The Inter-American Digital Government Network (Red GEALC) received the award in the “International and Regional Cooperation” category during the World Summit on the Information Society Forum, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 9, 2026 — The Inter-American Digital Government Network (Red GEALC) was named a winner of the 2026 WSIS Prizes, presented by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in the “International and Regional Cooperation” category. The announcement was made during the World Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS Forum), held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The award was accepted by Ambassador Iván Ogando Lora, the Dominican Republic’s Ambassador to Switzerland, on behalf of the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC), the institution holding the Red GEALC presidency in 2026.

The WSIS Prizes are an international recognition initiative led by ITU—the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies—that annually celebrates outstanding projects using ICT to advance sustainable development.

The 2026 edition marked a historic milestone: the WSIS Prizes received a record 1,595 submissions from 122 countries and more than 2.2 million votes, culminating in the selection of 18 winners—one for each Action Line category. Top honors went to projects from 15 countries and only three international organizations, including Red GEALC, alongside the APNIC Foundation and the IamtheCODE Foundation.

Twenty Years of Horizontal Cooperation in Digital Government

Since its establishment, Red GEALC has promoted knowledge exchange, cross-country collaboration and capacity building to support more efficient, inclusive, secure and interoperable digital governments across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The award reaffirms the value of joint efforts among member countries, the Organization of American States (OAS)—which serves as the Network’s Technical Secretariat—the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and partner organizations supporting the region’s digital transformation agenda. This regional cooperation is brought to life through Red GEALC’s working groups, which convene authorities and experts from national digital government agencies across the Americas to share knowledge and innovate together. Key examples include the development of idLAC, the cross-border digital identity broker, as well as ministerial and high-level meetings where countries jointly define regional digital government work plans.

For Red GEALC, this recognition is not only an institutional achievement, but also confirmation of the impact of horizontal cooperation in building smarter states, bringing public services closer to people, and creating better conditions for the exercise of rights in digital environments.

Red GEALC extends its gratitude to its member countries, authorities, technical teams, working groups and strategic partners for their continued commitment to people-centered digital transformation. This award belongs to the entire Red GEALC community.

More information about the 2026 WSIS Prizes: ITU Press Release