WSIS+20 Review Elements Paper published
On 20 June 2025, an Elements Paper was published as part of the WSIS+20 review process, outlining thematic priorities to guide negotiations ahead of the WSIS+20 High-Level Meeting in December 2025.
The paper starts with an introduction which, among other issues, notes that the WSIS process has been defined by multistakeholder cooperation, and that, while WSIS goals have advanced in many areas, digital divides persist. It also mentions that WSIS+20 review presents a key opportunity to align the implementation of WSIS and the Global Digital Compact (GDC) by reinforcing existing frameworks for international and multistakeholder cooperation and anchoring them within the WSIS vision.
The paper then provides reflections on several key themes, and highlights areas in which ‘feedback’ is needed or where more details will be provided in the Zero Draft:
| Area | Feedback invited/sought on OR Proposals to be provided in the Zero Draft |
| ICT for development | Ways to strengthen digital capacity, foster inclusion, and ensure equitable digital development for all. |
| Digital economy | How to close structural gaps, support small enterprises, and ensure fair access to digital opportunities for sustainable development. |
| Social and cultural development | How to expand inclusive access to digital services, address data protection risks, and strengthen national strategies for equitable digital transformation. |
| Environmental impacts | Ways to reduce the sector’s environmental impact, includingadvancing circular economy approaches, improving recycling, and setting sustainability standards for digital technologies. |
| Bridging digital divides | How the WSIS +20 review can contribute towards [bridging digital divides across and within countries]. |
| The enabling environment | How to strengthen integrated digital policies, ensure legal coherence across sectors, and promote innovation while safeguarding rights and public interests. |
| Financial mechanisms | Enhancing international support, increasing targeted financing,and ensuring equitable access to resources for inclusive digital transformation. |
| Human rights and ethical dimensions of the Information Society | |
| Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs | Proposals on augmenting confidence and security in the use of ICTs in line with existing processes and platforms. |
| Internet governance | Proposals on the renewal of the IGF mandate.Proposals on how to work towards the improvement of enhanced cooperation as envisaged in the Tunis Agenda. |
| Data governance | Proposals on data governance, taking into consideration the ongoing process working group on data governance for development established by CSTD. |
| AI | Proposals on AI, taking into consideration implementation of the Global Digital Compact and the need to ascertain a relationship between GDC implementation and WSIS. |
| Capacity building | How to improve capacity building, including by strengthening coherence and coordination between existing mechanisms, establishing new capacity building programs, and other options. Ideas and reflections on how to strengthen capacity building in the WSIS +20 Review. |
| Monitoring and measurement | Proposals concerning monitoring and measurement, following consideration of responses to the consultation on this Elements Paper. |
| Follow-up and review | Proposals concerning follow-up to the 2025 review, following consideration of responses to the consultation on this Elements Paper |
Feedback on the Elements Paper can be submitted until 15 July.