Events

Organized within the framework of the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the UNESCO Global Forum on AI and Digital Transformation in the Public Sector will be held on 12-13 February 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Digital Transformation and Capacity Building : Empowering Civil Servants

Date: 18 February, 2025 - 8:00 AM - 20 February, 2025 - 6:00 PM

Location: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France

Rooms: Room III, Room VII, Room VI, Room VIII, Room IX, Room XII, Room II, Room IV, Room I, Room XI

Type: Cat VI – Expert Committee

Arrangement type: In-Person

It will address the critical need for capacity building among the public sector to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies effectively for sustainable, inclusive, and human rights-based governance, by bringing together senior policymakers, industry leaders, academia, and civil society.

Background

As we move towards the WSIS+20 review, which emerged with the goal of building “a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society,” calls to reinforce the potential of digital technologies to foster economic growth, improve accessibility and bridge digital divides through increased global digital cooperation, policy development and capacity building have intensified. As many stakeholders, including the United Nations Secretary-General, have re-iterated, the key to enabling this transformation lies within public administrations and their power to develop regulations, legislations, and accompanying mechanisms.

It is evident that digital transformation in the public sector is essential for modernizing public service delivery, enhancing transparency, and fostering citizen participation. However, many governments face significant barriers, including rigid hierarchical structures, lack of IT infrastructure, and insufficient digital skills among civil servants.

Capturing the full potential of government digitization could free over USD 3.5 trillion annually in economic value worldwide, through improved cost and operational performance. Even as greater investment is being made in infrastructure, almost half of the world’s countries do not have a strategy to improve digital skills, which impedes efficient digital transformation and calls for further investment.

Beyond the digital competencies needed among civil servants, there is also a need to strengthen the capacities of these actors to create an enabling environment for digital transformation, notably through the development of digital policy frameworks that respect, protect and promote human rights.

Objectives

In order to address these gaps and respond to the new and comprehensive challenges of the digital era, organized over two days, the UNESCO Global Forum will aim to:

• Propose a Plan of Action on Public Sector Capacity Building for AI and Digital Transformation;
• Consult on Guidelines for Best Practices in Data Governance to advance digital transformation through responsible, equitable, and interoperable data governance as a follow up to the outcomes of the Global Digital Compact (GDC);
• Enhance global multistakeholder digital cooperation by building upon the Global Digital Compact and to inform the WSIS+20 review process;
• Facilitate the sharing of best practices, promoting mutual learning and collaboration among all stakeholders on AI and digital transformation in the public sector

Learn More

• World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
• Digital Capacity Building for Governments
• Digital Policy, Capacities and Inclusion

URL: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/2025-global-forum-ai-and-digital-transformation-public-sector