World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

Address: Place des Nations, 1202 Genève, Switzerland

Website: https://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html

Stakeholder group: International and regional organisation

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), a collaborative effort organized based on the UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 (21 December 2001), aimed to contribute to the development of a unitary global vision of an inclusive and development-oriented information society. The summit, held in two phases, the first in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003 and the second in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005, was not just a UN summit but a platform open to participation from the private sector, the technical community, and the civil society, emphasizing the importance of global collaboration.

The overarching objective of WSIS was to significantly contribute to bridging the digital divide between the developed and developing countries, a mission that holds the promise of a more inclusive and equitable future. Additionally, WSIS aimed to facilitate the implementation of the millennium development goals. The summit also delved into more complex issues related to the concept of Internet governance.