IGF 2026 Parliamentary Track

The IGF Parliamentary Track is a dedicated programme designed to strengthen the role of parliaments in shaping digital policies informed by the broader multistakeholder community. Building on the evolution of parliamentary engagement since 2019, this action-oriented programme aims to deepen parliamentary dialogue, enhance legislative capacity, and reinforce the multistakeholder model by including lawmakers. The Track is officially co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the global IGF (please see here IPU's work on AI policy).

The Parliamentary Track will continue its activities in 2026 with collaborative sessions at the various regional and annual IGF meetings, and will expand partnerships with interested stakeholders. To help shape the IGF 2026 Parliamentary Track, Members of Parliaments will be invited to respond to a call for thematic input available in English, Français, Español and express their interest in participating at the regional and annual IGF Parliamentary Track.

Subscribe here to the IGF Parliamentary Track mailing list to stay informed!

Parliamentary Roundtable at the Central African IGF | February 2026 | Bujumbura, Burundi

Held under the High Patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Burundi, the edition of the Central African IGF (CA-IGF) will take place from February 16 to 21, 2026, at the Kigobe Convention Center (Agateka Hall) in Bujumbura, in a hybrid format, under the theme: Digital as an Accelerator of Inclusion and Development.

The event will host a Parliamentary Roundtable on 17 February 2026 at 14:00 (local time) on Legislating for Trust: Cybersecurity and Sovereignty to contribute to the shaping of strategic directions for Central Africa’s digital future.

For practical and logistical information, please visit:https://igf-ac.org/
 

Parliamentary Summit | March 2026 | Montevideo, Uruguay

The Chamber of Deputies of Uruguay and the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), as part of its Parliamentary Track programme, organized the fourth regional Parliamentary Summit on “Anticipating the Digital Future: Strengthening Parliamentary Governance and Democratic Innovation”, held on 24 March 2026 at the Chamber of Deputies in Montevideo, Uruguay, and online.

The regional Summit addressed how Parliaments - in particular in the Americas - can play a leading role in shaping anticipatory approaches to digital transformation, ensuring that governance anticipates future developments instead of being reactionary. 

The regional Parliamentary Summit gathered parliamentarians from the Americas and beyond, to:

  • Present existing or upcoming legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks related to digital governance in their respective countries, 
  • Concretize anticipatory practices to support Parliaments in moving beyond reactive regulation toward more generative, inclusive, and context-aware policy-making,
  • Solicit perspectives from a diverse set of actors, and
  • Connect Parliamentarians with existing regional and global initiatives.

To foster sustained collaboration and dialogue within the IGF community, the event launched a formal cooperation platform of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff from the Americas and interested members can join the mailing list here. 

The outcomes of the regional parliamentary summit are available here:

  • Montevideo Declaration (EN | SP)
  • Summary Report (EN | SP)
  • LAC Parliamentary Cooperation Platform on Digital Governance (website | mailing list)

More information, including registration and the draft programme, is available on the Summit's webpage.

Parliamentary Track at the Central Asian IGF | April 2026 | Dushanbe, Tajikistan

The Central Asian Internet Governance Forum (CAIGF) continues to serve as the leading multistakeholder platform in the region for addressing the complex challenges of the digital age. The theme “Digital Silk Road: From Isolation to Connectivity and Digital Integration” directly reflects Central Asia’s geographical realities, transforming them from a constraint into a strategic opportunity for digital integration.

The 10th edition of the CAIGF will take place on 28 April in Dushanbe, Tajikistan — a country characterized by mountainous terrain — and will highlight the critical importance of extending digital connectivity to even the most remote areas. It will build upon regional dialogue on adapting global digital trends, including those discussed at the Global Digital Forum and within the framework of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), to the specific context of Central Asia. Discussions will focus on tangible outcomes that can foster a truly resilient, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem across the region.

CAIGF 2026 will serve as a collaborative space where regional governments, including parliamentarians, the private sector, the technical community, civil society, and academia jointly explore pathways toward a future in which digital connectivity is not a luxury, but a fundamental service linking every citizen to regional and global opportunities.

The Forum’s agenda and plenary discussions will be structured around three core thematic tracks:

  • Digital Development in Central Asia: Technologies, Innovation, and Achievements
  • Bridging the Digital Divide: Technical Innovations and Sustainable Business Models for Regional Telecommunications Infrastructure
  • Cybersecurity: From Digital Dependence to Digital Resilience in Central Asia 

Details will be published here soon.

Please visit the website of the Central Asian IGF for more information. 

Parliamentary Track at the West Africa IGF | May 2026 | Freetown, Sierra Leone

Since its landmark launch in Dakar, Senegal in July 2024, the West Africa Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (WAPNIG) has served as an instrumental platform for sub-regional legislators to synchronize efforts on digital policy. By fostering high-level dialogue, the network has empowered parliamentarians to lead critical advancements in data protection, cybersecurity, digital rights and the region's broader technological transformation. 

The third edition of the WAIGF Parliamentary Track will take place on 14 and 15 May in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  

Details will be published here soon.

Please visit the website of the West Africa IGF(WAIGF) for more information. 

Parliamentary Engagement at the European Dialogue on Internet Governance | May 2026 | Brussels, Belgium

EuroDIG 2026 will take place from 26 to 27 May in Brussels, Belgium, at the Charlemagne Building of the European Commission. It will be hosted by EURid – the registry for the .eu domain name – and the event will mark 20 years of .eu, celebrating two decades of the trusted digital identity. 

Interested Parliamentarians are welcome to join this regional IGF. 

Parliamentary Track at the Africa IGF | Date and Time TBC | Accra, Ghana

More information will be shared in due course. 

 

Parliamentary Track at the Asia Pacific Regional IGF | Date and Time TBC

More information will be shared in due course. 

 

Parliamentary Track at the Latin America and Caribbean IGF | Date and Time TBC

More information will be shared in due course. 

Parliamentary Track at the annual IGF | December 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya

The Track is officially co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the global IGF (please see here IPU's work on AI policy).

More information will be shared in due course. 

Subscribe here to the IGF Parliamentary Track mailing list to stay informed!

Quick Links

Annual IGF Parliamentary Track Output Documents

Toolkit for parliamentarians on key Internet and digital policy issues

Parliamentarians can learn more by using this guide to key digital policy issues and related processes and organizations: Towards a Global Digital Compact. This is a living document and will be updated accordingly. 

Common Principles for Support to Parliaments

Based on more than four decades of experience on parliamentary development, the IPU Common Principles for Support to Parliament offer clear guidelines for those receiving or providing support to parliaments. They aim to improve the quality of the support available to parliaments and to encourage the parliamentary community to work together more effectively when planning designing and providing support. 

(العربية | English | Français | Español)

IPU Content on Artificial Intelligence

Parliamentary Track recordings

Parliamentary Track activities can be viewed here on our IGF YouTube channel.

Podcasts with Members of Parliament