Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are progressing rapidly and affecting people’s daily lives in the digital era. To an unprecedented extent during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of ICTs has been critical in responding to crisis. The importance of ICTs is specifically recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a crucial enabler in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and as a catalyst for development.
The annual World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum is a global UN multistakeholder platform that facilitates the implementation of the SDGs through the WSIS Action Lines. It serves as a framework for all stakeholders in realising the SDG goals. Through its effective implementation, the WSIS Action Lines can help accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. The WSIS Forum is a fast-growing platform that provides a fully multistakeholder vision and identifies emerging trends while providing recommendation on the future of the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines.
This session will focus on the WSIS Action Lines and the alignment of the WSIS and SDGs processes, including WSIS Forum, WSIS Stocktaking, WSIS Prizes, and WSIS TalkX to name a few. Reflecting the true spirit of the WSIS Forum, which is about collaboration and partnership, this session will also highlight the importance of global partnerships towards leveraging ICTs as critical drivers of development. This echoes the aspiration of World Development Information Day, which this session marks, that called for a stronger international cooperation to solve global development issues, in which ICTs can be used as transformative solutions in fostering sustainable development.