CoNGO and WSIS

New Horizons in Translation and Interpreting Technology | Dialogue Forum

**Call for Participation**

The NGO Committee on Language and Languages presents

New Horizons in

Translation and Interpreting Technology

13 April 2023

While technology has long mediated the work of language professionals, recent innovations as well as ‘the new normal’ of virtual meetings following COVID-19 have brought a range of issues and questions into the foreground.  In what ways do technological tools make the work of translators and interpreters easier?  What (new) burdens do technological innovations present for translators and interpreters?  How has the rapid rise in the use of videoconferencing affected multilingual accessibility and also the health and well-being of interpreters?  How might the future of artificial intelligence (AI) present opportunities for equitable communication among speakers of different languages?  At the same time, what implications does AI have for the human elements of communication and the roles of interpreters and translators?  A panel of leaders, practicing professionals, and researchers will take up these and other topics.  Representatives of NGOs, Secretariat and UN agency staff, colleagues from Member States, language professionals, researchers, and students are welcome to attend.

Event Details

The NGO Committee on Language and Languages (CoLL) is hosting the dialogue forum virtually on 13 April 2023.

08:45-11:00 – New York
14:45-17:00 – Geneva
15:45-18:00 – Nairobi
20:45-22:00 – Bangkok

Registration

Representatives of NGOs, Secretariat and UN agency staff, colleagues from Member States, scholars, language professionals, students and others with an interest in technology for translation and interpreting.  There is no fee, but pre-registration is required.  Register here as soon as possible, but no later than 12 April.

Programme

8:45-9:00am Sign In

9:00-9:05am Francis M. Hult – Welcome, Chair, NGO Committee on Language and Languages

9:05-9:10am Linda Fitchett and Alison Rodriguez – Introduction

9:10-9:25am Harilaos Ghinos

9:25-9:40am Andrea Caniato

9:40-9:55am Jost Zetzsche

9:55-10:10am Muskaan Singh

10:10-10:30am Panel Discussion

10:30-11:00am Open Dialogue

See flyer HERE: CoLL Translation and Interpreting Technology April 2023

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CoNGO Notes: For information about the collaborative work of NGOs on the above issues, you can visit the substantive committees under the auspices of CoNGO. CoNGO is a partner of the World Summit on Information Society process (WSIS Process), in which the agenda of Information Communication and Digital Technology, including translation and interpreting technologies, are discussed. The CoNGO President, Liberato Bautista, has been a High-Level Track Facilitator at WSIS Forum 2022 and WSIS Forum 2023. For specific information about the NGO Committee on Language and Languages, contact: Chair: Francis M. Hult | Universal Esperanto Association | UEA | fmhult@umbc.edu

2023 ECOSOC Partnership Forum Side Event: WSIS Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs

2023 ECOSOC Partnership Forum Side Event: WSIS Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs

United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

Session 131

Tuesday, 31 January 2023

08:30-9:45 (UTC-5) New York
14:30–15:45 (UTC+01:00) Geneva
Register for virtual participation »

The achievement and the progress for 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development require multistakeholder collaboration and partnerships. Given the global challenges and with eight years ahead to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the need for accelerated actions is paramount. To collectively achieve the SDGs, collaboration within the UN system and with non-UN stakeholders, including private sectors, civil societies, academia, youth, and many more is imperative.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development highlights the importance of information and communication technologies (ICT) and global interconnectedness as powerful enablers of growth, to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital divide, and to develop knowledge societies. More needs to be done to leverage the potential of digital technologies.

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a UN process that includes an annual, multistakeholder Forum where governments, civil societies, private sectors, academia, international organisations, technical communities, and others are able to network, partner, and share how to achieve the SDGs through the framework of the WSIS Action Lines. WSIS emphasises multistakeholder collaboration and cooperation across all regions and sectors.

United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) is a great example of existing well-functioning digital cooperation in the UN system. Its mandate includes promoting collaboration and partnerships among the members of the Chief Executives Board (CEB) to contribute to the achievement of WSIS goals, providing guidance on issues related to inclusive information and knowledge societies, helping maintain issues related to science and technology at the top of the UN Agenda, and mainstreaming ICT for Development. UNGIS offers a valuable knowledge and resource base that has been developed in the past decade on a multi-stakeholder basis focusing on innovative tools and approaches to tackle multiple development challenges.

This session, co-organised by WSIS and UNGIS will focus on how the ICTs and the WSIS cooperation can help accelerate the SDGs, learning from the COVID-19 experience to build an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable societies and economies. It is important to strengthen partnerships and digital cooperation towards achieving goals and targets across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

More information about the 2030 ECOSOC Partnership Forum: https://sdgs.un.org/events/ecosoc-partnership-forum-2023

Registration to the 2030 ECOSOC Partnership Forum (virtual participation only): https://forms.office.com/e/vF2zDD6Hsg. Deadline is Monday, 30 January.

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CoNGO is a civil society partner of the WSIS Process.

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