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’ will bring forward-looking commitments from all stakeholders to harness innovation, science and data in a more inclusive, safe and sustainable manner. Initial sessions will demonstrate how digital technologies and game-changing solutions can lay the groundwork for a more sustainable, inclusive, and responsible future.

The morning sessions will propel 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 will celebrate commitments and further discuss the elements and the foundations that are needed to advance such a collective vision of an open, free, and secure digital future. Stakeholders will also explore 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

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

Joakim Reiter

Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone Group Plc.

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, 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. Master of Ceremonies

Sanjana Sanghi

UNDP India Youth Champion and Bollywood Actress

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

TimeAgenda ItemSpeakers

Opening

10:30 - 10:40

Joint Opening of A Digital Future for All

Formal joint opening of the digital track

Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP

Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU

Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Master of Ceremonies

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?

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

Joakim Reiter, Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone

Karan Bhatia, Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google

Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA

Rabab Fatima, Under Secretary-General and High-Representative, UNOHRLLS

Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Master of Ceremonies

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?

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

Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Master of Ceremonies

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?

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

Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Master of Ceremonies

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 - 13:02

Keynote

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft, UNSDG Advocate

13:03 – 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

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.

Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP

Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi

Sade Baderinwa, Eyewitness News Anchor, ABC News. Master of Ceremonies

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, Botswana

Don't miss anything

Stay tuned for live sessions from the Summit of the Future Action Days. Videos will be available here as the events approach, so you won't miss any of the key discussions.

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.