What role for parliaments in shaping our digital future?
World Conference of Speakers of Parliament
Wednesday 30 July, 15.00 to 16.30
Palais des Nations, Geneva
Digitalization is firmly embedded in all societies around the world, even as digital divides persist both between and within countries. Young people everywhere live in a world that seamlessly combines online and offline spaces. The world’s biggest companies come from the technology sector, and they have a disproportionate influence over society, the economy and the future of the planet. In this fast‑moving environment, what is the role of parliaments in shaping our digital future? As artificial intelligence (AI) emerges, with the attendant opportunities and risks, what lessons can be learned from the governance of technology, including the internet and social media, over recent decades?
The panel discussion will provide a space for sharing perspectives on the digital future that we want, and how to achieve it. Leading representatives from the United Nations system and civil society will reflect on progress and challenges in the 20 years since the World Summit on the Information Society, including recent initiatives surrounding the Global Digital Compact, the Internet Governance Forum and international governance of AI. Speakers of Parliament will offer insights into how their countries are taking action to promote innovation and protect citizens’ rights in the fast-moving digital environment.
Moderator: Caitlin Kraft-Buchman, CEO/Founder Women At The Table
Panelists
Ms. Sulyna Abdullah, Chief of Strategic Planning and Membership, ITU
Mr. Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director, Diplo
Ms. Nour Abu Ghosh, President of the Board of Young MPs
The Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in close collaboration with the United Nations, will take place from 29 to 31 July 2025 at the Palais des Nations (United Nations Office at Geneva). The Speakers’ Conference will be preceded by the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, to be held on 28 July 2025.
The Conference, first established in 2000 on the eve of the United Nations Millennium Summit, aims to provide a unique forum for high-level engagement and dialogue among parliamentary leaders from around the world. Previous Conferences, held every five years since then, have served as catalysts for shaping and strengthening the parliamentary dimension of global governance, thereby helping to bridge the democracy gap in international affairs. This occasion will mark the culmination of two years of work by a Preparatory Committee of approximately 20 Speakers of Parliament from all regions of the world, and promises to be the largest ever gathering of its kind. In keeping with the IPU’s inclusive approach, it will also feature prominent leaders from other international organizations, academia and civil society organizations, as well as the media.