WSIS+20 follow-up - from Milestones to Momentum: what comes next?
Internet Society United Kingdom Chapter; Internet Society Swiss Chapter; Internet Society Serbian Chapter; Internet Society German Chapter
Session 233
This session will offer a measured, action‑oriented forum for reviewing progress since WSIS+20 and for aligning next steps across the UN digital cooperation architecture. Panelists will reflect on the outcomes of the April CSTD meeting and the WSIS+20 outcome document, with particular attention to their implications for the Global Digital Compact and the agreed implementation roadmap. The conversation will consider how intergovernmental decisions can be translated into coherent, coordinated action at global, regional and national levels, and will highlight practical approaches to monitoring progress and ensuring accountability.
The discussion will address the IGF’s strengthened permanent mandate and evolving ecosystem, including recognition of National and Regional IGFs, and will bring together Member States, the IGF community, civil society, the technical community and the private sector to clarify priorities, identify partnerships and outline pragmatic next steps for WSIS+20 implementation.
Participants can expect a constructive exchange to align institutional roles, strengthen coordination, and agree practical recommendations to translate WSIS+20 commitments into coordinated follow‑up across the WSIS process, the IGF ecosystem and UN digital cooperation.
-
C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
-
C2. Information and communication infrastructure
-
C3. Access to information and knowledge
-
C4. Capacity building
-
C5. Building confidence and security in use of ICTs
-
C6. Enabling environment
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-government
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-business
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-learning
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-health
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-employment
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-environment
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-agriculture
-
C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-science
-
C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
-
C9. Media
-
C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
-
C11. International and regional cooperation
WSIS+20 reaffirms, updates, and operationalises the original WSIS Action Lines (C1–C11).
The Action Lines remain the core implementation framework of WSIS, and the WSIS+20 Outcome Document assigns them new mandates, renewed coordination roles, and a strengthened link to the SDGs and the future UN digital cooperation architecture.
C1 – The role of governments and all stakeholders
WSIS+20 reinforces multistakeholder governance and tasks facilitators with improving participation, especially from LDCs and SIDS.
C2 – Information and communication infrastructure
WSIS+20 elevates universal, affordable connectivity as a priority and links C2 to financing mechanisms and infrastructure resilience.
C3 – Access to information and knowledge
WSIS+20 strengthens commitments to open access, multilingualism, and equitable digital public goods.
C4 – Capacity building
WSIS+20 expands mandates for digital skills, including AI literacy, cybersecurity skills, and capacity‑building for policymakers.
C5 – Building confidence and security in ICTs
WSIS+20 emphasises trust, safety, and secure digital environments, aligning C5 with global cybersecurity capacity frameworks.
C6 – Enabling environment
WSIS+20 explicitly tasks Action Line facilitators with supporting enabling policy and regulatory environments, including competition, affordability, and interoperability.
C7 – ICT applications (e‑government, e‑business, e‑learning, e‑health, e‑employment, e‑environment, e‑agriculture, e‑science)
WSIS+20 links C7 to SDG acceleration and digital public infrastructure, emphasising cross‑sector digital transformation.
C8 – Cultural diversity and identity
WSIS+20 reinforces commitments to cultural preservation, local content, and linguistic diversity in digital spaces.
C9 – Media
WSIS+20 reaffirms media freedom, pluralism, and journalist safety as essential to the information society.
C10 – Ethical dimensions of the information society
WSIS+20 strengthens ethical considerations around AI, data governance, and human rights in digital contexts.
C11 – International and regional cooperation
WSIS+20 expands cooperation mandates, linking C11 to the Global Digital Compact, IGF strengthening, and UN system‑wide coordination.
-
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
-
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
-
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all
-
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
-
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
-
Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
-
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
-
Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
-
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
-
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
-
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
-
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
-
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
-
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
-
Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
-
Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
-
Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
WSIS+20 positions the WSIS framework as a delivery mechanism for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It reaffirms that the WSIS Action Lines directly support SDG implementation, strengthens the WSIS–SDG mapping, and introduces new mandates, indicators, and coordination mechanisms to ensure that digital transformation accelerates progress across the 2030 Agenda.
C1 – The role of governments and all stakeholders Supports SDG 16 and SDG 17. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 7, 10, 12, and 53. Focus: multistakeholder governance, inclusive participation, enabling environments.
C2 – Information and communication infrastructure Supports SDG 9, SDG 1, SDG 4, and SDG 17. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 22 to 27 and paragraph 67. Focus: universal connectivity, affordability, resilient infrastructure, financing for digital development.
C3 – Access to information and knowledge Supports SDG 4, SDG 9, and SDG 16. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 28 to 31. Focus: open access, digital public goods, multilingualism, equitable access to knowledge.
C4 – Capacity building Supports SDG 4, SDG 8, and SDG 9. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 32 to 36. Focus: digital skills, AI literacy, capacity building for policymakers and institutions.
C5 – Building confidence and security in ICTs Supports SDG 16. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 37 to 41. Focus: cybersecurity, trust, safety, secure digital environments.
C6 – Enabling environment Supports SDG 8, SDG 9, and SDG 17. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 42 to 45 and paragraph 53. Focus: policy and regulatory frameworks, competition, interoperability, investment conditions.
C7 – ICT applications (e-government, e-business, e-learning, e-health, e-employment, e-environment, e-agriculture, e-science) Supports SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8, SDG 11, and SDG 13. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 46 to 52. Focus: digital transformation across sectors, digital public infrastructure, public service delivery.
C8 – Cultural diversity and identity Supports SDG 4, SDG 10, and SDG 11. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 54 to 56. Focus: local content, cultural preservation, linguistic diversity.
C9 – Media Supports SDG 16. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 57 to 59. Focus: media freedom, pluralism, journalist safety, access to reliable information.
C10 – Ethical dimensions of the information society Supports SDG 16 and SDG 17. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 60 to 63. Focus: ethics of AI, data governance, human rights in digital contexts.
C11 – International and regional cooperation Supports SDG 17. Reinforced by WSIS+20 paragraphs 64 to 70. Focus: global cooperation, financing, UN system coordination, partnerships.
- Objective 1: Close all digital divides and accelerate progress across the Sustainable Development Goals
- Objective 2: Expand inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all
- Objective 3: Foster an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights
- Objective 4: Advance responsible, equitable and interoperable data governance approaches
- Objective 5: Enhance international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity
https://www.itu.int/en/itu-wsis/Documents/WSIS20/WSIS+20Report.pdf
https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/wsis20/Follow-up-and-review
https://dig.watch/updates/un-member-states-adopt-wsis20-outcome-document