Amidst a series of global challenges, the 19th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) opened today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under the theme, “Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future” with a call for collective action and collaboration among governments, private sector, and civil society.
This year’s Forum convened against the backdrop of the recently adopted Global Digital Compact which envisions a secure, human-centered digital future. The Compact aims to build a governance framework that empowers all stakeholders in the digital ecosystem, much in line with the IGF mandate. The Forum also took place ahead of the twenty-year review of the outcomes of the UN World Summit on the Information Society, known as WSIS+20, a key process to set new goals for the future of digital development and governance.
Discussions in Riyadh addressed critical issues around technology, from threats to solutions, including how to harness innovation and balance risks in the digital realm. Over the next four days, the Forum will continue to explore a vast range of issues such as how to promote safe digital innovation while addressing risks such as cybersecurity and privacy.
With rapid digital transformation reshaping economies, education, healthcare, and communications, the IGF’s agenda aligns closely with the Pact for the Future in advancing core commitments to protect human rights, enhance sustainable development, promote peace, and bridge digital divides. The pressing issue of information integrity was also discussed as participants explored the growing difficulty of discerning truth in the age of AI. The United Nations’ Global Principles, released earlier this year, was seen as a vital framework to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation. These principles emphasize collaborative implementation by both the private sector and governments, underscoring the importance of collective action to safeguard truth in the digital era.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted in a video message the “enormous potential” of digital technology to accelerate human progress but that “unlocking this potential for all people requires guardrails, and a collaborative approach to governance.” He added that the work and voice of the IGF would be “critical” as the world implements the GDC.
Additionally, the Forum highlighted the transformative potential of digital technologies in advancing peace, sustainability, and socioeconomic development, emphasizing inclusive access that ensures no one is left behind in the digital economy. Discussions also covered critical issues such as safeguarding human rights online, bridging the digital divide for marginalized communities, and building a safe, inclusive digital environment for all. It was said that Governments, technology companies, civil society, and international organizations all share the responsibility to ensure that the Internet remains an open, safe, and inclusive platform. This includes implementing robust policies to protect against rights violations, fostering transparency in corporate practices, and bridging the digital divide to promote universal access.
H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said that IGF Riyadh 2024 “offers a global platform to promote international digital cooperation in the era of AI”. H.E. Alswaha encouraged stakeholders to deeply engage in the Forum in Riyadh, to help “shape innovative Internet governance and support a prosperous and sustainable digital future for the benefit of humanity”.
Despite advancements in digital tools and innovations, 2.6 billion people worldwide remain offline, predominantly in the Global South. This ongoing digital divide highlights the uneven benefits of digitalization and the risk of deepening existing inequalities. Leaders, industry experts, and advocates participated in discussions designed to forge a shared pathway toward responsible digital governance, aiming to ensure that the opportunities of the digital age benefit all, especially those in vulnerable communities.
The meeting outcome, the Riyadh IGF Messages, will be released at the end of the IGF week. Distilled from the hundreds of multistakeholder sessions in the programme, the Messages will provide action-oriented policy recommendations on the range of digital and related topics discussed at the Forum.
The Internet Governance Forum, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General and hosted this year by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the global multistakeholder forum for dialogue on digital public policy.
Each year, the IGF annual meeting brings together thousands of stakeholders from around the world to discuss the most pressing digital governance trends and challenges. The IGF meetings facilitate the exchange of information, and the sharing of good policies and practices related to key elements of digital governance to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet.
Held from 15 to 19 December, this year’s IGF is bringing together more than 9,000 registered participants from over 170 countries. Representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community and international organizations will gather under the umbrella theme of ‘Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future’.
The programme will feature over 300 sessions, with four sub-themes: (1) Harnessing innovation and balancing risks in the digital space; (2) Enhancing the digital contribution to peace, development, and sustainability; (3) Advancing human rights and inclusion in the digital age; and (4) Improving digital governance for the Internet We Want.
