Session
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), including its extensive networks, has been an effective space enabling all to participate in Internet governance dialogues, informed discussions and serves as an incubator and compass for discussing current and emerging Internet-related policy issues, connected with emerging technologies since 2006. This work has informed and contributed to the WSIS process, the implementation of action lines, in addition to addressing national and regional Internet priorities.
This multistakeholder platform is a unique space as an all-year-round event, with intersessional works such as national and regional IGFs (NRIs) and self-organised Dynamic Coalitions. The intersessional work represents a network of networks—bringing together technical communities, international organizations, businesses, civil society, and government representatives who continuously exchange views on key digital issues related to the Internet, that are shared during the global IGF annual event and contribute to shaping its outputs and messages.
The IGF and NRIs, with goals and targets for an Internet and digital governance, are aligned with the WSIS vision for people-centred development and a sustainable future for all.
The mandate of the IGF, as defined in the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, has demonstrated itself to be an effective platform to leverage a networked multistakeholder approach to contribute to the ongoing multilateral processes. In line with paragraph 72(b) of the Tunis agenda, the IGF could have a role in the coordination of digital governance spaces, improving the dialogue and the links between global, regional and national initiatives, and also overcoming fragmentation and duplication of fora and siloed discussions in international bodies.
Furthermore, the Global Digital Compact (GDC), which includes a comprehensive framework for global governance of digital technologies, data and AI, highlights the role of the IGF in relation to global digital governance and especially the role of NRIs for GDC implementation - acting as key enablers and catalysts for change in local digital spaces.
Building on the above, this Main Session has two objectives:
First, to share the experiences of various stakeholders that demonstrate the usefulness and illustrate the concrete and meaningful impact of the IGF on the evolution of the digital ecosystem in different national or regional contexts, in different sectors of the society.
Second, to discuss how the IGF should continue to contribute to the achievement of a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, and therefore, how it should play a central role in the WSIS and GDC processes.
- What has the IGF meant to you and what do you want it to mean for you in the future?
- How has the IGF multistakeholder model and its realizations (IGF, NRI, DC, BPF, PN, etc.) made an impact in your organization or Internet issues in your country or region?
- How can the IGF play a more impactful expanded role to contribute to the implementation of the WSIS goals and the GDC?
Speakers:
- Hans Petter Holen, RIPE NCC
- Prof. Ambassador Bitange Ndemo, Ambassador of Kenya to Belgium and the European Union
- Renata Mielli, Chair of CGI.br - Brazilian Internet Steering Committee
- Funke Opeke, Equinox (Mainone), Nigeria
- Qusai Al Shatti, Arab IGF
- Chat Garcia Ramilo, Association for Progressive Communications
- Luca Belli
- Isabelle Lois, Vice-chair CSTD
Moderator:
- Avri Doria, independent
Report
Date & Time: 26 June 2025, 11:30 - 1:00pm, Norway, Plenary Hall
Location: Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Norway
Key Theme: The Role of IGF in a People-Centered Digital Future
Executive Summary
This Main Session explored the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)’s impact as a multistakeholder platform and its role in fostering inclusive, transparent and people-centered digital governance since 2006. The discussion reflected on how the IGF and its ecosystem, comprising National and Regional IGFs (NRIs), Dynamic Coalitions (DCs), Policy Networks (PNs) and Best Practice Forums (BPFs), have contributed to shaping global and local digital policy dialogues.
Participants emphasized the IGF’s success as a key outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and its evolving role within the broader context of digital governance, particularly in relation to the Global Digital Compact (GDC). They also highlighted the need for its institutionalization, the establishment of a permanent mandate, and stronger integration with other global and regional digital governance frameworks. Stakeholders called for enhancing IGF’s output implementation capacity at local and regional levels, sustaining bottom-up engagement, and reinforcing human rights and inclusion as core principles of digital policy.
Key Takeaway 1: IGF as an Evolving Ecosystem, Not Just an Annual Event
Speakers emphasized that the IGF has grown into a year-round, dynamic platform bringing together diverse actors, from civil society and governments to the technical community, the private sector, and the youth. Through NRIs, DCs, BPFs, and PNs, the IGF enables meaningful exchange, capacity development, and knowledge transfer on pressing digital issues.
Key Takeaway 2: IGF’s Role in Infrastructure, Capacity Development & Digital Inclusion
Notable panelists such as Prof. Bitange Ndemo and Ms. Funke Opeke highlighted IGF’s contribution to infrastructure development and inclusive access in Africa. Early IGF forums were instrumental in sharing best practices that empowered underserved regions with strategies for closing the digital divide and driving equitable connectivity.
Key Takeaway 3: A Permanent Mandate Is Critical to IGF’s Sustainability
Participants expressed a strong consensus on the need for a permanent mandate and sustainable funding model for the IGF. This would ensure its continuity and legitimacy as a platform that supports global, regional, and national processes, including the GDC and WSIS follow-up mechanisms.
Key Takeaway 4: IGF as a Proven Model for Multistakeholder Digital Governance
Speakers underscored that the IGF remains one of the most successful mechanisms born from the WSIS process. It is widely recognized for enabling inclusive governance, empowering marginalized voices, and reciprocally supporting national digital policy development such as Brazil’s Civil Rights Framework and its Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI), community connectivity in Kenya, and digital inclusion efforts in West Africa.
Key Takeaway 5: IGF Must Be More Action-Oriented
Stakeholders highlighted the need for outputs from IGF sessions, NRIs, and DCs to inform concrete, localized actions. The IGF’s value lies not only in convening dialogue but also in enabling technical capacity-building and implementation of community-driven digital policies.
Session Call to Action 1: Institutionalize and Fund the IGF Permanently
To ensure its long-term relevance, the IGF should be granted a permanent mandate within the UN system, alongside consistent funding, in order to enhance its contributions to digital governance and support follow-up activities at all levels.
Session Call to Action 2: Strengthen Local-Global Feedback Loops
Support national and regional IGFs as platforms that connect grassroots perspectives with global policy processes. Ensure their insights are reflected in IGF outputs and in follow-up mechanisms for WSIS and the GDC.
Session Call to Action 3: Integrate IGF Outcomes into WSIS and GDC Processes
Develop formal mechanisms to link IGF insights with implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and the Global Digital Compact. This includes feeding recommendations from BPFs, NRIs, PNs and DCs into intergovernmental processes.
Session Call to Action 4: Translate IGF Dialogue into Actionable Implementation
Encourage country-level application of IGF outcomes, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, digital rights, shutdown mitigation, and policy harmonization. Support the formation of technical working groups to help realize this.
Session Call to Action 5: Uphold People-Centered, Rights-Based Digital Governance
Ensure that IGF conversations prioritize human rights, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Avoid tech-centric narratives by placing people’s needs and agency at the center of Internet governance discourse.
Session Call to Action 6: Promote IGF Visibility and Accessibility
Enhance communication around IGF outputs, success stories, and community contributions. Make reports and outcomes more accessible and user-friendly to ensure wider uptake across stakeholders and countries.
Session Call to Action 7: Prevent Internet Governance Fragmentation
Strengthen cooperation between IGF, WSIS, CSTD and other digital policy forums through the embrace of the Sao Paulo Multi-stakeholder Guidelines to ensure synergy, avoid duplication, and maintain a coherent global governance landscape.
Session Call to Action 8: Recognize the Internet as a Public Good
Position IGF discussions around the principle of the Internet as a public good that serves humanity, fosters innovation, and accelerates the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Session Call to Action 9: Channel IGF Support Toward Cybersecurity Capacity in Developing Regions
Leverage the IGF ecosystem, including NRIs, DCs, PNs and BPFs, to support the development of cybersecurity and digital forensics capabilities in Africa and other underserved regions. This includes promoting multistakeholder collaboration on cyber resilience, training, digital safety frameworks, and fostering regional cooperation on emerging threats.
