Toespraak van Hare Majesteit de Koningin over Digitale Thema’s tijdens de Algemene Vergadering van de Verenigde Naties

Digital@UNGA 2026 Building a Digit’all Future Together

New York, 21 septembre 2026

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are on a journey through one of the most defining transformations of our time. Artificial intelligence is creating new possibilities for innovation and development at unprecedented speed.

Entire sectors are being transformed. Diseases are being diagnosed earlier. Farmers are able to anticipate droughts. Children in remote villages can access the same knowledge as those sitting in the most prestigious classrooms.

Yet, with this extraordinary promise comes a profound responsibility. we must make sure that the digital age becomes a story of inclusion, not exclusion.

However powerful and useful these technologies become, our focus must remain on the people they are intended to help in their daily lives.

Technology in itself should never be seen as the final goal. Its value depends on how it is used to respond to people’s needs and create meaningful opportunities.

Innovation should therefore be judged not by how sophisticated or advanced a technology is, but by the positive difference it makes for people and communities.

And this is where I see a paradox.

While digital transformation continues to accelerate at a pace that is sometimes difficult to grasp, access to the opportunities it creates remains far from equal.

Some possess the most powerful tools, while millions remain unable to fully benefit from them.

The challenge before us is therefore not only technological. It is fundamentally a question of social equity. Growth cannot be considered progress if millions are excluded from it.

If we fail to reduce the digital divides, we risk creating a world where opportunity is determined, not by talent or ambition, but by access to technology. That is not the legacy we wish to leave to future generations.

Ladies and gentlemen

As we work to ensure that no one is left behind, we must also ensure that technologies remain firmly anchored in human rights and fundamental values.

Algorithms may process information.

But only people can create meaning.

Technology can optimize decisions.

But only humans should exercise judgement.

Technology can imitate intelligence.

But it cannot replace empathy, dignity, or solidarity.

This is why human-centred technology is not merely a choice. It is a moral imperative.

Keeping people at the centre of technological change demands more than good intentions; it requires empowering individuals, and especially young people, to navigate digital spaces safely and to engage confidently and critically with the technologies shaping their lives. Education has a central role to play in this regard. Digital literacy is no longer merely a technical skill. It is a life skill.

Lastly, we must continue to ask ourselves how technology affects our well-being, our mental health and our relationships. Social media deserve special attention in this respect.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The question “what are we doing to build a Digit'all Future” is a simple question, yet a profound one. Because building a better digital future is not only the responsibility of governments, innovators, or institutions. It is especially shaped by countless individual actions that help others learn, connect, participate, and flourish.

For my part, I believe that building a digital future means ensuring that progress remains centered on people. It means supporting a future in which innovation serves inclusion. And it means building a digit’all future in which young and old are empowered rather than overwhelmed by change, so that no one is left behind.

Thank you.