Earlier this month, stakeholders from across the internet governance ecosystem gathered in Mumbai for ICANN85. The meeting took place at an important moment for global digital governance. The WSIS+20 review has now concluded, marking the end of a major UN negotiation process and the beginning of a new phase focused on implementation.
At ICANN85, the Global Network Initiative (GNI) co-hosted a session with the ICANN Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) and Global Partners Digital (GPD) to reflect on what the WSIS+20 process revealed about national approaches to internet governance and what those insights may mean for the road ahead.
The discussion built on research and engagement carried out through the Shaping the WSIS+20 Review for a Unified Internet Multistakeholderism (SWUIM) project, a year-long collaboration between GNI and GPD supported by the ICANN Grant Program. Through this project, 10 civil society partners across 8 countries examined how governments approached the WSIS+20 review, highlighting the domestic priorities, political dynamics, and institutional factors that shaped national positions during the negotiations.
Our speakers brought complementary perspectives from both civil society and the technical community. Sukriti from the Centre for Communications Governance at National Law University Delhi (CCG NLUD) reflected on insights from the project’s national and regional engagements, including the ways the Indian government approached the negotiations and the domestic policy priorities that shaped those positions. She highlighted that while many countries negotiated within broader blocs, their individual priorities, ranging from development and connectivity to rights and governance frameworks, often differed in important ways. She reiterated that India prioritizes access, connectivity, affordability, AI, digital inclusion and e-governance and emphasized the need for transparency in the implementation phase.
Patricia Ainembabazi from the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) added a regional perspective grounded in insights from the WSIS+20 Africa Regional Stakeholder Workshop. She emphasized that across African contexts, priorities such as meaningful connectivity, affordable access, digital skills, and locally relevant content remain central to realizing the WSIS vision. At the same time, she highlighted growing attention to data governance, digital rights, and the need to ensure that expanding digital infrastructure is accompanied by strong safeguards and inclusive policy frameworks. Patricia underscored persistent capacity and financing gaps that affect the ability of many countries to participate effectively in global processes and to implement commitments domestically. She also stressed the importance of sustained multistakeholder engagement beyond negotiations, noting that inclusive participation at national and regional levels will be critical to translating WSIS+20 outcomes into tangible development gains across the continent.
From the perspective of the technical community, David Christopher from the Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM) highlighted TCCM’s engagement throughout the WSIS+20 negotiations, commending the co-facilitators for their inclusive and transparent approach, including the establishment of the Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board, which enabled broader stakeholder participation in the review process. He noted that the final outcome document reflected several priorities long advocated by the technical community, including recognition of multistakeholder internet governance, the strengthening of the Internet Governance Forum through a permanent mandate, and the continued relevance of the WSIS Action Lines. Christopher further underscored the importance of consensus-building among UN Member States across differing positions and affirmed that TCCM would continue engaging in UN processes to support sustainable and inclusive approaches to internet governance.
A key theme that emerged from the discussion was that national perspectives matter deeply in global digital governance processes. While many countries negotiated within broader groupings such as the Group of 77 + China, individual governments often brought distinct priorities to the process. For some, the focus was on development and connectivity, while others emphasized human rights, digital sovereignty, or emerging technology governance.
At the same time, there was broad recognition of the need to maintain coherence within the evolving digital governance architecture, particularly as the WSIS+20 review unfolded alongside initiatives such as the Global Digital Compact.
Another important topic was the future role of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The WSIS+20 review resulted in a permanent mandate for the IGF, a development welcomed by many stakeholders who view the Forum as a critical space for multistakeholder dialogue on digital policy. The conversation at ICANN also highlighted that the work ahead will involve thinking carefully about how IGF can evolve in practice, including discussions about new formats such as the government track and ways to strengthen its impact.
With attention now turning to implementation, the conversation also explored the role that national and regional processes can play. One interesting question raised during the session was whether national and regional IGFs could serve as bridges between global commitments and domestic policy discussions, helping identify regional priorities, surface gaps, and support follow-up on WSIS outcomes and the Action Lines.
Discussions on the WSIS+20 process also featured prominently across other sessions at ICANN85, reflecting broad interest from different parts of the internet governance community. The discussions reinforced that the conclusion of the WSIS+20 review is not the end of the process, but rather the beginning of a new chapter. Implementation will take place across national institutions, regional forums, and global processes. Across these conversations, participants continued to highlight the importance of preserving the multistakeholder model, particularly as implementation of the WSIS+20 outcomes begins.
Several sessions underscored the need to strengthen linkages between global processes and national-level action, while ensuring that technical, civil society, and private sector perspectives continue to inform decision-making. There was also a shared emphasis on sustaining the relevance of key institutions such as the Internet Governance Forum, alongside calls for greater clarity on how WSIS commitments will translate into concrete, measurable outcomes in the years ahead.
As conversations around WSIS implementation, the evolution of the IGF, and the broader digital governance architecture continue, we look forward to continued engagement in multistakeholder exchanges that help shape an open and rights-respecting digital future.