The Global Network Initiative (GNI), a multistakeholder organization focused on freedom of expression and privacy in the technology sector, participated in the Open Consultation Process for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +20 Forum High Level Event and the Call for Thematic Input for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024. GNI’s submissions emphasized the value of multistakeholder engagement, including through facilitating the participation of various stakeholder groups, especially from the Global Majority world. GNI further upheld the importance of resource-building and stocktaking in the follow-up to the forums, to mark the limitations, challenges, and outcomes that transpired and what they mean for the present and future of internet governance.
In 2024, a myriad of processes and initiatives in the realm of Internet governance will continue to come to a head, and the WSIS and IGF are both essential avenues for discussing some of the foremost challenges in a rapidly evolving field, on a consistent and timely basis that allows for predictability, transparency, and accountability. In particular, they can serve as venues for examining how states respect and respond to the outcomes of other key convenings expected this year, including the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the Summit of the Future. Central to this is also the work of defining and defending the importance of multistakeholder engagement in Internet governance. In ensuring equitable representation and meaningful participation among diverse stakeholder groups, the Secretariat of the Forums must commit to guaranteeing robust representation of human-rights focused programming for in-person, hybrid, and online sessions, including but not limited to sessions that feature gender empowerment and LGBTQI+ inclusion. They should also support and promote opportunities for remote participation, including by facilitating the use of encrypted services, scheduling across diverse time zones, and clarifying how a code of conduct will be applied in the context of remote participation.
GNI thanks the Secretariats of the WSIS and IGF for providing their broader communities the opportunity to participate in the consultations and anticipates positive and rights-respecting developments in Internet governance.