Media Advisory

WSIS+20: Global stakeholders convene at the United Nations to drive an inclusive, sustainable and rights-based digital world 

Media accreditation is open for WSIS+20

The United Nations will host a High-Level General Assembly Meeting on the Twenty-Year Review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) from 15-17 December, 2025. The meeting will assess global progress toward a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented digital ecosystem, while renewing political commitment and defining priorities for the next phase of digital cooperation.

Advancing the original WSIS vision, the WSIS+20 review will address core issues including:

• Harnessing digital technologies for sustainable development
• Bridging digital divides and expanding meaningful connectivity
• Digital capacity-building
• Financial mechanisms for digital development
• Human rights in the digital age
• Building trust, confidence and cybersecurity
• Impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
• Digital cooperation

Since WSIS was launched in 2003, digital technologies have transformed economies, institutions and everyday life. Internet connectivity now reaches approximately 68 per cent of the global population, yet 2.6 billion people remain offline, mainly in developing countries. Persistent digital divides — between and within countries, and across gender, income and geography — continue to limit sustainable development opportunities.

WHAT: United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the Twenty-Year Review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)

WHEN: 15 to 17 December 2025

WHERE: UN Headquarters, New York. Live broadcast via UN Web TV

WHO:  Expected participants include:

• Ministers and senior government officials
• United Nations senior leadership
• Leaders from the private sector
• Civil society, technical community and academia
• Youth representatives

For information on side events, special sessions and media engagement visit this site.

Media Accreditation

Media accreditation for the WSIS+20 High-Level Meeting is open. Journalists, photographers and videographers who are not part of official delegations must apply for United Nations Media Accreditation to access the Meeting at UN Headquarters.
For questions, please contact the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit: [email protected]

Key links

• WSIS+20 website: https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/wsis20

Side events programme: https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/2025/WSIS%20Side%20Events/WSIS%2B20%20Side%20Events%20Programme%20(4).pdf

• UN DESA: https://www.un.org/en/desa

Watch the UN Web TV livestream through the following links: 

• 16 December
  • morning: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1o/k1ocy52tag
  • afternoon: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1m/k1mrq9t1d7
• 17 December
  • morning: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k15/k154dwxahu
  • afternoon: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1l/k1lirud9z8

Social Media

• Hashtags: #WSIS20 #ICT4SDGs
• On X: @UNDESA | On Facebook: @joinundesa
• On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/united-nations-department-of-economic-and-social-affairs

Media contacts

• UN Department of Global Communications – Martin Samaan | [email protected]
• UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs – WSIS+20 Secretariat: [email protected]

About WSIS

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), launched in Geneva in 2003 and concluded in Tunis in 2005, established a global multistakeholder framework for addressing information and communication technology (ICT) issues, including digital inclusion, cybersecurity, development, and digital cooperation. WSIS aims to build a people-centric, inclusive and development-oriented information society where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information.