Event
Digital Transformation Dialogue: Building An Inclusive Digital Future
The first edition of the Digital Transformation Dialogues will be organized on 6 March 2024 at UNESCO Headquarters, and will foster a dialogue on multiple dimensions for building an inclusive digital future.
The fast-evolving digital landscape generates pressure on the public sector to foster inclusive, safe and effective Digital Transformation processes. UNESCO’s Member States reflected on these issues at the 42nd UNESCO General Conference, including by debating the World Summit on the Information Society follow-up (WSIS, ). The urgency for immediate action is also echoed by the UN Secretary-General in his prepared for the Global Digital Compact, to be ratified at the Summit of the Future in September 2024.
Establishing an open, inclusive, secure, and interoperable digital environment requires, however, enhanced digital transformation capacities of the three branches of governments, including public administrations and civil servants. UNESCO’s WSIS event in February 2025 will address this key topic, as many challenges persist in this domain.
Organized in 5 short and sharp sessions, the Digital Transformation Dialogue will discuss:
Transforming public administrations for the challenges of digital governance and transformation;
Empowering public administrations to foster innovate and secure digital enabling environments;
Understanding the national Internet environment and policies through Internet Universality assessments;
An outlook of challenges of frontier technologies and their implications for public administrations (AI and Quantum technology);
Enhancing digital cooperation, towards a new WSIS vision.
The meeting is designed primarily for UNESCO Member States, with the participation of international experts, policymakers, academics, and other UN Organizations.
Draft Agenda
9.30 to 10.00 - Registration and Welcome Coffee
10.00 to 10.30 - Opening of the Digital Transformation Dialogue
Opening Remarks:
- Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (ADG/CI), UNESCO
Keynote Speech:
Ted Style Talk (15 mins): Transforming Public Administrations for the Challenges of Digital Governance and Transformation
- Mr. Gianluca Misuraca, Executive Director, AI4Gov programme at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
10.30 to 11.05 - Fireside Chat 1: Digital Transformation and Public Sector Capacity Building
Addressing the pressing need for digital transformation: This fireside chat focuses on empowering public administrations to foster innovate and secure digital enabling environments.
Panelists:
- Mr. Nkundwe Moses Mwasaga, ICT Commissioner, Tanzania
- Ms. Kristel Kriisa, AI Project Manager, Estonian Information System Authority, Estonia
Mr. Rahul Matthan, Partner, Trilegal and author of “The Third Way: India’s Revolutionary Approach to Data Governance”
11.05 to 11.40 - Fireside Chat 2: Internet Universality Assessments – Transformative Impact and way forward
This fireside chat will highlight some achievements in the implementation of the Internet Universality Indicators, present the progress and vision for the revision of the Framework for Assessing, Monitoring, and Reporting on the Internet and the way forward for achieving a universal human-rights-based internet.
Panelists:
- Mr. David Souter, Managing Director of ICT Development Associates, United Kingdom
- Ms. Ariunzul Liijuu-Ochir, Independent Consultant, Mongolia
- Mr. Nkundwe Moses Mwasaga, ICT Commissioner, Tanzania
- Mr. Fabio Senne, Coordinator, Center of Studies for Information and Communications Technology (CETIC.br), Brazil
11.40 to 12.15 - Fireside Chat 3: Artificial Intelligence – State of the Art and Implications for Development
This fireside chat will delve deeper into the needs of public sector digital capacity building, focusing on the high potential and risks of AI. This session will also highlight cooperation with the Category II Centers under the auspices of UNESCO.
Panelists:
- Ms. Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Executive President, AI Movement, Morocco
- Mr. John Shawe Taylor, Director, IRCAI, Slovenia
12.15 to 13.00 - Pre-launch of the study on “Bias against women and girls in Large Language Models” – International Women’s Day Special Event
Opening remarks:
- Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (ADG/CI), UNESCO
Moderator:
- Ms. Maria Begoña Lasagabaster, Director, Gender Equality Division, UNESCO
Study presentation by:
- Mr. Daniel van Niekerk, Research Fellow, University College London
- Ms. Ivana Drobnjak, Professor of Computational Healthcare and Director of Undergraduate Programme at the Department of Computer Science, University College London
13.00 to 14.30 - Lunch Break
14.30 to 15.30 - Exploring the Implications of Quantum Technologies: Future Prospects and Challenges
This session will explore the impact of quantum, focusing on its potential usages for the public good, the attainment of the SDGs, but also its threats, such as in digital communication. Which initiatives could public entities initiate to grasp positive and negative impacts so to better understand their capacity building needs? This discussion will be based on a discuss paper presented by the University of Delft.
Moderator:
- Ms. Deborah Nas, Centre for Quantum & Society, QDNL
Panelists:
Mr. Pieter Vermaas, Professor in Design and Quantum Technologies, Delft University of Technology
Ms. Sana Odeh, Clinical Professor of Computer Science and Faculty Liaison for Global Programs of Computer Science at New York University
Ms. Catherine Lefebvre, Senior Advisor Open Quantum Institute at GESDA, Switzerland
Mr. Prince Osei, Centre President, AIMS Ghana & Director, Quantum Leap Africa (QLA) at African Institute for Mathematical Sciences- AIMS
Ms. Amal Kasry, Chief, Basic Sciences, Research, Innovation and Engineering Section, UNESCO
15.30 to 17.15 - Digital Cooperation: Global Digital Compact & WSIS+20
This session will focus on three themes: Towards a renewed WSIS 2.0 vision; WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event (May 2024); UNESCO Global Conference on “Digital Transformation and Capacity Building: Empowering Civil Servants” outputs, including the Pledges Initiative
Opening Remarks:
- Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (ADG/CI), UNESCO
Panelists:
UN Partners:
- Ms. Ana Cristina Amoroso das Neves, Chair of CSTD
- Mr. Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer, UNDP
- Ms. Gitanjali Sah, Strategy and Policy Coordinator, ITU
- Ms. Scarlett Fondeur Gil, Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD
- Ms. Isabel de Sola, Senior Adviser Engagement & Partnerships, Office of the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology
Mr. Deniz Susar, Governance and Public Administration Officer, UN DESA
17.15 - Closing remarks
- Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (ADG/CI), UNESCO
