WSIS Forum 2023: WSIS Action Lines Facilitators Meeting:

WSIS Action Lines for building back better and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs. We are now facing the dual task of recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic while making all efforts to face the new economic challenges, an energy crisis and increasingly climate-related emergencies.

In an increasingly fragmented world where global challenges threaten to divide us, digital technologies play a vital role in bringing us together and accelerate the realization of the 2030 Agenda. Yet, great challenges remain, as 2.7 billion people – roughly one-third of the global population – remain unconnected to the Internet. source: https://www.itu.int/hub/2022/11/facts-and-figures-2022-global-connectivity-statistics/.

Since 2015, the WSIS Process and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are being aligned by stakeholders to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their approaches in implementing the activities/initiatives to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Nearly 20 years since the inception of the WSIS, several achievements have been made by governments and all stakeholders. However, challenges remain, and numerous new technology trends have emerged.

Action Line Facilitators

Pursuant to Article 109 of the Tunis Agenda, the eighteenth meeting of the UN WSIS Action Line Facilitators will take place within the framework of the WSIS Forum 2023.

The purpose of the meeting is to assess the general progress made within the WSIS Action Lines as well as to identify measures to strengthen the overall WSIS implementation process. In addition, this year’s meeting will also address the High-Level Political Forum 2023 theme on Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels.

Format

This session will be moderated in a dialogue style format engaging all UN WSIS Action Lines Facilitators to identify the key priorities, opportunities and challenges for their respective WSIS Action Line towards the achievement of the SDGs, in particular highlighting the implementation of the WSIS Process and the role of the WSIS Action Lines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.