The 2025 ICT Development Index confirms that the world is advancing toward universal and meaningful connectivity, but unevenly. While infrastructure and affordability have improved, digital inclusion still lags in many regions due to persistent usage gaps, affordability challenges, and limited data ecosystems.
Ethical AI must prioritise the common good over profit or efficiency.
Oxford researchers reveal only 32 countries have the infrastructure to build advanced AI, leaving most of Africa sidelined in the race.
More countries have published national positions affirming the applicability of international law to cyberspace, offering detailed views on sovereignty, due diligence, and the use of force ahead of the final UN cyber dialogue session.
Norway has become the 51st state to sign the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention, aimed at improving international cooperation and access to electronic evidence in cybercrime investigations.
The European Commission has formally engaged with the Italian government, expressing concerns that Piracy Shield may not comply with the DSA and could undermine fundamental rights. The Commission’s letter to Italy’s Foreign Minister acknowledges the need to fight online piracy but stresses:
A coalition of digital-rights organisations, including Global Partners Digital, Fundación Karisma and Access Now, has issued an open letter raising concerns about the draft Rules of Procedure for the Conference of States Parties to the UN Cybercrime Convention. They argue that the emerging oversight mechanism risks weakening transparency and restricting civil-society participation, departing from the more inclusive standards set during the Ad Hoc Committee negotiations. The letter urges member states to replicate the AHC’s open accreditation model, avoid restrictive practices seen under UNTOC and UNCAC, and ensure strong mechanisms for independent monitoring and public access to documentation.
UNESCO, UNDP, ITU, and the African Union unveiled a new Data Governance Toolkit to help countries build inclusive and rights-based data governance frameworks, launched during the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva.
As the world grapples with the promises and perils of a rapidly evolving digital landscape, global leaders convened in Geneva to chart a course that leaves no one behind.
Regional authorities call for greater involvement in EU cybersecurity plans, emphasising the need for local expertise to shape effective hospital protection strategies.
Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment (CADE) is a project co-funded by the European Union.
