The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> Father, look at the bright star.
>> That star has always guided us to rain and good fortune.
>> I want to touch it, father! Can I?
>> You won't reach it alone. I will help you.
>> That is the vision of the land with the power of its nation.
>> Is that a vision, father?
>> No, my child. That is reality!
>> A reality to a connected future where we build bridges with the world, and now I'm handing the light over to you. Welcome to Saudi Arabia.
(Applause).
>> HOST: Please welcome to the stage Mr. Junhua Li, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
(Applause).
>> JUNHUA LI: Mr. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communication and Information Technology of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Distinguished Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished participants, I have the honour to invite Mr. Antonio Guterres to deliver his video message.
>> ANTONIO GUTERRES: Excellencies.
I am pleased to greet the Internet Governance Forum and thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this gathering. I also thank my Internet Governance Leadership Panel for their extraordinary work Throughout their mandate. Dear friends, digital technology has fundamentally reshaped our world and holds enormous Potential to accelerate human progress. But unlocking this potential for all people requires guardrails, and a collaborative approach to governance. In September, world leaders reached a critical milestone, the adoption of the Global Digital Compact. The Compact is the blueprint for humanity’s digital future.
It’s the first comprehensive framework of its kind, based on a simple but important Principle: Digital technology must serve humanity. Not the other way around. And the Compact breaks new ground in three ways. First, it expands the vision of the World Summit on Information Society to not Only bridge the digital divide but recognize technology as a global public good. Second, it aims to address rapidly emerging challenges that have been missing From the global digital debate: From combatting hate speech and protecting vulnerable populations online, to Ensuring that data benefits societies instead of contributing to further concentration Of economic power.
And third, the Compact includes the first truly universal agreement on the International governance of Artificial Intelligence; It commits governments to establishing an independent International Scientific Panel on AI and initiating a global dialogue on its governance within the United Nations. It brings all countries to the AI table. And it supports efforts to build AI capacity in developing countries. Dear friends, The Global Digital Compact also recognizes the Internet Governance Forum as the primary multi stakeholder platform for discussing internet governance issues. As the world implements the Compact, the work and voice of your Forum will be critical. Together, let’s keep building an open, free and safe Internet for all people. Thank you.
(Applause).
>> JUNHUA LI: Thank you, thank you Mr. Secretary General. Let me echo the Secretary General's appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its warm hospitalities in welcoming all of us and hosting this important event. The world today faces unprecedented challenges. Effective digital governance plays an important role in navigating this complex landscape. Technology has proven its power. It impacts us as a society affecting our economies and reshaping our future. It is critically important to ensure that the digital technologies work for the people, not against them.
Ladies and gentlemen, this year's Internet Governance Forum marks the Eve of the pivotal moment for global digital governance. In 2025 the United Nations General Assembly will conduct the 20 year review of the outcomes of the World Summit on Information Society.
The 20 year review will provide an opportunity to align WSIS principles and outcomes with the broader dialogue and commitments on digital governance and sustainable development, including the recently adopted Global Digital Compact. The WSIS review will also consider extending the Internet Governance Forum's mandate. The IGF has now expanded from a single event to encompass 174 national or regional and Youth Forums.
Through the community driven platforms, the IGF tackles the key issues like cybersecurity, environmental sustainability, AI governance, human rights, gender equality, and digital infrastructure resilience, informed decision makers worldwide. Since 2006, over 320 prominent individuals have served the IGF through its Multi stakeholder Advisory Group. This group has been a crucial conduit of the community input translating the will of the people into the tangible preparations and outcomes. Likewise, the Leadership Panel in the last two years has made the IGF stronger than ever ensuring our values and mission. Continuing to drive impact for dialogue and solutions at the highest level.
I'm truly proud of what we have achieved together. Through the IGF you stand as guardians of an accessible, affordable, safe and resilient Internet. Together we are working through the challenges of the rapidly changing digital landscape such as sophisticated cyber-attacks and swift rise of GenerativeAI while maintaining the Internet as a force for good.
As we prepare for the WSIS plus 20 in 2025 I invite all of you to unite like never before through the IGF platform to advance the meaningful change.
First, your continued efforts are needed to ensure that IGF bridges the digital divide by serving both developing and developed countries, building capacity across the sectors and boundaries, and fostering cooperation between a Global North and Global South. Second, I encourage you to strengthen local Internet Governance by supporting National and Regional IGFs as the multistakeholder forums to address local needs and inspired solutions.
Finally, it is crucial that the recommendation and actions emerging from this platform support implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Riyadh IGF presents an important historical opportunity to build on past outcomes and create a strategic roadmap for a stronger, more inclusive digital governance ecosystem as we stand at cross roads of the digital transformation, our action this week will shape the digital landscape for the generations to come.
The challenges we face are formidable, so it's our collective potential. Let us seize the moment in Riyadh this week. Thank you.
(Applause).
>> HOST: And now, it is our pleasure to invite His Excellency engineer Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and information technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the stage.
(Applause).
>> ABDULLAH ALSWAHA: For shaping a better tomorrow. In last year's IGF in Kyoto, Japan, I met one of the experts and he told me Internet Governance is a complex topic. And though we are not quite sure whether IGF is relevant to the WSIS moving forward. This is why I decided to devote my speech on first of all making sure on a multilateral perspective in a multistakeholder fashion we appreciate the importance of governance and how I would argue it is one of the most fundamental levers for us to innovate together for shaping a better tomorrow.
The world is talking today about Internet Governance, digital governance, AI governance, cyber governance. So what is governance? In very simple terms, governance goes back to the first industrial revolution, the steam engine., out of which there was a component called the governor which basically controls power and creates balance for steam to make sure that we can benefit humanity for the greater good.
But that definition is 563 years off because it's actually the heart of the Arab and the Muslim world during the Islamic and Arabic golden age in which we introduced to the world gears in a system called a SDAIA which is an irrigation system which basically controlled the flow of water for once again power and distribution of resources for the greater benefit of humanity.
So why is it critical? We are today talking about digital divide. Before we talk about that, we must Zoom out and talk about the global divide and then Zoom in on the way forward talking about AI divide and the need for a new AI governance model. So let's talk about the global divide. Globally we have 8.2 billion population. If you look at the north and the south, 1.3 billion up north and 6.9 billion in the south. But if we look at the distribution of wealth, and let's use global GDP as a proxy, there is roughly $110 trillion worth of GDP output in the world. How are we doing?
$45 trillion for the Global North and $65 trillion for the Global South. That does not seem too bad, but where the disparity and the divide is when you look for per capita, it turns this into 35,000 per capita up in the north, and 10,000 in the south. So for every dollar being made in the Global South, in the north somebody makes $3.5. That doesn't sound right. And it is not a surprise that as a result of that it will take us 134 years to close down the digital divide in gender and the global gender divide. And it's not a surprise that the global gender divide is costing humanity $7 trillion.
And talking about another $7 trillion global trade barriers today are costing us as much, and the cost of inaction in climate change is $6 trillion. Mind you that's the size of five to six G20 nations.
Let's talk about the digital world. Are we doing any better? In the north we have 1.1 billion people connected, 91%. Great job!
In the south we have 2.5 billion people left behind with only 4.4 billion connected. And when we are talking about 15% of the global economy happens to be the digital economy, 16 point $.5 trillion how does that fair in terms of execution, in the Global South it's $1.4000s and in the Global North it's yet again for every single dollar in the south. 3.5Dollars in the north. That doesn't seem right.
It's not a surprise that the cost of this divide in the digital world means a third of the world being left behind. We still have 5 million shortage when it comes to the talent in cybersecurity. It we have the governor here, we have a 3 million shortage in data and AI specialists, and we have still a long way to go in terms of the gender digital divide.
And this is why in collaboration with you the ITU, UNDESA, the Digital Cooperation Organisation and in the Saudi Arabia leading by example, we have launched initiatives like connecting from the skies, and I see the Commissioner of CST here of how we partnered with ITU to say connecting the world from terrestrial networks is going to cost humanity half a trillion dollars. We could connect it from the skies in partnership with ITU.
The Digital Cooperation Organisation representing 10% of the global population, 800 million, and I see here they are doing a fantastic job leaving no one behind by creating a digital future for all and Saudi leading by example by jumping from 7% women in power tech to 35%, beating the silicon average and the EU average, can I have a round of applause for the amazing women we have here. You are such a role model to all of us.
So let's recap. Within the digital world, we are talking about folks being left behind, but we have to talk about the next chapter, the AI age, how we move from the digital age to the intelligence age. Is it any better?
Here we spoke about a digital divide, a skills divide, a governance divide. What's happening within the AI age? It's projected over the next five years a billion folks will benefit and harness the benefit of the intelligence age, the AI age.
But three new divides. We must be able to address today, and they are the compute divide, the data divide, and the algorithmic divide. Why are they so critical? The reason they are so critical is because of a fundamental law that all AI models are adhering to calls the Scaling Law which in simple terms means the more compute you have, the less noise in the model. The more data sets and tokens you have, the less noise in the model, and the more parameters and intelligence, nodes and knobs, the less noisy.
Think of it as painting a picture. If you have too many crayons, too many colors, and the ability to draw it perfectly, it will be less noisy. And that's why in partnership and collaboration with you, in today's IGF and for the next 20 years, we must agree on a governance model that is able to tackle the three challenges, the compute divide, the data divide, and the algorithmic divide because the cost is even so large and there is so much at stake. We are talking about a gap of compute capacity about 63 gigawatts. Where only a handful of nations can be able to deliver that. We are talking about a 10 million shortage between data scientists, cybersecurity professionals and AI professionals to close down the divide. And we are talking about 77.5 billion left behind and we are no longer talking about the Global North or South. We are talking about, if we are talking about 8 billion people, eight out of ten of you will be left behind.
And this is why this is relevant to all of us. If we did not achieve multilateralism and multistakeholder in the past, we must agree on consensus in this IGF, and we need once again to tackle the algorithmic divide, the data and the compute divide.
We need an algorithm to make sure that we are helpful, honest and harmless, to make sure that there is no bias that leaves anyone behind or an AI or a data scientist that is inserting and hard coding a guardrail to exclude any of us. We need to make sure that the data is accessible, accurate and accountable, and no synthetic data is being modeled to included one group versus the other, and what are we doing about that?
We are doing a lot of things in collaboration with you. Sedia in partnership with UNESCO have launched the eye care centre. How we have aligned with all members of the UN to make sure that AI research and ethics delivers on that honest, harmless and helpful AI models and algorithms for the world. How we make sure that the Digital Cooperation Organisation have launched the GenerativeAI Center of Excellence making sure that we "Leave No One Behind" in the Global South, and we have a very loud voice and for closing down the digital and AI gap in skill sets. We are partnering with the ITU and UN DESA with the equals.
When it comes to compute, 63 gigawatts worth of power, handful of nations. We have a fiduciary duty to make sure that this general purpose technology leaves no one behind. It has to be scalable. It has to be secure and robust. Respecting your sovereignty and serving the world, and it has to be sustainable. It cannot add insult to injury to the $6 trillion cost of the ineffective action to climate change and this is why in partnership where you and the Global Leaders, the Kingdom is leveraging the land, capital, captive market and energy in partnership with global players like Google, Groq and SambaNova to build the largest nodes to service humanity.
And we have to move from digital public infrastructure to AI public infrastructure because if we take the case study for telemedicine. It's good enough that we cut waiting times by delivering the largest virtually hospital, and I want to congratulate the Minister of Health for this achievement under the guidance and support of his rail guidance delivering 50 million consultations not for the Kingdom, for the region. But the next evolution is taking the first full robotics heart transplant to be able to close down the shortage of heart surgeons around the world, and this is why it has to be digital public infrastructure with AI public infrastructure.
And is Riyadh the right place to achieve it? History is a great predictor of the future. When the world in 2020 was hit with COVID, this was the capital that drove consensus to $5 trillion stimulus that moved up to $11 trillion to save the global economy. We pledged with the G20 nations $21 billion to accelerate vaccines, and we drove for the first time not agreement, but a commitment to implementation on the OECD principles of trustworthy AI.
And if you are talking about the past couple of years, the work that we have done with UNDESA, with the UNESCO on ethics, with the DCO, with the GenerativeAI Center of Excellence, and as a proud member of the global community that signed on the Pact of the Future, the Pact for the Future for the Global Digital Compact as an input parameter to the WSIS to IGF.
And this is why it gives me great honour and a pleasure to present to you from Saudi Arabia, an initiative, an announcement today that we must deliver an AI model and a governance model that is inclusive, that is innovative and impactful to close down the new divides. And with that, I would love to invite His Excellency Li and His Excellency Sharaf and Deemah Alyahya to make this historic announcement. Thank you very much.
>> Please welcome on stage Ms. Doreen Bogdan Martin, the Secretary General of the ITU to the stage.
(Applause).
>> DOREEN BOGDAN-MARTIN: Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. It's great to be here today in Riyadh. I want to take this opportunity to thank Saudi Arabia for being such incredible hosts, and, of course, I want to thank His Excellency Minister Abdullah Alswaha, and your team for making us all feel at home.
Let me also congratulate Saudi Arabia on their successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
(Applause).
So, ladies and gentlemen, let me start with a question. Where were you in 2005? Well, Jenalin Marba was farming vanilla beans in Papua New Guinea. She had never sent an email, she had never made a video call and never used the Internet. A couple of years ago, Jenalin, received digital skills training from the ITU and from FAO, and today she has a thriving E commerce business selling her vanilla beans all over the globe. Jenalin's story is the story of millions of people. It's the story of digital opportunities, and it's the vision that we had 20 years ago at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. I was there in 2005, and I know many of you in this room were also there. Back then, one billion people were connected and here in Saudi Arabia it was about 13% of the population. Those numbers have changed dramatically over the past 20 years but ladies and gentlemen, we have to ask ourselves how are we measuring progress. Can we accept today that 84% of people in high income countries have access to 5G connectivity while in low income countries it's just 4%.
How can we accept that the digital gender gap is actually getting bigger in least developed countries, and how can we accept that a third of humanity is offline today? Well, for me, I can't accept that.
Here at the IGF in Riyadh, I think we have an incredible opportunity, an unmissable opportunity to strengthen the incredible collective endeavor that we started just two decades ago. And to do this, I think we have to focus on three key areas. The first is affordability. We have to bring those costs down. Mobile Internet is 14 times more expensive in Africa than it is in Europe. The average, on average a smartphone can cost up to 40%, 40% of a monthly income in some countries.
We need investment, we really need investment in affordable digital infrastructure and services and we need that now. That's what the Partner2Connect digital coalition is all about. We have a target to get to 100 billion by 2026. We are halfway there and we need you to help us achieve that goal.
The second focus area is digital resilience. Resilience in infrastructure, resilience in governance mechanisms. This is actually something that was highlighted in the WSIS process in action line C2 on secure and reliable infrastructure. Digital infrastructure including fiber optic and wireless networks, subsea cables, satellite Internet is fundamental in helping people connect.
Even so, challenges continue to escalate. Cyber-attacks increase 80% year on year. In 2023 over 200 subsea cables were reported as damaged worldwide. And in the face of worsening climate crisis, nature and natural disasters are increasingly impacting physical infrastructure. And that's why we need to address this issue of resilience and we have to do it through the lens of connectivity, redundancy, security, and when I say security, I mean physical and cyber, and, of course, robustness and quality.
With the Global Digital Compact as a key milestone on the journey to the WSIS plus 20 review next year, I think we have an incredible opportunity to strengthen that foundation, to build a more resilient and digital future. And then the third piece, which His Excellency so eloquently described is digital inclusion. Digital inclusion in all its dimensions including skilling. We must move from conversation to concrete action. ITU data shows that 68% of the world is online, and that means, as I mentioned, a third of humanity is offline. A third of humanity is digitally excluded. 89 million more men than women are using the Internet in 2024, and in least developed countries only 35% of the population has access to the Internet.
Digital inclusion, again, as His Excellency so well described is an economic imperative. It's one that requires closing not just one divide but several digital divides between urban and rural, older and younger populations, with people that have different abilities, gender, economic means and also educational levels.
Beijing plus 30 review starts next year and it's the perfect opportunity to address the digital gender gap and to target interventions to close that gap because ladies and gentlemen, when we work together, we can make real progress.
Stories like Jenalin's remind us of what's possible, reminds us of what is at stake, it reminds us of what's at stake if we fail to preserve that multistakeholder foundation on which the Internet we want must be built.
Ladies and gentlemen, look around you in this room. Look at the expertise. Look at the experience and look at the dedication in this room where we have gathered Governments, the Private Sector, Academia, civil society, and, of course, the technical community.
Think about the team that the IGF 2024 is addressing, building this multistakeholder governance is how we turn digital dreams like Jenali n's into a reality. Our shared digital future hangs in the balance, ladies and gentlemen, so let's make this IGF count! Thank you very much!
(Applause).
>> HOST: Please welcome on stage His Excellency Mr. Krzysztof Gawkowski, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
(Applause).
>> KRZYSZTOF GAWKOWSKI: Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I feel extremely honored to participate in opening of IGF 2024. The IGF 2024 program focuses on four key areas, each of which is essential to the entry of the digital space involving inclusive, responsible, and sensible way. The Internet has become the bloodstream of the modern economic system, driving growth, leveling the playing field, and connecting people around the world.
It is a space that enables access to knowledge, communication, innovation, trade and cooperation and helps to solve global changes.
On the one hand, the Internet opens the door to new opportunities giving access to the resource of the information that were previously inaccessible to many. On the other hand, it is also a place where privacy, security and equality changes arise.
It is how we use the powerful resource. We first must focus on ensuring that the Internet reflects the values that are fundamental to us, openness, fairness, respect to human rights, and equality.
We need to ensure that the digital space is a place where freedom of the expression, access to information, and privacy and protected, and where marginalized groups are not excluded from access to the opportunities offered by the development of the technology.be invol
The Internet as a tool has the great potential, but at the same time means responsible governance that ensure a balance between progress and protection on the fundamental rights.
As the digital world develops, we must remember that it's up to us what values will be promoted and what the consensus of our action in the space will be.
We must work together to create an Internet that promotes equitable opportunities for development and social justice. It is not just about technology, but also about our shared vision that can save the digital future in line with the values of the global community.
Poland holding the President of the Council of the European Union from January to June 2025, we will have a key role in shaping the digital future of Europe and the world. This will be a great responsibility for us, but also a huge opportunity to promote values that the foundation of the European Union, freedom, human rights, democracy, and security.
We will focus on key areas, cybersecurity, development of the Artificial Intelligence, effective implementation of the digital regulation and reduction of bureaucracy to support digital transformation. We want the rights of the Internet users to be protected at all times and their data to be safe. We will strive to effectively implement digital regulations by supporting initiative to promote digital education.
It is up to us what the future AI will be and how it will serve society. We have the power to shape how AI will be developed. It is up to us to choose if it's a tool that benefits humanity or an era without rules of the ethical principles.
We must ensure that the development of AI takes place responsibly with respect of human rights and for the common good. It is important to support initiatives to promote transparency and ensure that AI is used in a fair, ethical and friendly way for every person.
Cybersecurity is the foundation of the effective digital policy. In the face of growing threats in cyberspace, ensuring the resilience our system becomes priority. Cybersecurity is not just one aspect of digital policy, but it's foundation.
Without cybersecurity it is impossible to safely develop innovation to run business activities or to provide active public services online. For this reason, we need strong international cooperation.
I'm sure that we will achieve these goals only by working together. Next year will be important from the point of view of Internet and Internet digital space governance. Together we will reveal the 20 years of the World Summit of the Information Society and we will develop recommendations and action lines for the coming years.
The renewal of the IGF mandate will also be dedicated next year. Finally, I would like to thank you for your attention and congratulate the host country for organising this important event. I wish all participants fruitful and rich discussion for the exchange of view. I believe today meetings will always surface difficult questions to which we will find wise answers. This Conference and the importance of the IGF, a dialogue that allows us to shape together a digital future based on value that unite us all. Thank you very much!
(Applause).
>> HOST: We now invite Her Excellency Ms. Amal Seghrouchni, the Minister of Digital Transition and Administration Reform of Morocco.
Excellency, Mr. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communication, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Junhua Li, Under Secretary General of United Nations, esteemed participants, ladies and gentlemen, I feel really honored to participate to the opening of this IGF session. Allow me first to congratulate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this amazing hosting of the 19th edition of the Internet Governance Forum, an annual event organized by the United Nations bringing together global experts to discuss and shape international policies and trends in Internet Governance in a collaborative manner involving Government, the Private Sectors and nonprofit organisations.
And I seize this occasion to congratulate once again the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leadership and people for hosting the FIFA award cup 2034. This achievement is a significant addition to the Kingdom's growing record of milestones achieved in various fields in line with the objective of vision 2030.
Today's high level session topic is crucial one as it tackles transparency and explainability in AI, a subject which concerns each one of us, and all together. It is to mention that the Kingdom of Morocco is one of the first countries it to announce the official implementation of UNESCO's recommendation on the ethics of Artificial Intelligence, an implementation which confirms the Kingdom commitment to implementing the provision of this recommendation which aims to benefit from technology and reduce the risks associated with it.
Ladies and gentlemen, Morocco is positioning itself today as a leader on the African continent in the field of Artificial Intelligence thanks to the enlightened vision of His Majesty may God assist him, who called on the importance to optimally leverage the innermost development opportunity digital transition provides. Please allow me to recall important involvement towards AI development at the global level from Moroccan point of view. Last June, for example, we organized a high level forum at the African level that provided the African consensus as a call to action toward trustworthy AI. Morocco hosted also a second category too centre under the auspices of UNESCO, the first of its kind in the African continent and the centre is called AI Movement that I had the opportunity to be the President, the Executive President and now I am at honorary President of this centre of category 2 of UNESCO.
The same category 2 of UNESCO, eye care, was accredited to Saudi Arabia in parallel, and we are collaborating together in AI and ethics since that time.
I would also like to recall the report issued by UNESCO last May on the extent of Morocco's readiness to benefit from the opportunities offered by AI. The report recalled that the Kingdom of Morocco has developed its digital ecosystem particularly regarding communications, access to data, safe use of the Internet, and protection of personal data which are key elements for addressing the issue of AI.
And as we are addressing today, AI from an ethical perspective, I must mention that Morocco has been a key player in AI international ecosystem. I recall the Manhattan declaration on exclusive global scientific understanding of Artificial Intelligence which I had the honour to be one of its signatories last September along with 21 top AI scientists and researchers.
A declaration that took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Also Morocco has launched two months ago the national digital strategy called Digital Morocco 2030, a strategy which has received the grassroots of His Majesty. The strategy encourages stakeholders to develop high value added services and offer based on AI as it supports companies and startups in the field of AI operating in high value added sectors. I'm quite sure that this panel will be a fruitful one and I hope that the discussion and exchanges will enable us to foster concrete international cooperation in a way to create unified approach to AI ethics and regulation. Thank you very much.
(Applause).
>> HOST: Please welcome on stage Mr. Torgeir Micaelsen, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Digitalization and public governance of the Government of Norway.
(Applause).
>> TORGEIR MICAELSEN: Excellencies, members of Parliament, Distinguished Delegates, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I would like to thank the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this year's Internet Governance Forum in this grand venue. When I see how this is accommodated, I'm convinced that Internet Governance Forum 2024 will turn out to be successful. The overarching theme for our deliberations here in Riyadh is building our multistakeholder digital future. This is indeed an appropriate and fundamental guiding principle when we are together consider how to develop digital solutions and the Internet to the benefit for the global community and for the next generations.
The IGF has been a stalwart advocate for an open, accessible, and inclusive Internet since the first forum in 2006. The Norwegian Government firmly believes that all interested parties shall be involved in the process of governing the Internet, preserving its openness, and shaping its future.
A close international cooperation, an inclusive digital governance is key in order to connect the unconnected and release the full potential of the Internet for everyone.
Because the Internet's impact has never been more significant, it shapes the everyday life of people and businesses all over the world. It stands at the heart of our digital future. Hence we need to work together to develop and deliver a trustworthy and safe Internet for mankind.
Technology development is not without risk, including for our democracies. The current discussions on AI the too often practice of Internet shutdowns as well as domestic and transnational disinformation campaigns are cases in that point.
We need to establish the frameworks which ensure responsible technological innovations and development respecting human rights and privacy. Human rights are not only valid in the physical world, they must also be protected in cyberspace.
After all, the Internet should be the place where all individuals can exercise their civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. Norway remains dedicated to preserving and promoting these rights in the digital realm. Looking ahead, I furthermore emphasize that we all need to take into account sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals when we transform societies through digitalization.
The IGF can facilitate dialogue on the role of digital technologies in addressing broader sustainability challenges. We must make sure that the impact of the Internet and digital technology overall contributes positively to these important goals.
Sustainability also remains one of Norway's main priorities. We will seek innovative solutions to reduce the digital infrastructures environmental impact and utilize the same infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in various sectors of society.
Let us all commit to reducing the environmental footprint of our digital endeavors, working towards a greener, more sustainable digital future. The United Nations Pact for the Future, and the Global Digital Compact have been presented by the UN Secretary General and successfully adopted. I notice with satisfaction that the Global Digital Compact recognizes the IGF as a primary multistakeholder platform for discussion of Internet Governance issues. Next year the WSIS+20 review will be conducted by the UN. This is an opportunity to reflect on the digital era's achievements, challenges and evolving needs. It is a moment to reevaluate and to set new goals for a more inclusive rights based and equitable digital future.
Beyond WSIS+20, the IGF should remain the primary global arena for the multistakeholder dialogue and open inclusive and informed discussions on Internet Governance challenges and opportunities.
The IGF should continue to develop policies and practices that ensure that the Internet remains a force for positive change, innovation and global connectivity. Norway wishes to contribute to further develop the IGF as a vital and inclusive arena for all stakeholders.
Next year the IGF will be convened in Norway. On behalf of the Norwegian Government, I wish you all welcome to the IGF that also marks the occasion of the forum's 20th anniversary, which is a pivotal moment for shaping and enhancing the multistakeholder dialogue for the years to come.
Together here in the vibrant City of Riyadh as well as in my home country next year, we shall strengthen diversity and collaboration through inclusive digital governance, which is crucial for a vibrant and sustainable digital ecosystem.
So let's shape the future together! Thank you for your attention!
(Applause).
>> HOST: We now invite Mr. Kurtis Lindqvist the CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
>> KURTIS LINDQVIST: Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished participants, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I'd like to thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this year's IGF and congratulate our host on this very successful forum.
It's a privilege to join you here in Riyadh at the 2024 Internet Governance Forum. The IGF remains a cornerstone of global dialogue on Internet Governance, a platform where Governments, civil society, business and the technical community collaborate on an equal footing.
Over yearly two decades, this forum has exemplified the strength of the multistakeholder model helping to shape a resilient and inclusive Internet that benefits billions around the world.
ICANN remains steadfast in its commitment and support to the IGF. As we approach the World Summit of Information Society, the WSIS+20 review, I'm reminded of my time as a national delegate at the business in Tunis a pivotal moment in shaping the Internet we know today. The significance of the moment cannot be overstated. Likewise the WSIS+20 review in 2025 has the potential to influence the future Internet Governance and determine the trajectory of the multistakeholder model.
Now more than ever, we must come together to ensure this model remains central to our efforts. We have already seen in the text of the Global Digital Compact that Member States recognize and express support for the importance of the IGF, the role of the technical community and the multistakeholder model. This is a good foundation for next year's negotiations.
The multistakeholder model has a proven track record with ample success that many in this room can attest to. During the COVID 19 pandemic, the Internet was a life line for billions of people, providing access to education, healthcare, business, connection, and so much more.
It's stood unprecedented demand without faltering a testament to decades of collaboration, technical resilience and shared governance. This includes the critical contribution of organisations like the Internet Engineering Task Force whose work on technical standards as been fundamental to ensuring the Internet's stability and growth.
Beyond the pandemic, multistakeholder model has gone across multiple dimensions. Take, for example, the strides we have made in fostering a multi lingual Internet. Through efforts like internationalized domain names and universal acceptance we have enabled people to access the Internet in their native languages and scripts furthering inclusivity and broadening access. Looking forward, we must build on our achievements to create a future that is inclusive, equitable and accessible for all. Today 5.6 billion are connected to the Internet, yet billions remain unconnected. Many who are online still face barriers such as affordability, accessibility, and digital literacy. Innovative approaches, collaborative effort and renewed commitment to inclusivity are required to overcome these obstacles. For the Internet to remain global connected, secure and resilient, it is essential to include technical community including organisations that safeguard and manage critical resources, components in these conversations.
The IGF provides a unique opportunity to address these challenges collectively. It's a space where diverse perspectives come together to shape the Internet's future. We can use this moment to reaffirm our commitment to the principles that have guided the Internet's success while evolving to meet the needs of rapidly changing digital landscape. The Internet success is rooted in its global accessibility, seamless interoperability and robust resilience which is only made possible through open collaborative governance and a single globally coordinated system. These principles must be upheld to ensure innovation, security for all users and the continued growth and inclusivity of the Internet.
The Internet is one of civilizations greatest achievements. It connects people, drives innovation and fosters economic growth and social progress, however, it's future depends on our collective actions. Let us work together to protect what makes the Internet work. It's openness, global interoperability, and inclusivity, and ensure that it remains a global public good and a force for innovation, economic growth and social progress.
Thank you and I look forward to the important discussions this week.
(Applause).
>> HOST: Please welcome on stage Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, the Assistant Director General at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.
(Applause).
>> TAWFIK JELASSI: Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, peace be upon you, his blessing, his mercy.
Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, it's a great privilege to address you here this morning at the 2024 edition of the Internet Governance Forum on behalf of the UNESCO Director General Madam Audrey Azoulay. This event continues to serve as a unique multistakeholder platform to foster global dialogue, collaboration in order to shape the digital future that we want all to have.
Let me begin by expressing our heartfelt gratitude to the host country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for graciously hosting this event and for the warm welcome.
I would like also to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the IGF Secretary for organising this important gathering. To answer the question of the ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan Martin, she asked us this morning, where were you in 2005? I can answer her question, like many in this room, I too was in Tunis at the WSIS Summit as a guest speaker coming from Academia at that time I was a university Professor.
Clearly this year marks a very important moment for global digital governance. The Honorable Minister Abdullah Alswaha, has eloquently shared with us the many challenges that the world faces including the digital divide, but he also talked convincingly about the emerging AI divide. Our gathering today right after the adoption last September in New York of the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, our event today offers a major milestone for a bold vision for the years to come, a vision shared in the principles that we all share, human rights, openness, accessibility, and inclusivity.
We believe that IGF 2024 will facilitate a collaborative implementation of the transformative agenda of the Global Digital Compact.
In his opening remarks, the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres reminded us this morning that technology should serve humanity, not the other way around.
UNESCO is honored to contribute to this collective effort with two initiatives that we should launch in this event. The first initiative is the new generation Internet universality indicators of UNESCO based on the ROAM Framework, R standing for human rights based approach, O standing for an open Internet to all including through multilingualism online and also catering to minority groups including indigenous communities, A referring to accessibility, and M to the multistakeholder approach.
The Internet universality indicators of UNESCO have already been adopted by 40 countries worldwide, and they continue to guide evidence based policy making and national digital assessments.
The second initiative that we will unveil at this IGF meeting are the UNESCO guidelines for the use of AI by the judiciary. This is grounded in a landmark, in the landmark 2021 recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence. A recommendation that is currently being implemented by 60 countries worldwide.
To complement these efforts, UNESCO is working closely with a couple of its associated resource centers, the Minister this morning mentioned the AI Movement centre in Morocco which is focusing on AI in Africa, the second centre is the International Resource Centre on AI based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and we are working together to develop a repository of ethical AI tools. This initiative is based on the use of open source capabilities for the public sector, the media, and for judiciary operators enabling stakeholders to navigate the opportunities and challenges that AI offers in the judiciary system based on the rule of law.
It was clearly stated this morning, especially by the Minister, that despite collective efforts, many challenges persist including the one third of the global population that remains today offline.
Women and girls in particular, especially in underserved communities face unique barriers with only 65% of women connected to the Internet. These disparities underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to bridge the digital divide which is also a knowledge divide and an education divide.
The statistics are equally striking, although 93% of judicial operators are familiar with AI tools, only 9% of them report having organizational capabilities and guidelines to be trained for the ethical use of AI.
To address this gap, UNESCO has been training so far over 8,000 judges, prosecutors, and judicial operators in 140 countries empowering them to adopt AI in a responsible, ethical way in order to safeguard human rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, the digital future we envision, one that is inclusive, sustainable and human centred will not build itself by itself. The IGF stands as a great multistakeholder platform to foster collaboration and drive meaningful change. Let's continue leveraging this unique forum to build an Internet of trust, an Internet that empowers us all, that bridges divides, and that advances truly human centred digital future. Shukran. Thank you.
(Applause).
>> HOST: We now invite Mr. Ke Gong, the President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations.
(Applause).
>> KE GONG: Global Leaders, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It is my honour as an engineer and researcher from China to address this esteemed gathering at the Opening Session of IGF 2024. The overarching scene of IGF 2024 is building our stakeholders' digital future resonates deeply with the mission of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations, in short, WFEO. As the largest engineering organisation globally encompassing hundreds of national and international professional organisations, WFEO with its millions of engineers all over the world is at the forefront of shaping the Internet's future. At WFEO, we recognize that the Internet is more than a technological marvel. It is a transformative force for social, economic, and environmental progress.
It's potential to bridge divides connecting people and foster innovation is unparalleled. However, this potential can only be fully realized if the Internet remains accessible, secure, and inclusive. As engineers, we hold responsibility to ensure that the technology we create serves the best interest of the society.
This responsibility includes designing resilient systems that safeguard against cyber threats, uphold user privacy, promote digital literacy, and equally distribute the digital benefits to all people, especially the marginalized communities.
In the days ahead, we aim to contribute unique perspectives and voices of engineers to policy making and standard setting processes, particularly on the discussions about digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and the pivotal role of engineering in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Taking this opportunity as an Academia researcher, I wish to highlight the fundamental importance of basic research in network information theory and intelligence theory. Just as the electromagnetic theory laid the ground work for the electrification, we must acknowledge that many challenges we face today stem deeply from the lack of solid, comprehensive, theoretical foundation to explain the ever evolving Internet and the sophisticated models of Artificial Intelligence.
Therefore it is imperative to invest more attention, more resources, and more efforts into fundamental research in this domain. All of us know only with collective efforts we could better develop and govern the Internet as a global resource that benefits all people and the globe. I would like to leave you with an inspired African proverb, if you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together. Thank you.
(Applause).
>> HOST: Please welcome to the stage Ms. Palwasha Mohammed Zai Khan, Senator at the Senate of Pakistan.
>> PALWASHA MOHAMMED ZAI KHAN: Honorable parliamentarians, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I'm deeply honored to express my profound gratitude to the United Nations Internet Governance Forum, IGF, the Interparliamentary Union and the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia for convening this significant parliamentary track. It seeks to strengthen digital cooperation in our interconnected world.
Today digital transformation is fundamentally reshaping governance, resource allocation, service delivery, and public engagement. This evolution demands effective governance of digital technologies to ensure outcomes that are inclusive, safe and equitable while acting as a catalyst for human resource mobilization, most importantly in developing countries, and socioeconomic development.
Ladies and gentlemen, digitalization also presents profound challenges to the democratic principles and human rights, particularly within governance processes such as elections, public debate, and trust in institutions. It is imperative that we as parliamentarians and leaders move beyond merely sharing these challenges. We must make tangible commitments to address these socioeconomic issues through laws and policies that prioritize inclusivity, accountability, and people centred outcomes, especially in the face of transnational complexities and governance gaps.
Parliamentarians must strengthen the present multilateral mechanisms for governance of digital technologies, and similarly extend support to countries that are lacking governance capacity, a whole of society approach is essential, one that collaborates with local leaders, companies, and digital innovators to develop vibrant and inclusive digital ecosystems rooted in sustainability, accountability and rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan is making significant strides towards embracing the digital era through strategic initiatives and policies under its vision of digital Pakistan. Our strategic initiatives include the digital Pakistan policy 2018, cybersecurity policy of 2021, the draft Artificial Intelligence policy, and the personal data protection Bill.
These efforts are complemented by investments in infrastructure, innovation, and frameworks like the computer emergency response teams and to enhance cyber resilience and foster trust in a digital landscape. Through this Pakistan is building the foundation of an inclusive, accountable and sustainable digital future. Demonstrating how nations can position themselves as global digital leaders. Ladies and gentlemen, as parliamentarians our collective commitment must be to collaboration, capacity building, and adherence to international standards. Together we can bridge global governance gaps and enable an inclusive digital transformation that benefits all of humanity.
In the end, allow me to say that there could not have been a more iconic setting for hosting this very important forum such as the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the fast March to information technology and development unite with deep traditionalism and the heart of religion. And this creates a beautiful fusion. I also would like to thank the Sura Council especially and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for allowing us a chance to visit the two holy Mosques where I will head after this because of this invitation. Thank you and good luck.
(Applause).
>> HOST: We now invite Ivana Bartoletti, the Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer.
>> IVANA BARTOLETTI: Excellencies, colleagues, honorable members of Parliaments, ladies and gentlemen and gentleman, it's an honour for me to be here with you today. I think we have said it and we have heard it many times this morning. We are at a water moment in the relationship watershed moment in the relationship between humanity and technology. It's a fantastic moment for us to be in. Over the last few years, we have seen some amazing things that technology has done for us, incredible.
I have the privilege to work for large company and I have seen how much technology does for us. Think about precision medicine, think about tools that can help reach people with education, with medicine, with health in places where they could have not been reached before. And think about tools that can support personalized education including those who have learning disabilities, and think about the potential in medicine as was said earlier. With robotic making operations and supporting our health systems. So the potential it fantastic, and we know, and the fact that we talk about the challenges ahead is not because we don't love this technology. It's the opposite. It's because we want them, we care, and we care about them so much that we want them to work for everybody. This is the most important thing that we are here to deliver, how digital technologies, AI can work and benefit the entire of our humanity. Sometimes over the last few years we have seen pretty bad things. We have seen the Internet, the space that was created for us to be closer sometimes to have too much fake news, hate speech. I was addressing the European Parliament a couple of days ago on deep fake and the danger they could be used for especially in silencing women and the most vulnerable in our societies.
So there are a few things, just three messages I want to leave you with today. The first one is the digital gender gap. Look, the digital gender gap is not acceptable, think about AI, and how the digital gender gap is related to one of the challenges that we are facing in AI. Which is fair AI that does not lock people out of essential services, of loans, and of opportunities.
Think about bias in AI systems that can softwarize and perpetuate and crystallize the society as it is today while we work together to work towards a more brighter future.
Bias in AI is very much related to the lack of diversity and gender diversity that we have. And it's really important that we tackle this because if we perpetuate the existing world into decision making around tomorrow, we are going to fail. So gender divide is a priority. The second one, privacy. Look, there is no dichotomy between privacy and innovation. I would like a strong message to come from us here today and say that pitching privacy against innovation is a mistake and is something that we must not do.
Companies like mine in the Private Sector, we can work together in ensuring the privacy enhancing technology can be leveraged to ensure that we safeguard the dignity of people while providing innovation for all. So privacy and innovation can go hand in hand and we must consider privacy as a fundamental public good that allows anyone to feel safer, happier and more respected in our digital space.
And the third one is the governance of artificial intelligence. We have been talking about this for a very long time now. We have the European in Europe and WIPRO is one of the 150 companies part of a European AI pact. We have regulation, guidance and we have seen massive strides including here what was announced today which is really, really important.
Governance of AI is not a "nice to have." Fair transparent AI, accountable, the possibility for people, for individuals to access meaningful information about how their data, their information is processed and used through Artificial Intelligence. The possibility for people to know that if they have been prescribed a medicine, if they had an operation with AI, they need to know what the liability is.
All of thighs are fundamental these are fundamentally important things to build the trust in AI that we need if we want to innovate and transform for the public good. Transparent, fair, and accountable. The Digital Compact is a fantastic step because it translates what human rights means in the age of AI.
But I want to encourage is to go a little bit further and be able to work together Private Sector, Governments, to see how we are going to bring together privacy, security and AI to invest in research so we can do that better, to create tools so that even smaller companies can leverage the best when it comes, for example, to privacy enhancing technologies in AI.
This is a fundamental opportunity that we have right now., and I do believe, and I do believe that the time to shape the relationship between humanity and technology is exactly now.
I am delighted to be here. I look forward to this week. Because I think that we all have an opportunity to shape a digital ecosystem so that it brings benefits to everybody and helps towards creating a better world. Thank you.
(Applause).