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IGF closing calls for strengthened mandate as WSIS+20 review approaches
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Summary
Speakers at the Internet Governance Forum closing in Lillestrøm urged stronger, longer-term support for the IGF and urged active participation in the WSIS+20 review ahead of a UN General Assembly review in December.
As the Internet Governance Forum concluded in Lillestrøm, Norway, several speakers urged member states and stakeholders to back a stronger, potentially permanent mandate for the IGF and to engage in the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society plus 20 (WSIS+20) review.
The UN Under‑Secretary‑General for Economic and Social Affairs said the WSIS+20 review is “our pivotal opportunity to shape a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable digital future.” Lee Junhwa said the forum drew more than 6,000 online participants and 3,344 on‑site delegates across 262 sessions and urged delegates to sustain momentum toward the December review at the UN General Assembly.
Why it matters: delegates and hosts framed the coming WSIS+20 and mandate reviews as a critical decision point for global digital governance. A permanent or strengthened IGF mandate, speakers said, would allow deeper engagement, longer‑term planning, and broader participation across regions.
At the closing, Norway’s Minister of International Development, Osmund Grover Aukrast, thanked participants and said Norway would support narrowing digital divides and noted the WSIS+20 review as “a defining year for global Internet governance” ahead of December meetings in New York. Baroness Maggie Jones of the United Kingdom urged participants to engage in the WSIS consultations and said a permanent IGF mandate would permit “deeper engagement, longer term planning, and more inclusive participation.”
Speakers emphasized the IGF’s role as a convening space for diverse actors — governments, technical experts, civil society and industry — and urged that regional and national IGFs be recognized as critical venues for surfacing local priorities.
The forum’s organizers and several delegates highlighted participation from the global South and youth voices as essential to shaping the WSIS+20 contributions. Delegates were urged to consult and submit input to the WSIS elements paper and other ongoing consultations.
Looking ahead: speakers asked attendees to remain engaged through the WSIS+20 process and the United Nations review in December so that the IGF’s role as an open forum for multi‑stakeholder digital governance can be reaffirmed or expanded.
