Marking the 20th anniversary of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the 2026 WSIS Forum was successfully held from July 6 to 10 at the headquarters of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and PalExpo in Geneva, Switzerland. The WSIS Forum is a United Nations-level global premier digital development summit, annually bringing together over 20,000 delegates from governments, international organizations, enterprises, academia, and civil society across 190+ countries. It is the world’s largest and most broadly participatory multilateral platform for ICT and digital governance. At this significant 20-year milestone, the summit centered on accelerating the implementation of the UN’s Global Digital Compact (GDC), convening global policymakers, technology leaders, and philanthropic forces to explore how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and human-centered AI can anchor global sustainable development.
Global Youth Philanthropy, as the official host of this WSIS side event, partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global (GCSAYN), and the African Citizen Development Foundation (ACDF) to present a high-level side event at ITU headquarters under the theme “Catalyzing Youth-Led Digital Public Infrastructure: A Philanthropic Roadmap for Human-Centric Al and Global Equity.”
Multidimensional Perspectives Converge: Charting a Youth-Led Tech-for-Good Blueprint
Delivering the opening address as the side event’s distinguished keynote speaker was Ms. Pernille Fenger, Director of the UNFPA Representation Office in Geneva. With 36 years of experience spanning Nordic government offices, international think tanks, and two core UN agencies, Ms. Fenger has long worked in the European multilateral diplomatic hubs of Copenhagen and Geneva, deeply engaged in the intersecting fields of gender, reproductive health, and climate. Taking “De-marginalizing Youth in the Digital Ecosystem” as her entry point, she powerfully articulated that young people, as digital natives, must evolve from technology users into core co-builders of digital public goods, establishing a youth-centered tone for the entire side event.
In the subsequent high-level plenary session, nine distinguished global guests engaged in an in-depth dialogue on “When Digital Public Infrastructure Meets Human-Centric AI “:
Rupa Singh, CEO of AI-Beehiv and ranked among the world’s top 20 AI ethics leaders, spoke on “From Digital Infrastructure to Human Dignity,” exploring the humanistic values underpinning technological architectures.
Eugenio Salas Iturriaga, ITU AI for Good Youth Leader and founder of Alexandria.ai, shared innovative practices in AI-powered personalized learning systems and educational management.
Global Youth Philanthropy youth representative Zehao Wu, drawing from his personal struggles with mental health after transferring to another school, presented data on the severity of global adolescent depression, introduced a self-developed AI-powered sports philanthropy platform, and called on schools, governments, and other stakeholders to jointly safeguard youth mental health.
Shweta Khushu, AI Engineering at the Vector Institute and member of the board of directors at Women in Machine Learning, delivered a talk titled “AI of the People, for the People – Making Digital Public Infrastructure Truly Human-Centric,” sharing practical experiences in open-source AI and community building.
Vijay Karia, CEO of OptiCloud and UN Award Winner COP29, offered a broader perspective on “AI & Humanity’s future.”
Dino Osmanagić, Hub leader at Young AI Leaders Linz and Head of Innovation & Product at Incert, presented his reflections on “Beyond the Prototype: Building the Missing Middle for Youth-Led AI,” addressing the challenges of translating youth AI projects into real-world impact.
At last, Dr. Domenico Vito, GCSAYN Liaison to the Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) and Global Coordinator, Virtual Academy, delivered an in-depth, systematic professional presentation titled “How Big Data and AI Can Help Climate-Smart Agriculture.”
A bioengineer by training, Dr. Domenico Vito participates in multiple EU projects in northern Italy and collaborates with the “Metabolism of Cities Living Lab” in Santiago. He is a member of the Italian Society for Climate Science, actively engaged in The Climate Reality Project and other environmental networks, and plays a key role in the UN youth constituency YOUNGO across working groups on energy, health, and agriculture. He also serves as Theme Coordinator for Microplastics and Marine Litter under the UNEP Major Group for Children and Youth, and is a member of the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global.
Youth Voice Media Center Young Journalists: Amplifying Youth Answers to the World
A particularly vibrant presence at the side event was the Youth Voice Media Center Young Journalist team, which participated throughout and became a distinctive highlight of the proceedings.
Before and after the sessions, young journalists brought their thoughtful questions on AI philanthropy, digital equity, and youth participation to conduct one-on-one interviews with multiple international guests. From the boundaries of AI ethics to funding bottlenecks for youth startups, from the global North-South digital divide to the practical implementation of educational technology, the sincere inquiries of the younger generation captured global wisdom firsthand.
At the conclusion of the side event, Ms.Yuanyan Xie, founder of Global Youth Philanthropy, officially announced the launch of a new project under the Global Youth Philanthropy AI for Good Youth Alliance – the “Youth in Dialogue with AI Experts” interview series and companion book, aimed at documenting how young people worldwide are leveraging AI to address global crises.
Following the announcement, Youth Voice Media Center Young journalists Yaojie Zhan, Xinyi Liu, Shizhe Shao, Xunman Si, and Yiting Feng took the stage one by one, holding custom placards and voicing the conviction and commitment of their generation. Their unified presence and resolute voices brought the side event to a climactic peak, conveying to UN officials, foundation representatives, and international scholars the determination and agency of youth in global digital governance.
All speakers and youth journalists then gathered for a group photo, capturing a cherished moment of “AI for Good.”
From Slogan to Consensus: Making AI for Good a Shared Infrastructure
Though brief, the WSIS side event carried substantial weight. From policymakers to frontline innovators, from philanthropic organizations to youth representatives, multiple forces converged around a shared consensus: young people are no longer passive beneficiaries of the digital age but architects of digital public infrastructure.
With the release of a joint declaration, a concrete action blueprint for funding a global youth tech-mentorship network has been set in motion. Global Youth Philanthropy will continue to leverage “global youth philanthropic innovation” as its cornerstone, connecting capital, technology, and talent to bring more young people onto the international stage – transforming “AI for Good” from a rallying cry into shared infrastructure that benefits all of humanity.
The echoes from Geneva have just faded, but the youths of the world march on. Together, let us turn “AI for Good” from vision into reality!
Media ContactCompany Name: Global Youth PhilanthropyContact Person: Iris SongEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: https://www.gypleader.org/
