|
|
|
|
|
A 20th Anniversary IGF in Norway The IGF will mark its twentieth year from 23 to 27 June 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway under the theme, Building Digital Governance Together. Complementing the meeting’s theme and on the basis of stakeholder inputs, the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) has selected four subthemes to shape the programme:
Topics surrounding global digital cooperation, trust, digital rights and innovation, including in the field of AI, are more critical than ever as digital technologies rapidly transform our societies. Intersecting the SDGs, the recently adopted UN Global Digital Compact (GDC), and longstanding UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Action Lines, discussions on these issues and more represent an opportunity to reflect on the global digital landscape and channel multistakeholder perspectives toward the twenty-year review of WSIS (WSIS+20) later this year. Come celebrate twenty years of IGF with us – of inclusive, open, transparent dialogue on digital public policy that has dramatically expanded its reach across constituencies and in communities around the world. Whether participating as a session or booth organizer, onsite or online, as a seasoned digital advocate or first-time IGFer, your voice has an impact in a pivotal year. See the Norwegian Host Country Website for Travel Planning (including special accommodation rates) & IGF Website for All Programme Details
Call for IGF 2025 Session Proposals – until 12 March! The IGF 2025 Call for Session Proposals will run until Wednesday 12 March, 23:59 UTC. The annual process to contribute to the IGF programme is open to anyone: all are invited to submit proposals under the meeting’s subthemes and select different session types. These include traditional workshops competitively evaluated by the MAG, open forums reserved for governments and intergovernmental organizations, lightning talks, and special networking or launch and award sessions. Submit Your Proposal by the Deadline!
Calling for Village Booths & Remote Hubs Alongside the call for sessions, interested organizations can apply to host a booth in the IGF Village, the meeting’s exhibition space. Booth holders will also be represented in the IGF’s virtual Village and venue, a visually stunning simulation of the meeting environment, popular in Riyadh and in IGFs since 2021. Whether with a physical or virtual booth, the Village remains a lively, engaging space at the Forum where participants can showcase their work and make effective connections with one another. Online participants who want to experience the IGF in a group setting can do so by registering as a Remote Hub. Hubs can be organized from schools, offices and homes and provide the opportunity to participate virtually in IGF in a more meaningful way alongside peers. Small grants for hubs in the Global South are available on a limited basis. Apply for a Booth by 12 March - Allocation is First-come, First-served! Register Your Remote Hub and Apply for a Limited Grant by 5 March
Support for Journalists from the Global South After a successful pilot in 2024, professional journalists from Global South countries can now apply for travel support to attend the 20th IGF in Norway. The requirements are simple: three years or more of professional reporting experience; a record of publication on digital issues in recognized outlets; and Global South citizenship! Covering the IGF is a chance for journalists to speak with experts on the digital issues of the day, network with attendees and fellow media professionals, and produce impactful reporting for their audiences. Journalists also have a critical stake in the evolution of digital technologies and are encouraged to add their voices to the IGF’s policy discussions. All interested should review terms and conditions and apply by 7 March!
On the Horizon: Register for 2nd Open Consultations & MAG Meeting The Second Open Consultations and MAG Meeting will take place on 14-16 April in Geneva, Switzerland and online. On 14 April, the traditional first day dedicated to open consultations, all are invited to join and share their thoughts on the shaping of the IGF annual meeting programme and plans for the Forum through the end of the year. During MAG deliberations on 15 and 16 April, anyone may continue to participate as an observer. Registration for the meeting is now open, with detailed agenda forthcoming.
IGF 2024 Summary Report The IGF 2024 Summary Report is available for all to consult for a complete overview of 19th IGF meeting outcomes and IGF work over the course of the last cycle. The Report includes the Riyadh IGF Messages, unique, multistakeholder messages on critical issues from thousands of IGF participants. If you missed IGF 2024 in Riyadh, or would just like to explore the full sweep of IGF activities last year, the Summary Report is a key resource! Read the IGF 2024 Summary Report
Intersessional News: NRIs, Youth & Parliamentary Activities, PNs & BPF, DCs National, Regional, Subregional & Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs) The NRIs network continues to grow in both quality and quantity. Among the most recently recognized NRIs is the national IGF of Singapore. Currently, the IGF Secretariat facilitates the work of 177 NRIs planning and implementing their joint activities, including participation in the WSIS+20 review preparatory process, the 20th annual IGF and IGF 2025 intersessional work. Workshops co-organized with the IGF Secretariat at the recent Arab IGF in Amman, Jordan shared best practices on establishing and sustaining IGF initiatives and created a platform for multistakeholder exchange on ways to strengthen digital governance in the framework of GDC implementation and the WSIS+20 Review. The IGF 2025 NRIs Call for Grants, which aims to support NRIs in developing countries, has been announced. See here for more details. More Information on the NRIs Page IGF Youth Track The IGF 2025 Youth Track builds on the success of last year’s track, which explored the policy implications of AI through intergenerational dialogues. Following open, bottom-up consultations, the IGF 2025 Youth Track working group decided to focus on the theme of multistakeholder approach to digital governance issues. At the invitation of French Digital Ambassador Henri Verdier, the track’s activities began early in the year with the preparation of an outcome declaration-style document, which was presented and discussed at the AI Action Summit hosted by the Governments of France and India in February 2025 in Paris. The track was represented on-site by several young leaders from Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Guatemala, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Peru and the Republic of Korea. To explore its overarching theme, the IGF 2025 Youth Track will hold issue-focused, hybrid capacity development workshops at EuroDIG and its YOUthDIG (Strasbourg, France), at the Youth African IGF (Arusha, Tanzania),Youth APrIGF (Kathmandu, Nepal) and Youth LACIGF. Topics will include issues related to social media regulation, sustainability, human rights, new and emerging tech and cybersecurity. A follow up on the discussions from the AI Action Summit will be part of the IGF 2025 Youth Track’s first workshop at YOUthDIG. The IGF 2025 Global Youth Summit will take place on 23 June. IGF Parliamentary Track The Parliamentary Track at the 20th IGF will take place on 24-25 June with over 100 parliamentarians from around the world set to participate. The IGF Secretariat, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and Storting, the Norwegian Parliament, issued the IGF 2025 Parliamentary Track invitation letter, which will be dispatched to all Presidents of IPU Groups. The programme of the Track will be developed in partnership with the IPU and Storting, drawing on the IGF 2024 Parliamentary Track output document. The Secretariat is also closely collaborating with NRIs interested in organizing regional parliamentary tracks. More Information on the Parliamentary Track Page Policy Networks (PNs) & Best Practice Forum (BPF) The IGF 2025 cycle will focus on four policy workstreams. Policy Networks on Artificial Intelligence, Internet Fragmentation, and Meaningful Access continue from previous years, with the Best Practice Forum on Securing Access to the Internet and Protecting Core Internet Resources inaugurated in 2025. Stay tuned for open invitations to help kick off their work! More Information on the PNs & BPF Pages Dynamic Coalitions (DCs) The community of IGF Dynamic Coalitions is growing! With 32 DCs today, coalitions work year-round on issues as diverse as Digital Financial Inclusion, Data and Trust, and the Interplanetary Internet. All are invited to contribute to their activities and join their events. The Dynamic Coalition Coordination Group (DCCG), made up of representatives of each coalition, held its most recent meeting on 20 February focused on DCs’ upcoming series of jointly organized webinars. Multistakeholder groups committed to the promotion or research of specific digital policy topics can apply with the Secretariat to form an IGF DC at any time. More Information on the DCs Page For Your Action! Submit an IGF 2025 Session Proposal or IGF Village Booth Request Are You a Journalist from the Global South? Apply for Travel Support Register for the IGF 2025 2nd Open Consultations & MAG Meeting Read & Share the IGF 2024 Summary Report Key Dates and Deadlines 5 March | Deadline for IGF 2025 Remote Hub Grants 7 March | Deadline for Travel Support Applications for Global South Journalists 12 March | Deadline for IGF 2025 Session Proposals 12 March | Deadline for IGF 2025 Village Booth Requests 5 April | Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) IGF 7-8 April | Russian IGF 14-16 April | Second Open Consultations and MAG Meeting 30 April | Youth IGF DRC See the Full IGF Calendar Please feel free to share this newsletter with others. Follow us
|
|
|
