• Somali officials held talks with international leaders during the WSIS+20 meeting in Geneva

• Discussions focused on digital inclusion, youth training, e-governance, and cybersecurity

• Somalia ranks low on global digital development indexes but is taking early steps to improve

Somalia is aiming to boost international cooperation in digital development, according to government statements made on the sidelines of the WSIS+20 review held in Geneva from July 7 to 11. The event marked 20 years since the launch of the World Summit on the Information Society.

Mohamed Adan Macallin, Somalia’s Minister of Telecommunications and Technology, met with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. He also held talks with his counterparts from Malaysia and Djibouti, Fahmi Fadzil and Ridwaan Abdulaahi Bahdoon.

Discussions covered key areas such as digital inclusion, training in digital skills for youth and civil servants, digital governance, and cybersecurity.

These efforts are part of Somalia’s broader push to promote technological progress and digital access as drivers of social and economic development. However, the country still faces significant challenges. In the United Nations 2024 E-Government Development Index (EGDI), Somalia ranked 191st out of 193 countries, with a score of 0.1468 out of 1—well below the African average of 0.4247 and the global average of 0.6382.

In terms of cybersecurity, Somalia was placed in category 4 out of 5 in the ITU’s 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index, indicating only a basic level of commitment. The country scored 37.38 out of 100, highlighting the need to improve technical measures, legal frameworks, and capacity building.

For now, the talks in Geneva remain at the discussion stage, with no formal agreements signed. However, in May, Somalia took a first concrete step by signing a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s national cybersecurity agency, a country widely recognized for its leadership in this field.