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What is the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)?

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a two-phase United Nations (UN) summit, first introduced by Tunisia to the ITU Plenipotentiary in 1998. The UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 (21 December 2001) endorsed the holding of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in two phases. The first phase took place in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003 and the second phase took place in Tunis, from 16 to 18 November 2005.

Geneva Phase: 10-12 December 2003

The objective of the first phase was to develop and foster a clear statement of political will and take concrete steps to establish the foundations for an Information Society for all, reflecting all the different interests at stake.

Tunis Phase: 16-18 November 2005

The objective of the second phase was to put Geneva's Plan of Action into motion as well as to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of Internet governance, financing mechanisms, and follow-up and implementation of the Geneva and Tunis documents.

The summit aims to create an evolving multi-stakeholder platform to address issues raised by information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the national, regional, and international levels. The goal is to build a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society where everyone can create, access, utilize, and share information. The WSIS process has proven to be a well-established and functioning inclusive multistakeholder framework of implementation.

The WSIS Forum is an annual multistakeholder event within the WSIS process. It brings together various stakeholders, including governments, civil societies, private sectors, academia, international organizations, and technical communities, to network, partner, and share insights on achieving Sustainable Development Goals through the framework of WSIS Action Lines. The forum is hosted annually by the ITU and co-organized by several UN organizations. The WSIS Forum’s process aligns with that of the SDGs. The forum’s program is collaboratively curated through crowdsourcing, promoting extensive ownership and facilitating continual improvements. The WSIS Forum in 2025, branded as WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025, will take place on 7-11 July 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, and serve as a platform to provide multistakeholder discussions and to take stock of the achievements and key trends, challenges and opportunities since the Geneva Plan of Action in 2003.

What is the WSIS+20 Review?

The WSIS+10 Review in 2015 marked the tenth anniversary of the Summit and provided an opportunity to evaluate the advancements in implementing the WSIS outcomes.

Similarly, the WSIS+20 Review in 2025, facilitated by the General Assembly, would assess the progress and challenges over two decades since the inception of WSIS. As we approach the 20th anniversary of WSIS, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive review, to take stock of the achievements and key trends, challenges and opportunities since the Geneva Plan of Action.

To facilitate the WSIS+20 review, the following activities have been undertaken, and additional activities will be undertaken:

Towards the WSIS+20 review, efforts have been made to establish a unified WSIS+20 review preparatory process involving all UN Agencies, including ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, UNCTAD, UN DESA, and UN CSTD. Regular meetings are organised to facilitate collaborative discussions and planning, reflecting the joint and dedicated approach towards the WSIS+20 review.

See the preparatory phases below: