WSIS Forum 2026 Opens in Geneva with Focus on Youth, Gender Equality and Digital Inclusion

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 opened at ITU Headquarters, drawing strong participation to sessions on youth empowerment, gender equality, the implementation of WSIS Action Lines, and sustainability.

A High-Level Dialogue on youth called for substantive partnership rather than symbolic representation, noting that young people place greater trust in community networks than in government or industry institutions. Speakers cited projections that around 90 percent of jobs by 2030 will require digital skills, while access to training remains uneven. Proposals discussed included intergenerational collaboration labs, AI literacy programmes, and opportunities for young people to build verifiable digital portfolios, contributing to Action Line C1 on stakeholder participation in ICT for development. Discussions on women and girls in digital spaces emphasized decision-making power and enforceable, safety-by-design regulation, particularly around artificial intelligence, alongside concerns over bias in AI-driven recruitment and automation risk to women's employment.

WSIS Action Line Facilitators also convened to align on implementing the mandates set out in the WSIS+20 Outcome Document (A/RES/80/173), advancing Action Line road maps and measurable indicators, with results to be reported to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) at its thirtieth session in 2027. Sessions under Action Line C7 addressed reaching unconnected populations: on e-government, 2.2 billion people remain offline despite 98 percent of member states offering at least one digital service, underscoring the need for multi-channel delivery through post offices, community centres, and libraries. A session on e-waste, led by ITU with Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission, presented a three-year initiative across Paraguay, Rwanda and Zambia, noting that only around 20 percent of e-waste is currently recycled globally.

As facilitator of WSIS Action Line C7 on E-Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a session on advancing trusted data governance, inclusive AI and digital public goods to support agrifood systems transformation, moderated by Agustina Grossi. Discussions focused on the need for digital transformation to be grounded in trust, inclusion and public value, so that technologies remain accessible, scalable and locally relevant. FAO's Office of Innovation also contributed to related discussions on digital public goods and digital public infrastructure: Vincent Martin, Director of the Office of Innovation, noted that technology alone does not transform agrifood systems:  innovation does, while Innovation Specialist for Digital Agriculture Angelique Uwimana spoke on how open, reusable and scalable digital solutions support countries in building more interoperable digital ecosystems.
 FAO's engagement at the Forum builds on initiatives including the E-Agriculture Community of Practice, the 1000 Digital Villages Initiative and the Global Network of Digital Agriculture Hubs, as well as its recent recognition through the WSIS Prizes, with the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Portal named a 2026 Champion under Action Line C7.

Photos from Day 1 
Video highlights
More information on WSIS Forum 2026 is available here