WITFOR investigates successful, sustainable ICT strategies in developing countries and examines different initiatives and projects on effective, context sensitive development and use of ICT applications.

India is today hosting 3 day World IT forum (WITFOR), for the first time for which as many as 30 countries are expected to participate. 

World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) was initiated by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) to take advantage of the developmental opportunities offered by digital technologies and the need for developing countries and developed countries to collaborate to benefit from such opportunities. Started in 2003, IFIP has organised WITFOR every other year in cooperation with the government of the host country and many other stakeholders
WITFOR investigates successful, sustainable ICT strategies in developing countries and examines different initiatives and projects on effective, context sensitive development and use of ICT applications. In particular the WITFOR events are intended to:  Help put ICT-enabled development initiatives on the agenda of different organisations, governmental bodies, and groups currently involved in information and communications technologies. Work with different groups to ensure that the issue of ICT diffusion and sustainable effective use is on the agenda of senior policy makers and political leaders. Assist international organizations and donor agencies to build issues of the spread of ICTs and access to information into their loan and funding programmes with adequate financial and institutional allocations.  Be more pro-active in using new technologies explicitly to reduce existing social tensions and conflicts.  Encourage scholars, analysts and researchers to put the issue of electronic equity higher on their research agendas.

This work is conducted in eight thematic commissions and the result of this preparatory work is presented as policies, initiatives and best practices every second year in the conference.

The inaugural WITFOR was held in Lithuania in 2003, followed by Botswana in 2005, Ethiopia in 2007 and Vietnam in 2009. The 2012 edition in India will bring together around 1000 delegates, including ICT Ministers, senior policy-makers, academics, NGOs, ICT experts and ICT companies from the private sector.