There are rooms where decisions echo across continents. And then there was Room XIX at the United Nations’ Palais des Nations in Geneva this April 2025, where an orchestra of serious minds gathered for the 28th UNCSTD Session. The name may be a mouthful, but trust us, the substance was anything but bureaucratic filler. It was a high-stakes salon for the thinkers and tinkerers of progress, where nations quietly admitted they’re figuring it out as they go, where technology didn’t play the role of savior but something closer to a slightly moody friend that needs to be better understood.
We were there. Proudly. Curiously. And yes, with just the right amount of skepticism in our briefcases.
At The RegTech, we believe in showing up where it matters. And being invited to participate in a forum of this caliber, surrounded by ministers, scientists, tech advisors, and a few brilliant wild cards, felt like walking onto a stage where the next chapter of the digital world is being drafted in real-time.
5 Key Takeaways
1. Technology Is Not Destiny – It’s a Choice: From Ambassador Muhammadou Kah to UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebecca Greenspan, the message was straight: technology isn’t an unstoppable force, but a tool shaped by human intent. Decisions made today, especially around standards, access, and governance, will define whether digital transformation fuels equity or deepens global divides.
2. Development Requires Digital Sovereignty, Not Dependency: Calls for economic diversification weren’t about abandoning tech but reclaiming agency. Countries, especially in the Global South, expressed a desire to build, not just buy, their digital futures. As one delegate subtly framed it: “Why buy the cow when we can build the dairy?” The push was for co-creating platforms tailored to local realities, not inherited architectures from global tech giants.
3. Inequality in the Digital Age Is Layered and Systemic: Greenspan’s analogy – “AI upon data. Data upon digital. Digital upon electricity and infrastructure…” – exposed how inequality isn’t just digital; it’s stacked. The session reminded us that solving connectivity or digital literacy in isolation won’t work without addressing deeper structural gaps, like energy access and education.
4. Presence and Partnership Matter More Than Promises: The RegTech’s experience at the forum reinforced the value of being at the table – not to posture, but to contribute. True development, the session affirmed, is a slow build rooted in trust, co-creation, and long-term partnerships. It’s less about flashy rollouts, and more about systems that endure.
5. The Future of Development Is Being Drafted – Right Now, in Rooms Like These: In a world flooded with AI hype and tech evangelism, Geneva’s Palais des Nations Room XIX offered something different: quiet conviction. The real work of shaping inclusive digital futures is happening in conversations that don’t always trend but fundamentally matter. Being present in those rooms isn’t just symbolic – it’s strategic.
28th UNCSTD Session: Where Are We At?
During his opening remarks, Ambassador Muhammadou Kah, Chair of the session, reaffirmed the importance of the CSTD: “This Commission is expected to play a central role, given its cross-cutting mandate on science and technology for development.” He emphasized the collaborative nature of the process, stating, “Every voice matter when shaping equitable and interoperable data governance arrangements for our shared digital future.”
One of the most compelling voices was Ms. Rebecca Greenspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, who captured the transformative arc of technology over recent decades: “Not even the most outlandish sci-fi projections would have imagined when we began the level of technological transformation humanity would achieve in the next 30 years.” Yet she struck a cautionary note: “The critical issue isn’t just the pace of change in these last three decades. It is the fact that in times of rapid change, not everything changes at the same speed.”
This point was reinforced in her vivid analogy of systemic inequality: “Divides pile up on divides. AI upon data. Data upon digital. Digital upon electricity and infrastructure. Electricity upon energy.” She underscored that hope alone isn’t enough, noting, “Technology is in many ways our greatest hope for sustainable development. But hope will not materialize just by hoping.”
Words That Hit the Spot
The importance of intentional, values-driven decision-making in technology governance was echoed by Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. She reminded delegates: “Technology is not inevitable. It is the result of the choices we make and the standards we set.” She further remarked, “The real story isn’t the technology itself. It is actually the potential that digital holds – to transform communities, empower the marginalized, and deliver sustainable development for all.”
Her sobering assessment of digital inequality hit home: “Two countries alone account for 94% of AI startup funding. Africa, by contrast, has just 1–2% of global data center capacity.” In a world of accelerating AI development, “Every country deserves an opportunity to participate in the AI revolution,” she urged.
Greenspan concluded with a call for multilateralism: “Only international cooperation of the highest order can unleash the true potential of STI for the benefit of all.” Her conviction that “technology is not destiny. It is choice” was echoed throughout the conference.
When Digital Diversification Got Its Spotlight
And finally, let’s start with Theme One: Diversifying economies in a world of accelerated digitalization. No one would accuse this forum of hiding behind diplomatic ambiguity. The mood was urgent. Not panicked. Just profoundly aware.
From the hallways to the plenary panels, the phrase “economic diversification” carried the weight of a goal that’s been promised too often and delivered too rarely. But this time, it wasn’t just about moving beyond extractive industries or boosting exports. It was about recalibrating the DNA of development so that countries, especially those with less room for fiscal missteps, don’t fall into digital dependence on imported platforms and unclear solutions.
Several member states made their case with a quiet clarity: Why buy the cow when we can build the dairy?
And it’s a good question. For those of us invested in regulatory technology, digital platforms, and smart public finance solutions, this was music. The RegTech’s own experience of the Global South, particularly in digital revenue assurance and eGovernment services, lined up perfectly with what was being described at the Commission: a desire to control the blueprint rather than inherit the architecture.
This was not about resisting innovation. It was about asserting intellectual sovereignty in a digital economy dominated by a handful of multinational tech conglomerates. For once, the question wasn’t “How fast can we digitalize?” but “Whose fingerprints will be on the code?” Nevertheless, as numerous attempts for in-house development proved too costly and ultimately failed, the history has thought us that COTS solutions can be neatly adjusted, in partnership, to fit local environment and results wise – exceed expectations!
28th UNCSTD Session: The RegTech, Our Pleasure
If it’s not obvious by now, we felt privileged to attend. Not just as passive observers, but as contributors. There’s a particular kind of joy in representing a company that speaks the language of development fluently, but with a different accent. At The RegTech, we don’t see digital governance as something special. Pure and simple, it’s the infrastructure of fairness. When built with care, it allows citizens to access rights, governments to build trust, and nations to grow with dignity.
Our work isn’t about selling technology. It’s about solving problems. We partner with governments to build systems that truly serve people digital identity programs that protect access to services, revenue assurance platforms that close gaps without widening inequality. And we stay long after the rollout, because implementation is only half the story.
This session reaffirmed what we’ve long believed: no single actor has the answer. Governments must lead with bold policies. Civil society must speak up for those on the margins. And the private sector, especially companies like ours, must stop spectating and start contributing. Not with flash, but with substance.
We didn’t come to boast. We came to challenge – ourselves and others. To stop thinking in terms of quick wins and start building systems that outlast us. Systems that work for everyone.
This moment demands real partnerships. We’re ready. Are you?
The Subtle Power of Being There
Attending the 28th UNCSTD Session reminded us of something essential. Change doesn’t always shout. Sometimes, it whispers in long acronyms, complex reports, and the hands of a delegate raised at just the right moment.
But when the right people are in the room, and more importantly, when the right people speak, the whispers become a current. And we’re here for that.
As digital development continues to shape not just economies but democracies, we need more than strategy documents. We need presence. Commitment. The occasional unpopular opinion. And above all, we need people, on all sides, who understand that the future doesn’t arrive fully formed. It’s built. Often in rooms like this, by people who still believe in the deliberate pace of progress.
So yes, the 28th UNCSTD Session may not have made the nightly news. But in Geneva, this April, it made something else: a signal. Digital development is no longer the pet project of technocrats, but the shared challenge of the global public. And that, for The RegTech and for many others in the room, was a challenge worth accepting.
We are here to help governments, financial institutions, and businesses to effectively comply with growing regulatory requirements through technology.
