Thomas Schneider is Ambassador and Director of International Affairs at the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) in the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). He is a long-standing expert in digital governance and in the governance of the information and knowledge society and artificial intelligence. He is leading the Swiss delegation in various key international fora in these fields.
Since 2003, he has been coordinating the Swiss activities with regard to the implementation and follow-up of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (
Functions on international level:
United Nations:
• High Level Panel of the UN Secretary General on Digital Cooperation UN HLPDC (2018-2019):
Participation in the meetings of the HLPDC, as advisor of HLP Member and former Swiss President Ms. Doris Leuthard, contributions to the HLPDC report «The Age of Interdependence»
• UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF):
Moderator of the Parliamentary Main Session and coordinator of the IGF Rock Band at IGF 2019 (Berlin) and 2021 (Katovice);
Co-chair of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) 2017 and responsible on behalf of the Swiss host government for the organization of the 12th IGF in Geneva in December 2017
representative of the Swiss Government in all annual IGF meetings, since 2006
representative of the Swiss Government as WSIS-host country in the IGF MAG, since 2006
Coordinator of the WEOG-Region in the IGF MAG, since 2006
• WSIS Forum:
Responsible on behalf of the Swiss host government for the annual WSIS-Forum in Geneva, since 2010
• UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UN CSTD)
(responsible for the implementation and follow-up of WSIS in the UN-system)
representative of the Swiss government, since 2006.
• UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) of Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005:
right hand of Mr. Marc Furrer, Swiss State Secretary responsible for WSIS 2003 und 2005