ComCom member Ekaterine Imedadze and the chief specialist of the IR Service Mzia Gogilashvili took part in the high-level World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). During the event, the Communications Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the communications regulatory authority of Bahrain (TRA) in order to enhance cooperation and exchange information. The agreement serves to encourage the activities carried out by the parties to promote competition and protect the interests of consumers in the electronic communications sector. 

The event included the panel session “Leaders Discussion – Shaping a Digital World Fit for the Future,” where Ekaterine Imedadze talked about the role of regulatory bodies in the development of information and communication technologies: “In order to keep pace with the rapid development of technology, regulators need to pay special attention and think about how to support the growth of digital businesses in light of the global trends. In addition, maintaining a healthy balance between encouraging innovation and protecting the interests of consumers is necessary to create a supportive environment for innovation,” the commissioner said. 

During her speech, Ekaterine Imadedze drew attention to Georgia's potential: “As for the strategic infrastructure projects, it is obvious that Georgia should use its regional potential to become the digital hub of South Caucasus. The creation of a regional data centre and the use of submarine digital corridors will create a highly favourable environment and completely new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to be important players in the multi-sector digital ecosystem,” she stated. 

The event also included a panel discussion on the cooperation of regional regulatory associations (RAs), during which Ekaterine Imadedze, as the 2023 chair of the Eastern Partnership Electronic Communications Regulators Network (EaPeReg), introduced the activities of the network to the participants and provided information on the current activities and future plans. During the discussion, the speakers reviewed examples of successful cooperation and discussed how the current regulatory environment can be transformed. 

Another panel session was devoted to women’s involvement in the field of technology. Ekaterine Imedadze talked about her own experiences in this regard. The panel was moderated by ITU General Secretary Dorin Bigdan Martin, while participants included high-level representatives of the digital industry and telecom and technology sectors of Barbados, Namibia, Pakistan, Slovenia and Vatican City. 

Ekaterine Imedadze also took part in a discussion on artificial intelligence governance, standards for its use and possible areas of regulation, information security, ethics and human rights issues. During the session, participants discussed examples of national and multilateral AI initiatives, discussed the need to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of artificial intelligence, and shared their thoughts and experiences with the audience. 

20 years ago, the World Summit on the Information Society developed a framework for global digital collaboration to build and connect a human-centered, inclusive knowledge and information society. The high-level WSIS event served to celebrate the important results achieved during the 20 years since the development of the aforementioned framework, and to share future visions.