Agenda

Appropriate governance of digital transformation is a crucial issue for the future of humanity.  As we approach the WSIS+20 milestone, the divides in the digital innovation paradigm present a serious challenge. A complex of technological and institutional capabilities, from connectivity infrastructures, data, to compute power and socio-economic policy choices determines who builds and who benefits, and who gains and who loses, from digital innovation. These capabilities are also tied to rules and regimes that have shaped development in the international arena historically - trade, IP, access and benefit sharing for natural resources, financing for development, among others. 

The WSIS+20 milestone is an important conjuncture to reflect upon appropriate digital governance processes globally and nationally and to examine their implications for development and human freedoms.

The session will be an engaging dialogue with UN agencies, civil society, governments and other forums, to examine the following:

Round 1 - Key focus - What approaches, policies and laws work for democratising innovation and equitable digital development?

Round 2 - Key focus - What next for an agenda on digital innovation capabilities?