Kenyan Ambassador to the United Nations, Erastus Ekitela Lokaale, has been appointed to co-facilitate a key UN panel responsible for reviewing the progress of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). This announcement, made by Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’oei, also named Rytis Paulauskas, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania, as Lokaale's co-facilitator.
The panel’s work involves finalizing the review process for WSIS’s implementation, aiming to assess both the achievements and the challenges faced in creating an inclusive, development-focused Information Society. The review will culminate in a high-level event from July 7 to 11, 2025, at Palexpo, Geneva.
Lokaale and Paulauskas will lead intergovernmental consultations on WSIS+20, a 20-year review of the summit’s outcomes, which serves as a platform for multistakeholder discussions. The goal is to continue bridging the digital divide, promoting access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), and driving sustainable development globally.
WSIS, a vital UN initiative, was launched in two phases—Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005. It aimed to create a people-centred, inclusive information society, with targets like getting 50% of the global population online by 2015. Now, the upcoming review will focus on assessing progress and developing strategies for future challenges in building inclusive digital societies.
This significant responsibility comes as Kenya continues to play an active role in global diplomacy and international initiatives.
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