WSIS+20 Forum 2026 – Day 2: Advancing inclusive AI and digital cooperation
09/07/2026
The second day of the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2026 continued the momentum established on the opening day, bringing together representatives from governments, United Nations agencies, academia, the private sector and civil society to explore how digital technologies can drive sustainable development through stronger cooperation, inclusive governance and responsible innovation.
One of the main topic explored throughout the day was the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. During the WSIS Action Lines Knowledge Café, facilitators from across the UN system reflected on two decades of progress while looking ahead to 2035, emphasizing that meaningful digital transformation depends on partnerships that connect institutions, researchers, development organizations and local communities. This collaborative approach remains fundamental to advancing digital innovation across sectors, including agriculture and food systems.
Artificial Intelligence governance featured prominently in several discussions, with participants calling for flexible policy frameworks that focus on clear objectives while allowing innovation to evolve. Speakers also stressed the growing importance of AI literacy, highlighting that empowering people with the skills to understand and use AI responsibly is essential for ensuring that the technology benefits everyone. As AI becomes more integrated into agriculture, climate resilience and natural resource management, transparent governance and capacity development will play a critical role in supporting equitable and sustainable outcomes.
Country experiences demonstrated both the opportunities and challenges of scaling AI. Rwanda showcased its newly established Artificial Intelligence Agency, while discussions highlighted governance, technical capacity and sustainable financing as key priorities for translating national AI strategies into tangible public benefits.
The Forum also explored how digital technologies are transforming health, science and environmental management. Sessions highlighted the need for region-specific data to improve AI applications in healthcare, promoted equitable access to emerging technologies such as quantum computing, and addressed the balance between leveraging digital tools for environmental monitoring while reducing their growing energy consumption and electronic waste.
The day concluded with a strong focus on inclusion, showcasing initiatives designed to ensure that AI reaches underserved communities. A pilot project in Juba, South Sudan, demonstrated how offline, human-in-the-loop AI translation is improving communication among peacekeeping personnel from more than 120 countries. Complementing this, UNESCO introduced its Coalition for Linguistic Diversity in AI, encouraging community-led data collection to better represent low-resource languages in future AI models. Ensuring that digital technologies are accessible across languages and communities is essential to preventing new forms of digital exclusion and expanding access to knowledge and services.
As the Forum moves into its High-Level Segment, discussions will continue to focus on strengthening international cooperation and building an inclusive digital future. The conversations throughout Day 2 reinforced that technological progress alone is not enough: achieving sustainable development requires responsible governance, local capacity, and digital innovation that delivers meaningful benefits for people, communities and the planet.
More information on WSIS Forum 2026 is available here