For the first time in history, over half of the world's population is now using the Internet. Bringing the other half online is one of the greatest opportunities of the 21st century and essential to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum, Geneva, 8-12 April 2019, will focus on information and communication technology (ICT) solutions to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. The Forum will also feature sessions on cybersecurity, e-agriculture, e-health, e-education, gender equality, the environment, infrastructure, enabling environments for tech and innovation.
Frontier Technologies (such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, 3D printing, extended reality amongst others) will be displayed and their impact on Sustainable development will be discussed and explored.
The Forum is the world's largest annual gathering of the 'ICT for development' community, co-organized by ITU, UNCTAD, UNESCO and UNDP with the participation of 31 additional United Nations bodies.
WHAT: WSIS 2019 will showcase innovative examples of how countries, civil society, academia and businesses are using ICTs to reach national and global development goals. Media will be able to meet experts at the Forum and see first-hand the latest innovations in ICTs for development. In particular, WSIS 2019 will feature:
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Sessions – more than 250 specialized workshops and live events on ICTs for development.
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WSIS Prizes 2019 – a contest which recognizes outstanding initiatives of individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private sector companies that use tech to advance development.
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Hacking Solutions for Lifelong Learning and Livelihoods at the WSIS Forum 2019 – co-organized by ITU and UNESCO, this 'hackathon' will focus on hacking solutions for lifelong learning and livelihoods. All interested coders are invited to participate onsite.
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Extended Reality for Development – WSIS and World VR Forum join forces to present virtual and augmented reality experiences used in advancing education.
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WSIS ICT Accessibility Day – focusing on innovating technologies to benefit people with disabilities or special needs.
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TEDxGeneva at WSIS Forum 2019.
WHEN: 8-12 April 2019
WHERE: ITU Headquarters & Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), Geneva, Switzerland
WHO: More than 3000 participants, including 500 high-level policy-makers from 150+ countries, such as government ministers and experts, civil society leaders, academics, business leaders and international organizations.
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More information and full programme: wsis.org/forum
