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2022 Internet Governance Forum Stakeholders champion the value of inclusive digital internet governance
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is an annual global multistakeholder platform that facilitates discussions on public policy issues pertaining to internet governance. It is a key outcome of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and 91鶹Ʒ been contributing to its discussions as part of its mission to building inclusive and equitable knowledge societies with its global stakeholders.
From 28 November to 2 December 2022, UNESCO convened numerous meetings and participated in high-level sessions at the 17th IGF held in Addis Ababa to bring international stakeholders and decision makers together to advance issues such as global digital governance and digital transformation for the public good. UNESCO advocated for steps towards achieving universal, fair and meaningful internet connectivity, in line with UN Secretary-General's calls for a “”.
Representing the Organisation, Mr Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, participated at the IGF 2022 High-Level Leaders’ Track, together with 17 ministers and vice-ministers, as well as 63 high-level experts. During these sessions, experts and leaders from all stakeholder groups engaged in dialogues on this year’s IGF overarching theme of “Resilient Internet for a shared sustainable and common future” including critical issues such as access and connectivity, cybersecurity and digital rights.
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2023
UNESCO also attended a dedicated session on WSIS Forum 2023 preparation, as part of phase II of the open consultation process. All WSIS stakeholders took part in a discussion to share their ideas and plans for the upcoming Forum in March 2023.
Open Forum “” (29 November)
UNESCO supports a multistakeholder approaches to developing solutions and policies. In this context, an open forum was convened to engage international and diverse stakeholders in order to solicit feedback on UNESCO’s draft guidelines for regulating digital platforms for securing information as a public good while respecting freedom of expression. This forum was a lead-up to a global conference “Internet for Trust – Regulating Digital Platforms for Information as a Public Good” which will be held from 21 to 23 February 2023 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Based on human rights, transparency, user empowerment, accountability and independent oversight, this guidance will assist actors seeking to regulate, co-regulate and self-regulate digital platforms, with the aim of supporting freedom of expression and the availability of accurate and reliable information in the public sphere.
Workshop “” (30 November)
Another key issue brought up by UNESCO at IGF 2022 was improving the rule of law with AI and technology. On 30 November, UNESCO hosted a workshop to discuss the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation and AI adoption for justice. As guardians of justice in the digital age, judicial operators play an important role. UNESCO is therefore committed to supporting capacity-building efforts so that judicial operators are equipped with the knowledge on how technology can help them strengthen access and delivery of justice while being mindful of the associated human rights, democracy, and rule of law risks of technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Workshop (1 December)
UNESCO’s survey undertaken in 2020 with the International Center for Journalists has shown that nearly three quarters of the survey respondents identifying as women has experienced online violence in the course of their work. In this context, UNESCO and the Association for Progressive Communications co-organized a session on platform’s responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for journalists. At this session, UNESCO shared its for action responding to online violence against women journalists.
