Recognizing the pressing need for equipping civil servants with the necessary skills and institutional frameworks, UNESCO is organizing the Conference on Capacity Building on AI and Digital Transformation in the Public Sector—to be held at its Paris headquarters on 4–5 June 2025. This high-level gathering seeks to address the widening capacity gap within governments, foster international cooperation, and align digital transformation efforts with broader sustainability and governance goals.

The conference will convene senior policymakers, public sector leaders, academics, industry experts, and civil society representatives in a hybrid format to discuss critical strategies for advancing digital capacity in public administration. Thematically, the event is focused on three interconnected goals: empowering public administrations, fostering knowledge exchange and partnerships, and enhancing global digital cooperation.

At the core of the event is the recognition that digital transformation is not simply about technology; it is about people, processes, and policy. Many public administrations face significant hurdles in modernizing services, including limited digital competencies among civil servants, legacy infrastructure, and outdated legal frameworks. UNESCO’s initiative aims to fill these gaps by promoting targeted capacity-building, including the development of a global network of Schools of Public Administration focused on digital transformation. This effort is expected to lay the groundwork for more agile, inclusive, and resilient public institutions.

The conference’s first day will feature keynote addresses and thematic sessions exploring best practices in digital governance, AI deployment in public services, and innovative capacity-building models. During the first day, the session "Developing National Strategies for Digital Capacity Building" will feature key speakers including Maja Handjiska Trendafilova (ReSPA), Alejandro Milanesi (CLAD), Coffi Dieudonné Assouvi (CAFRAD), Dora Dei-Tumi (Civil Service Training Centre Ghana), Titiksha Vashist (The Pranava Institute), and Ahmed Alghamdi (Saudi Data & AI Authority), each bringing regional and institutional perspectives on building digital skills in the public sector. Their insights will showcase diverse approaches to capacity building across Europe, Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and the Gulf region.

The second day will deepen the conversation through roundtables on digital financing and institutional cooperation, alongside a special session contributing to the WSIS+20 review, an assessment of progress made under the World Summit on the Information Society framework. Additionally, parallel workshops will provide a platform for more specialized discussions, including a dedicated forum for Schools of Public Administration to share experiences and co-develop future initiatives.

Importantly, the timing of the event coincides with World Environment Day on 5 June, reinforcing the conference’s commitment to sustainable digital transformation. UNESCO will use this occasion to highlight how AI and digital technologies can support environmentally responsible governance and contribute to building greener digital ecosystems.

The conference is also situated within broader global processes, such as the drafting of the Global Digital Compact, which aims to articulate shared principles for an inclusive and human rights-based digital future. Through its outcomes and deliberations, the Paris conference will feed into this compact and the WSIS+20 process, helping shape a forward-looking global digital agenda.