Welcome to the June-July edition of the newsletter!
July marked an important milestone for the eTrade for all initiative as we celebrate ten years of partnership for more inclusive digital development. Over the past decade, our network has grown from 15 founding organizations to 35 partners leveraging synergies to help developing countries harness e-commerce and the digital economy. This anniversary was opportunity not only to reflect on what has been achieved, but also to look ahead at how international cooperation must evolve as digital transformation enters a new era.
That future was on full display in Geneva this July as well, where more than 12,000 participants from 177 countries gathered for the first United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum and the AI for Good Global Summit. Together, these events underscored growing international efforts to ensure that AI and digital transformation are underpinned by stronger governance, digital inclusion and international cooperation.
We also cover key outcomes from UNCTAD's intergovernmental meeting on consumer protection and competition policy, as well as the WIPO Assemblies, where artificial intelligence and digital transformation featured prominently in discussions on the future of intellectual property.
This edition also highlights two important new publications. UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2026 finds that investment in the digital economy increased by 47% in 2025, underscoring the sector's continued dynamism despite a turbulent global environment. Meanwhile, ITU's latest ICT Development Index points to encouraging progress in connectivity, showing however that low-income economies scored an average of 42, compared with 93 for high-income economies, recalling that meaningful connectivity and digital inclusion remain far from universal.
We close this edition with the first Open Consultations for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in June 2026, which marked the beginning of the Forum's first cycle as a permanent United Nations platform. The meeting set the direction for the year ahead through new Policy Networks on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital inclusion and open digital infrastructure, reinforcing the importance of inclusive, multistakeholder cooperation in shaping the digital future.
Enjoy the read!