At the ‘IGF Parliamentary Track – Session 1’ session in Riyadh, parliamentarians, diplomats, and digital experts gathered to address persistent gaps in global digital governance. The session spotlighted two critical UN-led initiatives: the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the Global Digital Compact (GDC), underscoring their complementary roles in bridging the digital divide and addressing emerging digital challenges like AI and data governance.
Ambassador Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Chair of the Commission for Science and Technology for Development, stressed the urgency of digital inclusion. ‘Digital technologies are transforming our world at a remarkable pace, but we must confront the persistent divide,’ he said, remembering that twenty years after WSIS first set out a vision for an inclusive digital society, one-third of the world’s population remains unconnected, with inequalities deepening between urban and rural areas, genders, and socioeconomic groups.
The Global Digital Compact, introduced as a ‘refresh’ of WSIS priorities, emerged as a key focus of the discussion. From the UN Tech Envoy’s Office, Isabel de Sola presented the GDC’s five pillars: affordable internet access, tackling misinformation, data governance, fostering inclusive digital economies, and ensuring safe AI implementation. De Sola emphasised, ‘We need a holistic approach. Data governance, AI, and connectivity are deeply interconnected and must work in tandem to serve society fairly.’
Sorina Teleanu, the session’s moderator and Head of knowledge at Diplo, highlighted the need for urgent action, stating: ‘We have the Global Digital Compact, but what’s next? It’s about implementation—how we take global commitments and turn them into real, practical solutions at national and local levels,’ she urged parliamentarians to exercise their oversight role and push for meaningful progress.
The session exposed a growing disconnect between governments and parliaments on digital policy. Several parliamentarians voiced concerns about exclusion from international processes that shape national legislation and budgets. ‘We cannot act effectively if we are not included or informed,’ a delegate from South Africa noted, calling for better integration of lawmakers into global frameworks like the GDC and WSIS.
To close these gaps, speakers proposed practical solutions, including capacity-building programs, toolkits for mapping GDC priorities locally, and stronger regional parliamentary networks. ‘Parliamentarians are closest to the people’ Ambassador Kah reminded attendees, ‘they play a crucial role in translating global commitments into meaningful local action’
The discussion ended with a renewed call for collaboration: greater inclusion of lawmakers, better alignment of international frameworks with local needs, and stronger efforts to bridge the digital divide. As the world approaches WSIS’ 20-year review in 2025, the path forward requires a unified, inclusive effort to ensure digital advancements reach all corners of society.
All transcripts from the Internet Governance Forum sessions can be found on dig.watch.
