Iftikhar Ali
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 18 (APP):United Nations member states Wednesday pledged to narrow widening digital divides and put stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence (AI), with Pakistan calling for “effective” implementation of those promises at the UN General Assembly, which concluded a major review of how the world manages the Internet and digital technologies.
“While digital technologies have expanded opportunities, they have also introduced new inequalities that demand urgent collective action,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the high-level meeting.
The two-day meeting marked the conclusion of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), a process launched in the early 2000s to guide global cooperation on digital development, access and inclusion, at a time when the internet was only starting to become an essential part of everyday life.
Two decades later, delegates said the challenge is no longer simply getting people online but ensuring that digital technologies – including AI – are governed in ways that protect human rights, build trust and close widening digital gaps.
WSIS was created in 2003 to help countries work together on the opportunities and risks posed by information and communication technologies, or ICT.
It brought governments together with businesses, civil society and technical experts – a multistakeholder approach that remains central to digital governance today.
At this year’s review, participants reflected on how deeply digital tools now shape the economy, education, healthcare and daily life, while warning that millions remain excluded.
In remarks to the General Assembly on Tuesday, its President, Annalena Baerbock, said access to the internet has become essential – from telemedicine in remote villages to online education and digital financial services – yet progress is sluggish.
While global Internet access stands at around two-thirds of the world’s population, she noted that in developing countries it is far lower, and women and girls continue to be disproportionately left behind.
“Two decades later, our shared vision of a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society remains unfinished,” she said.
She warned that access alone is not enough, stressing the need for responsible governance of emerging technologies such as AI, particularly as innovation often moves faster than regulation.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of an outcome document reaffirming countries’ commitment to a people-centred digital future grounded in human rights and the principles of the UN Charter.
The text calls 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 highlights the importance of trustworthy governance of data and AI, building on commitments already made under the Global Digital Compact.
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.
Throughout the process, speakers emphasized that governments cannot shape the digital future alone. The outcome reinforces the approach that brings governments, industry, civil society and the tech world together.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said WSIS was born from a belief that digital innovation must reflect human needs, while UN Development Programme (UNDP) Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu described the review as both a moment to recognize progress and to chart a path forward.
In his remarks, Asim Ahmad, the Pakistani ambassador, said that his government is taking decisive steps in digital transformation, citing this year’s adoption of the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and the National AI Policy that provide a strong institutional and policy foundation for a secure, inclusive, and future-ready digital ecosystem.
“Under the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ initiative, with E-Pakistan at its core, we are moving to expand connectivity, strengthen digital public infrastructure, advance
e-governance, and invest in skills development,” he told the gathering.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the WSIS process, the Pakistani envoy said, “We stand ready to work with all partners to ensure that ICTs (Information and Communications Technologies) and emerging technologies serve as tools for inclusion, shared prosperity, and sustainable development for all.”
