United Nations (UN) Member States pledged on December 17, 2025, to narrow widening digital divides and put stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence (AI), as the General Assembly concluded the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) review process, where the multilateral body decided how the world would manage the Internet and fast-evolving digital technologies.
Created in 2003 to help countries work together on the opportunities and risks posed by information and communication technologies (ICTs), WSIS brought governments together with businesses, civil society and technical communities in a multistakeholder process that remains at the core of digital governance more than 20 years later.
In a series of events held at high level meetings which took place at the UN headquarters in New York in December 2025, participants reflected on how deeply digital tools now shape various sectors and issues, including the economy, education, healthcare and daily life, while many constantly sounded a warning that despite tremendous progress, that millions of people around the world remain excluded from the benefits of the digital age.
In remarks to the General Assembly on December 16, 2025, former German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly, Ms Annalena Baerbock, noted that although access to the internet has become essential, from telemedicine in remote villages to online education and digital financial services, progress remained sluggish.
She said that although access to the Internet globally stands at around two-thirds of the world’s population, it is far lower in developing countries, while women and girls continue to be disproportionately left behind.
Warning that access alone is not enough, Ms Baerbock said: “Two decades later, our shared vision of a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society remains unfinished.”
She therefore stressed the need for responsible governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), particularly as innovation often moves faster than regulation.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of an outcome document reaffirming the commitment of countries to a people-centred digital future grounded in human rights and the principles of the UN Charter.
The document called for faster action to close digital divides, greater investment in digital infrastructure and skills, and more predictable policy environments to support digital development.
It also highlighted the importance of trustworthy governance of data and AI, building on commitments already made under the Global Digital Compact (GDC).
UN Member States encouraged stronger international partnerships on AI capacity-building, particularly for developing countries, including training programmes, access to resources and support for smaller businesses.
The document also noted plans to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and to launch a Global Dialogue on AI Governance in 2026.
Throughout the process, speakers emphasised the point that governments cannot shape the digital future alone, reinforcing the multistakeholder approach that brings governments, industry, civil society and the technical community together.
