Future of multistakeholder governance

This panel discussion explored multi-stakeholder governance through the lens of Dynamic Coalitions within the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) ecosystem. Moderated by Judith Hellerstein, co-coordinator of the Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability, the session brought together representatives from six Dynamic Coalitions: Accessibility and Disability, Core Internet Values, Interplanetary Networks, Internet Standards Security and Safety, Schools of Internet Governance, and Children’s Rights and the Digital Environment.

The discussion focused on making internet governance more inclusive and accessible, particularly for marginalized communities including persons with disabilities, children, and youth. Participants examined both achievements and limitations of current multistakeholder governance models while highlighting the role of Dynamic Coalitions who are working intersessionally as experimental spaces for developing innovative governance approaches.

What Are Dynamic Coalitions?

Dynamic Coalitions are bottom-up, open groups within the IGF that work on specific internet governance issues. As Judith Hellerstein explained in her opening, they emerged from WSIS 2020 outcomes and operate as flexible, inclusive spaces where anyone can participate by subscribing to mailing lists or applying for membership. Information about joining was provided at the IGF booth in the village and is available at the IGF website in the section on intersessional activities.

Key Coalition Perspectives

Dr. Muhammad Shabbir from the Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability emphasized that approximately 15-16% of the world’s population—equivalent to the entire population of India or China—consists of persons with disabilities who are not meaningfully benefiting from current digital governance systems. He argued against tokenistic representation, stating: “The system might be functioning for some, but there is a very huge number of people who are not benefiting or meaningfully benefiting from the processes or the systems that our so-called perfect technologists, policy makers have evolved.” Dr. Shabbir emphasized that Dynamic Coalitions function as facilitators rather than top-down directors, providing guidance and resources while maintaining their bottom-up character. He noted that while formal power structures may not voluntarily redistribute power equally, Dynamic Coalitions retain “the power of the people which cannot be taken away from us.”

Olivier Crepin-Leblond from the Dynamic Coalition on Core Internet Values outlined fundamental internet principles including global accessibility, interoperability, decentralized control, end-to-end connectivity, and robustness. He noted that many of these core values are being eroded and require active protection as the foundation for other internet governance work. The coalition emphasizes openness, requiring no subscription or approval process and welcoming new members. Olivier committed to working one-on-one with other Dynamic Coalitions to identify partnerships and defend their work through core internet values.

Roberto Gaetano from the Dynamic Coalition on Interplanetary Networks introduced the emerging area of interplanetary internet governance, explaining that interplanetary communication requires different protocols due to delays and moving nodes in space. He referenced the São Paulo Declaration of NetMundial Plus 10 and emphasized the need to develop multi-stakeholder governance models for interplanetary internet before it becomes shaped only by telecom operators and space agencies. Gaetano stressed that multi-stakeholder models must be truly global and equal, with stakeholder groups participating on equal footing, warning against the monopolization of voices within stakeholder groups.

Wout de Natris van der Borght from the Dynamic Coalition on Internet Standards, Security and Safety highlighted a concerning gap between available security standards and their implementation, noting that many companies fail to deploy internet security standards that have existed for 20 years. He advocated for governments and companies to procure ICT that is secure by design. De Natris argued that Dynamic Coalitions should advocate for representation on the MAG (Multistakeholder Advisory Group) to better integrate their work into IGF processes, noting that while coalitions have improved visibility through clustering approaches over the past 2-3 years, they need greater influence to move from being “an appendix on the side.”

Avri Doria from the Dynamic Coalition on Schools of Internet Governance described comprehensive work in developing curricula, providing practical training, and theorizing multi-stakeholder models. She emphasized that many people lack practice in multi-stakeholder participation and need safe spaces to develop these skills. The coalition provides coursework, practica for participation skills, and theory development, with students entering industry and institutions to create change “one classroom at a time.” Doria strongly advocated for maintaining independence from MAG and UN structures to preserve flexibility and grassroots engagement.

Jutta Croll from the Dynamic Coalition on Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment highlighted that one-third of internet users worldwide are under 18, thus being children in the sense of the UN Convention on the Rights of the child, and deserve meaningful voice in internet governance. She referred to the UN-CRC being adopted by the General Assembly in 1989 the same year that the world wide web began its triumphal procession into the broader population. With regard to this coincidence she noted that digital environments have opened new opportunities for children and youth to participate directly without adult accompaniment, fundamentally changing traditional participation models. Children’s rights to protection, provision and participation need to be respected and fulfilled also in Multistakeholder Governance, Croll said.

Markus Kummer, co-facilitator of the Dynamic Coalition Coordinating Group, referred to a fresh perspective on age categorization provided by the Dynamic Teen Coalition, suggesting that children under 12, teenagers aged 13-18, and various adult categories have fundamentally different needs and capabilities.

Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta from the Dynamic Coalition on Digital Economy addressed the Digital Divide Challenge and provided an economic analysis of digital exclusion, noting that one-third of people globally—approximately 2.7 billion individuals—remain unconnected to the internet. He criticized current governance approaches as “reactive, not proactive,” arguing that at the current pace of progress, “it’ll take more than a decade for us to connect the people.” Dr. Gupta challenged current priority-setting in internet governance, arguing that artificial intelligence is being prioritized over basic internet access. He suggested that “the issue is not with multi-stakeholder governance. The issue is governance of multi-stakeholder governance,” indicating that meta-governance structures need reform.

Interaction with participants from the floor

The discussion took a critical turn when participant from the floor Kjetil Kjernsmo directly challenged the panel’s premise, stating: “The power of internet governance is not in this room. It is chiefly with big tech… Shouldn’t we be moving towards polycentrism rather than multi-stakeholderism?” This intervention forced participants to confront where actual power lies in internet governance and whether current approaches are adequate. The question of formal representation versus independence remained a key tension throughout the discussion. Henry Wang contributed thoughts about decentralized protocols and infrastructure for the future, while Vasiliy Zudin extended an invitation for collaboration with Russian NGO’s Global Digital Forum, demonstrating the international scope of Dynamic Coalition work.

As an example for worldwide acknowledgement Tatevik Grigoryan from UNESCO presented their Dynamic Coalition on Internet Universality Indicators - IUI. She emphasized that multistakeholder participation represents UNESCO’s official position, endorsed by 194 member states.

Commitments from Dynamic Coalitions

The discussion generated several concrete commitments:

• Dynamic Coalitions coordination group will work on making coalition membership and participation pathways more visible and accessible
• The Dynamic Coalition on Core Internet Values will work with other coalitions to identify partnerships
• Coalitions will continue their clustering approach while considering advocacy for MAG representation
• The Dynamic Coalition on Internet Standards, Security and Safety will continue advocating for secure-by-design ICT procurement
• All coalitions committed to focusing on substantive work and measurable impact

Conclusions

This discussion demonstrated the maturity of thinking within the Dynamic Coalitions community about multistakeholder governance challenges. While participants acknowledged significant limitations in current approaches—including power imbalances and slow progress on connectivity—they maintained focus on collaborative work and bottom-up innovation. The conversation revealed Dynamic Coalitions as crucial experimental spaces within the IGF ecosystem, providing flexibility for innovation that more formal structures might not accommodate. The ongoing tension between seeking formal influence and maintaining independence reflects broader challenges in internet governance about balancing effectiveness with authenticity. The session reinforced that multi-stakeholder governance remains a work in progress, requiring continuous adaptation to address emerging challenges while maintaining core principles of inclusivity, openness, and collaborative problem-solving.

Key take aways

• The future of multistakeholder governance must be genuinely inclusive—not only in principle but in practice
• Standards for safety, security and accessibility are a key element for ensuring an open and inclusive Internet.
• Dynamic Coalitions function as engines of innovation, dialogue and community driven research on some of the most pressing issues in Internet governance

Action point

• Strengthen the recognition of Dynamic Coalitions as an indispensable resource in Multistakeholder Governance