Wrap up
26 May 2026 15:15h - 15:30h
Wrap up
Summary
The closing session of EuroDIG day one was led by Florence Ranson, who thanked the audience and handed over to Isabelle Lois, the vice-chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and a representative of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications [7-10][12-14]. Isabelle introduced herself and praised the European internet-governance ecosystem as open, technically informed, policy-oriented and truly multi-stakeholder, stressing that such inclusive spaces are increasingly vital in a fragmented geopolitical context and must be protected [15-19].
She noted that EuroDIG has expanded from basic internet issues to cover AI, platform accountability, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, democratic resilience and human-rights concerns, reflecting the people-centred, development-oriented WSIS vision that remains central after two decades [21-24][26-28][25-26]. The programme of the current day already included topics such as supply-chain futures, democratic resilience, deepfakes, AI and quantum technologies, highlighting Europe’s role in shaping digital environments [26-29].
Looking ahead, she previewed tomorrow’s sessions on online harms, AI trust, digital sovereignty and internet standards, explaining that these discussions build on a December 2023 resolution calling for inclusive global digital-governance cooperation, with EuroDIG serving as the inaugural regional implementation effort [30-33][33-35]. She reiterated that effective digital governance requires meaningful multi-stakeholder participation-a principle championed by Switzerland-and highlighted the Freedom Online Coalition, a 41-state alliance with a 30-member advisory network, inviting participants to a consultation on its work and broader multi-stakeholder challenges in Europe [36-42][43][44-51][52-55].
Isabelle emphasized the need to move from dialogue to concrete action, asking how WSIS principles can be operationalised, how issues such as deepfakes will be addressed, and how EuroDIG outcomes can be fed into the global IGF and UN forums [57-69]. Florence then thanked Isabelle, the speakers and the online audience, announced a post-event drinks reception, and wished everyone an enjoyable evening in Brussels [75-78]. She concluded by reminding attendees of the tight schedule for day two, the security check, and the importance of arriving promptly so the programme can start on time [79-86][87].
Keypoints
Major discussion points
– Multi-stakeholderism is essential for effective digital governance.
Isabelle stresses that the European internet governance model brings together government, civil society, technical community, academia, youth, international organisations and the private sector on an equal footing, and that meaningful cooperation across these groups is “nothing without” inclusive participation, especially of youth voices. [16-20][36-44][41-44]
– EuroDIG’s agenda has expanded far beyond core internet issues.
The programme now covers AI governance, platform accountability, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, democratic resilience, human-rights concerns and more, reflecting the original WSIS vision of a people-centred, inclusive information society. [21-23][26-30]
– A shift from dialogue to concrete implementation is being pursued.
The December resolution on digital governance is being operationalised; EuroDIG aims to feed its outcomes into the global IGF and UN processes, turning today’s discussions into actionable policies. [33-35][66-69]
– Specific initiatives are being promoted to advance the agenda.
Switzerland highlights the Freedom Online Coalition and invites participants to a consultation on the role and challenges of multi-stakeholderism in the European context, offering a booth and questionnaire for broader engagement. [44-52][55]
– Logistical reminders and encouragement for day 2.
Florence wraps up day 1, thanks participants, and stresses the tight schedule for tomorrow, urging punctuality and inviting everyone to a reception, maintaining an upbeat and welcoming tone. [75-86]
Overall purpose / goal
The session serves as a wrap-up of day 1 of EuroDIG, summarising key insights, reaffirming the importance of inclusive, multi-stakeholder governance, and setting the stage for day 2’s deeper work on implementation, operationalisation, and concrete policy outcomes.
Overall tone
The conversation maintains a consistently positive, forward-looking tone. Isabelle’s remarks are enthusiastic and collaborative, emphasizing shared values and future action. Florence’s closing is friendly and informal, adding a celebratory note while providing practical guidance. The tone remains constructive throughout, with no shift toward conflict or criticism.
Speakers
– Florence Ranson – Moderator/host of the wrap‑up session (no additional title or affiliation mentioned in the transcript).
– Isabelle Lois – Representative of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (Ofcom) and vice‑chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development; focuses on internet and AI governance.
Additional speakers:
– (none)
The closing plenary of EuroDIG day 1 began with Florence Ranson explaining that the audio was returning and that she preferred not to use the microphone, then thanking the moderator, Frances, for steering the session and the participants for their “very interesting and very in-depth contribution” [3-5]. She marked the end of an “intense” and “rich” first day and announced that Isabelle Lois, the vice-chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development and a senior official at the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), would lead the wrap-up [7-12].
Isabelle Lois introduced herself as a representative of the Swiss government who works on both internet and AI governance [15]. She highlighted the strength of the European internet-governance ecosystem, describing it as “open, technically informed, policy-oriented and genuinely multi-stakeholder” [16-17]. In her view, such an inclusive space-where governments, civil society, the technical community, academia, youth, international organisations and the private sector can engage on an equal footing-is more essential than ever given the “fragmented geopolitical context” that makes genuine dialogue increasingly difficult [18-20].
She noted that EuroDIG has “really evolved from its beginning” and is no longer confined to core internet issues; the current programme now tackles AI governance, platform accountability, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, democratic resilience and human-rights concerns [21-24]. Linking this broadened agenda to the original WS-IS vision of a “people-centred and inclusive, development-oriented information society”, she stressed that the vision remains central twenty years on [25-26]. The day’s sessions reflected this evolution, covering topics such as the future supply-chain for the Internet, democratic resilience, deep-fakes, AI and even quantum technologies, all framed around Europe’s role in shaping digital environments [26-29][30-31].
Isabelle further underscored Europe’s strategic position, observing that while global discussions take place at the UN and other international bodies, “sometimes it’s important to come together at the regional level and really focus on what we can do together” [30-33]. She previewed tomorrow’s thematic streams-online harms, trust in AI, digital sovereignty and internet standards-explaining that these sessions will build on the December 2023 “+20” resolution, which renewed the global commitment to inclusive digital-governance [33-35]. EuroDIG therefore represents the first regional effort to move from a declarative resolution to concrete implementation [34-35].
A core argument of Isabelle’s remarks was that effective digital governance “is nothing without meaningful multi-stakeholder cooperation” [39-40]. She reiterated that the day’s panels and the upcoming workshops demonstrate the necessity of hearing every voice, especially youth, not merely as a procedural formality but as a guarantee that the digital space can “govern and function” [41-44]. Switzerland, she added, champions multi-stakeholderism and strives to embed it in all its policy work [38-39][31-34].
To translate principles into practice, Isabelle introduced the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), a partnership of about 41 states-most of them European-supported by a 30-member advisory network [45-49]. She announced that a new cohort of the coalition is starting [45-48] and that a consultation session the following afternoon (13:45, the Sicko man’s halt room) will examine the role of multi-stakeholderism in Europe, identify who is “missing from the room”, and discuss how to improve the process [50-55]. A booth with an online questionnaire will also be available for participants who wish to contribute further [52-53]. This concrete invitation reflects the broader call to move from abstract dialogue to actionable outcomes [44-51].
Reflecting on the longer-term WS-IS agenda, Isabelle said the original WS-IS framework is “starting to become a bit old” and that many in the audience may not even know what “information society” means [58-61]. She referred to the new impetus as “the review for 20 years” [58-61] and argued that EuroDIG can help re-implement WS-IS by ensuring inclusive participation, addressing digital sovereignty, and contextualising the geopolitical landscape for Europe [62-65]. She emphasized the need to embed the day-to-day outcomes into existing mechanisms such as the IGF and UN meetings [66-69] and asked, “If we have a great conversation about deepfakes today, what are we doing about it tomorrow?” [68-69]. Expressing personal enthusiasm, she added, “I’m really happy to see the programme for tomorrow…” [70-72].
Florence Ranson then thanked Isabelle for the comprehensive wrap-up and all speakers, while also expressing gratitude to the online audience [75-76]. She invited everyone present to a drinks reception hosted by JURID just outside the conference hall and wished participants a pleasant evening in Brussels [77-78]. Finally, she reminded attendees of the “extremely tight schedule” for day 2, urged punctual arrival after the security check (aiming for a 9:00 a.m. start), and closed the session with a friendly “thank you, bye-bye” [79-86][87].
Overall, the session summarised the day’s rich discussions, reaffirmed the centrality of a genuine multi-stakeholder model for effective digital governance, and set a forward-looking agenda that bridges the WS-IS legacy with the newly adopted “+20” resolution. The tone remained constructive and optimistic, with both speakers stressing the need to preserve inclusive spaces, broaden EuroDIG’s thematic scope, and-most importantly-to translate dialogue into concrete policy actions that can be fed into the global IGF and UN processes. This alignment of vision, evidence and next steps underscores EuroDIG’s role as a pivotal regional platform for shaping Europe’s digital future.
This should, it is coming back now because if I use that, then you’re going to have in your ears because of my mic. So I’d rather not. So thank you very much, Frances, for moderating this session. And thank you all for your very interesting and very in -depth contribution. And it’s really refreshing to hear different views from what we normally all hear in standard conferences. So that was very interesting and hopefully a building stone for future steps. The time has come to wrap up day one. It has been very intense. It has been very rich. So let’s hear some, maybe some takeaways, but also some paving the way for tomorrow. For another rich and full day.
So to take us through this wrap up session, I’d like to welcome Isabelle Loi from Ofcom in Switzerland. And she’s also the vice chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development. Isabelle, please.
Thank you so much hi everyone um i’m Isabelle Lois from the swiss government i work at the federal office of communications and there i focus mostly on internet governance but also on ai governance so i wanted to take a few minutes now to wrap up a bit uh this day and look forward towards tomorrow so it’s really a pleasure to to speak here in front of all of you and today’s discussions have really demonstrated once again the strength of the european internet governance community. It is open it is technically informed it is policy oriented and it’s genuinely multi continues to provide something that is extremely valuable we have a space where government civil society technical community academia youth international organizations but also the private sector can engage, discuss on an equal footing, just like the WSIS vision asked for.
So this model is now more essential than ever. It has become increasingly difficult in this geopolitical context and fragmented world to have genuine discussions and dialogues. And this is why these spaces must be preserved. Today, we had many interesting conversations. And some of the impressions I’m getting today is that Eurodig has really evolved from its beginning. We are no longer just talking about Internet at its core or the governance of Internet at its core, but we are discussing AI governance, platform accountability, cybersecurity, anything, digital sovereignty, democratic resilience, human rights, and we see it with the rich program we had today and the rich program we’ll have tomorrow. And these discussions are continuously more important and really connect with the original WSIS vision, a people -centered and inclusive, a development -oriented information society.
And this is what I’m hoping and I’m seeing today with everyone here. So almost 20 years later, this vision remains central and is really what is bringing the conversation. So today’s program, we talked about supply chain for the future of the Internet. It’s democratic resilience, deepfakes, AI, even quantum. And in the core of that, really Europe’s role in digital environments. And I think this is something that’s highly important. We have discussions at the UN. We have discussions in many international organizations that are looking at the global level. But sometimes it’s important to come together at the regional level and really focus on what we can do together. How are we working on this together? tomorrow we will focus on many different topics we have online harms trust in ai digital sovereignty internet standards and so much more and one of the main topics that i want to bring as a link is uh with this it is the foundation of euridic it’s the foundation of that created uh the igf and this is what is bringing us today to the conversation we will talk tomorrow in in two sessions a bit more about implementation operationalization and the governance architecture of the of the digital space so today we see that the conversation goes not whether digital governance matter but sort of how do we make sure that it’s effectively working um we’ve had in december of last year an agreement on the resolution which is plus 20 renewing sort of this this wish to work together all over the world on digital governance on having inclusive and concrete way forward on how we’re doing it.
And this European dialogue now is the first one after this that is really taking the first step on the implementation. So I’m hoping that the conversations tomorrow will be able to bring in the specific topics we brought today into this overall architecture of governing the digital space. I also wanted to take a minute to talk a little bit about multi -stakeholderism. I know this is a topic that many have close at heart and that many see as absolutely central. Switzerland, the country that I’m representing, absolutely is a champion for it and we try to include it in all of our perspectives. But effective digital governance is nothing without meaningful multi -stakeholder cooperation. We see it at the discussion today, we see it with the different voices we’ve had on the different panels, we see it in the workshops we will have tomorrow, in the work that is being done between these dialogues.
We need everyone’s perspective, we need everyone’s voices to be included. And at the conclusion that we were just listening to, the importance of voices, of youth voices, are extremely important. So this is not just a question of procedure, it’s not just a practical necessity, but it’s something that ensures that the digital space can govern and function. At the same time that we are discussing multistakeholderism, I wanted to address another project that Switzerland is focused on and that I think all of you might be interested in. It’s the Freedom Online Coalition. I don’t know how familiar you are with it. It’s a coalition of about 41 states, a lot of them European. But we also have an advisory network, which has about 30 people sitting on it.
We will have a new cohort starting. And they help us within the coalition to bring forward different issues on digital governance and human rights online. That is the main topic that we’re covering. we are having a consultation session tomorrow um at 1 45 in the sicko man’s halt room so right after lunch if you want to grab something and then come in where we will talk about multi -stakeholderism what is its role today what are we missing what is working what is not working what are the challenges how can we make it better and we want to focus on the european context we are here at eurodig we are thinking about a regional perspective and this is really what we’re doing so we’re having regional consultation all over the world now we’re focusing on europe what is needed here we have this beautiful platform where we discuss what is missing who’s missing who is not in the room how can we make sure that they are included so this is a bit the point that we would like to focus on i hope that you will all attend this is not just for the freedom online coalition but it’s for multi -stakeholderism in general why it’s important why it matters we also have a little booth with an online questionnaire if you want to join it and participate in it, please feel free to look at us there.
But I think this is something that’s really important and that values. We explicitly wanted to be here at Eurodig because this is the one space where everyone meets to talk about digital issues. This is the one space where we are covering topics that are scattered throughout different processes and we can come in at the regional level with all the stakeholders that are needed and come with a conclusion. So we’re hoping that we will hear all of your voices during this consultation tomorrow and that you will be able to bring your perspectives. Maybe a few last points before I leave you to enjoy your evening. On the sort of the wrap between today and tomorrow, WSIS as its core is trying to now be implemented in a new way.
We have this new impetus that I was sharing from the review for 20 years. It is starting to become a bit old, even with this, maybe the newer generations don’t know what it is. I know that when I started, I had no idea what does the information society mean. And I think Eurodig for this is very well named in talking about digital and having that as one of the points. How are we now implementing it effectively? How are we making sure that everyone is included? How are we talking about sovereignty, about the geopolitical context in a way that makes sense for Europe? And I think this is a bit the underlining question that I’ve seen in the sessions today, where we pinpoint the challenges, we try to look for some solutions, but now we have to bring forward these solutions within the mechanisms that exist.
I’m hoping that in the implementation, in using the existing mechanisms, we can bring in a bit more action, a bit more power, and that the conclusions from today and tomorrow will be brought into the global IGF in December, but also will be brought into, I don’t know, UN meetings or any other meetings you’re coming to. The point here is not just to have a dialogue or a discussion, but to bring really these perspectives into what we’re working on in our daily lives. If we have a great conversation about deepfakes today, what are we doing about it tomorrow? And I think this is a bit the point that I wanted to make to all of you today.
And I’m really happy to see the program for tomorrow. I’m really happy to have you invited. Thank you for our consultation or for the booth if you want to participate. I think that is it for me. Thank you so much.
thank you very much isabel for a very comprehensive uh wrap -up of the day but also for opening up on to tomorrow all sorts of interesting elements and looking to to look forward to uh in the day two of our event but this is a wrap for today so first of all i’d like to thank you all for your your reactions your contributions your comments your questions thank all of our speakers of course and i’d like to uh thank our audience online we hope that you can join us again tomorrow we look forward to having you with us um you are now all invited if you’re in the room unfortunately for you online uh you cannot join us but you’re now all invited to a drinks reception hosted by jurid just outside uh of the uh of the conference hall I wish you a very, very nice evening.
Enjoy the best of Brussels terraces with this weather. There’s nothing better to do than relax and have a nice evening all together. I’d like to invite you to be back on time tomorrow morning. We have an extremely tight schedule for our sessions tomorrow. You thought today was a tight schedule. Wait until you see tomorrow. So please be on time. Remember that you are registered, so you don’t need to go back through registration, but you still have to go through security tomorrow morning. So make a bit of or keep a bit of leeway for that. And if you could be outside in the hall around five to nine or so, so that we can start at nine sharp.
Have a lovely evening and see you tomorrow. Thank you. Bye bye.
“Isabelle Lois is a senior official at the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM).”
The transcript of the IGF opening session lists Isabelle Lois as a senior policy advisor at the Swiss Federal Office of Communications, confirming her senior role at OFCOM [S79].
“Isabelle Lois is the vice‑chair of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD).”
The knowledge base does not record Isabelle Lois holding any vice-chair position in the UN CSTD; it only identifies her as a senior policy advisor at OFCOM, suggesting the claim is inaccurate or unsubstantiated [S79].
“The WSIS vision is described as a “people‑centred and inclusive, development‑oriented information society”.”
The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society explicitly states the goal of a “people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society”, matching the report’s description [S88].
“EuroDIG has evolved from focusing solely on core internet issues to now covering AI governance, platform accountability, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, democratic resilience and human‑rights concerns.”
EuroDIG’s programme has broadened over time: earlier editions (e.g., EuroDIG 2014) centered on ICT policy, while later editions such as EuroDIG 2024 list streams on online harms, trust in AI, digital sovereignty and standards, illustrating the expansion of topics beyond core internet matters [S73] and [S86].
The speakers show clear consensus on the importance of a genuine multi‑stakeholder model for digital governance and on the necessity of moving from discussion to concrete action, including proper organisational support. These shared positions reinforce the WSIS vision of inclusive, people‑centred governance and suggest a strong foundation for coordinated European efforts that can feed into global fora.
High consensus on multi‑stakeholder value and the need for actionable outcomes; this alignment indicates a solid basis for collaborative policy development and implementation at both regional and global levels.
The transcript shows a high degree of consensus. Isabelle Lois stresses the importance of a strong, inclusive, multi‑stakeholder European model and the need to translate dialogue into action, while Florence Ranson highlights the intensity and richness of the day’s discussions and the logistical arrangements for the next day. Their statements complement rather than contradict each other, indicating alignment on goals such as preserving multi‑stakeholder spaces, advancing WSIS‑aligned digital governance, and ensuring effective event execution.
Minimal to none. The lack of substantive disagreement suggests that participants share a common vision for regional digital governance, which may facilitate coordinated follow‑up actions and smoother implementation of outcomes.
The wrap‑up session, driven primarily by Isabelle Lois, pivoted the discussion from a retrospective celebration of EuroDIG’s inclusive, multi‑stakeholder model to a forward‑looking agenda focused on implementation. Key comments underscored the evolution of the forum’s thematic scope, the indispensable role of genuine multi‑stakeholder cooperation, and the urgency of translating dialogue into concrete policy actions—especially in light of recent global resolutions and the Freedom Online Coalition’s work. These insights reshaped the tone from reflective to action‑oriented, set the stage for tomorrow’s sessions, and mobilised participants toward concrete participation in the upcoming consultation.
Disclaimer: This is not an official session record. DiploAI generates these resources from audiovisual recordings, and they are presented as-is, including potential errors. Due to logistical challenges, such as discrepancies in audio/video or transcripts, names may be misspelled. We strive for accuracy to the best of our ability.
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