The Forum on Connected by Design: Building Inclusive Digital Infrastructure for Future-Ready Cities will bring together global leaders, city innovators, and digital visionaries for a high-level forum exploring how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) can transform cities and communities into more inclusive, resilient, and citizen-centric spaces. The Forum will take place on 15 September 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
This event will spotlight scalable approaches to interoperable digital ID, payments, data sharing, and smart urban governance, bridging policy, technology, and social impact.
UNU-EGOV’s contribution includes co-designing the programme and participating in the opening session alongside ITU representatives, with our Research Specialist Soumaya Ben Dhaou delivering opening remarks.
The Forum is co-located with the ITU-T Study Group 20 meeting (covering IoT, digital twins and smart sustainable cities and communities) running from 15 to 25 September, followed by the Joint Coordination Activity on IoT, digital twins and smart sustainable cities from 26 September, all hosted in Geneva.
The Forum will be held in English.
Draft Programme
08:30 – 09:30 | Registration |
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09:30 – 09:40 | Opening Remarks
| Seizo Onoe, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU Soumaya Ben Dhaou, Research Specialist, UNU-EGOV |
09:40 – 11:00 | Session 1: Laying the Foundations – Digital Public Infrastructure for Inclusive Cities
This session explores how foundational DPI elements such as digital ID, interoperable payments, and secure data-sharing frameworks are enabling access to city services, improving governance, and reducing the digital divide. It will highlight best practices from global cities and discuss standards and regulatory enablers.
Questions and Answers | Moderator: Cristina Bueti, Counsellor, ITU
Ramy Ahmed Fathy, Leader, U4SSC Thematic Group on Digital Public Infrastructure in Cities
Soumaya Ben Dhaou, Research Specialist, UNU-EGOV
Houssam Al Masri, Senior Project Manager, Khatib & Alami, Saudi Arabia
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11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee break |
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11:30 – 12:25 | Session 2: From Connectivity to Impact – Scaling People-centred Smart City Solutions As cities digitize, smart governance and people-centred design become essential. This session highlights successful deployments of DPI-powered city services that improve quality of life, build trust, and support climate resilience and economic inclusion. It will include city-level use cases and explore tools for tech deployment.
Questions and Answers | Moderator: Kamelia Kemileva, Global Cities Hub
Jojo Mehra, Chief Product Officer, eGov Foundation, India Tatiana Roque, Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jordi Ortuño Ribé, Directorate of Innovation and City Technologies, Barcelona City Council, Spain
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12:25 – 12:30 | Closing Remarks | Hyoung Jun Kim, Chair, ITU-T Study Group 20 |
Registration
Further information, including the agenda and registration details, is available on the official ITU event page: https://www.itu.int/cities/building-inclusive-digital-infrastructure-for-cities/
Event Details
15 September 2025 | 9H30 - 12H30 CEST | Geneva, Switzerland
