Participants at EuroDIG 2026 discussed how to implement the outcomes of the WSIS+20 review while avoiding fragmentation across the growing number of global digital governance processes.
The session focused on coordination between the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the Global Digital Compact (GDC), the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and related UN digital initiatives. Speakers repeatedly stressed the need to strengthen existing multistakeholder mechanisms instead of creating additional parallel structures.
Florence Ranson opened the discussion by framing the session around implementation, coordination, and practical delivery of WSIS+20 commitments across the broader UN digital governance landscape.
Guilherme Canela of UNESCO argued that WSIS and newer UN digital initiatives should be viewed as complementary rather than competing processes. According to Canela, the GDC provides broad political goals and principles, while WSIS offers implementation mechanisms and multistakeholder structures capable of translating commitments into practice.
He also highlighted existing WSIS tools, including action lines, reporting mechanisms, and stocktaking databases, as practical instruments for accountability and monitoring.
Several speakers warned that the rapid expansion of digital governance forums risks creating duplication, confusion, and inefficient use of resources.
Thibaut Kleiner of the European Commission said the digital governance environment has become increasingly crowded as discussions now extend beyond internet governance into AI, cybersecurity, and data governance. He argued that implementation should build on existing WSIS structures and IGF mechanisms rather than introducing additional governance layers. Kleiner also warned that fragmented governance structures could allow the best-resourced actors to dominate discussions while reducing meaningful multistakeholder participation.
Government representatives echoed concerns about institutional proliferation. Ana Neves of the Portuguese government said the growing number of digital governance processes creates practical confusion for governments and public administrations attempting to follow multiple parallel initiatives simultaneously.
Jaroslaw Ponder of the ITU’s Europe office said the WSIS+20 outcome creates an opportunity for stronger coordination across the UN system while preserving multistakeholder cooperation.
The discussion also focused heavily on implementation and accountability. Speakers stressed that broad commitments now need to be translated into practical roadmaps, measurable outcomes, and operational responsibilities.
Alena Murawska of RIPE NCC argued that digital transformation depends on resilient technical infrastructure, skilled communities, and evidence-based policymaking. She said implementation should prioritise closing digital divides while protecting the global interoperability of the internet.
Maarit Palovirta of Connect Europe emphasised that connectivity should be understood as a broader ecosystem involving infrastructure, devices, skills, services, and content. She argued that global digital goals must be adapted to local and regional realities while balancing regulation and investment incentives.
Several participants also highlighted the role of local institutions and community actors in implementation. Federica Marangio of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions described libraries as part of digital public infrastructure capable of supporting digital access, skills development, and community-level monitoring.
A major part of the discussion focused on the future role of the IGF following confirmation of its permanent status.
Teresa Swinehart of ICANN described the IGF’s permanence as an important milestone but argued that the forum now needs to become more practical, inclusive, and implementation-oriented. She called for stronger support for the IGF secretariat and better dissemination of outputs produced by national, regional, and intersessional initiatives.
Kleiner proposed a more task-oriented IGF structure, including multistakeholder policy labs focused on concrete issues such as AI governance and the future of digital infrastructure. Several speakers argued that agenda-setting should increasingly flow from local and national IGFs through regional initiatives such as EuroDIG before reaching the global IGF.
Youth participants also called for more meaningful participation within digital governance processes. Sumeja Huskic from YouthDIG argued that young people are often expected to navigate AI-driven societies while remaining excluded from many decision-making discussions affecting their future.
The discussion additionally explored links between internet governance and AI governance. Wolfgang Kleinwächter argued that AI governance should not be treated as separate from internet governance and proposed closer institutional coordination between the IGF ecosystem and the UN’s independent scientific panel on AI.
The session concluded with broad support for draft messages emphasising complementarity between WSIS and other UN digital processes, stronger accountability frameworks, evidence-based implementation, and greater use of existing multistakeholder structures.
Participants also supported proposals aimed at strengthening the IGF ecosystem through greater inclusiveness, clearer priorities, and improved visibility for outputs produced by national and regional initiatives.
EuroDIG 2026 took place on 26 and 27 May at the Charlemagne Building of the European Commission in Brussels under the theme ‘European Voices for the Future of the Internet – Celebrating 20 Years of .eu and the Beginning of a New Internet Governance Era’.
Digital Watch Observatory followed EuroDIG 2026 through a dedicated event page, featuring session information and reporting from Brussels.
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