Introduction

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organized the 2nd ITU Forum on “Creating a metaverse for all through international standards”. The Forum took place on 7 July 2023, in Shanghai, China, in conjunction with the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). The forum was held as a physical event with remote participation, and was kindly hosted by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Industry Association (SAIA). The Forum was preceded by the 2nd meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on metaverse, which took place from 4-6 July 2023, at the same venue.

The 2nd ITU Forum aimed to foster dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders to discuss the role of international standards to shape the metaverse. Key topics of discussion include: the role of standards to build an open and interoperable metaverse, industrial metaverse, and the role of enabling technologies to unleash a new era of immersive and interactive experiences. The forum encouraged the exchange of ideas, best practices, and innovative approaches to unlock the future of the metaverse in a way that benefits all individuals and societies.

The forum served as a global platform for stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, experts, and academics, to discuss and collaborate on the development of international standards that can facilitate the creation of an inclusive, open, safe and interoperable metaverse.

Target audience:

Participation in the forum and the focus group meeting was ​open to ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates and Academic Institutions and to any individual from a country that is a member of ITU and who wished to contribute to the work. This includes individuals who are also members of international, regional and national organizations. This forum was free of charge.

Important Notice: To physically participate in the Focus Group meeting and Forum in Shanghai all attendees need to also fill in this form to be registered for the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). As the Focus Group meeting and Forum will take place as part of the WAIC, filling in the provided form is compulsory. This notice does not apply to virtual attendees who only need to register using the ITU website once. 

Note: By registering for this event, you agree for ITU (the event organizer and data controller) to process your personal data for the organization and management of the event in accordance with the UN Personal Data Protection and Privacy Principles. The personal data you submit as part of the registration will be used by ITU for the organization, management and follow-up of the event, including managing attendance and for internal ITU administrative requirements. The event is taking place via Zoom and it will be recorded. You can read here Zoom’s privacy notice on how it processes your personal data. The event video recording will be made publicly available on ITU’s event webpage to raise awareness and promote standardization aiming at knowledge-transfer and bridging the standardization gap. For any questions or requests concerning your personal data, including your inclusion in video, you can contact ITU at tsbfgmv@itu.int.