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Summit of the Future Action Days
A Digital
Future for All
Convenor
Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology (OSET); International Telecommunication Union (ITU); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Focal Point
Lucia Velasco ([email protected]) Filippo Pierozzi ([email protected]) [OSET]; Ursula Wynhoven [ITU] ([email protected]); Ana Sepulveda ([email protected]) [ITU]; Yuping Chan ([email protected]) [UNDP]; Megan Roberts ([email protected]) [UNDP]
Where
ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters, New York
When
10:30 –13:45 and 14:30 – 17:00 (EDT), 21 September 2024
‘A Digital Future For All’ brought forward-looking commitments from all stakeholders to harness innovation, science and data in a more inclusive, safe and sustainable manner. Initial sessions demonstrated how digital technologies and game-changing solutions can lay the groundwork for a more sustainable, inclusive, and responsible future.
The morning sessions propelled participants forward into the future, encouraging exploration of the trends, risks, and opportunities presented by digital and emerging technologies on our journey forward. The afternoon sessions celebrated commitments and further discussed the elements and the foundations that are needed to advance such a collective vision of an open, free, and secure digital future. Stakeholders also explored the opportunities offered by the Global Digital Compact and practical applications of AI.
Speakers
Abdullah Alswaha
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Achim Steiner
Administrator, UNDP
Adit Maze Philip
Refugee Advocate, Kakuma Refugee Camp Kenya
Alan Davidson
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, USA
Alexandre Reis Siqueira Freire
Commissioner, National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL), Brazil
Alondra Nelson
Harold F. Linder Professor, Institute for Advanced Study; Distinguished Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress.
Amandeep Singh Gill
UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology
Amery Browne
Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad & Tobago
Amr Talaat
Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Egypt
Ann Aerts
Head, Novartis Foundation
Bianca Johnson
President, Push to Walk
Bosun Tijani
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria
Brad Smith
Vice Chair and President, Microsoft, UNSDG Advocate
Carme Artigas
Former Secretary of State for Digitalisation and AI of Spain and Co-Chair of the Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence
Christopher Burns
Chief Digital Development Officer and Director, Technology Division USAID
Daniella Esi Arlington
Co-Founder, Copianto AI and ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board Member
Daren Tang
Director General, WIPO
David Zapolsky
Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy & General Counsel, Amazon
Deemah AlYahya
Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Secretary-General ITU
Ebba Busch
Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
Emma Theofelus
Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Namibia
Fatou Haidara
Deputy Director General, UNIDO
Felix Mutati
Minister of Technology and Science of Zambia
Harrison Lung
Group Chief Strategy Officer, e&
Ian Bremmer
Political Scientist, President of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media
Inger Andersen
Executive Director, UNEP
Jakob Granit
Director-General Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
James Manyika
Senior VP, Google-Alphabet and Co-Chair of the Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence
Jessica Rosenworcel
Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), USA
Jian Wang
CTO and Founder, Alibaba Cloud
Joan Joseph Moses
Educator, Roosevelt Douglas Primary School in Portsmouth, Dominica
Josephine Teo
Minister for Digital Development and Information of Singapore
Juan M. Lavista Ferres
Corporate Vice President and Chief Data Scientist, Microsoft
Karan Bhatia
Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google
Kelly Clements
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees
Lady Mariéme Jamme
CEO and Founder iamtheCODE Foundation
Lazarus Chakwera
President, Malawi
Lisa Russell
Emmy-winning Filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Arts Envoy Lab/Create2030
Lori Freeman
Global GM and Vice President Salesforce for Non-profits
Margrethe Vestager
Executive Vice President of the European Commission
Mats Granryd
Director General, GSMA
Mokgweetsi Masisi
President of Botswana
Nnenna Nwakanma
Founding Board Member HealthAI
Nobu Okada
Founder and CEO, Astroscale
Omar Al Olama
Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work in the United Arab Emirates
Pamela Coke-Hamilton
Executive Director International Trade Centre
Paul J Foster
CEO, Global Esports Federation
Rabab Fatima
Under Secretary-General and High-Representative, UNOHRLLS
Rebeca Grynspan
Secretary-General, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Redi Thlabi
Master of Ceremony
Robert Muggah
Chief Innovation Officer, Igarapé Institute
Rumman Chowdhury
CEO and co-Founder, Humane Intelligence, United States Science Envoy, Artificial Intelligence
Sade Baderinwa
Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News
Sanjana Sanghi
UNDP India Youth Champion and Bollywood Actress
Shameel Joosub
CEO Vodacom Group and Vodafone Executive Committee Member
Sundar Pichai
CEO, Google and Alphabet
Tawfik Jelassi
Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO
Tofara Chokera
CEO and Founder Tofara Online
Tumi Makgabo
International Broadcaster, Africa World Wide Media
Tunde Wackman
Chief Development Officer, World Central Kitchen
Valentino Valentini
Vice Minister, Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy
Vilas Dhar
President and Trustee, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Volker Türk
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Yurii Romashko
CEO, Institute of Analysis and Advocacy, UNDP Generation 17
Zhiping Chen
Vice President, ZTE Corporation
Programme Overview
| Time | Agenda Item | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
Opening | ||
10:30 - 10:40 | Joint Opening of A Digital Future for All Formal joint opening of the digital track | Master of Ceremonies: Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU |
ACT 1: Welcome to 2030 | ||
10:41 – 10:50 | Session 1: Welcome to 2030 In a futuristic and scenario-based exercise, this session will explore the trends, risks and opportunities shaping our present and future through the lens of digital technologies. | Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU |
ACT 2: The Hope of Digital | ||
10:51 – 11:23 | Session 1: A Digital Future for All - Universal and Affordable 2.6 billion people are unconnected. A Digital Future for All can only be possible if access to connectivity is universal and affordable. What game-changing solutions and technologies will bring us closer to A Digital Future for All? | Master of Ceremonies: Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Anne Aerts, Head, Novartis Foundation Alexandre Reis Siqueira Freire, Commissioner, National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL), Brazil David Zapolsky, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy & General Counsel, Amazon Emma Theofelus, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Namibia Juan M. Lavista Ferres, Corporate Vice President and Chief Data Scientist, Microsoft Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), USA Karan Bhatia, Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA Rabab Fatima, Under Secretary-General and High-Representative, UNOHRLLS Shameel Joosub, CEO Vodacom Group and Vodafone Executive Committee Member |
11:24 – 12:16 | Session 2: A Digital Future for All - Inclusive and Meaningful A Digital Future for All is one that is inclusive and meaningful, and that will leave no one behind. It also makes the most use of digital and emerging technologies to create value, promote inclusivity, and provide a safe, satisfying, enriching, and productive online experience where everyone has the capacities and skills to thrive. What game-changing solutions and technologies help to realize an inclusive and meaningful Digital Future for All? | Master of Ceremonies: Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Adit Maze Philip, Refugee Advocate, Kakuma Refugee Camp Kenya Amr Talaat, Minister of Information and Communication Technology of Egypt Bianca Faith Johnson, J.D., President, Board of Trustees, Push to Walk Christopher Burns, Chief Digital Development Officer and Director, Technology Division, USAID Daniella Esi Darlington, Co-Founder, Copianto AI and ITU Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board Member Joan Joseph Moses, Educator, Roosevelt Douglas Primary School in Portsmouth, Dominica Kelly T. Clements, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR Lady Mariéme Jamme, Founder and CEO, iamtheCODE Lisa Russell, Emmy-winning Filmmaker and Founder/CEO of Arts Envoy Lab/Create2030 Lori Freeman, Global GM and Vice President Salesforce for Nonprofits Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Center (ITC) Paul J. Foster, CEO, Global Esports Federation Sanjana Sanghi, UNDP India Youth Champion and Bollywood Actress Tofara Chokera, CEO and Founder, Tofara Online Tunde Wackman, Chief Development Officer, World Central Kitchen Yurii Romashko, CEO, Institute of Analysis and Advocacy, UNDP Generation 17 |
12:17 – 12:59 | Session 3: A Digital Future for All – Sustainable and Prosperous A Digital Future for All should be sustainable and prosperous: harnessing digital technologies to protect the environment and the planet, and nurturing digital ecosystems that foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation through collaboration and data. What solutions, partnerships and models can help build a sustainable and prosperous Digital Future for All? | Master of Ceremonies: Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, USA Daren Tang, Director General, WIPO Deemah AlYahya, Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization Fatou Haidara, Deputy Director General, UNIDO Harrison Lung, Group Chief Strategy Officer, e& Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UNEP Jakob Granit, Director-General, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Nobu Okada, Founder and CEO, Astroscale Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO Valentino Valentini, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy Zhiping Chen, Vice President, ZTE Corporation |
13:00 – 13:21 | Session 4: Risks, Challenges and Opportunities of Emerging Technologies Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing have immense potential to tackle humanity’s toughest challenges, offering breakthroughs in climate change, healthcare and global inequality. What frontiers have been pushed in the development of those technologies? And what models, regulations and controls can be put in place now to make sure they help realize A Digital Future for All? | Moderator: Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Master of Ceremonies Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft, UNSDG Advocate Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU Robert Muggah, Co-Founder, Igarapé Institute Rumman Chowdhury, CEO and co-Founder, Humane Intelligence, United States Science Envoy, Artificial Intelligence |
ACT 3: Laying the Foundations of a Digital Future for All | ||
13:22 – 13:43 | Session 1: Laying the Foundations of A Digital Future for All (Part 1) This session will emphasize the importance of partnerships and digital public infrastructure as key foundations of A Digital Future for All. | Master of Ceremonies: Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad & Tobago Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi |
13:45 - 14:30 | Lunch Break | |
14:30 – 16:45 | Session 2: Laying the Foundations of A Digital Future for All (Part 2) This session will explore the core principles and objectives of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), through a dialogue aimed at translating visionary aspirations into collective commitments laying out the foundations of a digital future for all. With a focus on the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we will discuss how this technology can be guided to serve the greater good, ensuring its advancement benefits all of humanity. | Master of Ceremonies: Redi Thlabi, Journalist and TV Host Al Jazeera English Moderator: Tumi Makgabo, In Africa World Wide Media Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor, Institute for Advanced Study Carme Artigas, Former Secretary of State for Digitalisation and AI of Spain and Co-Chair of the Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence Ebba Busch, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology & Science of Zambia Ian Bremmer, Political Scientist, President of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media James Manyika, Senior VP, Google-Alphabet and Co-Chair of the Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence Jian Wang, CTO and Founder, Alibaba Cloud Josephine TEO, Minister for Digital Development and Information of Singapore Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Nnenna Nwakanama, Digital Policy, Advocacy and Cooperation Strategist Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work in the United Arab Emirates Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet Vilas Dhar, President and Trustee, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) |
Closing | ||
16:45 – 17:00 | Joint Closing of A Digital Future for All Formal joint closing of the digital track | Master of Ceremonies: Redi Thlabi, Journalist and TV Host Al Jazeera English Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU Mokgweetsi Masisi, President of Botswana |
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A Sustainable
Future for All
The sessions on a Sustainable Future for All focus on multi-stakeholder partnerships and key action areas of sustainable development and financing for development that will deliver on the aspirations of the 2030 Agenda and turbocharge progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, building from the SDG Summit.