WSIS forum 2026 opens consultation process to shape global digital cooperation agenda
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 has launched its Open Consultation Process, inviting governments, civil society, the private sector, and the technical community to help shape the programme and priorities of one of the UN’s main platforms for digital development.
As part of the preparations, WSIS 2026 has opened its Open Consultation Process (OCP). This inclusive consultation mechanism allows stakeholders to contribute ideas, priorities, and proposals before the Forum. The goal is to ensure that the WSIS Forum 2026 programme reflects real needs on the ground and addresses gaps in the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines, which guide global efforts on information and communication technologies for development.
About WSIS forum
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026 will take place from 6 to 10 July 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Forum is co-organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNESCO, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), together with more than 50 UN entities. It serves as a global meeting point for discussing how digital technologies can support development, inclusion, and international cooperation.
Through the OCP, participants can influence how sessions are structured, which themes receive attention, and how future roadmaps for WSIS implementation are designed. The process also supports a broader reflection on how the outcomes of the Geneva Plan of Action and the renewed WSIS mandate, extended until 2035, should be translated into practical action in the coming years.
All stakeholder groups, including governments, private companies, civil society organisations, academic institutions, the technical community, and international organisations, are encouraged to take part. Contributions can be submitted via the official WSIS consultation form, and stakeholders may also engage through consultative meetings linked to the process.
The deadline for submitting inputs to the Open Consultation Process is Friday, 20 March 2026. The contributions received will directly inform the final design of the WSIS Forum 2026 and its role in advancing global digital cooperation
