GENEVA / ISLAMABAD — In a major push to accelerate Pakistan’s digital economy, Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja engaged in a series of high-level ministerial and United Nations meetings during Day 1 of the Geneva Digital Week and Global Dialogue.

The summit served as a strategic platform for Pakistan to reaffirm its commitment to international digital cooperation, focusing heavily on cutting-edge sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, and cross-border tech ecosystems.

High-Profile Diplomatic Engagements

On the sidelines of the summit, Minister Shaza Fatima held extensive bilateral discussions with key global tech leaders and top UN officials, including:

• United Nations Leadership: Amandeep Gill (Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies) and Guy Ryder (UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy).
• Middle East & Central Asia: Abdullah Alswaha (Minister of Communications and IT, Saudi Arabia), Zhaslan Madiyev (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI and Digital Development, Kazakhstan), and Mahmoud Badawi (Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation, Egypt).
• South Asia & Europe: Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya (Chief Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka on the Digital Economy) and Krzysztof Gawkowski (Deputy Prime Minister of Poland).

Core Areas of Collaboration

The ministerial-level dialogues focused on expanding practical cooperation across several transformative pillars:

• AI Sovereignty and Governance: Establishing frameworks for responsible AI development while safeguarding national interests and data.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Modernizing public service delivery systems through integrated digital frameworks to foster inclusive economic growth.
• Cybersecurity & Innovation: Strengthening defenses against global cyber threats and cultivating vibrant startup and tech innovation ecosystems.
• Cross-Border Technology Partnerships: Facilitating knowledge exchanges and collaborative policymaking to bridge the global digital divide.

The Ministry of IT & Telecommunication expressed its appreciation to the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies for organizing the summit, noting that these engagements are vital to positioning Pakistan as a highly competitive and responsible player in the global digital economy.