June 2025 is the 20th anniversary of the report by the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). Convened by the UN Secretary General to help resolve key questions that were blocking the World Summit on the Information Society negotiations, the WGIG produced a reportthat inter alia advanced a broad and holistic “working definition” of Internet governance and proposed the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum with the same character. The definition highlighted that Internet governance involves shared frameworks developed by both states and stakeholders for both the underlying infrastructure and its diverse uses. The WGIG’s recommendations helped to deescalate a divisive battle over intergovernmental vs. multistakeholder governance and were incorporated into the negotiated outcome, and the definition has been invoked as foundational in UN processes and beyond ever since.
But while governments and stakeholders signed onto the WGIG’s understanding of Internet governance in 2005, the international debates and politics over the twenty years since suggest that commitment to it has not been uniform or deep. The balance between intergovernmental and multistakeholder approaches has remained contested, and attention to improving the design of institutions has been limited. This has special salience today not only because the UN is reviewing the World Summit’s twenty-year implementation in order to determine the next steps, but also because we are once again in a period where there are pressures to establish new international governance mechanisms. In and outside the UN, there are multiple processes underway concerning the governance of the digital economy, data, and artificial intelligence that are raising challenges akin to those confronted in the Internet governance battles of the past.
Among the questions worth exploring in this context are: 1) Has the WGIG’s understanding of Internet governance stood the test of time? What are its strengths and weaknesses, and with the benefit of hindsight would a similar exercise produce the same results today? 2) To what extent is the approach taken in 2005 useful in addressing the contemporary push for governance of the digital economy, data, and artificial intelligence? Are there lessons to be learned that would assist in managing the analytical and political challenges? 3) What are the implications of the new governance debates for the Internet Governance Forum and related institutions?
This webinar explored these questions. A panel of WGIG veterans led off the conversation, and then the rest of the session was devoted to open discussion among all interested attendees. At the June 2026 Internet Governance Forum meeting in Norway, a largerWGIG+20 session will build upon this discussion.
PANEL Avri Doria – independent researcher and consultant. Wolfgang Kleinwächter – Professor Emeritus of International Communication Policy and Regulation, University of Aarhus Markus Kummer – Internet governance and policy expert Vittorio Bertola – Head of Policy & Innovation, Open-Xchange
HOST / MODERATOR William J. Drake, Director of International Studies, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
On Wednesday 19 March 2025 at 18:00-19:30 CET (17:00-18:30 UTC) the Internet Society Norway Chapter (ISOC Norge) will hold its Årsmøte (AGM) at Rebel in Oslo. IGF 2025 Host Country Co-Chair Ole-Martin Martinsen will open proceedings with a keynote ‘Norges rolle i styringen av Internett‘ = ‘Norway’s role in the governance of the Internet” which will be webcast live via YouTube. It will be spoken in English.
SPEAKER Ole-Martin Martinsen – Director for Digitalization and Emerging Technologies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.
On Saturday October 5 2024 at 06:00 UTC, Phyo Thiri L. (Netmission.Asia), Sarai Faleupolu Tevita (PICISOC), Barkha Manral (ISOC Delhi Chapter) & Letitia Masaea (Women in ICT Solomon Islands), all ICANN78 fellows, host a virtual session – ‘Meeting with the IG Experts in Asia Pacific‘.
Jordan Carter, Technical Community, auDA – .au Domain Administration Ltd. Lise Fuhr, Private Sector, ETNO – European Telecommunications Network Operators Association Jeanette Hofmann, HLEC Co-Chair, WZB Berlin Social Science Center Ana Neves, Intergovernmental Organizations, CSTD – Commission on Science and Technology for Development Bruna Martins dos Santos, Civil Society, Digital Action Brazil
MODERATOR Lars Steffen, Director International, eco – Association of the Internet Industry
On Monday-Tuesday April 29-30 2024 CGI.brwill host NETmundial+10 meeting in São Paulo, Brazil. The NETmundial+10 meeting will deliver an outcome document, reaffirming the continued relevance of the 10 principles for Internet governance processes adopted in NETmundial in 2014, offering operational guidelines to help the implementation of these principles in a diversity of situations, and providing input into ongoing processes regarding the evolution of the governance architecture for digital issues.
09:00 Opening remarks
Moderator: Hartmut Glaser, CGI.br Executive Secretary Demi Getschko, NIC.br Renata Mielli, CGI.br Luciano Mazza, Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Virgilio Almeida, UFMG Irina Soeffky, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Germany Rodrigo de la Parra, ICANN Susan Chalmers, U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA Carol Conway, ABRANET Camila Leite, CDR Luciana Santos, Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation 10:00 Global challenges for the governance of the digital world
Moderator: Renata Mielli, Chair of NETmundial+10
Co-moderators: Bruna Martins dos Santos, HLEC / Timea Suto, HLEC Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard, Danish Tech Ambassador Nicolas Robinson, OpenAI Neth Dano, ETC Group Michel Roberto de Souza, Derechos Digitales Antonia Patriota, Mercado Livre Mona Gaballa, ISOC Jennifer Chung, DotAsia Florian Martin-Bariteau, University of Ottawa Umut Pajaro Velasquez, Malmö Universitet 11:30 Results from the consultation and the NETmundial+10 draft outcome document
Moderator: Bertrand de La Chapelle 14:00 Working Session 1: I – Principles for Internet governance processes
Moderators: Raul Echeberria, HLEC / Payal Arora, HLEC
Rapporteur: Jordan Carter, HLEC 16:30 – Working session 2: II – GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTISTAKEHOLDER MECHANISMS
Moderators: Lise Fuhr, HLEC / Ana Neves, HLEC
Rapporteur: Bruna Santos, HLEC
Kick-off speaker: Virgilio Almeida, UFMG
April 30
10:00 Working Session 3: III – INPUT TO ONGOING PROCESSES
Moderators: Akinori Maemura, HLEC / Jorge Cancio, HLEC / Jeanette Hofmann, HLEC / Jason Pielemeier, HLEC 12:00 NETmundial+10 follow-up and the implementation of outcomes
Moderators: Veridiana Alimonti, EFF / Guilherme Canela, UNESCO 15:00 Process coordination: GDC, WSIS+20, IGF, and beyond
Moderators: Thomas Schneider / Anriette Esterhuysen Pearse O’Donohue, DG Connect Tawfik Jelassi, ADG for Communication and Information, UNESCO Chengetai Masango, IGF Secretariat Ana Neves, UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development Amandeep Gill, UN Tech Envoy Pablo Hinojosa, APNIC Paula Martins, APC and Gender and GDC Coalition 16:30 Open microphone
Moderators: Sylvia Cadena, HLEC / Roberto Gaetano, HLEC / Min Jiang, HLEC 17:30 Closing plenary: multistakeholderism for the governance of the digital world 18:30 Closing remarks
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Internet, multilateral processes are discussing the future of its governance (the Global Digital Compact (GDC), the Summit of the Future 2024, WSIS+20, G7, etc), representatives from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UNESCO, and the Internet Governance Forum Multistakeholder Advisory Group (IGF MAG), analyze current and future challenges, and envision a more inclusive and secure digital future.
WELCOME Constance Bommelaer de Leusse, Executive Director of the Sciences Po Tech and Global Affairs Innovation Hub
PANEL Christopher Mondini, Managing Director, Europe Stakeholder Engagement, ICANN Chris Buckridge, Member of the UN Internet Governance Forum Multistakeholder Advisory Group (IGF MAG) Francesca Musiani, Associate research professor, CNRS and Deputy Director, Center for Internet and Society Guilherme Canela, Chief of Section on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, UNESCO
Moderator: Claudia Leopardi, MSc in Digital, New Technologies and Public Policy, Member of SCA’s Internet Governance project team, NextGen at ICANN78
The World Trade Organization is struggling to respond to the proliferation of national restrictions and trade barriers in the global digital economy. The largely failed 13th Ministerial Conference that concluded on March 2, 2024 barely managed in its last hour to extend the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions until 2026. The 90-member Joint Service Initiative launched in 2017 has been unable to finalize a negotiating text even after dropping or indefinitely pausing work on its most important but contentious issues. These include: barriers to cross-border data flows, forced data localization, forced disclosure of source code, the non-discriminatory treatment of digital products, and online platforms, among others. A key factor in this downsizing of ambitions was the US government’s extremely contentious October 2023 decision to reverse its longstanding push for strong disciplines on such items. If the negotiations ultimately produce a result, it may be more the kind of minimalist trade facilitation agreement favored by China rather than the sort of ambitious liberalization deal previously championed by the United States.
What are the prospects for global digital trade negotiations in the years ahead? What would a minimalist outcome mean for the growth of territorial borders on global flows, and Internet fragmentation? Would the sidelining of inclusive multilateral institutions further strengthen the trend toward a spaghetti bowl of varying minilateral trade deals that exclude much of the developing world? Is a sharper geopolitical clash between diverging models of digital capitalism becoming likely?
This webinar assembles a panel of leading experts on global digital trade policy to consider these and other questions. As always, the panelists’ conversation will be followed by an open dialogue among all webinar participants.
INTRODUCTION Eli Noam, Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, Columbia Business School.
PANEL Mira Burri – Professor of International Economic and Internet Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lucerne Anupam Chander – Scott K. Ginsburg, Professor of Law and Technology, Georgetown Law School Martina F. Ferracane – Research Fellow, European University Institute / Academic manager, Digital Trade Integration Project
MODERATOR William J. Drake, Director of International Studies, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
In April 2014, Brazil hosted the NETmundial Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance in São Paulo. Held after a substantial online preparatory consultation, the meeting brought together over 1200 participants from governments and stakeholder groups to adopt a NETmundial Multistakeholder Statement that advanced guiding principles and a roadmap for the future evolution of Internet governance. The NETmundial strengthened international support for multistakeholder cooperation at a very difficult moment that was shaped by the Edward Snowden revelations, divisive Internet negotiations in the United Nations, and the US government’s planned transition of its authority over critical Internet resources to the global community.
On November 23, 2023 the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) announced that Brazil will convene a NETmundial +10 meeting in São Paulo in the Spring of 2024. The stated objectives include reviewing and renewing international commitments to the NETmundial principles and strategic agenda, and debating the role of multistakeholder participation in today’s even more heatedly divided geopolitical environment. The prospective meeting is stimulating discussion around the world and in the new year will likely reanimate the wide-ranging debates about the roles of states and stakeholders and the balance between multistakeholder and intergovernmental cooperation in global Internet governance.
This webinar assembles a panel of veteran expert participants in global Internet governance for an initial open global discussion of the NETmundial+10 meeting. It is simulcast live under the auspices of the Internet Society New York Chapter (ISOC-NY).
PANEL Avri Doria, independent researcher and consultant Wolfgang Kleinwächter, Professor Emeritus, International Communication Policy and Regulation, University of Aarhus Renata Mielli, Coordinator, Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br)
MODERATOR William J. Drake, Director of International Studies at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information
Today, as several initiatives, including the Government, Space Agencies, and the private sector, expand communication capabilities off the planet, to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, it is the time to discuss how a “Common Interplanetary Network Infrastructure” could be realized, which entails the need for Governance – a management structure to support the operation of the infrastructure itself.
The IPNSIG Architecture and Governance Working Group (AWG) has tackled these important subjects by reflecting on the lessons learned from the Internet’s evolution, and from insights provided by our past Academy speakers. This session will examine the progress and prospects in this field.
SPEAKERS Yosuke Kaneko – IPNSIG President Vint Cerf – IGF Leadership Panel Chair / IPNSIG Board Member Marc Blanchet – IPNSIG AWG Member
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