15th edition of global awards programme recognizes projects that blend impact and innovation
By Sonia Meetes, Cyber Era NG Special Correspondent, Switzerland
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) today announced the winners of the 15th annual WSIS Prizes, honouring innovative technological approaches that support global development.
The awards, announced at the WSIS Forum 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, gave top honours to projects from 15 countries and 3 international organizations, showcasing leading examples of how the WSIS commitment to people-centred digital development can be translated into concrete action, impact and results on the ground.
“The WSIS Prizes showcase the best combinations of human ingenuity and life-changing tech innovation on a global stage,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Congratulations to all of this year’s Winners and Champions, and thank you for embodying the WSIS spirit of people-centered digital development.”
The WSIS Prizes 2026 received nearly 1,600 submissions from over 120 countries. Since its inception in 2012, the contest has received more than 10,000 submissions profiling technological solutions to global development challenges.
Strengthened by a renewed UN General Assembly commitment to digital development, the WSIS Forum 2026 is meeting from 6 to 10 July to address urgent challenges in connectivity, online safety and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
WSIS Prizes 2026 Winners
Category 1: The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
Organization: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
Project: ASEAN 5G Skills Framework and Capacity Development Platform
Country/Organization Type: Malaysia
Description: The ASEAN 5G Skills Framework establishes a harmonized regional reference for developing future-ready digital talent and strengthening workforce preparedness for advanced connectivity technologies across ASEAN Member States.
Category 2: Information and communication infrastructure
Organization: Algérie Télécom
Project: AI for Digital Inclusion
Country/Organization Type: Algeria
Description: AIDI leverages artificial intelligence and citizen-generated data to identify digital inclusion gaps and support evidence-based policies that promote equitable digital participation.
Category 3: Access to information and knowledge
Organization: Internet Society Zimbabwe Chapter
Project: Digital Skills Training for Persons with Disabilities
Country/Organization Type: Zimbabwe
Description: The project strengthens the digital inclusion of persons with disabilities by equipping them with essential ICT skills and enabling their meaningful participation in the digital economy.
Category 4: Capacity building
Organization: APNIC Foundation
Project: Building Capabilities in the Asia Pacific (BCAP)
Country/Organization Type: International Organization
Description: BCAP enhances technical capacity and digital skills across the Asia-Pacific region to foster a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable Internet ecosystem.
Category 5: Building confidence and security in use of ICTs
Organization: National Cyber Security Agency
Project: National Cybersecurity Training Program
Country/Organization Type: Qatar
Description: The National Cybersecurity Training Program develops a highly skilled and inclusive national cybersecurity workforce to strengthen digital resilience and support long-term national development.
Category 6: Enabling environment
Organization: Department of Telecommunications, Government of India
Project: Samriddh Gram: Integrated Phygital Service Delivery Model Enabled by BharatNet
Country/Organization Type: India
Description: The initiative demonstrates how digital infrastructure can be leveraged to deliver integrated and inclusive public services that advance sustainable rural development.
Category 7: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-government)
Organization: Center for Data and Information Technology, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education
Project: Rumah Pendidikan
Country/Organization Type: Indonesia
Description: Rumah Pendidikan delivers inclusive and AI-powered digital public services that enhance access to quality education and strengthen education governance nationwide.
Category 8: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-business)
Organization: Dubai Customs
Project: Cross Border E-Commerce Platform
Country/Organization Type: United Arab Emirates
Description: The Cross Border E-Commerce Platform accelerates digital trade by streamlining customs processes, enhancing transparency, and strengthening the efficiency of cross-border e-commerce ecosystems.
Category 9: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-learning)
Organization: Qassim University
Project: QSpark – The Spark of Intelligent E-Learning
Country/Organization Type: Saudi Arabia
Description: QSpark transforms higher education through AI-driven personalized learning and academic analytics that improve student success and institutional effectiveness.
Category 10: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-health)
Organization: Reach Digital Health
Project: MomConnect: A National Mobile Technology Platform to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in South Africa
Country/Organization Type: South Africa
Description: MomConnect harnesses mobile technology to improve maternal and child health outcomes by providing accessible, personalized, and scalable digital health services.
Category 11: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-employment)
Organization: iamtheCODE Foundation
Project: Enabling 1 Million Women and Girls Coders by 2030
Country/Organization Type: International Organization
Description: iamtheCODE empowers women and girls from underserved communities with digital and entrepreneurial skills, expanding pathways to employment and leadership in the digital economy.
Category 12: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-environment)
Organization: Musandam Governorate
Project: Enhancing Environmental Sustainability and Energy Efficiency through Smart Lighting Poles
Country/Organization Type: Oman
Description: The Smart Lighting Poles project integrates AI, IoT, and renewable energy technologies to create safer, more sustainable, and digitally connected urban environments.
Category 13: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-agriculture)
Organization: China Unicom
Project: IoT Empowering Smart Agriculture Irrigation
Country/Organization Type: China
Description: This project applies IoT-enabled precision irrigation technologies to enhance agricultural productivity, improve resource efficiency, and promote sustainable farming practices.
Category 14: ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (E-science)
Organization: Kobo
Project: KoboToolbox
Country/Organization Type: United States of America
Description: KoboToolbox democratizes access to high-quality digital data collection and analysis tools, enabling organizations to generate reliable evidence for informed decision-making and sustainable development.
Category 15: Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
Organization: Department of Information and Communications Technology Region X
Project: Digital Souls, Native Tongues: The LAKIP Story
Country/Organization Type: Philippines
Description: LAKIP promotes digital inclusion and lifelong learning by delivering culturally relevant and linguistically accessible digital skills training to underserved communities.
Category 16: Media
Organization: Vérif’All
Project: Vérif’All: The First All-in-One Fact-Checking Application for West Africa
Country/Organization Type: Benin
Description: Vérif’All strengthens media and information literacy by providing citizens with accessible tools to identify, verify, and counter online misinformation and disinformation.
Category 17: Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
Organization: Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Project: Foster Family
Country/Organization Type: Azerbaijan
Description: The Foster Family initiative enhances child protection through a transparent and integrated digital system that supports accountable, efficient, and child-centered foster care services.
Category 18: International and regional cooperation
Organization: Inter-American Network on Digital Government (Red GEALC)
Project: Electronic Government Network of Latin America and the Caribbean
Country/Organization Type: International Organization
Description: The GEALC Network advances citizen-centred digital government across Latin America and the Caribbean by fostering regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity-building.
