| CARVIEW |
Open Consultation Process
Shaping the Themes and Format of WSIS Forum 2020
The annual WSIS Forum is a global multi-stakeholder platform facilitating the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines for advancing sustainable development. The Forum is co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP, in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line co-/facilitators and other UN organizations (UNDESA, FAO, UNEP, WHO, UN Women, WIPO, WFP, ILO, WMO, ITC, UPU, UNODC, UNICEF,UNIDO, UNITAR, UNHCR and UN Regional Commissions). It provides an opportunity for information exchange, knowledge creation and sharing of best practices, while identifying emerging trends and fostering partnerships, taking into account the evolving Information and Knowledge Societies.
In follow up to the outcomes of the UN General Assembly Overall Review of the Implementation of WSIS Outcomes (Res. A/70/125) and with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Res. A/70/1), the WSIS Forum is constantly evolving and strengthening the alignment between the WSIS Action Lines and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The WSIS Forum is the only event of its kind where the programme and agenda are completely crowdsourced. Therefore, as organizers, ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP, are pleased to announce the Open Consultation Process on thematic aspects and innovations on the format of the WSIS Forum 2020. The process aims at ensuring a participatory and inclusive spirit of the Forum. This process actively engages governments, civil society, the private sector, academia, the technical community and intergovernmental organizations in the preparatory process to ensure broad ownership and further improvements of the Forum. The 2020 WSIS Forum (WSIS+15) will provide an opportunity to serve as a platform to track the achievements of WSIS Action Lines in collaboration with the UN Agencies involved and provide information and analyses of the implementation of WSIS Action Lines since 2005.
The Open Consultation Process for the WSIS Forum 2020 is structured in six phases and will include a collection of inputs from regional and national WSIS related events. The physical meetings of the Open Consultation Process will benefit from remote participation.
Open Consultation Phases
Special Briefing on the Virtual Format and Programme
28 May 2020
A Special Briefing to all Stakeholders on the Virtual Format and Programme took place on Thursday 28 May 2020, 14h00 – 15h00.
Phase VI: Final Brief
28 February 2020
The Final Brief Meeting of the open consultations took place on Friday 28 February 2020, 14h00 – 15h30 in Room A at ITU Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland. Remote participation facilities were made available for this meeting.
Phase IV: 3rd Physical Meeting
7 February 2020
The 3rd Physical Meeting of the open consultations took place on Friday 7 February 2020, 15h30 – 16h30 in Room H at ITU Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland. Remote participation facilities were made available for this meeting.
Phase III: 2nd Physical Meeting
27 November 2019
The 2nd Physical Meeting of the open consultations took place on Wednesday 27 November 2019, 15h00 – 16h00 at the Estrel Congress Centre, Berlin, Germany during IGF 2019. Remote participation facilities were made available for this meeting.
Phase II: 1st Physical Meeting
20 June 2019
The 1st Physical Meeting of the open consultations took place on Thursday 20 June 2019, 17h00 – 18h00 in Room A at ITU Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland. Remote participation facilities were made available for this meeting.
Phase I: Virtual launch of the open consultations
4 June 2019
The virtual launch of the open consultations took place on Tuesday 4 July 2019, 16:00–17:00 CEST. Stakeholders were invited to participate remotely through the remote participation facilities for this meeting listed below.
Stakeholders are invited to make official submissions to the WSIS Secretariat for the Open Consultation Process. | Deadline: 3 February 2020
- Share your views the thematic aspects and innovations on the format of the forum
- Recommend speakers
- Request thematic workshops
- Request exhibition stalls
Call for Major Stakeholder Coordination Mechanisms following the WSIS Process to Identify and Nominate High-Level Track Facilitators (HLTF) for the WSIS Forum 2020. | Deadline: Deadline: 3 February 2020
Participate in building a collage of photographs from around the world demonstrating how ICTs are playing an enabling role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Three winning entries will be awarded and presented at the WSIS Forum 2020. | Deadline: 3 February 2020
Open Call for High-Level Track Facilitators
The WSIS Forum 2020 High-Level Track will start on July 20, with the High-Level Policy sessions. The Policy Sessions will be moderated by High-Level Track Facilitators (HLTFs) nominated and identified by each stakeholder type i.e Private Sector, Civil Society, Technical/ Academic community and International Organization. The main task of the HLTF is to capture the vision, Identify emerging trends, opportunities and challenges shared by the leaders of their session.
The concluding session of the High-Level Track will take place during the final week of the WSIS Forum 2020, on September 8. During the concluding session the WSIS Forum 2020 Chairman will provide an Executive Summary, giving a platform for all the HLTFs to submit the outcomes of their respective policy session. These will be captured in a publication entitled “WSIS Forum 2020: High Level Track Outcomes and Executive Brief”.
Each stakeholder type is invited to launch an Open Call to identify HLTFs to represent their respective communities. The names of the nominated representatives should be submitted to the WSIS Secretariat at wsis-info@itu.int by 3 February 2020.
Please note that all HLTFs are to cover their own expenses for travel, accommodation and insurance.
Registration Process
This meeting is open to all WSIS stakeholders.
Participants who did not attend an ITU WSIS Forum in the past two years though, may be requested to present some documents of credentials in order to see their registration approved.
Important: new online registration system
Since this summer, the previous ITU registration systems has been completely disabled and replaced by the CRM registration system for accreditation/registration of all ITU events and meetings.
To access the online registration form, you need to be in possession of an Internet User Account (or TIES access) (please note that it is not linked to the account used to submit contributions to the WSIS Forum). This unique and individual Internet User Account will also be needed for future registrations to open consultations meetings, as well as for the WSIS Forum itself. If you already have an Internet User Account, they you can go directly to the online registration form (step 2); otherwise, kindly follow steps 1 & 2 below.
Note: the badge for the cluster of ITU Council Working Groups (CWGs) to be held from 3 to 14 February 2020 will allow access to this WSIS Forum OCP; therefore, if you are already confirmed to these CWGs, you do not need to register again here.
Step one: Create your user account
As participant, if you are not yet in possession of your ITU Internet User account, then you have to create this account, as it will be requested in order to access the online registration form (of any ITU event). Please note that you will be able to submit a registration form only if your entity is entitled to participate in the selected event.
To create your user account click here.
Then return on this page and follow Step two.
Step two: Complete the registration form
Once your Internet user account is created, you can complete the registration form for the WSIS Forum OCP meeting by clicking here.
Should you have any issue, please contact us at sg-registration@itu.int.
Virtual WSIS Forum 2020
ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD would like to thank all WSIS Stakeholders for your patience, commitment and support with regard to the WSIS Forum 2020.
After careful consideration and in light of the global health crisis and pervasive travel restrictions, the co-organisers have decided to hold the WSIS Forum 2020 in a virtual format. By holding this virtual Forum, we are dedicated to continue providing a platform to realise the WSIS goals and to keep the momentum of this year that marks the 15-year of cooperation between all WSIS Stakeholders to make ICTs a critical driver of global development.
The WSIS Forum 2020 will be held entirely online starting on 22 June onwards, featuring a weekly programme, including a series of thematic/country workshops, high-level policy sessions, special tracks on various thematic areas, knowledge café, a Hackathon, and exhibition addressing issues that are critical to WSIS implementation and follow-up in a multistakeholder setting. The final week of the Virtual WSIS Forum 2020 will take place on 7-10 September 2020, consisting of policy statements, interactive high-level dialogues, a WSIS Prize ceremony, a ministerial round table as well as a series of WSIS Action Line facilitation meetings.
This is an opportunity to scale WSIS Forum 2020 to a wider community and reach even more people, which reflects the pillar of the WSIS to provide an open and inclusive space for all to advance the SDGs through ICTs. The virtual format presents us with a great occasion to create a meaningful collaboration and connect with people around the world.
COVID-19 has highlighted the fundamental importance of ICTs to economies and societies everywhere. From teleworking and e-commerce to telemedicine and remote learning, digital technologies are supporting continued access to education, healthcare, essential goods and services and family and friends.
We would also like to thank you for your commitment towards making the WSIS Process impactful by organizing the successful virtual WSIS TalkX and contributing to the WSIS Stocktaking Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response – ICT Case Repository.