research, and
publishing analyses.
Diplo’s capacity development support begins
with individuals, but through the activities of these
individuals, it impacts the larger systems of which
they and their organisations are a part. Capacity
development topics include internet governance and
digital policy, data and artificial intelligence diplomacy,
602

e-diplomacy, public diplomacy, and humanitarian
diplomacy. To deal with pressing issues in global
governance, Diplo’s events bring together people
from different perspectives, including diplomats,
business professionals, academics, members and staff
of international organisations, civil society, and the
technical community. Diplo offers postgraduate-level
academic courses and training workshops on various
diplomacy and policy-related topics for diplomats, civil
servants, staff of international organisations and nongovernmental
organisations (NGOs), and students of
international relations. Diplo’s publications range from
examining contemporary developments in diplomacy,
especially the impact of emerging technologies, to new
analyses of its traditional aspects.
Social media channels
Facebook @DiploFoundation
Instagram @diplofoundation
LinkedIn @DiploFoundation
X @DiplomacyEdu
YouTube @DiploFoundation
603

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
3GPP
5Ps
A
ADR
ADS
AEC
AES
AfCFTA
AGAT
AGCCI
AI
AIDA
ALKS
ALT
AMWA
AOGEO
API
AR
ASEAN
ASP
AU
AUC
AWS
B
B2C
3rd Generation Partnership Project
people, policy, products, provision, and
personnel
alternative dispute resolution
Automated Driving System
Austrian Economic Centre
Advanced Encryption Standard
African Continental Free Trade Area
Advisory Group on Advanced Technology
in Trade and Logistics
African Girls Can Code Initiative
artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence for Development
Analytics
Automated Lane Keeping Systems
Adult Language Training
Advanced Media Workflow Association
Asia-Oceania Group on Earth Observations
application programming interface
augmented reality
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Asia-Pacific region
African Union
African Union Commission
autonomous weapon systems
business-to-consumer
BDT
BEPS
BHBM
BHR
BIG-E
BitSight
BOCA
BPFs
BPI
BSG
BSO
BSP-RDM
C
C4DT
CAP
CARE
CBDC
CBF
CCC
CCIG
CCSD
ccTLDs
CD
CDN
CDR
Bureau de développement des
télécommunications [Telecommunication
Development Bureau]
Base Erosion and Profit Shifting
Be He@lthy, Be Mobile
business and human rights
Batumi Initiative on Green Economy
Branch Organizational Capacity
Assessment
Best Practice Forums
Business Preparedness Initiative
Bridging the Standardization Gap
business service organisation
Buy-Ship-Pay Reference Data Model
Center for Digital Trust
common alerting protocol
Collective benefit, Authority to control,
Responsibility, Ethics
Central Bank Digital Currency
Capacity Building Fund
Crisis Connectivity Charter
Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Services
Data Science Competence Center
country code top-level domains
compact disc
capacity development network
corporate digital responsibility
605

CEA Community Engagement and
Accountability
CEB Chief Executives Board
CERN Organisation européenne pour
la recherche nucléaire [European
Organization for Nuclear Research]
CERT computer emergency response team
Childhood USA World Childhood Foundation USA
CIRT computer incident response team
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
CIT Cyber Incident Tracer
CITS Collaboration on Intelligent Transport
Systems Communication Standards
CIXP CERN Internet eXchange Point
CJEU Court of Justice of the EU
COP Child Online Protection
COP Conference of the Parties
CPD Carnet de Passages en Douane [Customs
Passage Book]
CRASA Communications Regulators’ Association of
Southern Africa
CRC Committee on the Rights of the Child
CRVS civil registration and vital statistics
CSIS Cyber Security in the context of
International Security
CSO civil society organisation
CSIRT computer security incident response team
CSMS cyber security management system
CSTD Commission on Science and Technology
for Development
CTA CERN Tape Archive
CUE Collaborative UN/CEFACT Environment
CUSO Conférence Universitaire de Suisse
Occidentale [University Conference of
Western Switzerland]
CUTS Consumer Unity & Trust Society
CWG-Internet Council Working Group on International
Internet-related Public Policy Is-sues
D
DAC
DAKs
Development Assistance Committee
digital adaptation kits
DASH-IF
DCs
DCAF
DCGI
DCM
DESA
DFFT
DFQF
DFS
DHIS
DHS
DIHS
DiSTIC
DLC
DLT
DNS
DPA
DPHEP
DPM
DTC
DTT
DVB
DVD
DW
DW4SD
E
EAC
EACO
EBU
ebXLM
ECA
ECASIS
ECDE
ECE
ECHO
DASH Industry Forum
Dynamic Coalitions
Geneva Centre for Security Sector
Governance [originally Geneva Centre for
the Democratic Control of Armed Forces]
Digital Currency Global Initiative
Division of Conference Management
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Data Free Flow with Trust
Duty-free, Quota-free
Digital Financial Services
District Health Information Software
Demographic and Health Surveys
Digital Innovations in Health Systems
Division of Information and
Communication Systems and Technologies
Digital Law Center
distributed ledger technologies
Domain Name System
Data Protection Authority
Data Preservation in High Energy Physics
data processing and management
Digital Transformation Centre
Digital Terrestrial Television
digital video broadcasting
digital versatile disks
Digital Watch observatory
Decent work for sustainable development
East African Community
East African Communications Organization
European Broadcasting Union
Electronic business using eXtensible
Markup Language
Economic Commission for Africa
Electronic Communication, Audiovisual
Services and Information Society
e-commerce and the digital economy
Economic Commission for Europe
European Union Civil Protection and
Humanitarian Aid
606

ECMWF European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecasts
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council
ECU electronic control unit
EE Executive Education
EEA European Economic Area
EEC European Economic Community
eFBL Electronic International Federation of
Freight-Forwarders Associations (FIATA)
Multimodal Bill of Lading
EFTA European Free Trade Association
EIOS Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources
EMF electromagnetic field
ENVR L’École nationale en Cybersécurité à
vocation régionale [National school of
cybersecurity with a regional vocation]
EO Earth observation
EOSC European Open Science Cloud
EPFL L’École Polytechnique Fédérale de
Lausanne [Federal Polytechnic School of
Lausanne]
ERP enterprise resource planning
ESCWA Economic and Social Commission for West
Asia
ESG environmental, social, and governance
ESSN Emergency Social Safety Net
ETH Zurich Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule
Zürich [Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Zurich]
ETC Emergency Telecommunications Cluster
ETSI European Telecommunications Standards
Institute
EUMETSAT European Organisation for the Exploitation
of Meteorological Satellites
F
FDI
FDFA
FDRS
FG-AI4H
FG-AN
FG DFC
FG DLT
FG-QIT4N
FIATA
FIGI
FLUX
Fongit
FRT
FTA
FTC
foreign direct investment
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federation-wide databank and reporting
system
Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for
Health
Focus Group on Autonomous Networks
Focus Group on Digital Currency including
Digital Fiat Currency
Focus Group on Application of Distributed
Ledger Technology
Focus Group on Quantum Information
Technology for Networks
International Federation of Freight-
Forwarders Associations
Financial Inclusion Global Initiative
Symposium
Fisheries Language for Universal Exchange
Geneva Foundation for Technology
Innovation [Fondation Genevoise pour
l’Innovation Technologique]
facial recognition technology
free trade agreement
File Transfer Service
FAIR
FAO
FbF
FDA
findable, accessible, interoperable,
reusable
Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations
forecast-based financing
Food and Drug Administration
607

G
GA
GATE
GATHER
GATJ
GATS
GATT
GBON
GCA
GCI
GCSP
GCTF
GDPC
GDPR
GEO
GEO-BON
GEOSS
GESDA
GESP
GFOI
GGE
GHC
GHF
GHRP
GIP
GIS
GIZ
GOs
GPEVAC
GRM
GRRC
GRVA
GSC
General Assembly
Global Cooperation on Assistive
Technology
Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent
Health Estimates Reporting
Global Alliance for Tax Justice
General Agreement on Trade in Services
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Global Basic Observing Network
Global Cybersecurity Agenda
Global Cybersecurity Index
Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Global Counterterrorism Forums
Global Disaster Preparedness Center
General Data Protection Regulation
Group on Earth Observations
Biodiversity Observation Network
Global Earth Observation System of
Systems
Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator
Global E-waste Statistics Partnership
Global Forest Observation Initiative
Group of Governmental Experts
Global Health Centre
Geneva Health Forum
Geneva Human Rights Platform
Geneva Internet Platform
geographic information systems
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit [German Agency for
International Cooperation]
Global Observatory for e-Health
Global Partnership to End Violence Against
Children
Global Research Map
Global Risk and Resilience cluster
Groupe de travail des véhicules
automatisés/autonomes et connectés
[Working Party on Automated/
Autonomous and Connected Vehicles]
Global Standards Collaboration
GSI
GSMA
GSP
GSPI
GSR
gTLDs
GTS
H
HbbTV
HCSS
HEAD
HEAT
HEMP
HIE
HIP
HIS
HLCP
HLG-MOS
HMIS
HLPF
HPEM
HQ
HRDD
HRW
HS
HTML
I
IaaS
iAHO
IANYD
IAWG-AI
IBF
Global Studies Institute
Groupe Spécial Mobile Association [Global
System for Mobile Communi-cations
Association]
Generalized System of Preferences
Geneva Science-Policy Interface
Global Symposium for Regulators
generic top-lLevel domains
Global Telecommunication System
Hybrid broadcast broadband TV
The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
Haute école d’art et de design [Geneva
School of Art and Design]
Health Equity Assessment Toolkit
High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse
health information exchange
Health Information Platform
health information systems
High-Level Committee on Programmes
High-Level Group for the Modernisation of
Official Statistics
health management information system
UN High-level Political Forum on
Sustainable Development
High Power Electromagnetic
headquarters
human rights due diligence guidance
Human Rights Watch
Harmonized Commodity Description and
Coding System (Harmonized System)
HyperText Markup Language
Infrastructure as a Service
Integrated African Health Observatory
Inter-Agency Network on Youth
Development
Interagency Working Group on AI
impact-based forecasting
608

ICAS
ICANN
ICCPR
ICD
ICP
ICRC
I-CoDI
ICT
ICT4D
I-DAIR
IDRC
IEC
IECEE
IECQ
IEEE
IETF
IFRC
IGF
IHEID
IHL
IHR
IHRL
IISD
ILO
ILOSTAT
ILP
IMT
IOC
IOM
IoT
Industrial control and automation systems
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers
International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights
International Classification of Diseases
Impact Collaboration Programme
International Committee of the Red Cross
International Centre of Digital Innovation
information and communications
technology
information and communications
technologies for development
Digital Health and AI Research
Collaborative
Canadian International Development
Research Centre
International Electrotechnical Commission
IEC System of Conformity Assessment
Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment
and Components
IEC Quality Assessment System for
Electronic Components
Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers
Internet Engineering Task Force
International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies
Internet Governance Forum
Institut De Hautes Etudes Internationales
Et Du Développement [Gradu-ate Institute
of International and Development Studies]
international humanitarian law
International Health Regulations
international human rights law
International Institute for Sustainable
Development
International Labour Organization
ILO portal to labour statistics
Immigration Policy Lab
international mobile telecommunications
International Oceanographic Commission
International Organization for Migration
internet of things
609
IP
IP
IPCC
IPL
IPU
ISC
ISMS
ISO
ISP
IT
ITA
ITDB
ITIO
ITRs
ITS
ITU
ITUC
ITU-D
ITU-R
ITU-T
ITU-T SSG
IUCN
IWG
IXP
intellectual property
internet protocol
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change
Immigration Policy Lab Integration Index
Inter-Parliamentary Union
International Science Council
information security management system
International Organization for
Standardization
internet service provider
information technology
Information Technology Agreement
International TIR Data Bank
International Transport Infrastructure
Observatory
International Telecommunication
Regulations
Intelligent Transportation Systems
International Telecommunication Union
International Trade Union Confederation
ITU Telecommunication Development
Sector
ITU Radiocommunication Sector
ITU Telecommunication Standardization
Sector
Telecommunication Standardization Sector
study group
International Union for Conservation of
Nature
informal working group
internet exchange point

J
JIU
JSI
JST
K
KACEDDA
L
LAWS
LDC
LHC
LLDC
LMIC
M
MaaS
MAG
MCH
MDG
MERIAM
MHEWS
MICS
MIT
ML
MMT-RDM
MOOCs
MoU
MP
MSME
MWC
Joint Inspection Unit
Joint Statement Initiative
Joint Task Force
Kofi Annan Commission on Elections and
Democracy in the Digital Age
lethal autonomous weapons systems
least developed country
Large Hadron Collider
landlocked developing country
low and middle-income country
Mobility as a Service
Multistakeholder Advisory Group
Maternal and Child Health
millennium development goal
modelling early risk indicators to anticipate
malnutrition
multi-hazard early warning system
Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
machine learning
Multi-Modal Transport Reference Data
Mode
massive online open courses
memorandum of understanding
member of parliament
micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise
Mobile World Congress
NFT
NGO
NGSO
NIS
NMHSs
NoW
NRC
NRIs
NSD
NSS
NTB
NTM
NWP
O
OAS
OASIS
OCAC
OCEANIS
ODA
ODR
OEWG
OH
OHCHR
OSCE
OSI
OT
OTN
OTT
P
non-fungible token
non-governmental organisation
non-geostationary satellite systems
nutrition information systems
National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services
Network of Women
Norwegian Refugee Council
National, regional and youth IGF initiatives
National Society Development
National Standardization Secretariats
non-tariff barrier
non-tariff measure
Numerical Weather Prediction
Organization of American States
Organization for the Advancement of
Structured Information Standards
Organisation Capacity Assessment and
certification
Open Community for Ethics in
Autonomous and Intelligent Systems
official development assistance
online dispute resolution
Open-Ended Working Group
Open Health
Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights
Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe
open systems interconnection
operational technology
optical transport network
over-the-top
N
NETPs
national emergency telecommunications
plans
P3
PCI
PER
PHM
Partnership Projects Program
Productive Capacities Index
Preparedness for Effective Response
Health and Migration Programme
610

PII
PNs
PON
PSM
Q
QoE
QoS
QIT
QTI
R
R&D
R2R
RadioDNS
RCC
RCRC
RHIS
RHO
RoO
RPA
RRR
RTED
RULAC
S
SC&C
SCOAP3
SCORE
SCRDM
SCTI
SDG
SDO
SDT
SecTec
SG
SG
personally identifiable information
Policy Networks
passive optical network
public service media
quality of experience
quality of service
quantum information technology
Quantum Technology Initiative
research and development
Road Map to Community Resilience
Radio Domain Name System
Regional Cooperation Council
Red Cross and Red Crescent
Routine Health Information Surveys
Regional Health Observatory
developing preferential rules of origin
robotic process automation
Rolling Review of Requirements
Real-Time Epidemiology & Dashboard
Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts
smart cities and communities
Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access
Publishing in Particle Physics
Survey, Count, Optimize, Review, and
Enable
Supply Chain Reference Data Model
South Centre Tax Initiative
sustainable development goal
standards developing organisation
special and differential treatment
Security and Technology Programme
Secretary-General
study group
SIAC safety, integrity, availability, and
confidentiality
SIEM security information and event
management
SIDS small island developing states
SiDLab Science in Diplomacy Lab
SIMS Surge Information Management Support
SITCIN Sustainable Inland Transport Connectivity
Indicators
SCT South Centre Tax
SMART Science Monitoring and Reliable
Telecommunications
SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television
Engineers
SO strategic objective
SQ study question
SSC South-South cooperation
SSC smart sustainable city
SSR security sector reform
SS7 Signalling System No. 7
STEM science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics
STI science, technology, and innovation
SWAN service for web-based analysis
611

T
TAF2+
TBT
TC
TCP/IP
TG
TIR
ToS
TRI
TRIPS
U
Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund
Technical Barriers to Trade
technical committee
transmission control protocol/internet
protocol
task group
Transports Internationaux Routiers
[International Road Transports]
team of specialists
Trusted Research Infrastructure
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights
U4SSC United for Smart Sustainable Cities
initiative
UAP Universal App Program
UAV unmanned aerial vehicle
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UDRP Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution
Policy
UHC universal health coverage
UHRI Universal Human Rights Index
UN United Nations
UN/CCL UN Core Component Library
UN/CEFACT UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and
Electronic Business
UNCRPD UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities
UNCTAD UN Conference on Trade and Development
UNCTED UN Counter-Terrorism Executive
Directorate
UN DESA UN Department of Economic and Social
Affairs
UN DSC UN Digital Solutions Centre
UNDIS UN Disability Inclusion Strategy
UN DSC UN Digital Solutions Centre
UNDP UN Development Programme
UDRP Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-
Resolution Policy
612
UNDPPA UN Department of Political and
Peacebuilding Affairs
UNDRR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
UNECE UN Economic Commission for Europe
UN/EDIFACT UN rules for Electronic Data Interchange
for Administration, Commerce and
Transport
UNESCO UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
UNFCCC UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund (formerly
United Nations Fund for Popu-lation
Activities)
UNFSS UN Forum on Sustainability Standards
UNGA UN General Assembly
UNGIS UN Group on Information Society
UNGPs UN Guiding Principles
UNHCR UN Refugee Agency
UNHRC UN Human Rights Council
UNGPs UN Guiding Principles
UNICC UN International Computing Centre
UNICEF UN International Children’s Emergency
Fund
UNIDIR United Nations Institute for Disarmament
Research
UNIDO UN Industrial Development Organization
UNIDOP UN International Day of Older Persons
UNIFR University of Fribourg
UNIGE University of Geneva
UNIL University of Lausanne
UNINE University of Neuchâtel
UNITAR UN Institute for Training and Research
UNOCHA UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs
UNODC UN Office on Drugs and Crime
UN OEWG UN Open Ended Working Group
UNOOSA UN Office for Outer Space Affairs
UNOSAT UN Satellite Centre
UNU UN University
UN Women UN Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women
UPR Universal Periodic Review
UX user experience

V
VR
VSS
W
W3C
WASH
WATRA
WEEE
WFP
WG
WG-CP
WHO
WIPO
WIS
WLCG
WMO
WorldDAB
WRC
WSC
WSIS
WTDC
WTISD
WTSA
WTO
WWW
X
XaaS
virtual reality
voluntary sustainability standards
World Wide Web Consortium
water, sanitation, and hygiene
West Africa Telecommunications
Regulators Assembly
waste electrical and electronic equipment
World Food Programme
working group
working group on child online protection
World Health Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO Information System
Worldwide Large Hadron Collider
Computing Grid
World Meteorological Organization
Word Digital Audio Broadcasting
World Radiocommunication Conference
World Standards Cooperation
World Summit on the Information Society
World Telecommunication Development
Conference
World Telecommunication and Information
Society Day
ITU World Telecommunication
Standardization Assembly
World Trade Organization
World Wide Web
Anything as a Service
613

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Switzerland