WSIS Prizes Ceremony

WSIS Prizes 2024 Celebrates Global ICT Innovations for Sustainable Development

The WSIS Prizes 2024 ceremony, led by hosts Gitanjali Sah and Vladimir Stankovic, was a prestigious event celebrating the remarkable contributions of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to the advancement of the WSIS Action Lines and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ceremony highlighted the extensive global efforts to leverage ICTs for sustainable development, with over 1,000 projects from 104 countries participating and more than 1.5 million votes cast online, reflecting the widespread commitment to this cause.

The event honoured the Swiss Confederation and the United Arab Emirates for their unwavering support of the WSIS initiatives. Ambassador Schneider expressed gratitude for the partnership and support from all involved, and ITU Secretary-General Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin presented the awards to the deserving winners.

The winners represented a diverse array of projects that showcased the transformative power of ICTs across various sectors. Notable projects included the Tanzanian Digital Inclusion Project, which connected citizens to broadband internet and empowered girls in STEM education, and the Young Archers project from Spain, which developed educational materials and digital tools for heritage education.

The ceremony also highlighted personal stories and motivations behind some of the projects, such as the Rwandan e-health project Checkmi, which was dedicated to the memory of the creator’s late sister who passed away from breast cancer. The project aimed to provide an interactive platform for women to conduct breast screenings at home and connect with health specialists.

The event concluded with a call to continue celebrating the achievements of the winners and the positive impact of ICTs worldwide. The hosts invited the audience to participate in further activities, including a yoga session for relaxation and a gala dinner at the ITU headquarters.

The WSIS Prizes 2024 ceremony not only celebrated the achievements of the present but also set the stage for continued innovation and collaboration in the field of ICTs for sustainable development. It served as a testament to the power of ICTs in transforming lives and societies and underscored the importance of international cooperation and multi-stakeholder engagement in driving progress towards the SDGs.

Gitanjali Sah:
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the WSIS Prizes 2024 ceremony. We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible innovations that ICTs can help the WSIS Action Lines and SDGs bring and the innovation that they have brought towards WSIS Action Lines achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you Gitanjali. The success of the WSIS Prizes contest is a testament to its integral role in the WSIS stock taking process which has been diligently maintained by ITU since 2004. This year we received an outstanding number of submissions from around the world. In 2024 we had over 1,000 projects from 104 countries showcasing the diversity and creativity of the global ICT community while the online voting generated more than 1.5 million votes.

Gitanjali Sah:
That’s truly impressive. It demonstrates the remarkable efforts being made globally to leverage ICTs for sustainable development by the WSIS multi-stakeholder community. And now it’s my honor to invite the ITU Secretary-General Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin to join us on stage to present the trophies to our deserving winners. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin to the stage. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special segment of recognition for two key supporters of the WSIS process. Their contributions have been instrumental in driving the success and growth of our initiatives. First, we would like to acknowledge the Swiss confederation for their unwavering support we would like to invite the representative of the swiss confederation to join us on stage and we invite the IIT secretary general to present a special recognition award to the swiss confederation. Ambassador Schneider, we’d like to request you to say a few words before you leave. If my colleague could please pass on the mic. Thank you very much.

Thomas Schneider:
So yes, thank you Doreen. We’re very happy and proud to every year be one of your key partners and supporters. I won’t repeat myself, you’ve heard me enough in the past few days and may hear me again in the future. So I just say thank you to everybody working also behind the scenes for this event from the IIT, from the local host, from all other partners. Thank you all. Thank you all the participants. Looking forward to continued good interaction. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you ambassador Schneider and the swiss confederation for your support. Next we would like to honor the united arab emirates for their significant support of the process implementation including the eumatrix project. We would like to invite the representatives of the united arab emirates to join us on stage as we invite the secretary general. to present the special recognition to UAE.

Prize Winner:
We would like to invite the Director General of the PDRA to say a few words. Thank you. Yes, I have to say something. Good afternoon to all of you. For two decades, the World Summit on Information Society has driven growth and prosperity in the ICT sector. As we celebrate these achievements, let me affirm our commitment to leveraging technology for the benefit of humanity and ensuring inclusivity in the digital development. First, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the ITU Secretary General, Ms. Doreen Ogden-Martin, along with the WSIS Secretariat and staff. Your tireless efforts have been instrumental in advancing the ICT sector, benefiting humanity immensely. The UAE’s active engagement in the WSIS highlights our dedication to international digital collaboration. Inspired by the WSIS SDG metrics, we have implemented an initiative called U-METRICS that uses technology for sustainable development and inclusive growth. Aligning with the WSIS action lines and SDGs, WSIS has proven its adaptability to emerging technologies. Continuously evolving to meet new opportunities and challenges. By embracing these changes, we can move toward a better and more united world.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you. Thank you again to both the United Arab Emirates and the Swiss Confederation for your unwavering support and dedication to the WSIS process. Your contributions have been instrumental for the success on WSIS in the last 20 years. Now let us proceed to the announcement of the 18 winners of the WSIS Prize 2024.

Gitanjali Sah:
We’ll start with the WSIS Action Line Category 1, the Role of Governments and All Stakeholders in Promoting ICTs for Sustainable Development. The finalists are Baki DNA Ecosystem from the Republic of Indonesia, Gov Directory Kingdom of Netherlands, Civil Subway Process Digitization from Palestine, National Youth Cyber Awareness Program, United Arab Emirates. And the winner for the Category C1 is the National Data Bank and Eti Sharaf by Saudi Data and AI Authority from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Video:
The Saudi Data and AI Authority, SADAIA, has established two game-changer units, the National Data Bank, NDB, and Eti Sharaf. NDB is a constellation of interconnected national data platforms such as National Data Lake, Data Marketplace, and Open Data Portal that aim to accelerate data sharing, improve national data quality, and instill data as a common denominator for the digital economy in the Kingdom. Eti Sharaf is SADAIA’s analytical powerhouse. leveraging data and analytical capabilities to extract insights and build AI solutions to support decision-making in the kingdom.

Gitanjali Sah:
We would like to invite the representative to say a few words. Anna, if you could please give a mic. Yes, please.

Prize Winner:
First of all, on behalf of the Saudi data and AI authority, SADAIA, I’d like to express the great gratitude for the ITU and all the partners who organized this event. And it is of great privilege to receive this esteemed award and global recognition. And this is merely the result of a visionary leadership of His Royal Highness, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SADAIA. And this is a continuous work. We see this as the beginning. The beginning is still, and this is a continuous work. We pledge to continue on developing and building data-driven solutions for the more sustainable future of the kingdom and beyond. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations to Saudi Arabia. In the category two, information and communication infrastructure, the finalists are Electric Network Geolocation from Algeria, Government Cloud from Azerbaijan, SpeedSign with IoT from Malaysia, Connectivity for All from Mexico. And the winner in category two is Empowering Disaster Response in Northern Africa. Mindao through the use of local radio networks from the Department of Information and Communication Technology Region 10 from the Philippines. Congratulations!

Video:
Whenever disasters strike Northern Mindao, it leaves a vulnerable and disconnected community. But out of crisis came innovation. The ICT Region 10 initiated the Regional System Utilizing Strategically Placed HF radios to communicate with essential responding agencies. The RDN has proven its worth by facilitating communication, strengthening coordination, speeding up response efforts, and ultimately saving lives. We would like to invite the winner to share an appreciation message.

Prize Winner:
On behalf of the Philippines Department of Information and Communications Technology, I’m honored to accept this prestigious award. This recognition validates our dedication to promoting ICT innovation within the public sector and enhancing the quality of life of all our citizens. With the Philippines being one of the nation’s most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, we are deeply grateful that our efforts to enhance disaster resilience and collaboration have been recognized in this global stage. Our team in the DICT stays committed to delivering innovative programs to ensure a progressive, safe, inclusive, secure, contented, and happy Filipino nation. Once again, thank you very much for this prestige and honor. We look forward to working together to promote digital governance and ICT innovation in government. Thank you.

Gitanjali Sah:
access to information and knowledge, and the finalists are Access to Information Knowledge from Brazil, Canasta Digital Social from Dominican Republic, DG Youth from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Expanding Digital Access to Marginalized Communities and Institutions from Kenya. And the winner for Action 9C3 Access to Information Knowledge is Tanzania Digital Inclusion Project by Internet Society Tanzania Chakra, ISOC, and Partner Organization for Digital Africa and ISOC Foundation from Tanzania.

Video:
In Tanzania, the Digital Inclusion Project is transforming lives. 1,500 citizens connected to broadband internet, 2008 girls empowered in STEM program. Our community network innovation hubs have become driving centers of collaboration and learning, fostering innovation. With affordable internet, 700 under-served entrepreneurs are constructing their businesses online. Join us by visiting www.isoc.ne.tz.

Prize Winner:
Okay, thank you. It has been a long time coming. First of all, I would like to thank the ITU and the WSIS team for putting this together. It has been wonderful, a nice journey. And secondly, I would like to thank our team, Team Tadip in Tanzania. I think we did it. I would like to thank the ISOC Foundation and Internet Society for funding our project. And lastly, but not least, I would like to thank my government. My minister is here. They have been able to roll out about 10,000-plus fiber networking throughout the country, from which we tap to connect citizens to the digital opportunity. Let us partner and work together to make sure that nobody is left behind. Thank you so much.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations to Tanzania. We are now moving to the Business Action Line C4 Capacity Building. And the finalists are Teachers Portal from Bangladesh, Smart Truck from Saudi Arabia, Elevate from Saudi Arabia, and Digital Teachers from Turkey. The winner in Category C4 Capacity Building is Jawara Internet Sehat by Perkumpulan Mitra TIK Indonesia from Republic of Indonesia. Congratulations.

Video:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, my name is Paul. I’m a teacher in Bangladesh. I’m a teacher in Turkey. I’m a teacher in Bangladesh. And I’m a teacher in Turkey. I’m a teacher in Bangladesh. Thank you so much, Jawara Internet Sehat.

Prize Winner:
Thank you. Indonesia is a big archipelago country with thousands of islands and thousands of NA groups. That’s why ICTWAS together with WhatsApp Indonesia initiated this program, supported by Ministry of Communication and Informatics. Thank you, Mr. Minister. UNICEF Indonesia, Ciber Creasi, and also Relawan Teka Indonesia, thank you for your continued support. This is an example how meaningful multi-stakeholder collaboration on digital literacy can create something different. And especially for 160 Youth Local Champions Jawara Internet Sehat, Kalian Juaranya, this award is yours. Thank you.

Gitanjali Sah:
Thank you, Sir, and congratulations. We would now like to move on to Business Action Line C5, Building Confidence and Security in the Use of ICT. And the finalists are Mobile Connections to Promote Women’s Economic Development, India, Advocacy and Outreach Program for Kampung Ora Asli Negeri Sembilan from Malaysia, Cyber Eco from Qatar, Intelligent Voice Technology Applied to African Languages from Senegal. And the winner is in Action Line C5, National Connect. National Connect, Empowering Governance, Education and Sustainability through Secure Government Video Conferencing by Bangladesh Computer Council from Bangladesh. The winners were not able to join us right now, so we’ll move on to the video from Bangladesh.

Video:
Under the leadership of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh proves its strength by introducing Boichok, developed by Bangladesh Computer Council, under the utmost supervision of Honorable ICT Advisor Shojib Wajid. Boichok’s introduction to an encrypted system is more than amazing. meeting platform and facilitates different government services, education, and community engagement. OITalk is empowering Bangladeshis to connect, learn, and work from anywhere.

Prize Winner:
Thank you. Thank you very much. I would like to also give my heartfelt gratitude to World Summit in the Information Society and also ITU, General Secretary, for giving us this prize and recognition. I would also like to mention about the homegrown solution of OITalk, which is Bangladesh Computer Council’s homegrown development and solutions during the pandemic. Our homegrown programmers, they have come up with the innovative solution, which is, you know, that video conferencing platform has become the regular norms of our life. And we are really grateful to our ICT advisor, who is the main architect of Digital Bangladesh, and the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for making this Digital Bangladesh vision a reality. So with this, I would like to conclude and hopefully our developers, our young, talented programmers will give you a lot of opportunities and a lot of solutions, which would be really useful for the whole globe. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations. We are moving to the Action Line CSX Enabling Environment. The finalists in this category are Action Plan to Combat the Use of Clandestine Decoders of the Conditional Access Service from Brazil, Cabo Verde Digital from Cabo Verde, Lighting Digital Capacity Building Drive from Sri Lanka, and Developers Club by the Ministry of Digital Transformation from Trinidad and Tobago. The winner in this category is the Interactive… of policies, terms, and conditions applicable in the use of digital platforms by the Federal Telecommunications Institute from Mexico. Congratulations!

Video:
The project began when we came across information on privacy policies. It was extensive, incomprehensible, but above all, difficult to find. Hence, the need to bring this information to people in a comparable and easy-to-locate format. The tool allows you to learn about the privacy policies of more than 40 applications. In three steps, you can consult what and for what you collect the information, with whom you share it, among other important data. The tool represents a key piece to move towards a more transparent, safe, and efficient digital environment. Its impact extends to an individual and global level for sustainable development and technological innovation.

Prize Winner:
Thank you. Thank you very much. It is a great honor for me to be here, receiving this prize. First of all, on behalf of the Federal Telecommunications Institute from Mexico, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the ITU and all the organizers, the sponsors of this event. You know, this prize is a global recognition to our work, to our effort to provide useful information, useful tools to empower users. So, muchas gracias. Thank you.

Gitanjali Sah:
Congratulations. And we’d like to move on to the next category, ICT applications, Action Line C7 e-Government. The finalists are Modular Open Source Identity Platform from India, National Portrait Portal Bahrain. CH from Bahrain, IDGov by Administrative Modernization Agency from Portugal, ELGO-IB PLS, streamlining the processes of business permits and licenses for business owners from Philippines. And the winner in category is MyGov by Innovation and Digital Development Agency from the Republic of Azerbaijan. Congratulations!

Video:
Azerbaijan is advancing towards a paperless, queue-free future with the MyGov platform, ensuring easy digital access for all citizens. What is MyGov? MyGov is a digital guide that consolidates necessary services and documents, bringing convenience to citizens’ lives in one place. MyGov platform aims to be a lifelong companion for Azerbaijani citizens, offering assistance anytime, anywhere, and serving as their single point of contact with state bodies.

Prize Winner:
Good evening, everyone. On behalf of Innovation and Digital Development Agency from Azerbaijan, firstly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to WSIS Prize Committee and esteemed judge for this incredible honor. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our amazing team. We believe that without the passion and effort, this project would not have been possible. MyGov, our national MyGov platform, aims to provide public services in an intuitive, digital format based on life events. making access to essential services more efficient and user-friendly for our citizens. Thank you to everyone who believed in us and supported our journey. We are truly humbled and motivated to achieve even more greater things. Thank you again.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations, Azerbaijan. The next category that we will be awarding is the category Business Action Line ICT Applications e-Business. The finalists in this category are female founders across borders from Latvia, easy points of sale system from Lesotho, food import and export management system from United Arab Emirates, and the DigiTech by Department of Communication from South Africa. The winner in this category is Analytical Portal by the Financial Service Authority from Oman. Congratulations.

Video:
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Prize Winner:
Ladies and gentlemen, respected guests, today I stand humble and incredibly honored. to accept this prestige award on behalf of our dedicated team at the Financial Service Authority of the Sultanate of Oman. Our journey to this point has been one of solid vision and diligence to innovate in applying technology. Technology. I extend my appreciation to all who have supported us along this path. This recognition today is a huge resource, is a huge resource of our inspiration as we strive to make a meaningful impact not just on Oman economy, but on global landscape as well. Thank you.

Gitanjali Sah:
Thank you very much and congratulations to the Sultanate of Oman. We’d now like to move on to the Business Action Line C7 eLearning and the finalists are Digital Infrastructure Program from Australia, eLearning Competence Center from Egypt, Connected Us from Luxembourg, iCodeed from the Russian Federation and the winner in Action Line eLearning is Young Archers from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona from Spain.

Video:
Young Archers provides teachers with efficient training materials and digital tools to motivate students in exploring the European dimension of local built heritage. And we created Young Archers educational toolkit. Then started creating the audio guides to support with the educational walks. We developed accessible games to be used by teachers in some of our courses. and outside of the classrooms to promote creativity among students’ participants. Finally, in partnership with students, we created digital storytelling content to promote key concepts of the project.

Prize Winner:
Thanks a lot. It’s a great honour to receive this award. Thanks ITU and OASIS for this great recognition. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Commission and to my university, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, for the commitment to reach the Sustainable Development Goals in education. Also, a special thanks to my research group, Transmedia Catalonia, for making accessible communication a really core element in all ICT projects. And a special thanks to all project partners, Monumenta, COENA, SLIDER, 22nd Primary School in Athens, CIP and Morningside Contessori for this insightful journey. We strongly believe that culture belongs to all, and we cannot let anybody be left behind.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations. We’re moving on to another ICT applications business section line, e-Health. The finalists in e-Health are Arnesi by Arnesi, Oki the Period Tracker App by UNICEF, Mobile Health App for Everyone by Centrum Izrovia from Poland, Global Digital Health Certification Network by WHO. The winner in this category is… Checkmi from Rwanda. Congratulations.

Prize Winner:
Thank you. Thank you very much. This project is actually dedicated to my late sister. She passed on from breast cancer last year. And through this project, I’ve decided to build, with my team, to build an interactive and educative eHealth platform, which is powered by Atisha Intelligence, to allow women to serve breast screening from home while connecting them with health specialists, as well as creating a community where survivors could help other women who are struggling with this disease to move on. I want to thank CAMSOL Innovations for their support. I want to thank my team. And I want to thank everybody, including Carnegie Mellon University Africa, for their continuous support to this project. And I want to really thank you for your recognition. It’s a great one for us, and it proves that what we’re doing is really something to affect or to impact the life of every woman. Thank you.

Gitanjali Sah:
Thank you, sir. Congratulations. We are now moving out on to Action Line C7 eEmployment. And the finalists for eEmployment are OGC from Algeria, Unified Labor and Employment Subsystem from Azerbaijan, AI plus 5G Empowered Blue Growth by China, and Code Your Future from United Kingdom. And the winner for the category eEmployment is Smart employee by Digital Dubai from United Arab Emirates.

Video:
In 2021, the establishment of Digital Dubai was announced with a bold vision of digitalizing life in Dubai. Among our pioneering creations is the Smart Employee App. This innovative tool has redefined all Dubai government employee services. It streamlines the processing of human resources, finance, procurement, which is empowered by artificial intelligence to empower more than 74,000 employees from over 74 Dubai government entities. Providing more than 200 services and saving over 54 million U.S. dollars, the Smart Employee App makes work life not just easier, but smarter.

Prize Winner:
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, thank you. On behalf of Digital Dubai, I would like to extend our gratitude and receiving the award really it’s a great honor for us. And this test is a testament to our team hard work and dedication in driving digital innovation and inclusion. And it is a reflection to a shared commitment in terms of leveraging technology for a positive change. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations. We’re moving on with another ICT application section line, this time for e-environment. The finalists are Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting from India. solid waste management from Kenya, air quality monitoring system from Montenegro, forest fire water system from Turkey. The winner in category E-Environment is AIS E-Waste Plus application by Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited from Thailand. Congratulations.

Prize Winner:
Sawasdee ka. And I would like to thank you AIS team back home in Thailand. I would like to thank you, our partners, our stakeholder. I would like to thank you, Mr. Ambassador, and the Thai people. I would like to also a special thanks to ITU, UN, and also WSIS organizer for such a wonderful award. But I would love to let you know, ladies and gentlemen, all the video that you saw just now is 100% made from AI. And we just, you know, once we know the information, we make. it within seven days. So this is produced from AI. But I am not an AI. I am a human. And I would like to say to you that, you know, AIS, we will continue to use the digital to develop things for good and for a more sustainable and inclusive world. So this is our commitment from AIS. Very good. Well done, AIS Thailand.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Congratulations, Thailand. We are now moving on to the action line category, e-agriculture. And the finalists in this category are communicating irrigation system from Finland, digital services portfolio from the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, digital agri-hub from Netherlands, intelligent crop irrigation system from Pakistan. And the winner in category C7 e-agriculture is Gio Tanaman by Department of Agriculture from Malaysia.

Prize Winner:
First and foremost, praise to the almighty with his blessing for us to win this prestigious International Recognition Award. My sincere gratitude to the Government of Malaysia, to the Ministry of Agriculture and Security Food Malaysia, and my beloved Department of Agriculture Malaysia and all staff for their support given. And very, very special thanks to the team of GEO Tanaman, led by Madam Kazana for their unquestionable commitment and effort to make this system workable. And last but not least, to the organiser WSIS and all the voters, thank you and terima kasih.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations. The final category in ICT applications business section line is e-science. The finalists in e-science are the sixth national telecommunication plan by Bahrain, EcoSmart Solutions by Spain, Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing, United States of America. While the winner in category e-science is Large Capacity Wide Area Data Express for Scientific Computing Breakthrough from China. Congratulations.

Video:
Here’s China’s first telescope, which has discovered over 900 posars. Over 50 terabytes data is processed and transmitted every day. To tackle long-distance data transmission and efficient computing, China Mobile’s Computility Network Brain provides Data Express service, which enables minute-level fast transfer of terabytes data across 1,000 kilometres to renewable energy-powered data centres. China Mobile is building a national data express network to bridge the computability gap and make computing more accessible.

Prize Winner:
So I would like to appreciate ITU, WSIS, committee and friends. who have supported and trusted China Mobile over the years. Our project was awarded as the winner of e-science, which affirms our innovation, spirit, and contributions. China Mobile IND team has overcome many critical challenges, including nearest access, flexible bandwidth expansion, and across-domain data distribution. They achieved integration of computing power and IPv6 plus network, which makes computing power a service that’s easy to obtain and use, just like water and electricity. Again, China Mobile will continue to enhance new technology innovation, eliminate the digital divide, and contribute to sustainable development of global ICT society. Thank you all.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you, and congratulations, China Mobile Communications Group. I also would like to recognize a finalist in e-science that I missed, University Smart Services, Singh Ovido from Iran. Congratulations.

Gitanjali Sah:
Gitanjali. Thank you, Vladimir. We move on to WSIS Action Line C8, Cultural Diversity, Identity, Linguistic Diversity, and Local Content. The finalists in this category are Challenging Technology from an Ancient Bolivian Culture from Bolivia, Peace Forum by Ghana, Arab Culture and Arts Network by Lebanon, Sharing Film Cultural Resources Using New Generation Technologies by Poland, and the winner for Category C8, Cultural Diversity, is Center for Digitization and Development.

Video:
Documentation of Heritage and Arts, set up by Digitization Association for Technology and Science from Algeria. Welcome to the Center for Digitization and Documentation of Heritage and Arts, CITIF, where traditions meets innovation. With our digital platform and smartphone app, you can dive into CITIF’s rich heritage from the palm of your hand. How it works, simple. We’re using 3D scanning, pictures, audio files to obtain accurate data information, unique content, and NFTs to ensure the preservation of Algeria’s cultural legacy for generations to come.

Prize Winner:
Ladies and gentlemen, I stand here today to express my deepest gratitude. First, to Algeria, my beloved country, for its rich culture and history that inspires us every day. To our Mr. President of Algeria, thank you for your vision and unwavering support for youth and digitization. To my exceptional team, your dedication and hard work have been the cornerstone of our success. This project would not be possible without your tireless efforts. Thank you. Our project is more than just an endeavor, it’s a mission for the good of humanity. By preserving and digitizing our cultural and artistic heritage, we are safeguarding the history of humanity. for the future generations. Thank you all.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you and congratulations. Now we move on to the EC section line, category nine, media. The finalists this year are Better Resilience, Effective Post-Disaster Communication, Coordination Mechanisms through Community Radio Stations from Nepal, One Water from Germany, SMI Africa from Morocco, Be Aware Initiative from United Arab Emirates. The winner in this section line, category E-media in 2024 is UpView, One-Stop AI Solution for Content Creators to Go Viral Consistently by UpView from United States of America. Congratulations. The representative from United States has shared the video of the project and also the appreciation video message.

Video:
This is the UpView demo video. So this is the suggestions page and we give you the opportunity to create AI generated content ideas or content ideas from a single keyword. Let’s go ahead and click explore ideas. And now that it is opened here, we have our number one suggestion. It says UpView recommended. We have the title, which you can easily copy as well as a description that you can easily copy. And here we are supplied a list of collaborators that we recommend you to collaborate with. This is UpView. Thank you so much for watching. Hello, I’m Bhavik Muni, the CEO of UpView. We’re thrilled to be recognized by the WSIS prizes for our AI powered platform that empowers video content creators. UpView automates video strategy, SEO and enables creators to focus on producing amazing content while democratizing ad revenue across income groups. This recognition validates our efforts to drive social and economic impact. On behalf of the entire team at UpView. I thank WSIS for giving us this immense honor. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.

Gitanjali Sah:
Congratulations to all of you. And we’d like to now move on to WSIS Action Line Category C10, Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society. The finalists are Digital Citizen Project from Korea, AI Ethics Principles from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mobile Heroes from Slovenia, Africa Community Internet Program from Ghana. And the winner of Category C10 is SmartPur by Nokia from India.

Video:
Our flagship corporate social responsibility program in India is called SmartPur. It is aimed at integrating technology into the daily lives of people living in remote villages in India. The initiative connects people with essential pillars of development, education, health, livelihood, governance, and financial inclusion.

Prize Winner:
Thank you very much for this honor, for Nokia’s flagship CSR project in India. And a call out from here for Save the Children India and Digital Empowerment Foundation. They helped us when in 2017, we started with 10 centers. Nowadays, we are across the whole India and I’m super proud that 40 centers are self-sustained and don’t even take any support from us anymore. So the real heroes and those that should be really congratulated are people on the ground, local trainers, local entrepreneurs, which take those centers. and make them self-sustained and deliver meaningful digital experience for local communities. Thank you very much.

Gitanjali Sah:
Thank you very much. Yes, this is a project of Nokia Finland in India. So thank you very much and congratulations.

Vladimir Stankovic:
Congratulations from my side to you and to all other WSIS Prize winners 17 so far. We reached at the end and this is the moment when we announced the WSIS Action Line Category 11 International and Regional Cooperation finalists. Climate Change Technology Accelerator from Armenia. Smart Africa Digital Academy for Youth Entrepreneurs from Rwanda. The ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics from Singapore. International Database Systems Agency from Switzerland. The winner in C11 WSIS Action Line International Regional Cooperation in 2024 is University Diploma in Internet Governance and Regulations by South School of Internet Governance from Argentina. Congratulations.

Video:
Hello, my name is Algen Caraballo. And my name is Olga Cavalli. We are founders and director of the South School of Internet Governance. The school trains fellows from all over the world. Understanding the importance of the Internet in the future of developing economies. Joining with University of Mendoza from Argentina. The school has created the University Diploma in Internet Governance and Regulations. Which offers high quality training at no cost for fellows from all over the world. We send you our best regards from Argentina.

Prize Winner:
to you and WSIS Forum. We also are sending you regards from all the fellows who’ve been participating in the South School of Internet Governance since 2009. They’re all online following you and sending the regards. Many thanks

Vladimir Stankovic:
Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to now congratulate all 18 WSIS Prize 2024 winners, and as we invite all winners to join Secretary General at the podium for the group photo, we would like to use this opportunity to congratulate to all finalists and nominees, and all those who have contributed to this year’s amazing success of the WSIS Prize contest. We do invite all of you to continue celebrating their achievements and to positive impact information communication technologies are having around the world. We would also like to invite you to join us for the yoga session following this ceremony, and those with the golden pin to join us for the gala dinner at the ITU headquarters. Once again, we would like to invite all winners to join the Secretary General at the podium for the group photo. We would like to invite all winners to join us at the podium. Final setting for the group photo. Please look at the ITU photographer waving and jumping. Please look at the ITU photographer waving and jumping. Congratulations to all the WSIS Prize 2024 winners.

Gitanjali Sah:
And please join us for the yoga session in the SDG digital stage for some relaxation and breathing exercises in the ground floor before we leave the CICG and welcome you tomorrow for an exciting day of different workshops and the AI Governance Day. Thank you very much.