Global Digital Cooperation In Focus As 20th Internet Governance Forum Concludes In Norway
In his opening remarks earlier in the week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reflected on the significance of the occasion, noting: 'Two decades ago, digital cooperation was a bold aspiration. Today, it is an absolute necessity – and a shared responsibility.' He also highlighted the recent adoption of the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, which recognized the Internet Governance Forum as the primary multistakeholder platform for digital governance issues.
This year's IGF welcomed high-level participation from governments, especially from Africa and the Global South, alongside representatives from leading technology companies including Meta, OpenAI, and TikTok. Actor and producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt also took part, engaging in discussions that explored the creative and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. Through its inclusive multistakeholder format, the IGF provided a trusted platform for open dialogue and cooperation on the world's most pressing digital issues.
In his closing statement, Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, emphasized that as we look toward the General Assembly's review of the IGF mandate this December, 'We have a critical opportunity to reaffirm and re-energize the IGF's role as the global home for inclusive dialogue and digital policies.' He further underscored that 'ensuring safe and secure deployment of digital technologies is a shared responsibility—and a critical priority—for the global multistakeholder community. We must deliver it.'
Held under the overarching theme 'Building Digital Governance Together,' the Forum featured more than 260 sessions over five days. Discussions covered critical areas such as data governance, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, universal connectivity, digital rights, and the future of global digital cooperation.
Karianne Tung, Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance of Norway, remarked in her closing statement, 'We are proud that this year's Internet Governance Forum, hosted in Norway, has laid a strong foundation for the forthcoming WSIS+20 process. A continued, permanent, and strengthened IGF mandate will be vital in shaping the future of global digital governance. I extend my sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who engaged in vibrant, thoughtful discussions here in Norway, and who played a key role in the success of IGF 2025.'
A key outcome of the Forum was the Lillestrøm IGF Messages, which reflect shared priorities and recommendations from IGF participants. These Messages offer actionable guidance for policymakers, focusing on digital governance, human rights online, the opportunities and risks of digital innovation, and the role of digital technologies in advancing peace, sustainability, and development.
Throughout the week, participants underscored the urgent need to address rising challenges in the digital landscape. Concerns were raised about the erosion of digital trust, driven by the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, and malicious content. The emergence of generative AI has made it easier to produce convincing yet false content, exacerbating the risks—particularly for young people who increasingly rely on digital platforms for information and interaction.
About the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
The Internet Governance Forum, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, is the global multistakeholder platform for dialogue on digital public policy. Its annual meeting brings together thousands of participants from governments, civil society, business, academia, and the technical community to exchange knowledge, share good practices, and collaborate on solutions to the world's most pressing digital governance challenges. For more information, visit: https://www.intgovforum.org/en.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Scoop
'Once A Poster Girl, Now An International Laggard': Pay Equity Appeal Goes To UN
A pay equity advocacy group is making an urgent appeal to the United Nations (UN) to investigate the government's changes to pay equity laws. The Pay Equity Coalition Aotearoa (PECA) has made a formal submission to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to investigate what it calls a "historic and deliberate regression" of women's economic and political rights in New Zealand. In its appeal, PECA outlines how the Equal Pay Amendment Act has dismantled the country's pay equity system, cancelling 33 live claims covering more than 180,000 women, many of whom are low-paid essential workers in care, health, education, and public services. The group's Dame Judy McGregor told Nine to Noon it had informed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of the request about a fortnight ago, which had been done "in a spirit of desperation". "It's an unprecedented step," she said. After pleas to the government to review and potentially repeal the legislation, it felt dialogue between the independent CSW and the government would be useful, Dame Judy said. "Perhaps a country visit in which a committee member can hear the stories and witness personally the anger and despair… thousands of women, many of whom are Māori and Pasifika migrant women workers who really now are condemned to decades and, in some cases, a lifetime of poverty wages." The submission stated $12.8b previously set aside to address pay equity claims had been diverted by the government for other budgetary purposes. The group believed the legislation breached Article 11 of the UN's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which guaranteed women the right to equal pay for work of equal value, as well as Article 2(3)(a) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which ensured access to effective legal remedies. Dame Judy bemoaned New Zealand's reputational slide on gender equity issues. "I think New Zealand has gone from being a poster girl for gender equality now to probably an international laggard," she said. PECA alerted Luxon of the submission about a fortnight ago "as a courtesy". "Given women weren't given that courtesy in relation to pay equity, we felt at least the government should," Dame Judy said. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Women's Minister Nicola Grigg had also been alerted. No response had been received from the prime minister's office, other than receipt of the correspondence. The group was also considering filing a complaint to the UN's Optional Protocol to the CEDAW. Union backs move In a statement, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) said it backed PECA's appeal. Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges said cancelling pay equity for more than 180,000 working women was a "flagrant attack on their economic and political rights". "PECA are right to call for action from the United Nations to ensure that Aotearoa New Zealand lives up to its reputation on the world stage. "Overnight our world-leading system was gutted without consultation or normal checks and balances. What remained in its place is a series of roadblocks, thresholds and obstacles masquerading as pay equity." NZCTU said New Zealand was once proud to be world leaders for making progress on ensuring women were paid what they were worth. "It is shameful that our government has such low regard for women's rights," Ansell-Bridges said. "This government refuses to listen. We must use every forum to pressure them to restore pay equity claims. In June I raised pay equity at the International Labour Organization conference, and support taking the fight to the UN." Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden earlier this week said the pay equity changes were made to ensure genuine instances of pay inequity are identified and resolved. "As a government, we want to be sure that the pay equity process is robust, workable and sustainable and getting the settings right for claims that demonstrate genuine sex-based discrimination," van Velden said. "Equal pay is here to stay. Pay equity remains open as a process and the law is more robust." When the changes were rolled out earlier this year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said claims the government was "cutting pay for women" were incorrect. "Equal pay remains, no change. Pay parity remains, no change. Collective bargaining remains, no change. Settlements that have already happened under pay equity, no change." RNZ has sought comment from Peters, Griggs and Luxon.
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- RNZ News
Is the UN still fit for purpose?
conflict war 31 minutes ago Our conversation with Auckland University's Dr Maria Armoudian about what recognising Palestine as state means, really resonated with a lot of you. It got us thinking about the United Nations, and its role in 2025. The United Nations was created in 1945, after the end of World War 2, when leaders from 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to agree upon an international treaty to enshrine the equal rights of all people and maintain peace .. Fast forward to today, is it remaining true to the resulting treaty, its founding document, the UN Charter? The Right Honourable Helen Clark served as an administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017 and has been in Egypt visiting the Gaza border. She spoke to Jesse.
Scoop
14 hours ago
- Scoop
'It's A Matter Of When Not If' New Zealand Recognises A Palestinian State, David Seymour Says
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour says recognising Palestine as a state is a complex decision that should not be rushed, but "it's a matter of when not if" New Zealand does so. Seymour said there would be some hope of starting a discussion about recognising a Palestinian state if Hamas released the Israeli hostages and demilitarised. "New Zealand's government position remains the same as it always has been, it's a matter of when not if we recognise a two state solution and we will be having discussions over the next fortnight or so over whether there should be any change on that position." France, the United Kingdom, Canada and now Australia, have all declared an intention to recognise a Palestinian state at a United Nations summit next month. Asked why New Zealand was delaying this decision, Seymour said "we shouldn't assume that other countries are right". It was a very complex situation and it was important to take time to come to a sound decision, he said. "It's not just a question of what are you actually recognising, what conditions do you place around that, it's also a question of okay so after you've done this what happens next?" It was easy to by horrified by the violence in the Palestinian territories shown on television and social media and to be driven to want to take action, he said. "It doesn't mean that any old solution is the correct one." Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Morning Report the government was not moving quickly enough on Palestine and recognising Palestine was the right thing to do. Hipkins said if he had been leading the government a statement recognising Palestine as a state would have come out at the same time as Australia's. "I think Anthony Albanese actually set out the case for recognising Palestine as a state very well and I think it's starting to look quite embarrassing for New Zealand that the rest of the world has shifted its views pretty rapidly here and we seem to be lagging well behind." Delay 'unfortunate' - Clark But former prime minister Helen Clark said New Zealand was in a humiliating position as it trailed behind other countries in recognising Palestine as a state. Helen Clark told Morning Report New Zealand was being seen "at the back of the crowd". "The recognition of a Palestinian state right now is a very strong statement of wanting that two state solution to proceed," she said. "The catastrophe in Gaza which The Elders of which I am a member is now calling an unfolding genocide has totally changed world opinion about this and the view is now that we have to make all efforts to stop the war, get a process going, get the two state solution and recognising now gives that momentum." New Zealand needed to add its voice to end the catastrophic situation in Gaza, she said. A foreign policy realignment in New Zealand in favour of the US had had a huge impact on its decisions around Gaza with New Zealand "cuddling right back up again to Washington DC and overly sensitive in everything it thinks", she said. "This is not the New Zealand I've known for the last 40 years or so where we made up our own mind, we stood on principle, we now really seem to stand for nothing except you know some how wanting to save our own skin in a tariff war." Recognition was a very strong statement and there was a responsibility to react, Clark said. It would be unlikely that Hamas would play any role in post-war governance of Gaza, she said. If a ceasefire was possible there would likely be a technocratic administration by the Palestinian Authority which would then move to elections, she said. "There may be an international stabilisation force which would go in at the request of the Palestinian Authority - there's elaborate plans that don't include Hamas. "So I think it's a bit of a red herring now to be talking about Hamas, there are credible plans moving forward."
