In December 2025, Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, Professor and Coordinator for Research Professional Development, delivered remarks at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting to review the 20-year outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20).

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was first launched in Geneva in 2003 and concluded in Tunis in 2005. This UN-led initiative established a global multistakeholder framework for addressing information and communication technology issues, including digital inclusion, cybersecurity, development, and digital cooperation, and aims to build a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented information society where everyone can create, access, utilize, and share information.

The December meeting gathered government representatives, United Nations leadership, youth, and other stakeholders to look back on the past 20 years of progress and “deliberate a digital future that serves people and sustainable development.” Hinchliffe, who serves on the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), spoke about the vital role of libraries as a vital part of a healthy information infrastructure.

“It was a great honor to represent IFLA and the world’s libraries at the UN General Assembly. Libraries are keystone organizations of the information society, and I was pleased to bring that message to the global stage,” said Hinchliffe.

Hinchliffe’s full remarks can be found on the Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (IDEALS).