Agenda—Thematic Workshops | WSIS Forum 2023

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Agenda and Programme

Thematic Workshops

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13 March – 19 March

Monday 13 March

Past Sessions

161

Can cyber tech be resilient and green?

EC MEDICI Framework

MEDICI

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Can cyber technology be resilient and green?There are some key events that have characterised the recent period one of these is the so-called digital transformation considered the natural evolution of the current society in the light of a pervasive…

Covid-19 related Cybersecurity Thematic Workshop

172

Smart and Sustainable cities - Sustainable energy in uncertain times, helped by ICT

Partner360.net

Partner360.net

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

The U4SSC is the United Nations United for Smart and Sustainability initative. The State of Geneva (canton de Genève) recently passed the UN ITU U4SSC audit for Smart and Sustainable cities. We will share key findings from this verification. We will…

ICTs and Clean Tech Thematic Workshop

179

Supporting the Transition to a Stronger, Greener, and Sustainable Future Through Standards and Best Practices

IEEE – Partner for Specific Activities

IEEE – Partner for Specific Activities

09:15 – 10:15 (UTC+01:00) Room B

What are standards developers and users doing today to address sustainability and climate change? There is a technological transformation underway that inspires pioneering opportunities and encourages evolutionary innovation. Global standards…

Partner for Specific Activities Thematic Workshop

257

Robotics & The Medical Internet of Things (MIoT)

United Nations IGF (DESA) Dynamic Coalition on Data Driven Health Technologies

UN IGF DC DDHT

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

A public engagement on the topic of robotics in health care. The Medical Internet of Things MIoT will bring advanced technological devices into the home. Hospital @ home care is here. Robotics are being used in hospitals, rehabilitation and research…

Covid-19 related Thematic Workshop

337

Building Cyber resilience in the humanitarian and development sectors

Cyberpeace Institute

Cyberpeace Institute

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Technology and innovation play important roles in the delivery, effectiveness and scaling of humanitarian action for people affected by complex emergencies and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While it is…

Cybersecurity Thematic Workshop

245

How to take care of your elderly parents when you are living far from them? Showcase of the best ICTs innovation

HiNounou, awarded as 2022 WSIS Healthy Ageing Innovation Winner.

HiNounou

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

In 2020, for the first time of human history, elderlies outnumbered children. The number is projected to grow by 40% before 2030 up to 1.4 Billion and will reach 2 billion older adults in 2050. Among them, 80% are living in low and medium income…

ICTs and Older Persons Thematic Workshop

363

Web3 and how it can further the SDGs

UNITAR/Berexia

UNITAR/Berexia

11:15 – 12:15 (UTC+01:00) Room F

Professionals dedicated to advancing sustainable development are always looking for innovative ways to make a positive impact. With Web3's cutting-edge features, we have the opportunity to drive greater inclusion, transparency, and awareness than…

Thematic Workshop

446

Cybersecurity at the center of digital transformation in Africa

UN ECA

ECA

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Cybersecurity is at the center of global security and prosperity as digitalization spurs in developed and developing countries. The challenge is to create a thriving digital society that is resilient to cyber threats and with knowledge and…

Cybersecurity Thematic Workshop

362

Digital payments: Empowering Communities and Knowledge Economy-UPI applications Promote Digital Financial Inclusion.

ADA Lovelace Software Private Limited.

ADA Lovelace Software Private Limited.

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Digital financial services lower the cost and increase the security of sending, paying and receiving money. The resulting increase in financial inclusion which is also vital to women’s empowerment. It is most reliable, efficient and secure form of…

Thematic Workshop

288

Critical elements of successful industry 4.0 policy

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

ITIF

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

This session will explore the information and communications technologies that are driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR); how countries, can especially developing ones, can maximize their potential to extract value from ICTs and industries…

ICTs and Emerging Technologies for Industry 4.0 Thematic Workshop

291

Evolution of Social Engineering & Phishing

Swiss-CyberSecurity

SCS

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Social Engineering exists since humans exist - but since we are using omnipresent Information Technology, Social Engineering has come to a next level: phishing, imposter ad business email compromise. A Multi-Billion Dollar industry is now trying to…

Cybersecurity Thematic Workshop

370

Technology for Democracy: Lessons learnt and the way forward for technology for democracy and human rights (1st Segment)

United Nations Development Programme

UNDP

15:30 – 16:30 (UTC+01:00) Room B

Digital technology has fundamentally changed and is continuously reshaping the world. While digital transformation opens innovative avenues to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, digital technologies are also used to suppress, limit,…

Thematic Workshop

203

Data Ethics and the Ethics of Digital and Emerging Technologies

Globethics

Globethics

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

How can we build trust in this complex and ambiguous data world? How can digital technologies serve humanity? Data is the magic word of the 21st century. For citizens, data means support in daily life in almost all activities, from using watches to…

Thematic Workshop

331

Hack the Digital Divide

World Summit Award

WSA

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

The multiple crises facing our world need digital, purpose driven solutions with a positive impact.The World Summit Awards work within the UN Framework of the SDGs and the Transformation into the Knowledge Society (WSIS) to select and promote best…

Thematic Workshop

372

Technology for Democracy: Lessons learnt and the way forward for technology for democracy and human rights (2nd Segment)

United Nations Development Programme

UNDP

16:30 – 17:15 (UTC+01:00) Room B

Digital technology has fundamentally changed and is continuously reshaping the world. While digital transformation opens innovative avenues to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, digital technologies are also used to suppress, limit,…

Thematic Workshop

392

Online Visibility of Women in Parliament

Omuka Hub

Omuka Hub

16:45 – 17:45 (UTC+01:00) Room F

The Theme for this year's International Women's Day is "DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality", and to achieve true gender equality we need to have more women in politics online. Why is this important? Women in Parliament do…

ICTs and Gender Mainstreaming Thematic Workshop

Thursday 16 March

Past Sessions

184

International Conference on Digital Transformation of Education: Road towards SDG 4

CMAI Association of India

CMAI Association of India

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Covid 19 has changed the world and way human lives. For Registration and Nomination in Awards please feel free to contact Mr. Navtesh at +91 9711869771 and email at navteshgoyal@yahoo.com. Lifetime opportunity to get honored for the excellence work…

Thematic Workshop

268

Localizing Digital Transformation in Ukraine: Use of innovative technologies in bridging the urban-rural divide

Swiss-Ukrainian eGovernance for Accountability and Participation Program, INNOVABRIDGE Foundation, East Europe Foundation

Swiss-Ukrainian eGovernance for…

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Since 2014, Ukraine has been taking progressive steps in digital acceleration and decentralisation. Yet according to Ukraine`s Ministry of Digital Transformation, more than 5.5 million rural residents in Ukraine (12% of total population) and 17…

Thematic Workshop

185

Sustaining relevant digital inclusive education for young people (5-18 years of age)

International Federation for Information Processing

IFIP

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+01:00) Room B

The aim of the IFIP Task Force is to explore how “Sustaining relevant digital inclusive education for young people (5-18 years of age)” has been and can be achieved in countries and locations internationally. In this workshop, members of the Task…

ICTs and Youth Thematic Workshop

383

Capacity Building and Enabling Environments for Meaningful Access in Indigenous and Rural Communities

ITU-D Digital Inclusion, Rhizomatica Communications and Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

ITU-D Digital Inclusion, Rhizomatica…

09:15 – 10:15 (UTC+01:00) Room F

The objective of this session is to dialogue around the impact of the capacity building programmes aimed at enabling people living in rural territories or indigenous communities to deploy, operate and manage their own solutions for meaningful access…

Thematic Workshop

197

Applying Internet Universality ROAM-X framework for WSIS+20 review and Global Digital Compact

UNESCO

UNESCO

10:00 – 12:00 (UTC+01:00) Geneva Room

The workshop, which is jointly organized by UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP) and Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), aims to raise awareness and build capacity for Member States and…

Covid-19 related Thematic Workshop

182

Ethics and AI for and with Society: Ethical Design

PROMIS@Service and AI&Society Journal, Springer Nature

PROMIS@Service and AI&Society Journal,…

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

New technology developments which focus on integrating human-centred methods and rules into our use of AI, so that it is transparent, evidence-based and secure, will serve to increase trust in technology, assisting the process of changing Society and…

Covid-19 related ICTs and Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development Thematic Workshop

199

GovStack CIO Digital Leaders Forum

Germany, Estonia, ITU and the Digital Impact Alliance

Germany, Estonia, ITU and the Digital Impact…

10:30 – 11:30 (UTC+01:00) Room E

GovStack is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) from Germany, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International…

Thematic Workshop

205

Making the most of quantum computers, inclusively and openly, to accelerate the SDGs and beyond

Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation

GESDA

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

AbstractQuantum technologies have the potential to create profound changes to society, changing entire industries. The last decade has seen major breakthroughs, leading to an increase in investment from the private sector. The quantum pursuit is…

Thematic Workshop

220

The use of digital tools that facilitate effective intergenerational relationships

Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development

CSEND

11:00 – 12:00 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

One of the key benefits for intergenerational relations could be the mutually beneficial collaboration of developing digital competence. "Digital Competence" is considered to be one of the key competences for lifelong learning representing an…

Covid-19 related Thematic Workshop

369

Universities have a vital role in shaping the future of the society

University of Oslo

UiO

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 9

The panel “Role of Universities in Shaping the Future of the Society” has the goal to broaden the public responsibility for and of Higher Education. It follows the European Standards and Guidelines (ESGs) for institutions in the Higher Education…

Thematic Workshop

336

Enabling digitization for people, planet and prosperity - a business perspective

International Chamber of Commerce

ICC

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Whether it’s in the underpinning infrastructure for economic and social progress or in providing solutions in sectors as varied as agriculture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing or education, the value of ICTs and digital technologies cannot be…

Thematic Workshop

222

Generative AI and the Information Society: How IT professionals can ensure that Generative AI supports the Information Society

International Federation for Information Processing - IP3

IFIP IP3

14:00 – 15:00 (UTC+01:00) Room B

This will be a very interactive session with lots of audience participation, with videos and demonstrations rather than formal presentations. The thematic focus of the session is emerging technologies that build capacity and can transform jobs.…

Supporting Partner Thematic Workshop

216

ICT Indicators for monitoring international goals and targets

Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development

Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development

14:00 – 15:00 (UTC+01:00) Room C

The Partnership on Measuring ICT for development, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2004, is the direct response to the request made by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to produce official statistics to monitor the…

Thematic Workshop

462

WSIS Regional Commission

WSIS

WSIS

14:00 – 14:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Thematic Workshop

233

Accelerating digital development in Europe and Central Asia: On our way to Agenda 2030

International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with the contribution of the UN Digital Transformation Group for Europe and Central Asia

International Telecommunication Union (ITU),…

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Digital technologies and innovations traverse every sector of our economy and are inherent to our daily life. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help accelerate progress toward every single one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable…

Thematic Workshop

380

The importance of meaningful access to information

IFLA

IFLA

15:00 – 15:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

It is impossible to imagine a society that is able to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals that is not an informed society. The right - and imperative - of access to information, as set out in WSIS Action Line C3 is therefore a precondition…

Thematic Workshop

310

AI for Good

International Telecommunication Union

ITU

15:15 – 16:15 (UTC+01:00) Room F

The 2022 United Nations Activities on Artificial Intelligence Report will be released at this session, and an update will be provided on the opportunities for UN partners to be involved in and contribute to the upcoming AI for Good Global Summit in…

Thematic Workshop

247

Leveraging the power of sports for children’s online safety

ITU

ITU

15:15 – 16:15 (UTC+01:00) Room C

The 60-minute high-level political dialogue will provide an invaluable opportunity for policymakers to explore new ways to engage and reach their communities and audiences around child protection online. Led by a representative from the sports…

Thematic Workshop

338

Artificial intelligence for Climate Change in Africa

Digital Coalition

DC

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents in the world to climate change, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In 2022, every part of the continent was affected by extreme weather events, ranging from wildfires in…

ICTs and Clean Tech Thematic Workshop

389

Implementing digital technology in education. What are the risks and benefits?

Oxford Internet Institute

Oxford Internet Institute

16:00 – 16:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

The aim is to understand the benefits and risks from the perspectives of different stakeholder groups – the users, producers of EdTech, the regulators, and academics. Digitalisation of education is promoted by national governments, international…

Thematic Workshop

408

Closing the digital divide—how capacity building can help communities build sustainable Internet Infrastructure

ISOC

ISOC

16:30 – 17:30 (UTC+01:00) Room C

Nearly 3 billion people are still unconnected, deprived of the possibilities the Internet offers. Communities living in rural, remote, and low-income areas are the most affected. They are building their own solutions to change that, including…

Contributing Partner Thematic Workshop

407

Giga: Defining and Financing Meaningful School Connectivity

Giga (ITU and UNICEF), Government of Switzerland and Government of Spain

Giga (ITU and UNICEF), Government of…

16:30 – 17:30 (UTC+01:00) Room F

Around half of the world’s schools are offline, and 1.3 billion children have no access to the Internet at home (UNICEF and ITU, 2022). This digital exclusion particularly affects the poorest, girls and those with disabilities, denying them access to…

Thematic Workshop

391

Governance and Regulation of Education Technologies: How to ensure EdTech serve in children's best interests?

EDDS

EDDS

17:00 – 17:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Evidence gathering and multi-stakeholder involvement is needed to achieve consensus around governance, scrutiny, and oversight of the growing dependency of educational institutions on data-intensive proprietary algorithmic systems (education…

Thematic Workshop

394

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance - Power Session

ITU

ITU

17:00 – 17:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Countries can benefit from cutting-edge approaches to digital innovation, which entail developing locally appropriate capabilities through experimentation and flagship initiatives to nurture an enabling digital environment. The new Innovation and…

Thematic Workshop

Friday 17 March

Past Sessions

313

The Charter for Digital Public Goods

The Digital Impact Alliance and the Digital Public Goods Alliance

DIAL, DPGA

09:00 – 09:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

This roundtable will engage participants on practical steps for ensuring that digital public goods are a sustainable viable option for digital public infrastructure, so that they can deliver long-term benefits related to lowering costs, promoting…

Thematic Workshop

387

EQUALS – EU

ITU

ITU

09:15 – 10:15 (UTC+01:00) Room B

EQUALS-EU is a regional initiative under the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age*. This initiative unites 19 organisations from various sectors and aims to build capacity in gender-inclusive innovation in Europe &…

Thematic Workshop

384

Digital inclusion and social security services: Key challenges and lessons learned

International Social Security Association and United Nation University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance

ISSA, UNU-EGOV

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Problem There is a need for an “...urgent and open debate between governments, the private sector, civil society and others on how we move forward together safely in the age of digital interdependence” - António Guterres, UN Secretary General The…

Thematic Workshop

204

Reimagining the Interface between Digital Tech and the Physical Environment

DESC/UNESCO Chair in ICT4D, Royal Holloway, University of London

DESC

10:00 – 10:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

This session will be convened by DESC (the Digital Environment System Coalition - Secretariat provided by the UNESCO Chair in ICT4D at Royal Holloway, University of London), in association with INIT (the Inter-Islamic Network on IT), the WWRF…

ICTs and Environment Thematic Workshop

241

Enabling the Net Zero Transition – Harnessing ICT solutions to reduce GHG emissions

ITU

ITU

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 11+12

Organizations across sectors are establishing strategies to increase their decarbonization efforts. Many parties have brought forward the potential of ICT solutions to reduce the GHG emissions of other sectors and foster the transition to Net Zero.…

ICTs and Clean Tech Thematic Workshop

329

What migrants want: digital tech, inequality and migration

Royal Holloway, University of London

Royal Holloway, University of London

11:00 – 11:45 (UTC+01:00) Room 14

Digital technologies are both a lifeline and an increasing source of concern for migrants around the world. While these technologies can help address the many inequalities migrants face, they can also exacerbate such inequalities and create new ones.…

Thematic Workshop

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