Stakeholders are invited to apply to organize different types of sessions at IGF 2026. Proposals should be coherent with the IGF 2026 overarching theme, "Governing the Internet in the Age of Intelligence: Our Shared Responsibility".
The overarching theme is decided during the IGF 2026 First Open Consultations and MAG Meeting, taking into consideration public inputs from the IGF 2026 thematic and stocktaking calls. They form the basis of the MAG's discussions and ensure programme topics are those deemed most critical and timely to digital governance stakeholders and societies at large.
All are welcome to explore the session types open for application, as described below.
Submission deadline: 31 July 2026, 23:59 UTC
Session Applications
Stakeholders are strongly encouraged to look through the session types below carefully and consider which is most suitable for their purposes. Workshops are the main substantive session type and are evaluated competitively by the MAG, due to space restrictions.
Use the application button in each section to open a dedicated page where the online application can be submitted.
Workshops Application 
30 - 90 min
Workshops are sessions in the IGF annual meeting on a specific Internet governance topic or question. Internet governance is defined as "the development and application by Governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet." Workshops should offer expertise or insight on the topic and generate discussion among participants.
Who can apply?
- Any person, or group of persons, from any stakeholder group (civil society, the technical community, the private sector or government) may submit a workshop proposal.
- Organizing teams who are proposing a session for the first time, or are from developing countries, are especially encouraged to submit.
- It is also strongly encouraged to list a team that is diverse in terms of perspective, gender, region, stakeholder group, age (for example, youth), and physical ability (for example, persons with disabilities), as diversity is an important factor during proposal evaluation.
Open Forums Application 30 - 90 min
Open Forums are interactive sessions organized by governments and treaty-based international organizations. Open Forums should focus on a government or organization's Internet governance-pertinent activities and allow sufficient time for questions and discussions.
Who can apply?
- Governments
- Treaty-based international organizations
- Global organizations from any stakeholder group with international scope and presence, with operations across regions, dealing with Internet governance-related issues
Lightning Talks Application 20 - 30 min
Lightning Talks are fully in-person events that are brief, to-the-point, prepared presentations on a specific Internet governance issue.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Stakeholders, participating onsite, with demonstrated interest in Internet governance
- Organizations, participating onsite, wishing to present their work in the global Internet governance ecosystem and who can clearly outline the Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through this session
Pre-events Sessions Application 30 - 120 min
These sessions take place on the day before the IGF official programme begins. Requesters are given the space to hold the events if their content is Internet governance-relevant and appropriate. Taking into consideration regional and stakeholder balance as well as relevance, space for these sessions is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and requested durations are granted based on availability.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Stakeholders with demonstrated interest in Internet governance, wishing to hold a session prior to the first day of the IGF
- Organizations wishing to present their work in the global Internet governance ecosystem and who can clearly outline the Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through this session
Community and Networking Sessions Applications
These sessions complement the programme through networking, community engagement and the showcasing of initiatives. They are generally held outside core programme hours and may not include the standard support services available during the main programme, such as captioning, virtual participation and optional interpretation.
Launches and Awards Application 20 - 60 min
A limited number of Launches and Awards will be selected for the IGF programme. These types of sessions serve to launch an Internet governance-related initiative, or to host award ceremonies. Proposals should clearly state the relevance to Internet governance and the IGF themes.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Stakeholders with demonstrated interest in Internet governance
- Organizations wishing to introduce an initiative or host an award ceremony in the global Internet governance ecosystem, who can clearly outline the Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through this session
Networking Sessions Application 30 - 60 min
A limited number of Networking Sessions will be selected for the IGF programme. These are interactive gatherings of stakeholders interested in a same or similar issue on Internet governance. Their open formats (in the case of face-to-face events, open-seating) can serve as an icebreaker, prompting quicker ways for people to get to know each other. Networking Sessions are also a suitable session type for social gatherings, or for gatherings of people and organizations from a particular region, stakeholder group, or area of activity.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Any organization currently active in the Internet governance ecosystem
- Organizations wishing to organize a networking event for the global Internet governance ecosystem and who can clearly outline the Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through this session
Hybrid IGF
IGF 2026 will be organized in a hybrid format and welcome participants at the physical venue in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as online. The goal is for all participants, whether onsite or online, to engage in an equally meaningful way in IGF sessions. Workshop and session organizers are expected to consider elements of interactivity and accommodate the hybrid format in their proposals. For workshop proposals competitively evaluated by the MAG, these elements of hybrid interactivity will be a factor in a proposal's overall rating.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The IGF is a multistakeholder forum for people to exchange ideas, experiences and solutions to digital governance challenges. AI tools may be used to assist with drafting or language refinement, but session proposals should reflect the organizers' own ideas, expertise and policy questions. Proposals are expected to represent genuine human perspectives and to form the basis for meaningful discussion.
To support the administration of the Call for Session Proposals, the IGF Secretariat may use AI-assisted tools for tasks such as organizing or analysing submissions, though not for the evaluation of workshops, which remains the responsibility of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG).
Q&A
(i) Language
- Can I submit a session proposal in a language other than English?
Unfortunately, not. The working language of the IGF is English. While IGF strives to be as multilingual as possible, the internal resources do not exist to review proposals in different languages. Furthermore, interpretation is not provided as a standard feature in session rooms.
(ii) Sessions with mixed onsite/online presence
If the session is mixed, with some members of organizing teams and participants joining online and some onsite, the room's moderator(s) will act as a bridge between the two groups to ensure equality of interactivity. However, there is a minimum requirement of having at least three (3) speakers onsite, including the onsite moderator.
Please note that Lightning Talks presenters must be present in person. Community & Networking Sessions are held outside core session hours and may not enjoy standard virtual participation or captioning support.
- I don’t know yet if I will be able to travel to Kenya. Can I still apply for a session?
Yes, but you must ensure that at least one moderator and two speakers will be present onsite. In case plans change and you cannot guarantee this minimum requirement, you must inform the IGF Secretariat as early as possible. Kindly note that Lightning Talk presenters must attend onsite; Community & Networking Sessions are held outside core session hours and may not enjoy standard virtual participation or captioning support.
- Some of my speakers won’t be able to travel to Kenya. Can they still participate?
Yes, as long as three speakers, including the onsite moderator, are present onsite. The IGF will provide session organizers with the virtual link for online speakers and participants. Kindly note that Lightning Talk presenters must attend onsite; Community & Networking Sessions are held outside core session hours and may not enjoy standard virtual participation or captioning support.
- Will session rooms be already equipped for virtual participation?
Yes, rooms at the venue in Kenya will already be technically configured to accommodate online speaker and participants. The IGF will provide session organizers with the virtual link for online participants. Kindly note that Lightning Talk presenters must attend onsite; Community & Networking Sessions are held outside core session hours and may not enjoy standard virtual participation or captioning support.
(iii) General technical support for sessions
- Will all sessions have the same level of technical support?
No. While all sessions will have a technical support person to assist them in the room onsite, not all will have transcription or live webcasting (e.g., Lightning Talks). Please check the level of support linked to your session type on the session's Call page. Workshops will all have transcription and live webcasting.
