The Power of Youth Voices to Reshape the Data Economy

The UNCTAD eWeek 2023 will be held on December 4 – 8, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland under the theme ‘Shaping the future of the digital economy’. The event will explore key policy areas that must be addressed to build an inclusive and sustainable digitalization at the national, regional, and global levels with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

The Datasphere Initiative and the Internet Society’s Youth Standing Group will host an in-person session “The Power of Youth Voices to Reshape the Data Economy” on December 7, 2023, at 11:30 am – 1:00 pm CET / 10:30 am – 12:00 pm UTC.

Youth are more connected than ever, however, they are rarely represented in policy discussions. Decisions that impact youth’s future remain monopolized by adults. Including youth in discussions is crucial to ensuring that the data economy is truly equitable. 

The session will discuss the importance of leveraging youth’s voices to reshape the data economy and the ways in which stakeholders are working to include youth in data governance. Participants will be invited to share their own best practices on how to design effective participatory approaches to data policies and technologies, to work towards a youth-inclusive data economy potentially.