Session
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: The 60-minute roundtable format is highly beneficial for this open forum. By centering discussions on a key theme, it allows for a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities related to digital inclusion in the Global South, ensuring the conversation remains focused and productive within one hour. The roundtable format encourages active participation, fostering an interactive environment where participants can ask questions, share insights, and engage in meaningful dialogue. The lively interaction not only stimulates deeper thinking but also helps participants reach consensus on actionable strategies to bridge the digital divide. Moreover, the roundtable promotes collaboration and knowledge-sharing among diverse stakeholders, driving forward the implementation of effective policies and initiatives. Overall, this format maximizes efficiency, facilitates cooperation, and supports the forum's goal of advancing digital inclusion.
The digital divide remains a structural challenge hindering equitable global development, with particularly pronounced impacts on countries in the Global South. Issues such as inadequate infrastructure, unaffordable costs, and insufficient digital skills have constrained these nations’ capacity to effectively participate in the digital economy.
Against this backdrop, aligned with the theme of "Building Digital Governance Together" and guided by the principles of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact, this forum hosted by the World Internet Conference (WIC) aims to spotlight the difficulties, challenges, and unmet needs faced by the Global South in bridging the digital divide. It seeks to unite stakeholders in building a more inclusive, human-centric, and sustainable digital future.
The forum will convene representatives from governments, civil society organizations, and research institutions across the Global South to amplify their voices on digital development priorities. By strengthening North-South dialogue and cooperation, it will address systemic inequities in digital access, governance, and innovation.
Through policy debates, exchanges on technology applications, and best practice sharing, participants will explore how to harness opportunities—particularly those arising from AI advancements—to dismantle developmental barriers in the Global South, effectively narrow the digital divide, and foster more balanced global digital progress.
Since establishing as an international organization in 2022, the World Internet Conference has deepened collaboration with all parties including Global South partners to advance internet innovation and improve global governance frameworks. At the 2024 Wuzhen Summit, WIC successfully hosted a ministerial meeting with 15 countries, where digital ministers engaged in in-depth discussions on “Opportunities and Challenges of Bridging the Digital Divide in the AI Era,” yielding substantial consensus. Building on these outcomes, this forum will continue to galvanize international consensus on the digital divide and co-create a blueprint for a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
Agenda
1. Setting the scene (3 minutes) - The moderator will introduce the theme and purpose of the open forum and introduce the speakers.
2. Remarks & Open discussion (55 minutes) –Speakers will share their views and best practices.
3. Wrap-up (2 minutes) – The moderator will summarise the main points and wrap up the event.
(1) On-site and online moderators will closely collaborate to energize discussions. The online moderator will promptly collect and relay questions to the on-site moderator, ensuring seamless communication between both groups.
(2) Multiple staff and volunteers will be on-site for live-streaming speakers' presentations via Zoom.
(3) The organizer will create promotional materials, including graphic and textual links and posters, and disseminate them through social media platforms
World Internet Conference
Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations
Francis Gurry, Vice-Chair of World Internet Conference; Former Director General of WIPO
Tripti Sinha, Chair of the Board of Directors, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Ren Xianliang, Secretary-General of World Internet Conference
Qi Xiaoxia, Director-General of the Bureau of International Cooperation, the Cyberspace Administration of China
Nii Narku Quaynor, Chairman of Ghana Dot Com, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee
Chern Choong Thum, Special Functional Officer, Malaysia Ministry of Communications, WIC 2024 Youth Leader
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Targets: This forum directly advances multiple SDGs by addressing structural barriers to digital equity and fostering inclusive growth: SDG 1 (No Poverty): By tackling the digital divide, we empower marginalized communities to access economic opportunities in the digital economy, breaking cycles of poverty. SDG 4 (Quality Education): Through capacity-building programs and AI-driven skill development, we bridge digital literacy gaps, ensuring equitable access to future-ready education. SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Prioritizing inclusive participation, we amplify women's roles in digital governance and AI innovation, countering systemic gender disparities. SDG 7 (Affordable Energy): Promoting energy-efficient digital infrastructure solutions to support sustainable connectivity in underserved regions. SDG 8 (Economic Growth): Catalyzing job creation via digital entrepreneurship and AI-enabled industries, particularly in the Global South. SDG 9 (Innovation): Co-designing scalable tech solutions (e.g., low-cost broadband, AI ethics frameworks) to democratize access to innovation. SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Addressing North-South divides through policy harmonization and resource-sharing mechanisms. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities): Integrating smart governance tools to build resilient, digitally inclusive urban and rural communities. SDG 17 (Partnerships): Leveraging WIC's multistakeholder network—governments, international organizations, NGOs, tech experts, entrepreneur, youth innovators.