July 29, 2025 | News, Policy
The Global Network Initiative (GNI), a multistakeholder organization focused on freedom of expression and privacy in the technology sector, participated in the consultation on the Elements Paper for the UN World Summit on the Information Society(WSIS)+20 Review.
Read the full submission
The consultation invited all stakeholders to reflect on two decades of digital governance efforts and to shape a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society. It will contribute to the Zero Draft of the outcome document for the upcoming High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on December 16–17, 2025
GNI’s submission builds on its prior participation in the WSIS+20 Open Consultation Process (March 2025) and Stakeholder Consultations (June 2025), and complements joint efforts with the Global Digital Rights Coalition, as well as civil society-endorsed recommendations, including the five-point plan and eight recommendations for an inclusive WSIS+20 review.
Below are a few key messages from GNI’s Submission. You can also read the whole submission here.
- Reaffirming Human Rights at the Core of Digital Governance: GNI called for stronger, explicit commitments to international human rights law, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), across all thematic areas of the Zero Draft, from data governance to platform accountability.
- Strengthening Multistakeholder Governance Models: GNI urged the Zero Draft to reaffirm the multistakeholder approach to Internet governance as defined in the Tunis Agenda and endorsed by the NETMundial+10 São Paulo Guidelines, and to permanently renew and resource the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
- Addressing Emerging and Systemic Digital Challenges: GNI emphasized the need to center issues such as biometric surveillance, AI governance, platform accountability, shrinking civic space, and digital repression in the WSIS+20 agenda.
- Linking WSIS to the Global Digital Compact (GDC): GNI welcomed proposals to create a joint implementation roadmap and multistakeholder advisory body to bridge the WSIS framework and the GDC, aligning global governance processes.
- Elevating Regional Voices and Inclusion: GNI highlighted the importance of incorporating regional declarations, such as the Dar es Salaam and Cotonou Declarations, and emphasized its own work with local partners in countries including India, Zambia, Ghana, Colombia, and Bangladesh to support inclusive engagement.
GNI looks forward to continued engagement with the WSIS+20 process and remains committed to supporting an open, inclusive, and rights-respecting digital future.