Science Summit at UN General Assembly
ISC and its partners will organise the 9th edition of the Science Summit around the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) on 10-27 September 2024.
The role and contribution of science in attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be the central theme of the Science Summit. The objective is to enable science collaborations to demonstrate how science supports the attainment of the UN SDGs and Agenda 2030. The meeting will also prepare input for the United Nations Summit of the Future, which will take place during UNGA79 on 16-17 September 2024.
The Summit will examine what enabling policy, regulatory and financial environments are needed to implement and sustain the science mechanisms required to support genuinely global scientific collaborations across continents, nations and themes. Scientific discovery through the analysis of massive data sets is at hand. This data-enabled approach to science, research and development will be necessary if the SDGs are to be achieved.
SSUNGA79 builds on the successful Science Summit at UNGA78, which brought together over 1800 speakers from all continents in more than 400 sessions.
SSUNGA79 will bring together thought leaders, scientists, technologists, innovators, policymakers, decision-makers, regulators, financiers, philanthropists, journalists and editors, and community leaders to increase collaborations across a broad spectrum of themes including ICT, health, nutrition, agriculture, astronomy, the environment, climate, geodesy and space, amongst others.
People Centered Internet ran a five day series in the UNGA 78th session and the transcripts and recordings can be viewed below
UN Science Summit September 20-22 Sessions
Sessions on “Key Challenges & Objectives for Digital Cooperation, Governance and Regulation”
The 9th edition of the Science Summit around the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) took place from 12-29 September 2023. The People Centered Internet organized nine sessions in conjunction with the International Science Council to discuss the future of digital in achieving the SDGs. The sessions take a people centered approach; this means to discuss how scientific and digital collaboration can only be advanced through human feedback loops. The People Centered Internet sessions explore the parameters of this approach focusing on specific use cases where this is needed to achieve the SDGs and discussing the recommended enabling policy, regulatory, and financial environments that are required to support genuinely global scientific collaborations across continents, nations, and themes.
Content Table
What is a People Centered Approach and Why It Matters?
Moderator: Mei Lin Fung, Co-Chair, People Centered Internet.
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
The world produces 328.77 terabytes of data daily. This information can be used to achieve the SDGs and shape a positive digital future IF the data is accessible as a global good and permissioned by those who produce it. This session will outline what it means to take a people centered approach to data collection and use, illustrate why this change now matters, and discuss current examples in health service delivery, financial service development, national digital transformation efforts, and more on how this can be implemented in practice so that policymakers and scientists can work collaboratively to harness the available information today to shape the future we all want tomorrow.
People Centered Health Data Collaboratives: How they work and how they can be improved for global use
Moderator: Mei Lin Fung, Co-Chair, People Centered Internet
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
How do we harness responsibly the vast amount of health information that has been created and stored by devices but too often is siloed and inaccessible to the scientific community? This session focuses on the use of health data collaboratives to make this information accessible to scientists and practitioners, the regulatory issues that need to be considered and/or changed and discusses the promise and pitfalls of the use of personal data.
Speakers:
- Märt Aro, Digital innovation Advisor to United Nations, European Commission, Estonia, and Lithuania
- Bertrand de la Chapelle, Chief Vision Officer, Datasphere Initiative
- Paul Murphy, Research Fellow, TELUS Corporation
- Tamara Singh, Sherpa, Sustainable Finance Development Network
- Kate Wilson, Senior Fellow, People Centered Internet
People Centered Approach to Digital Transformation: What are the respective roles for citizens and the private and public sector?
Moderator: Kate Wilson, Senior Fellow, People Centered Internet
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
Countries around the globe are on a digital transformation journey. From investments in foundational digital public infrastructure (e.g., identity, financial services, health) to investments in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced data analytics, there is a recognition that if we are to achieve the SDGs and deliver services to citizens, digital is essential. However, these efforts are driven predominantly by the public and private sector with few examples of citizen consent being considered and consistently incorporated into the debate. This panel will feature countries who have built this precept into their digital thinking and introduce you to how their input is incorporated into government prioritization and regulation. Panelists will also share their recommendations for new mechanisms (e.g., digital sandbox, community networks), which can address these challenges.
Speakers:
- Teki Akuetteh, Director of Public Policy, Vulcan Inc.
- Nicolas Comini, Head Policy Strategy and Operations, Latam, META
- Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
- Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer, UNDP
- Pramod Varma, Chief Technology Officer, EkStep Foundation
People Centered Financial Services: Improving regulatory frameworks to provide access to people
Moderator: Tony Lacavaro, Principal, Aquarian Holdings
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
Financial services regulations are mostly developed from a pre-digital era and many countries are struggling with regulating the flow of goods and services in a hybrid environment. This panel will discuss different regulatory efforts being made by regional groups to harmonize digital financial services regulations and examine how a participative approach bringing in stakeholders and members of the local community can provide important feedback to digital regulators the use of digital sandboxes.
Speakers:
- Ndemo Bitange, Ambassador to Belgium and the EU for Kenya
- Suzanne Dumouchel, Head of International Cooperation and Partnerships, Centre national de la recherche scientifique
- Jessica Groopman, Senior Innovation Fellow, Intentional Futures
- Suruchi Gupta, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, GIANT Protocol
Digital Regulation Sandbox: Geographic Priorities and Perspectives
Moderator: Minerva Novero, Policy Specialist, UN Office for South-South Cooperation
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
The evolving landscape of digital regulation necessitates a dynamic approach to testing and refining regulatory frameworks. The concept of a network of Regional Cross Sector Digital Regulation Sandboxes— can be an innovative means to assess, iterate, and enhance digital regulations sharing lessons between countries and regions. During this panel, we will delve into an analysis of the merits and potential drawbacks of these sandboxes through the lens of examples drawn from the countries represented by our discussants.
Speakers:
- Monica Estrada-Tanck, Legislative & Product Policy Coordination, LATAM, Meta
- Zahid Jamil, Member Evaluation Committee State Bank of Pakistan Digital Financial Services Innovation Challenge Facility (DFID funded)
- Omo Oaiya, Chief Strategy Officer, West and Central African Research and Education Network
- Lorrayne Porciuncula, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Datasphere Initiative
- Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
- Naeem Zafar, Co-Founder, TeleSense
Increasing Inclusion in Data and Digital Rights Discussions
Moderator: Anastasia Kalinina, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Office, reState
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
Digital regulations are often set by one or a group of countries without taking into full account the effects on women and non-dominant populations. As the scientific community proceeds, we need to consider how to more actively engage these communities to ensure that particular measures take their needs into consideration. This panel will discuss the issues that need to be integrated into digital regulations and their implementation from a gender perspective. How can we work across stakeholder groups to pay attention to the gender gap, and the participation of women in the design and implementation of digital regulations? The panelists will share concrete examples of how they are integrating groups in the design and development phase, and working with non-dominant communities when shaping digital regulations at all levels.
Speakers:
- David A. Bray, Leader, World Economic Forum and World Keynoter, Fortune 500s UN SxSW
- Jane Coffin, Former Senior Vice President, Internet Growth at Internet Society
- Tara Denham, Civil Servant, Global Affairs Canada
- Anriette Esterhuysen, Senior Advisor Internet Governance, Policy Advocacy and Strategy, Association for Progressive Communications
- Neema Lugangiri, Member of Parliament, Tanzania
- Justina Mashiba, Chief Executive Officer, Universal Communications Service Access Fund
Tech Governance and Participation for Regional Digital Regulation Sandboxes
Moderator: Mei Lin Fung, Co-Chair, People Centered Internet
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
The inherent strength of the Internet lies in its decentralized participative nature, and we believe that the development of digital regulation should mirror this ethos, prioritizing a people-centered and bottom-up approach. To this end, our focus turns to exploring innovative strategies for cultivating regional tech governance. In this panel, we aim to delve into actionable methodologies that can facilitate the seamless integration of this approach through the medium of cross-sector digital regulation sandboxes.
Speakers:
- Virgilio Almeida, Faculty Associate, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University
- Julia Bardmesser, Chief Executive Officer, Data4Real, Chair of Technology Advisory Council, Women Leaders in Data & AI
- Maarten Botterman, Board Director, ICANN
- Arvind Gupta, Head, Digital India Foundation
- Ralf Herbrich, Managing Director, Hasso-Plattner-Institute
- Victoria Nguyen, Co-Founder, Deep Surgery
- Moshe Vardi, University Professor in Computational Engineering, Rice University
- Katerina Yordanova, Senior Legal Expert, KU Leuven
Governance and Civic Participation
Moderator: Anastasia Kalinina, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Office, reState Foundation
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
Presented by People Centered Internet in collaboration with reState Foundation
Civic participation enhances the effectiveness of governance and serves as a core foundation to building people-centered regulations and data management. It enhances the prospects of building consensus on key policies, leading to more effective policy implementation and strengthening the relationship between citizens and government. Participation fosters accountability of policy makers, leading to better governance and thus better policies responding to people’s needs and demands. The session features practitioners from multilateral banks, regional organizations, cooperatives, and civic organizations. They will discuss ways in which citizen participation can help shape regional tech governance and people-centered digital regulations.
Speakers:
- Liz Barry, Chief Operating Officer, The Computational Democracy Project
- Alexandr Holt, Head of Emerging Opportunities, Digital Directorate – Scottish Government
- Astrid Scholz, Managing Partner, Armillaria, Co-Founder, Zebras Unite
- Elaine Wang, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Metropolis Global
Digital regulation and Data for Better Outcomes – geographical and cultural perspectives
Moderator: Alexandra Seaman, Co-Founder, reState Foundation
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
Presented by People Centered Internet in collaboration with reState Foundation
Proper work with data is crucially important today because it underpins an outcomes-focused approach to digital regulation, supported by a robust evidence base. This approach is essential for ensuring regulations are not only effective but also proportionate to their objectives. Speakers will discuss the imperative for data-driven strategies across various sectors, including business, academia, and civil society. They also bring different geographical and cultural perspectives in digital regulation, underscoring the necessity for transparent progress tracking and the establishment of an evidence-backed regulatory framework.
Speakers:
- Anastasis Stamatis, Chief Executive Officer, Dataphoria
- Elina Idrisova, Regional Director, Digital Transformation, Elevatus
- Antoine Vergne, Co-Director, Missions Publiques
- Julia Stamm, Chief Executive Officer, Data Tank
Data Cooperatives
Moderator: Gael van Weyenbergh, Chief Executive Officer, MEOH
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
The urgency of addressing climate change and its devastating consequences demands a proactive and inclusive approach. While progress has been slow, primarily relying on government and business actions, we must find a better way to harness the collective drive of The People for a sustainable future. The transformation required to mitigate climate change necessitates the participation of all people worldwide, and an inclusive approach is paramount.
The orchestration of sustainable practices and technologies within communities involving the behaviour of 8 billion individuals is crucial. We have learned from history that religion, finite resource-based capitalism, and autocracy are insufficient in motivating the necessary cooperation and enthusiasm. Instead, a self-driven approach is essential, and democratic processes have consistently proven successful in this regard.
The digital revolution has provided us with the tools to mobilise the needs, informed consent, and human capital of 8 billion people toward achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Technology facilitates the connection of individuals on a large scale, enabling both bottom-up and top-down civic participation. Traditional power hierarchies are being reshaped as digitisation transforms the dynamics of power.
Creating a more democratic and fair internet by developing data cooperatives and digital commons while addressing social media polarisation will foster greater participation. Empowering communities to organize online and directly engage with their representatives will help those same representatives advocate for effective climate laws.
Speakers:
- Kelly Achenbach, Communication Officer for Citizen Science, Max Weber Foundation, Germany
- Gurvinder Ahluwalia, Digital Twin Labs
- Eugene Brave Rock, Indigenous Actor
- Stephanie Carrol, Associate Professor of Public Health, University of Arizona
- Aunkh H. Chabalala, National Director, Indigenous Knowledge-Based Technology Innovation Unit at South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology
- Mei Lin Fung, Co-Chair, People Centered Internet
- Wangari Kuria, Chief Executive Officer, Farmer on Fire Ltd.
- Morshed Mannan, Research Fellow, European University Institute’s Robert Schuman Centre
- Inder Monga, Director, Berkeley Lab’s Scientific Networking Division
- Hossein Rahnama, Chief Executive Officer, Flybits
- Navroop Sahdev, Chief Executive Officer, The Digital Economist
50th Anniversary of the Internet: People Centered Science and Digital Regulation leading to a People Centered Future
Moderator: Mei Lin Fung, Co-Chair, People Centered Internet
Link to Session Recording: Click Here
Link to Summary: Click Here
Governments are wrestling with digital transformation and how to seize the economic opportunity it affords while protecting people from its negative outcomes. Regulatory approaches like that of the EU could stifle innovation. While market-driven approaches like that of the US could result in a greater preponderance of unforeseen consequences. We believe much can be accomplished by coming together to shape a People Centered future.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Internet – offering a perfect moment to ask people around the globe “What do you want from the Internet, AI, and new technologies for the next 50 years?” And then, governments, regulators, the UN, the World Bank, and other organizations and stakeholders –can work together to create a more People Centered future.
The time has come for a comprehensive reevaluation of our approach to digital regulatory frameworks given the rapid digitalization and advancement of AI technology reshaping the global landscape. The Digital Regulation multi-stakeholder Dialogs will address the importance of broad citizen participation in the shaping of more people-centric digital regulation. A digital future by, for, and of the people better guarantees more people will connect and thrive.
Speakers:
- Dima Al Khatib, Director, UN Office of South South Cooperation (UN OSSC)
- Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
- Vint Cerf, Co-Founder, People Centered Internet (PCI), Vice President & Chief Internet Evangelist, Google, Chair, UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel
- Robert Kahn, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President, Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI)
- Anir Chowdhury, Aspire to Innovate, Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office
- Maria Dayton, NOVA Prime Venture, Partner, LG Nova
- Suzanne Dumouchel, International Cooperation, Partnerships, CNRS, the French National Center for Scientific Research
- Claude Dyer, Acting Head, Digital Inclusion, The EDISON Alliance at World Economic Forum
- Declan Kirrane, Founder and Chair, Science Summit at UNGA78
- Anastasia Kalinina, Chief Executive Officer, reState.Global Foundation
- Hassan Nasser, Digital Cooperation Organization, Middle East, Asia, Africa
- Gael van Weyenbergh, Co-Founder, MEOH
2:30 pm-4:15 pm ET
Presented by People Centered Internet in collaboration with reState Foundation
Link to Session Recording: Click Here.
This session will give an opportunity to emphasize the outcomes of the event, highlight multi-stakeholder and geographic perspectives, and underscore tangible next steps, initiatives, and recommendations.
Speakers will summarize insights from the panel discussions in line with the objectives of this event, highlighting various stakeholder groups and geographies.
Moderator:
Mei Lin Fung, Co-Chair, People Centered Internet
Commentators:
Ayesha Hassan, Executive Director, AH Consulting
Anastasia Kalinina, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Office, reState Foundation
Speakers:
Paul Murphy, Research Fellow, TELUS Corporation
Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Jessica Groopman, Senior Innovation Fellow, Intentional Futures
Katerina Yordanova, Senior Legal Expert, KU Leuven
Ndemo Bitange, Ambassador to Belgium and the EU for Kenya
Liz Barry, Chief Operating Officer, The Computational Democracy Project
Elina Idrisova, Regional Director. Digital Transformation, Elevatus