International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

1. In the past year, has the governing body of your organization taken any decisions to advance sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensure that no one is left behind? If yes, please briefly mention these decisions taken by your governing body in 2024 and provide the respective symbols.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council, at its 2024 session, revised Resolution 1332 on the ITU's role in the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This update emphasizes ITU's commitment to accelerate digital transformation, including the responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) to support the 2030 Agenda. 

2. During 2024, what actions have your entities taken to improve coordination among UN system entities across policy and normative activities as well as with ECOSOC subsidiary bodies with a view to increase impact and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda? Please provide any relevant links.

• United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) serves as an inter-agency mechanism to coordinate substantive policy issues facing the United Nations system’s implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action and Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), thereby contributing to improving policy coherence in the UN system, as requested by the 2005 World Summit. UNGIS has established itself as a valuable and successful model of digital cooperation, with two decades of experience in the field. As an existing body dedicated to interagency digital cooperation, UNGIS is well-positioned to help ensure that initiatives across the UN system are coherent, interconnected and coordinated, thereby maximizing sustainable impact. Through WSIS and UNGIS, a series of side events have been organized to actively contribute to various UN processes, including the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)1 and events led by regional commissions such as ESCAP2 and ECA3. UNGIS organised a side event at the Summit for the Future Action Daysbringing together key stakeholders to discuss alignment between the WSIS process, the upcoming WSIS+20 review, and the 2030 Agenda. This work ensures that information and communication technologies (ICTs) remain central to the UN's development agenda and that digital transformation efforts are effectively integrated across entities. UNGIS held multiple coordination meetings to align strategic priorities, including its annual meeting at the WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024. ITU serves as the permanent secretariat for UNGIS and is also currently the group’s vice-chair. 
• The Inter-Agency Working Group on AI (IAWG-AI) was established by the UN Chief Executive Board’s (CEB) High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) in 2020. The IAWG-AI is co-led by ITU and UNESCO and brings together UN system expertise on AI in support of the CEB and HLCP workstreams on the ethics of AI and the strategic approach and road map for supporting capacity development. Currently with nearly 50 members, the IAWG-AI has promoted various collaborative efforts and thematic priorities to deliver concrete outcomes, from coordination on AI readiness assessment work among member organizations, and development of the annual UN activities on AI report to engaging with other UN mechanisms like the HLCM, and collaboration with external partners. The group developed the Principles for the Ethical Use of AI in the UN System in 2022. 
• In 2024, the IAWG-AI developed the UN System White Paper on AI Governance, approved by HLCP at its 47th session and was subsequently endorsed by CEB. The White Paper analyses the UN system's institutional models, functions, and existing international normative frameworks applicable to global AI governance. The paper is offered as a UN system-wide contribution to relevant deliberations on the governance of AI, including the work of the Secretary-General's High-level Advisory Body on AI. 
• The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative is a global UN collaboration, coordinated by ITU, UNEP and UNECE, and supported by a network of key partners, including UN-Habitat, CBD, ECLAC, FAO, UNDESA, UNDP, UNECA, UNESCO, UNEP, UNEP-FI, UNFCCC, UNIDO, UNOPS, UNU-EGOV, UN-Women, UNWTO, and WMO. During 2024, ITU, together with 19 other UN entities, developed case studies and guidelines through nine thematic groups to raise awareness and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. More information is available at: https://u4ssc.itu.int/.  
• On 14 June 2024, during the first UN Virtual Worlds Day, ITU, UNICC and Digital Dubai, launched the first UN Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds – Discovering the CitiVerse. This initiative aims to enhance capacity development, facilitate the sharing of best practices, provide strategic policy guidance, and create a sandbox environment for governments and cities to simulate virtual world scenarios, accelerating progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More information is available at: https://www.itu.int/metaverse/virtual-worlds/. 
• In collaboration with the Canton of Geneva, Atlantic Council and other stakeholders, ITU established a networking forum (the Digital International Geneva Connect with a Happy Hour) to facilitate networking, as well as improvement in communication and exchanges across different bodies to help Geneva based organizations navigate the digital age more effectively and create effective collaboration. 

3. In the past year, has your organization organized any intergovernmentally mandated conferences, forums or events that contributed to the achievement of the SDGs, or has been in the process of planning and organizing any such mandated events to be held next year?  

4. In the past year, has your organization published or planned to publish any analytical work, guidance or reference materials, or toolkits to guide and support the implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels? Please select up to three to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs.  

5. The United Nations has defined six key transitions, or transformative entry points, that can have catalytic and multiplier effects across the SDGs and which have been guiding the UN development system work since the 2023 SDG Summit. In the past year, how has your organization contributed to  these transformative actions and how various actors are being rallied behind them to mobilize further leadership and investment to bring progress to scale? Please provide any relevant links. 

4. Education

Giga – the joint initiative by ITU and UNICEF towards connecting all schools to the Internet, has continued to support Governments in:

• geo-mapping of schools,  
• providing a tool to facilitate real-time monitoring of the connectivity of the schools,  
• infrastructure analysis – assessing the proximity of schools to existing national communications infrastructure as well as identifying the technical options, financial, policy and regulatory requirements to address the prevailing school connectivity gaps,
• engaging financial institutions and private sector to facilitate investment and funding of the infrastructure and connectivity requirements
• providing technical support and expertise in procurement and contracting of service providers for connectivity.

Giga is also establishing a capacity strengthening Centre that fosters knowledge transfer, information sharing, research, innovation and effective multi-stakeholder collaborations towards inclusive, universal school connectivity. During the year, the first course has been produced for which a call for participation shall be put out in November 2024. Partnerships have also been established with academic institutions first in Geneva to foster research and innovation into the challenges and opportunities along the entire value chain towards school connectivity.

This builds upon the Government Technology Exchange Program (GTEP), a session of which took place in Barcelona, Spain from 4-8 November 2024.  Government Tech Exchange Programme – Giga

3. Digital connectivity:

The Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition is ITU’s global multistakeholder alliance, bringing together stakeholders to mobilize and announce new resources, partnerships, and commitments to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity. The Coalition advances sustainable digital transformation worldwide, with a strong focus on reaching the hardest-to-connect communities, particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

P2C uses the Action Framework to highlight the key elements that need to be addressed to achieve universal, meaningful connectivity and digital transformation for all. The Framework also gives a guideline to pledgers on the Focus Areas under which pledges can be submitted.

So far, P2C has received 951 pledges worth USD 52.7 billion. P2C engages 457 entities from government, private sector, UN agencies and other international or regional organizations (including multilateral development banks), civil society, academia, and youth groups.

Of the 457 entities participating in the Coalition, 182 are of governmental nature, 106 are from the private sector and 26 are UN Agencies. 

6. Please provide strategies (policies, guidance, plan) and/or collective actions taken to implement the 2024 Ministerial Declaration of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the Council. Please note any challenges foreseen and provide any relevant links.  

The annual WSIS Forum provides a platform to showcase trends, innovative ICT projects, and initiatives that directly align with WSIS Action Lines, reinforcing the critical role of ICTs in advancing the SDGs. As referenced in the Political Declaration, science, technology, and innovation serve as drivers of sustainable development, emphasizing the importance of building capacities necessary for sustainable transformations, all of which are echoed and reinforced through WSIS outcomes shaping global agendas alongside the 2030 Agenda and other essential frameworks. The upcoming WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025, which will be held from 7 to 11 July 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland will serve as a platform for discussion of the WSIS+20 review and the WSIS Action Lines and to take stock of the achievements and key trends, challenges and opportunities since the Geneva Plan of Action. WSIS acknowledged that collective action and partnership are essential for realizing the vision of a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future for all. 

7. What collective efforts is your entity undertaking to support countries in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the areas of Goal 3 (Good health and well-being), Goal 5 (Gender equality), Goal 8 (Decent work and economic growth), Goal 14 (Life below water) and Goal 17 (Partnerships), which will go under in-depth review at the HLPF in 2025? Please note any achievements, challenges and gaps and provide any relevant links.