Governments and Technical Community: A Successful Model of Multistakeholder Collaboration for Achieving the SDGs

Summary

This discussion centered on a high-level session at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum celebrating the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and RIPE NCC, demonstrating successful collaboration between governments and the technical community. The session was hosted by Chafic Chaya, RIPE NCC’s regional manager for public policy and government affairs in the Middle East, and featured multiple distinguished speakers from international organizations and regulatory bodies.

His Excellency Bassam Alsarhan, CEO of Jordan’s TRC, emphasized how strategic partnerships with the technical community are essential for building resilient digital infrastructure and advancing sustainable development goals. He highlighted Jordan’s progress in IPv6 deployment, routing security, and internet measurement tools through collaboration with RIPE NCC. Hans-Peter Holen, CEO of RIPE NCC, stressed that the multi-stakeholder model works best when governments and technical communities collaborate, with technical expertise informing policy and policy driving innovation.

Representatives from various international organizations praised this collaborative approach. The League of Arab States’ Dr. Khaled Wali noted their successful joint initiatives with RIPE NCC, including capacity development and government roundtables. The European Union’s Fabrizia Benini discussed their multi-stakeholder forum for internet standards and upcoming opportunities for technical community participation. Sally Wentworth from the Internet Society emphasized that no single stakeholder can achieve an inclusive information society alone, highlighting their Internet Impact Assessment Framework as a tool for policymakers.

Regional perspectives were shared by representatives from Egypt, Niger, and Croatia, each describing successful collaborations between their regulatory authorities and technical organizations. The discussion concluded with recognition that such partnerships are crucial for achieving digital development goals and connecting the unconnected by 2030, representing a significant milestone in multi-stakeholder internet governance.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **Multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments and technical community**: The central theme focused on demonstrating successful partnerships between regulatory bodies and technical organizations, exemplified by the MOU signing between Jordan’s TRC and RIPE NCC, with emphasis on how this collaboration advances sustainable development goals and digital infrastructure.

– **Digital development and connectivity challenges**: Speakers addressed the ongoing work to achieve universal internet access, noting progress from 20% global connectivity in 2005 to two-thirds today, while acknowledging significant gaps remain in reaching the unconnected and achieving SDGs by 2030.

– **Technical capacity building and infrastructure security**: Multiple speakers highlighted collaborative efforts in IPv6 deployment, routing security, internet measurement tools, and cybersecurity standards, with specific examples like the EU’s NIS2 Directive implementation and various regional technical assistance programs.

– **Regional cooperation and knowledge sharing**: The discussion emphasized the importance of regional forums, roundtables, and capacity-building initiatives, with announcements of upcoming events in Cairo and Riyadh, and recognition of successful regional partnerships across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

– **WSIS+20 review and future directions**: Speakers reflected on 20 years since the World Summit on the Information Society, discussing the need to re-energize (not rewrite) digital development action lines and strengthen the multi-stakeholder governance model for addressing 2020s challenges.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion served as a high-level ceremonial and strategic session at the WSIS Forum to showcase and celebrate successful government-technical community collaboration, formalized through the MOU signing between Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and RIPE NCC, while building momentum for continued multi-stakeholder partnerships in achieving digital development goals.

## Overall Tone:

The tone was consistently formal, diplomatic, and celebratory throughout the session. It maintained a positive, collaborative spirit with speakers expressing mutual appreciation and commitment to partnership. The atmosphere was ceremonial during the MOU signing but remained substantive as speakers shared concrete examples of successful collaboration and future initiatives. There was no notable shift in tone – it remained professional and optimistic from start to finish, with speakers reinforcing themes of unity, shared responsibility, and collective achievement.

Speakers

**Speakers from the provided list:**

– **Chafic Chaya** – Regional Manager for Public Policy and Government Affairs for the Middle East at RIPE NCC

– **Bassam Alsarhan** – His Excellency, Engineer, President and CEO of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) in Jordan

– **Han Petter Holen** – CEO of RIPE NCC

– **Tomas Lamanauskas** – Representative from ITU (International Telecommunication Union)

– **Khaled Wali** – Dr., Plenipotentiary Minister, Head of the ICT Administration at the League of Arab States

– **Fabrizia Benini** – Head of Unit at the European Union

– **Sally Wentworth** – CEO of Internet Society (ISOC)

– **Ahmed Saaed** – Dr., Head of Public Policy and Affairs at the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) in Egypt

– **Anne Rachel Inne** – Director General of the National Information Society Agency in Niger

– **Zdravko Jukic** – Representative from the Regulatory Authority in Croatia, Co-chair of Cyber Security at the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)

– **Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava** – Dr., Head of ITU-D (ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau)

– **Mia Kulivin** – Member of the Internet Architecture Board in the IETF

– **Wouter de Natris** – Representative of the Dynamic Coalitions of the Internet Governance Forum

– **Participant** – Representative from the UK government (name not clearly mentioned in transcript)

**Additional speakers:**

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# Summary: WSIS Forum High-Level Session on Government-Technical Community Collaboration

## Introduction and Context

This high-level session at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum focused on demonstrating successful collaboration between governments and the technical community. The session was hosted by Chafic Chaya, RIPE NCC’s Regional Manager for Public Policy and Government Affairs in the Middle East, and featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and RIPE NCC. The discussion brought together speakers from international organisations, regulatory bodies, and technical communities to explore how multi-stakeholder partnerships can advance sustainable development goals and digital infrastructure development.

## Central Theme: Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Digital Development

The session emphasized that multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments and the technical community represents a practical approach to achieving digital development objectives. Speakers consistently supported the principle that such collaboration is fundamental to effective internet governance and sustainable development.

His Excellency Bassam Alsarhan, CEO of Jordan’s TRC, highlighted how strategic partnerships between regulatory frameworks and technical expertise are essential for building resilient digital infrastructure. He noted Jordan’s progress in IPv6 deployment, routing security, and internet measurement tools through collaboration with RIPE NCC, emphasizing how these partnerships shape “a digital future that serves society and future generations.”

Han Petter Holen, CEO of RIPE NCC, stressed that “the multi-stakeholder model works best when governments and technical community collaborate, with technical expertise informing policy and policy driving innovation.” He explained that RIPE NCC’s role in allocating and registering Internet number resources requires ensuring infrastructure is robust, secure, and inclusive through collaborative approaches.

Ms. Fabrizia Benini, representing the European Union, demonstrated practical implementation of this collaborative model, noting that “the technical community is a linchpin of multi-stakeholder organisation that the EU cannot do without for an open global internet.” She announced the upcoming EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards that will draft guidelines for practical deployment of IPv6, secure email, and other standards.

Sally Wentworth, CEO of the Internet Society, provided philosophical foundation for this collaboration, stating that “no single stakeholder can achieve an inclusive information society alone; collaboration is intrinsic to mission success.” She introduced the Internet Impact Assessment Framework as a practical tool to help policymakers test public policies against objectives of openness, security, and trustworthiness.

## Regional Perspectives and Capacity Building

The discussion highlighted regional cooperation and capacity building as crucial elements for digital development, with representatives sharing experiences and announcing upcoming initiatives.

Dr. Khaled Wali, representing the League of Arab States, noted that their organisation has prioritised partnerships for capacity development, with Council resolutions from 2021 and 2025 calling for strengthened collaboration with RIPE NCC. He mentioned the 8th edition of the government roundtable held in Amman, Jordan in November, highlighting how joint initiatives have contributed to the Arab Digital Agenda and Cybersecurity Strategy.

Dr. Ahmed Saaed, Head of Public Policy and Affairs at Egypt’s NTRA, announced that Egypt will host a RIPE NCC Roundtable in Cairo in December 2025 to strengthen regional cooperation and align policies with global best practices. He emphasized Egypt’s implementation of IPv6 strategy through ongoing technical assistance, training, and regional coordination with RIPE NCC.

Anne Rachel Inné, Director General of Niger’s National Information Society Agency, provided perspective from a developing nation context, emphasizing that “success demands unity and shared commitment, following the African philosophy of Ubuntu – ‘I am because we are.'” She highlighted Niger’s partnerships with tech innovators for specific solutions including AgriShop, Doudou (agricultural library), E-Santé Niger, and LictaCare, demonstrating practical applications of collaboration in addressing development challenges.

Zdravko Jukic from Croatia’s Regulatory Authority noted that regional roundtables allow countries with similar market situations to discuss technical issues openly. He shared Croatia’s experience in implementing the NIS2 Directive through broad stakeholder involvement and mentioned Croatia’s 8th National IGF edition in Opatija.

## Technical Infrastructure and Policy Development

Speakers emphasized how government-technical community partnerships are essential for developing robust technical infrastructure, particularly in IPv6 deployment, routing security, and cybersecurity measures.

Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Head of ITU-D, emphasized the need for practical focus in collaboration, stating that “words are sweet, but food is better. So we want the results and the impact on human life on the planet and bring prosperity to the people.” He announced the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators to be held from 31st August to 3rd October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and noted ITU-D’s support for digital development through a joint declaration with RIPE NCC in Jordan for IPv6 development.

Mia Kulivin, representing the Internet Architecture Board in the IETF, provided insight into how technical standards organisations operate, noting that “the IETF needs broad input from all stakeholders and works with ISOC to bring policymakers into their processes.” She emphasized that the IETF maintains and evolves internet standards used daily, requiring continuous collaboration across stakeholder groups.

The UK representative supported re-energising WSIS digital development action lines and pushing for a permanent IGF mandate, emphasizing that “governments need to work with the tech community to better understand the technology and what it can and can’t do, but we also need the tech community to work with governments to better understand policy making and how that works as well.”

Walter Natwiss, representing the Dynamic Coalitions of the Internet Governance Forum, highlighted the need for better integration of the IGF’s intersessional work on cutting-edge themes with WSIS action lines and SDGs, noting that ongoing work on themes like health, inclusion, and cybersecurity needs more recognition and integration with broader digital development frameworks.

## Sustainable Development Goals and Digital Inclusion

Speakers consistently linked collaborative efforts to achieving broader Sustainable Development Goals and digital inclusion objectives. The UK representative noted that “despite global connectivity rising to two-thirds of population, SDGs haven’t made desired progress and huge amounts remain to be done,” highlighting the gap between technical achievements in connectivity and broader development outcomes.

Chafic Chaya reinforced this connection, stating that “internet and connectivity is the life and blood for social and economic development in the digital age,” emphasizing how technical collaboration directly supports broader development objectives.

## Key Outcomes and Commitments

The session produced several concrete outcomes:

**Immediate commitments**: Egypt will host a RIPE NCC Roundtable meeting in Cairo in December 2025. The EU will publish a call for participation in its multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards, with the forum becoming operational by October.

**Upcoming events**: The ITU Global Symposium for Regulators will be held from 31st August to 3rd October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

**Ongoing initiatives**: Continued implementation of Egypt’s IPv6 strategy through technical assistance and training with RIPE NCC, and continued work with the global tech community through various regional tech hubs.

## Future Challenges

Several areas require continued attention:

– Better integration of the Internet Governance Forum’s intersessional work with WSIS action lines and SDGs

– Broader stakeholder engagement beyond traditional participants in government sectors

– Addressing the gap between technical connectivity achievements and SDG progress

– Developing specific mechanisms for the tech community to provide more input to government policymaking processes

## Conclusion

The session demonstrated that multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments and the technical community represents a practical approach to digital development challenges. The MOU signing between Jordan’s TRC and RIPE NCC served as a concrete example of how such partnerships can be formalized and implemented effectively.

The announced initiatives and commitments provide clear pathways for continued collaboration, with technical expertise informing policy and policy driving innovation. The discussion reinforced that achieving digital development goals requires sustained collaboration across all stakeholder groups to connect the unconnected by 2030.

Chafic Chaya: Basmati, and Mr. Mohammad Mohamad Sharif, Peace Center for Peace Research and Development , which is hosted by Ahmad Yusuf Mahmoud Safarใ . Good morning and welcome. Good morning to all of you. I am delighted to have 10 guests to speak. First of all, on behalf of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in Jordan, TRC, and the RIPE NCC, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this exceptional session today to assist. My name is Shafiq Shaya, I am serving as regional manager for public policy and government affairs for the Middle East at RIPE NCC. Today, I believe the theme of this session speaks for itself. It is about the importance of collaboration between governments and technical community. It is not only a slogan, it is proven, and it is practical, and here today we are to showcase this successful collaboration. All of us know that we are living in this digital age, where Internet and connectivity is the life and blood for social and economic development. So today we are not just talking about the digital age, but we are demonstrating the implementation of this collaboration. So without further ado, I would like to welcome His Excellency, engineer Bassam Srahan, the president and CEO of the Regulatory Telecommunications Commission in Jordan, to give his remarks. Your Excellency, for his use. Thank you. Thank you, Shafiq. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Bassam Alsarhan: Thank you. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, it is a true pleasure, to have all of you today joining us in this high-level session that showcases the strength and impact of multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing sustainable development goals. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between TRC of Jordan and the RIPE NCC, witnessed by the Deputy Secretary General of the ITU, represents a pivotal milestone in our shared vision for building resilient, inclusive, and secure digital infrastructure. At TRC, we have consistently recognized the vital role of strategic partnership with the technical community. We firmly believe that combining robust regulatory frameworks with deep technical expertise is essential to shaping a digital future that is both sustainable and secure. Through our collaboration with RIPE NCC and our broader network of international and local stakeholders, we have made tangible progress in enhancing national capabilities, including IPv6 deployment, routing security, and internet measurement tools. I would also like to proudly highlight that Jordan hosted the ITU Regional Development Forum earlier this year, reaffirming our country’s position as a regional hub for digital innovation and cooperation. In addition, TRC Jordan has the honor of hosting Government Roundtable in Amman. and Mr. Tomas Lamanauskas, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, Ms. Fabrizia Benini, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, Dr. Chafic Chaya and Mr. Han Petter Holen, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Fabrizia Benini, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, Mr. Han Petter Holen, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Fabrizia Benini, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, Dr. Chafic Chaya and Mr. Tomas Lamanauskas, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, Dr. our society and future generations and the humanity in general. Thank you very much.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you, Your Excellency. Thank you for sharing your insights. Now I invite Mr. Hans-Peter Hollen, the CEO of RAPP-NCC, to offer, to give his remarks.

Han Petter Holen: Thank you, Sofiq. Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a great honor to welcome you to this unique gathering to be here today alongside His Excellency Bassam Alsarhan, an esteemed guest from the League of Arab States, the European Union, the ITU, the Internet Society, National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Egypt, the National Information Society Agency in Niger and the Regulatory Authority in Croatia. The signature of this MOU between the RAPP-NCC and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Jordan marks a significant step, one that builds capacity, fosters collaboration and promotes secure, resilient Internet infrastructure, supporting Jordan’s digital transformation agenda and strengthening the technical foundation. necessary to achieve the sustainable development goals. This MOU builds our ongoing engagement and initiatives in Jordan from IPv6 deployment to routing security and capacity building at all levels. Our role as regional Internet registry is naturally global, yet it’s also extremely local and regional. The RIPE NCC, as an important part of the technical community, allocate and register Internet number resources that form the foundation of the Internet. But we also work hand in hand with our members, governments, regulators, academia, civil society and the private sector to ensure that this infrastructure is robust, secure and inclusive. Today’s signature is a testament to that spirit of collaboration and partnership. It reflects our shared belief that the multi-stakeholder model works best when governments and the technical community collaborate, with technical expertise informing policy and policy driving innovation. As we mark 20 years since WSIS, let’s look ahead to a new area of collaboration built on the joint efforts of governments, the technical community and all stakeholders grounded on multi-stakeholder partnership. Thank you, Your Excellency for the trust, and thank you all Excellencies, colleagues and friends here today for your presence and support. Together, let’s shape the future of the Internet, the foundation of the future information society. Thank you. Thank you, Hans-Peter. Thank you so much. With this, we move to the signature of the OMU. So please, Dr. Issa, can we give the copies for Dr. Assam and Mr. Hans-Peter. As you can see, once again, this is the showcasing how a successful collaboration between technical community and governments can achieve the SDGs and the digital future for all of us. Thank you once again for being with us today.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you very much, Thomas, to be with us today. I know you’re busy schedule, so I will give you the floor to give your remarks. Thank you. Thank you. And indeed, thank you. Mission

Tomas Lamanauskas: engineer and thank you very much. I really appreciate you allowing me to witness signing of this MOU today, but also doing this here at WSIS. I think this is exactly what WSIS platform forum should be, that platform for different stakeholders to come together, for the governments and regulators in this regard, from the technical community, and really build those stronger partnerships within this platform. So for us, that’s really very meaningful that this happens. Of course, it’s even a bigger pleasure that this MOU is being signed between the two organizations that we very closely collaborate with and we work together with. Of course, engineer mentioned the regional development forum and our PM that thank you for that. And of course, RIPE NCC is our treasured sector member and strong involvement. We invite you to different activities, and again, it’s a great pleasure that these two organizations here again reaffirm their partnership. So the only thing is, I would like to say, so long live the partnership for the benefit of the people of Jordan and the Middle East and for the benefit of digital development. So thank you very much. And everyone here, more and more youth here, and the more welcome. So take an example. Thank you very much.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you. Thank you, Tomas. Thank you so much. Just before you leave, we’ll take a group photo, please. 30 seconds for your time, Your Excellencies, to have a group photo with Tomas. Please, Your Excellency. Please, Mr. Genk. Photo for all the speakers, please. Dr. Khaled, Mr. Mahmoud Elia. Sally. A group photo, yes, with the speakers. Mr. Tomas, a little bit on this side, because of the screen. Please, if you move a little bit from your left side, please. Until there? Yeah. Because of the screen, the light is not good there. Sorry about that. It’s good. Okay. Okay. This way. This way, ladies and gentlemen. This way. One more. Perfect. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Tomas. With this, we will continue with our guests. Our next speaker is from the League of Arab States, Dr. Khaled Wali, who is the plenipotentiary minister, head of the ICT administration. Dr. Khaled, please. Thank you.

Khaled Wali: Thank you, Shafiq. Excellencies, colleagues, delegates, it’s my pleasure to speak today on behalf of the League of Arab States as we commemorate 20 years since the World Summit on the Information Society. This occasion is not only a reflection on the past. but a commitment to building an inclusive, secure digital future. Throughout the years, the League has prioritized partnerships that empower our member states to advance digital development and internet governance. One particularly successful collaboration has been with RIPE NCC, an organization that brings deep technical expertise and long-standing commitment to multi-stakeholder engagement. Together, we have engaged in joint initiatives ranging from capacity development to high-level government roundtables, including the most recent, the 8th edition in Amman, Jordan, which took place last November. Our collaboration extends to strategic frameworks where RIPE NCC has contributed to the Arab Digital Agenda, the Arab Cybersecurity Strategy, and the Arab IGF, working with us to ensure our regional priorities and aligned with global internet government efforts. In addition, through our joint engagement and contribution to the Arab Working Group on Internet Issues, RIPE NCC has helped shape regional discussions on internet infrastructure governance and regional digital cooperation. This partnership has not gone unnoticed. In 2021, the Council of Arab Ministers passed a resolution calling on Arab governments to strengthen their collaboration with RIPE NCC to foster the internet development in the Arab region, and just this year, in 2025, another resolution encouraging Arab governments to cooperate with RIPE NCC. Excellencies and colleagues, the success of this collaboration demonstrates what is possible when the technical community and governments work hand-in-hand, each respecting the roles and strengths of the other. Thank you.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you, Dr. Khaled, and thanks for your engagement and your support. We did a lot, and we have a long journey ahead. Our next speaker is Ms. Fabrizia Benini, Head of Unit

Fabrizia Benini: Thank you very much and good morning everyone. So I’m really very happy to have this opportunity to discuss with the tech community and this should not be a surprise because for decades the European Union has stood by an open global internet that is based and centred on the multi-stakeholder community and of course the tech community is a linchpin of that organisation and indeed something that we could not do without, let us be very clear. Now in WISIS, as we come up to the review, this position has been officially endorsed by 27 Member States in the Council and so therefore we stand united here before you to renew our commitment to the technical community and thank you for your support and work. Now RIPE NCC is a good example of that, you contribute to the general operational stability, you promote better inter-cyber security ways of working and indeed that collaboration with us, which is regular and constructive, has delivered tangible results. Tangible results that we see in particular in the implementation of the NIS2 Directive, which sets out a set of requirements for better cyber security standards that fall onto certain entities that are particularly exposed because of the trans-border work. Now in that framework there is an aspect which talks about internet standards. The increased development, sorry the increased The Commission has set up an EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards, and the objective of that group, which brings together the technical community, is to draft guidelines to make sure that there are practical steps that organizations can take to make sure that those Internet Standards are deployed. We’re talking about IPv6, we’re talking about secure email, etc. You all know that, so I don’t need to repeat it. But what I wanted to draw your attention to is that there is going to be a call for participation in that forum that is going to be published in the coming weeks, and that call of course will allow us to select the best and the brightest amongst you to contribute to those drafting of the guidelines. We hope to have the forum up and running by October, so when you mentioned that you wanted to talk not only about collaboration but in fact implementation, this is one such example. We can’t go forward in a secure global Internet without you, and we are really very grateful for your contribution and look forward to continuing it. Thank you very much.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you so much for your insights, and yes, this is what we are looking for, agile regulation policy based on technical expertise. Thank you so much. I will move to the CEO of ISOC, Internet Society, Ms. Sally Wentworth. Sally, the floor is yours. Thank you.

Sally Wentworth: Thank you very much, and first I want to congratulate our colleagues at RIPE NCC. and the TRC for the MOU. I think that’s a wonderful reflection on the kind of collaboration that we all seek, I think, within the technical community with policymakers as we try to build out towards a truly inclusive information society. So congratulations and thank you for having me here today. The Internet Society is a global organization dedicated to a vision that the Internet is for everyone. And we have been doing the work that we do on connectivity and Internet governance and pushing towards an open and trustworthy Internet across the globe for over 30 years. And that work has been grounded in a vision and a view that we, no one stakeholder, can achieve the vision of a truly inclusive information society on its own. And that includes the role of the technical community in ensuring that the Internet is stable, secure, trustworthy, resilient, affordable, present everywhere. But we do that within a context, and that context is often set by the policy frameworks that governments and international and regional organizations set around the world. And the work that we do to work alongside governments, with governments, is really intrinsic to how we want to approach our mission and our work. There are many things that the Internet Society does to collaborate with governments, including capacity building. We work with our colleagues, several of whom are here, from the Internet Engineering Task Force and the Internet Architecture Board, to bring policy makers into the IETF to demonstrate how that open standards model is working to support the global Internet. We also ensure that the work that we do to bring connectivity to some of the hardest-to-reach places around the world is done in collaboration with local policymakers, whether that’s through workshops, whether to understand the local needs, through partnership with our chapters around the world. This kind of relationship is incredibly important to us. The last thing I would say is, for some time, we recognized that policymakers have a really, really difficult job. The work you’re doing to try to advance the public interest in your countries is incredibly important and very difficult to do in a fast-moving and changing digital environment. Some years ago, we started thinking about what we could do to help policymakers on that journey, and we developed something called an Internet Impact Assessment Framework. The idea is to recognize the public interest concerns that governments have, but also the commitment, as we heard from the European Commission, to an open and secure multi-stakeholder Internet, and to try to create a framework in which policymakers could test public policies against those objectives of openness and security and trustworthiness. Almost similar to how you would do an environmental impact assessment if you were going to build a bridge or a building somewhere, we think it’s useful to do an Internet Impact Assessment to understand the impact of policies and what tradeoffs there might be. This is something that I offer to you as a tool. There are many tools to use. But, again, a recognition that there are public interests that we all share. I think that’s reflected in the MOU here today. And we are really honored and pleased to be part of that, to be part of that collaboration. And I think it’s the only way where we will finally achieve the results of the WSIS that we all envisioned 20 years ago. So thank you.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you, Sally. Thank you so much. And yes, our engagement with governments and with your team and colleagues at the ISOC is really very practical and proven on the ground. Thank you. I will move now to the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority in Egypt. On the agenda, we had His Excellency Mohamed Shamroukh, the president of the agency. But for an emergency, he left yesterday to Egypt. So we have here our dear friend, Dr. Ahmed Saeed, head of public policy and affairs. Dr. Ahmed, the floor is yours.

Ahmed Saaed: Thank you, Shafiq. And thank you, Your Excellency, Engineer Bassam and Hans, for inviting us to this important roundtable. It’s a true honor to join you today and take part of this important session of WSIS Forum, an event that continues to embody the spirit of multi-stakeholder collaboration in shaping a secure, inclusive, and sustainable digital future. Egypt’s participation reflects our strong belief in the power of international cooperation. and H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Mr. Han Petter Holen, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Anne Rachel NTRA and RIPE NCC are currently building a solid cooperation and partnership. This partnership encompasses both technical capacity-building and collaborative engagement in the Internet Government process. Together we are planning to work to support the policymaking process, enhance regional technical expertise and promote secure and stable Internet development. As we look to the future, NTRA is proud to deepen the collaboration with RIPE NCC in supporting the implementation phase of Egypt’s IPv6 strategy through ongoing technical assistance, training and regional coordination efforts. Also, we are excited to announce that Egypt will host the RIPE NCC Roundtable meeting in Cairo in December 2025, a high-level gathering that will bring together regulators, policymakers and network operators from across the region to exchange ideas, strengthen cooperation and align national policies and global best practices. Another example is our collaboration with the ITU. NTRA maintains a longstanding and strategic partnership with the International Telecommunication Union built on the shared values of connectivity, innovation and inclusive development. Through active participation in ITU study groups, conferences and regional initiatives, NTRA contributes to shaping global telecom policies, advancing regulatory best practices and fostering capacity building. across the Arab region. This collaboration supports Egypt’s digital transformation agenda while reinforcing multilateral efforts to create a secure, resilient, and equitable global digital environment. We actively engage across all ITU sectors and proudly hold leadership positions with each of them. In summary, NTRA remains deeply committed to continuing this journey and to working hand-in-hand with all stakeholders, governments, and the private sector, civil society, and technical community to ensure that no one is left behind on our shared digital future. To close, I would like to warmly invite you all to join us in Cairo in December for the dedicated DRIVE-NCC roundtable meeting. This gathering will serve as a key opportunity to deepen our collaboration, exchange insights, and collectively advance a more resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking digital future for our region. Thank you.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you, Dr. Fahez. Thank you. And thank you for the invitation. It will be a pleasure and honor to be in Cairo in December. Thank you so much. I’ll move online. We have one speaker online from Niger to hear from the African perspective, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, Director General from National Information Society Agency in Niger. Anne Rachel, you are with us.

Anne Rachel Inne: I am, Shafiq. Good morning. Good morning. We hear you. The floor is yours. Please. Thank you very much. And I’m glad to see you all. And apologies for not being able to join you, but it’s great to have the internet to be able to interact even remotely. So congratulations to DRIVE-NCC in the TRC Jordan for signing this MOU. And thank you for inviting me to participate to this gathering on the anniversary of WSIS 20th year. We’ve come a long way. and we’ve come a long way because the collaboration has been part of it. It is really an honor to be here and to talk about how in a world of interconnected challenges we know that can drive progress alone and success demands unity and what I call what everybody in Africa calls Ubuntu, the African philosophy that basically says, you know, I am because we are and it’s a shared commitment and it’s the only way we can drive innovation for good. Niger is a landlocked country and we have quite a few challenges and opportunities and we face present challenges like insecurity, climate issues, limited infrastructure, gaps in education and health care. But within those challenges we do see, you know, quite immense opportunities. Our greatest resource is not just land or minerals but the people. We have a very youthful population and their resilience, ingenuity and willingness to collaborate is something that is definitely, you know, those are basically the attributes we’re counting on to make sure that we succeed. So, some of those success stories include, you know, collaboration work in digital, for example, and food security since we’re talking about achieving the SDGs. So, in terms of agriculture for food security, for example, we have partnered with tech innovators in, you know, deploying mobile platforms like AgriShop. or Doudou. Doudou, for example, is a full library on agriculture and pastoralism. Niger is a place where we have a lot of agriculturists and pastoralists, and it is important that they get the information that they need, you know, online, but not only online, actually, it has to be in local languages. So those are some of the things that we’re doing, and these platforms, for example, provide farmers with real-time weather forecasts, market prices, farming techniques that, of course, have resulted in crop yields, increased crop yields, reduced post-harvest losses, empowered smallholder farmers as a whole in agriculture. So in terms of renewable energy, for example, we have done quite a few things in terms of partnerships with technical experts also, and we have expanded mini solar grids locally that have also empowered quite a few communities. Other national projects include e-governance and public service delivery. This is really what the national agency is working on, on the whole right now, to be able to produce as much as possible we’re hoping, you know, 45 to 50 percent of citizen services to be accessible by 2030. And this is really a great challenge, but we are collaborating with local tech startups in digitizing administrative processes, reducing bureaucracy, and of course corruption. We have initiatives in the health sector also, like E-Santé Niger, that is working a lot with, on making sure that local communities can have access to medical care, and also getting, for example, a few startups that are like LictaCare that are making sure to produce national equipment in terms of setting them up, for example, in other national hospitals and all of that, that can help transmission of information from doctors in between health care centers, for example, where we don’t have specialists and things like that. So in terms of the role of its stakeholders, I’m really glad to see this MOU again from RIPE and TRC Jordan, just because it is absolutely important. Governments it is absolutely important. Governments create enabling policies. We do have, you know, they invest in digital infrastructure. They foster public-private partnerships. Private sector and NGOs have a role to play. Citizens have a role to play. So in terms of strengthening collaboration, we absolutely need a lot more of these MOUs. We need to build trust and transparency. And the only way we can do that is to make sure that we talk to each other. Traditionally, one of the things that I have said to some of my colleagues is that, you know, when we do this type of things, meetings and all of that, we always end up talking to each other. So we really need this trust and this transparency to go to each sector of governments, not only the regular suspects, in terms of making sure they understand how the machine works and what’s in it for them, actually, you know. So to leverage regional and global partnerships is one of the things that we’re doing, investing in local talent. is one another thing that we’re doing. And we’re really hoping that from governments, technologists, businesses and communities, we have to understand that we need to unite to turn obstacles into opportunities. It is crucial. So we need to commit to deepening these partnerships. The future we want is one of resilience, and it is full of opportunity. It is within our grasp, and we can do it. So thank you very much for listening, and thanks for having me today. And have a good day, all. Enjoy WSIS Plus 20 Forum.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you. Thank you, Anne Rachel. Thank you. And just to comment, this didn’t come from vacuum. We are working for this for a longer years, and trust and transparency, yes, one of the main pillars that this MOU is based on. Thank you, Anne Rachel. We’ll go for Mr. Zdravko Djokovic from the Regulator Authority in Croatia, and he is the co-chair of the Cyber Security at the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, BEREC. Mr. Djokovic.

Zdravko Jukic: Thanks very much, Shafik, dear excellencies, colleagues, and dear RIPE NCC team, thanks for inviting me to this roundtable. I could name many good examples of good cooperation with governments and technical community and other stakeholders, but for this occasion I have picked three, I think, very good examples of this cooperation. First one is the Croatian National IGF. So we just had our 8th edition of the National IGF in Opatija, a very nice place by the sea, just one week before the Global IGF, where we had also a very was among the first member states to fully transpose it in national legal systems. So I can say that this was, as a national regulatory authority, we were a member of this team, but it was driven by the Central Authority for Cybersecurity in Croatia, and they really involved very broad participants from all the stakeholders, especially technical community and private sector. And the third example is, of course, as was already mentioned, the RIPE NCC roundtables, and especially those localized regional roundtables where we can sit down and discuss among countries that have similar situations on their markets, similar problems, and then we can openly discuss technical issues that RIPE NCC can help us. So I’m really looking forward to next editions of those roundtables. And maybe as some kind of conclusion of all these engagements with different stakeholders, is that it really makes sense to engage them when they have some clear interest, and they are really very active in participating in those discussions. I think that’s all for this time for me. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank

Chafic Chaya: you. Just, I want to welcome a friend, a colleague, Dr. Zava Zava, the head Zarrabi, Head of ITUD, to join us. I know you have busy schedule today, but it’s an honor to have you with us. I will give you the floor to make your remarks. Thank you.

Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava: Okay, so this is a true ambush. I would like to thank, I recognize of course the presence of the minister who hosted us during the regional preparatory meeting in Jordan and took great care of us. We in the ITU and in the Telecommunication Development Bureau believe in everything that is digital. So our doors are open. We are ready to engage. We are ready to move. Words are sweet, but food is better. So we want the results and the impact on human life on the planet and bring prosperity to the people. I would like to take and abuse this opportunity and invite you to the Global Symposium for Regulators to be held from the 31st of August to the 3rd of October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. You are most welcome. The minister is welcome. We have a high segment where we want the regulators to speak to policymakers and policymakers to speak to industry, chiefs of industry. So we welcome this signing of life. He’s a friend, also a member of ITU-D, and we support whatever you are going to sign. I haven’t seen anything,

Chafic Chaya: but thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. And by the way, this MOU is the, you know, we, last February in Jordan, just to give Dr. Zabazab our respect and consideration, that we signed a joint declaration with the ITU-D in Jordan for the development of IPV.

Participant: RIPE NCC for offering myself the opportunity to sit on this panel today. So the UK is a strong supporter of the multi-stakeholder model of global internet governance. The tech community are absolutely key alongside industry, government, civil society, academia, etc. And embedding the multi-stakeholder governance model has been a great success of the WSIS process to date, and we believe this is now a settled consensus. We must stay on our guard, but we don’t believe that anyone is seriously looking to reopen this. However, while global connectivity has risen from below 20% at the start of WSIS back in 2005, it’s now risen to two-thirds of the global population. This is a huge achievement, but the SDGs have not made the progress I think we all wanted to see in this regard, and there’s huge amounts still to do. And one of the key themes of the WSIS review is going to be the need to re-energise, but not rewrite, but re-energise the digital development action lines to reflect the reality of the 2020s that we now live in. And in the UK, we see the technical community as key partners in this challenge. But to achieve these goals, governments need to work with the tech community to better understand the technology and what it can and can’t do, but we also need the tech community to work with governments to better understand policy making and how that works as well. So it is great to see the tech community here in Geneva out in force, ISTAR organisations such as the Internet Society, ICANN, regional registries, not least RIPE NCC, but also seeing digital standards bodies as well like ITUT, the Internet Engineering Task Force, IEEE as well. It’s great that the tech community is all here in Geneva. In my view, a key task H.E. Dr. H.E. Mohamed Shamroukh, H.E. Dr. Khaled Wali, Ms. Anne Rachel Inné, Dr. Chafic Chaya It’s great to see elsewhere in the tech community, for example, ICANN’s efforts through its Applicant Support Programme to encourage G77 countries to apply for the next round of global top-level domain names. Similarly, efforts to promote multilingualism and minority scripts, and we welcome the efforts by standards event organisations as well to be more open and to promote their diversity. Governments have a role as well, of course, so the UK will continue to work closely with the global tech community and ask what more they can do. It needs to be a two-way conversation. We need the tech community to come to us as well with their suggestions and ideas as well. For the UK, we have a new digital development strategy and we’ll continue to support and implement our own digital access programme, our support for ITUD, and also our network of tech hubs in places like Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Indonesia. And as well as reinvigorating the WSIS action lines, we’ll push for a permanent mandate for the IGF. So just to conclude, if we can increase this momentum, I hope by 2030, we will be in touching distance of connecting the unconnected in reality and achieving that momentous goal together. Thank you very much.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you so much. Once again, thank you for being with us today. And yes, I can say that the A-team The RIRs, ICANN, ISOC, IATF, are there to work with you and to collaborate with you all. So I will give the floor. If we have any questions, I can give two or three minutes for the floor. If there’s any question or any remarks, any feedbacks. Yes, we have one question. Please, can you introduce yourself? Thank you.

Mia Kulivin: My name is Mia Kulivin. I’m a member of the Internet Architecture Board in the IETF. And I just wanted to join the chorus here about how important it is to work together. The IETF is the main standards organization that works on internet standards that you’re using every day. We are maintaining and evolving them continuously. And of course, because we’re all using the internet every day, there are social and political questions that come up in this processes as well. So we need broad input from all of you. The IETF is an open organization, so everybody can come and join, but we know that’s not enough. Sometimes we don’t speak the same language. Sometimes we just need to talk more, and that’s why it’s important to have these forums. But we also do a lot together with ISOC, actually, to bring in policy makers to understand our process, to build trust. That’s also something you mentioned. And yeah, I just wanna join that. It’s very inspiring to see that everybody’s here to talk to each other, and we need to continue that. Thank you.

Chafic Chaya: Thank you so much for this contribution. And yes, we can’t agree more. Thank you. Yeah. One last question, please.

Wouter de Natris: My name is Walter Natwiss, and I represent the Dynamic Coalitions of the Internet Governance Forum here in Geneva, I think where I am always traveling. But I think that what is important to understand that the Internet Governance Forum is often seen as a one-day, one-week event every year, but there’s a lot of intersessional work going on on cutting-edge themes like health, like inclusion, cybersecurity, et cetera, et cetera. And I think that work needs more recognition and more integration in also getting to the WSIS and the Action Blinds and the SDGs, because we’re-

Chafic Chaya: and H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, H.E. Eng. Bassam Alsarhan, H.E. Eng. David, thank you for being with us. Thank you so much.

Agreement points

Multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential for digital development and internet governance

Speakers

– Bassam Alsarhan
– Han Petter Holen
– Tomas Lamanauskas
– Fabrizia Benini
– Sally Wentworth
– Anne Rachel Inne
– Participant
– Mia Kulivin
– Chafic Chaya

Arguments

Strategic partnerships between regulatory frameworks and technical expertise are essential for sustainable digital infrastructure

Multi-stakeholder model works best when governments and technical community collaborate, with technical expertise informing policy and policy driving innovation

WSIS platform should facilitate collaboration between different stakeholders including governments, regulators, and technical community

The technical community is a linchpin of multi-stakeholder organization that the EU cannot do without for an open global internet

No single stakeholder can achieve an inclusive information society alone; collaboration is intrinsic to mission success

Success demands unity and shared commitment, following the African philosophy of Ubuntu – ‘I am because we are’

Multi-stakeholder governance model has been a great success of WSIS and is now settled consensus

The IETF needs broad input from all stakeholders and works with ISOC to bring policymakers into their processes

Collaboration between governments and technical community is not just a slogan but proven and practical

Summary

All speakers unanimously agree that multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments, technical community, and other stakeholders is fundamental to achieving digital development goals and effective internet governance. They view this as a proven, practical approach rather than just theoretical concept.

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development | Infrastructure

Technical infrastructure development requires government-technical community partnership

Speakers

– Bassam Alsarhan
– Han Petter Holen
– Khaled Wali
– Fabrizia Benini
– Ahmed Saaed

Arguments

Tangible progress has been made in IPv6 deployment, routing security, and internet measurement tools through collaboration

RIPE NCC allocates and registers Internet number resources that form the foundation of the Internet while ensuring infrastructure is robust, secure and inclusive

Joint initiatives have ranged from capacity development to government roundtables, contributing to Arab Digital Agenda and Cybersecurity Strategy

EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards will draft guidelines for practical deployment of IPv6, secure email, and other standards

Egypt is implementing IPv6 strategy through ongoing technical assistance, training and regional coordination with RIPE NCC

Summary

Speakers agree that technical infrastructure development, particularly IPv6 deployment and cybersecurity measures, requires close collaboration between government regulators and technical organizations like RIPE NCC to achieve concrete results.

Topics

Infrastructure | Cybersecurity | Development

Regional cooperation and capacity building are crucial for digital development

Speakers

– Bassam Alsarhan
– Khaled Wali
– Ahmed Saaed
– Anne Rachel Inne
– Zdravko Jukic
– Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava

Arguments

Jordan has positioned itself as a regional hub for digital innovation, hosting ITU Regional Development Forum and Government Roundtables

League of Arab States has prioritized partnerships for capacity development, with Council resolutions calling for strengthened collaboration with RIPE NCC

Egypt will host RIPE NCC Roundtable in Cairo in December 2025 to strengthen regional cooperation and align policies with global best practices

Niger leverages partnerships with tech innovators for agriculture platforms, renewable energy, e-governance, and healthcare solutions

Regional roundtables allow countries with similar market situations to discuss technical issues openly

ITU-D supports digital development and signed joint declaration with RIPE NCC in Jordan for IPv6 development

Summary

Speakers consistently emphasize the importance of regional cooperation through roundtables, forums, and capacity building initiatives to share knowledge, align policies, and address common challenges in digital development.

Topics

Development | Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory

Digital connectivity is fundamental to achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Speakers

– Han Petter Holen
– Sally Wentworth
– Participant
– Chafic Chaya

Arguments

Building capacity, fostering collaboration and promoting secure Internet infrastructure supports sustainable development goals

Internet Impact Assessment Framework helps policymakers test public policies against objectives of openness, security and trustworthiness

Despite global connectivity rising to two-thirds of population, SDGs haven’t made desired progress and huge amounts remain to be done

Internet and connectivity is the life and blood for social and economic development in the digital age

Summary

Speakers agree that internet connectivity and digital infrastructure are essential foundations for achieving broader sustainable development objectives, though significant work remains to be done.

Topics

Development | Economic | Infrastructure

Similar viewpoints

Arab region representatives share a common approach of positioning their countries as regional hubs for digital cooperation and hosting international forums to facilitate knowledge sharing and policy alignment.

Speakers

– Bassam Alsarhan
– Ahmed Saaed
– Khaled Wali

Arguments

Jordan has positioned itself as a regional hub for digital innovation, hosting ITU Regional Development Forum and Government Roundtables

Egypt will host RIPE NCC Roundtable in Cairo in December 2025 to strengthen regional cooperation and align policies with global best practices

Joint initiatives have ranged from capacity development to government roundtables, contributing to Arab Digital Agenda and Cybersecurity Strategy

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

European representatives emphasize practical implementation of cybersecurity standards through multi-stakeholder collaboration, particularly in the context of EU directives and frameworks.

Speakers

– Fabrizia Benini
– Zdravko Jukic

Arguments

EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards will draft guidelines for practical deployment of IPv6, secure email, and other standards

Croatia successfully transposed NIS2 Directive through broad stakeholder involvement including technical community and private sector

Topics

Cybersecurity | Legal and regulatory | Development

Technical community representatives emphasize the need for tools and processes that bridge the gap between technical expertise and policy-making, facilitating better understanding and collaboration.

Speakers

– Sally Wentworth
– Mia Kulivin

Arguments

Internet Impact Assessment Framework helps policymakers test public policies against objectives of openness, security and trustworthiness

The IETF needs broad input from all stakeholders and works with ISOC to bring policymakers into their processes

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development | Infrastructure

Unexpected consensus

Ubuntu philosophy and collective responsibility in digital development

Speakers

– Anne Rachel Inne
– Sally Wentworth
– Chafic Chaya

Arguments

Success demands unity and shared commitment, following the African philosophy of Ubuntu – ‘I am because we are’

No single stakeholder can achieve an inclusive information society alone; collaboration is intrinsic to mission success

Collaboration between governments and technical community is not just a slogan but proven and practical

Explanation

Unexpectedly, speakers from different continents and organizations converged on a philosophical understanding of collective responsibility, with the African Ubuntu philosophy resonating with technical and policy communities globally, suggesting a deeper cultural alignment in digital governance approaches.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural | Legal and regulatory

Practical implementation focus over theoretical discussions

Speakers

– Fabrizia Benini
– Chafic Chaya
– Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava
– Ahmed Saaed

Arguments

EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards will draft guidelines for practical deployment of IPv6, secure email, and other standards

Agile regulation and policy should be based on technical expertise

ITU-D supports digital development and signed joint declaration with RIPE NCC in Jordan for IPv6 development

Egypt is implementing IPv6 strategy through ongoing technical assistance, training and regional coordination with RIPE NCC

Explanation

There was unexpected consensus across different organizational types (EU, regional bodies, national regulators) on moving beyond theoretical discussions to concrete implementation, with specific focus on technical standards deployment and practical capacity building.

Topics

Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory | Development

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion revealed remarkably strong consensus across all speakers on the fundamental importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, the need for government-technical community partnerships, regional cooperation for capacity building, and the role of digital connectivity in achieving sustainable development goals. Speakers consistently emphasized practical implementation over theoretical discussions.

Consensus level

Very high consensus level with no significant disagreements identified. This strong alignment suggests mature understanding of digital governance challenges and established best practices for addressing them. The implications are positive for continued international cooperation in digital development, with clear pathways for implementation through existing frameworks like RIPE NCC partnerships, regional roundtables, and multi-stakeholder forums. The consensus provides a solid foundation for scaling successful collaboration models globally.

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed remarkable consensus among speakers with no direct disagreements identified. All participants strongly supported multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments and technical community.

Disagreement level

Very low disagreement level. The session demonstrated strong alignment on fundamental principles of multi-stakeholder internet governance, with speakers reinforcing each other’s points rather than challenging them. The only variations were in specific approaches and tools for achieving shared goals, which represents healthy diversity in implementation methods rather than fundamental disagreements. This high level of consensus suggests either careful curation of speakers with aligned views or genuine convergence around multi-stakeholder principles in internet governance. The implications are positive for continued collaboration, though the lack of dissenting voices may indicate limited representation of alternative perspectives on internet governance approaches.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Arab region representatives share a common approach of positioning their countries as regional hubs for digital cooperation and hosting international forums to facilitate knowledge sharing and policy alignment.

Speakers

– Bassam Alsarhan
– Ahmed Saaed
– Khaled Wali

Arguments

Jordan has positioned itself as a regional hub for digital innovation, hosting ITU Regional Development Forum and Government Roundtables

Egypt will host RIPE NCC Roundtable in Cairo in December 2025 to strengthen regional cooperation and align policies with global best practices

Joint initiatives have ranged from capacity development to government roundtables, contributing to Arab Digital Agenda and Cybersecurity Strategy

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure

European representatives emphasize practical implementation of cybersecurity standards through multi-stakeholder collaboration, particularly in the context of EU directives and frameworks.

Speakers

– Fabrizia Benini
– Zdravko Jukic

Arguments

EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards will draft guidelines for practical deployment of IPv6, secure email, and other standards

Croatia successfully transposed NIS2 Directive through broad stakeholder involvement including technical community and private sector

Topics

Cybersecurity | Legal and regulatory | Development

Technical community representatives emphasize the need for tools and processes that bridge the gap between technical expertise and policy-making, facilitating better understanding and collaboration.

Speakers

– Sally Wentworth
– Mia Kulivin

Arguments

Internet Impact Assessment Framework helps policymakers test public policies against objectives of openness, security and trustworthiness

The IETF needs broad input from all stakeholders and works with ISOC to bring policymakers into their processes

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development | Infrastructure

Key takeaways

Multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments and technical community is essential for achieving sustainable digital development and SDGs

The MOU signing between TRC Jordan and RIPE NCC demonstrates successful practical implementation of government-technical community partnership

Technical expertise must inform policy while policy drives innovation – this two-way collaboration model is proven effective

Regional partnerships and capacity building are crucial for digital infrastructure development, particularly in areas like IPv6 deployment and routing security

Trust and transparency are fundamental pillars for successful collaboration between different stakeholder groups

The multi-stakeholder governance model established through WSIS is now settled consensus and should be maintained while re-energizing digital development action lines

No single stakeholder can achieve inclusive information society alone – unity and shared commitment across all sectors is required

Resolutions and action items

Egypt will host RIPE NCC Roundtable meeting in Cairo in December 2025 to strengthen regional cooperation

EU will publish call for participation in multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards in coming weeks, with forum operational by October

ITU Global Symposium for Regulators to be held August 31 – October 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with invitation extended to participants

Continued implementation of Egypt’s IPv6 strategy through ongoing technical assistance and training with RIPE NCC

UK will continue working with global tech community through digital development strategy and support for various regional tech hubs

Push for permanent mandate for Internet Governance Forum as part of WSIS review process

Unresolved issues

How to better integrate Internet Governance Forum’s intersessional work on cutting-edge themes with WSIS action lines and SDGs

Specific mechanisms needed for tech community to provide more input to government policymaking processes

How to ensure broader stakeholder engagement beyond ‘regular suspects’ in government sectors

Addressing the gap between global connectivity achievements (two-thirds of population) and slower SDG progress

Practical implementation details for the EU Internet Standards guidelines and deployment requirements

Suggested compromises

Recognition that governments need to understand technology capabilities while tech community needs to understand policymaking processes – requiring mutual education efforts

Balancing open internet principles with legitimate government public interest concerns through frameworks like Internet Impact Assessments

Using regional and localized roundtables to address similar market situations and challenges rather than one-size-fits-all approaches

Leveraging existing successful collaboration models (like RIPE NCC partnerships) as templates for broader stakeholder engagement

We can’t go forward in a secure global Internet without you, and we are really very grateful for your contribution and look forward to continuing it… this is what we are looking for, agile regulation policy based on technical expertise.

Speaker

Fabrizia Benini (EU) and Chafic Chaya’s response

Reason

This exchange crystallized a key paradigm shift from traditional top-down regulation to collaborative, technically-informed policy making. Benini’s concrete example of the EU multi-stakeholder forum for Internet Standards with an upcoming call for participation demonstrated practical implementation rather than just theoretical collaboration.

Impact

This comment shifted the discussion from ceremonial statements to concrete examples of how technical expertise can directly inform policy frameworks. It provided a tangible model that other participants could reference and potentially replicate in their own contexts.

Some years ago, we started thinking about what we could do to help policymakers on that journey, and we developed something called an Internet Impact Assessment Framework… Almost similar to how you would do an environmental impact assessment if you were going to build a bridge or a building somewhere, we think it’s useful to do an Internet Impact Assessment to understand the impact of policies and what tradeoffs there might be.

Speaker

Sally Wentworth (Internet Society)

Reason

This introduced a novel conceptual framework that bridges the gap between technical understanding and policy making. The environmental impact assessment analogy made complex internet governance concepts accessible to policymakers while providing a practical tool for decision-making.

Impact

This comment elevated the discussion from general collaboration principles to specific methodological approaches. It provided a concrete tool that governments could adopt, influencing how subsequent speakers framed their own collaborative initiatives and moving the conversation toward practical implementation strategies.

Our greatest resource is not just land or minerals but the people. We have a very youthful population and their resilience, ingenuity and willingness to collaborate… We really need this trust and this transparency to go to each sector of governments, not only the regular suspects, in terms of making sure they understand how the machine works and what’s in it for them.

Speaker

Anne Rachel Inné (Niger)

Reason

This comment provided crucial perspective from a developing nation context, highlighting that successful digital collaboration requires going beyond traditional stakeholders to engage broader government sectors. Her emphasis on explaining ‘what’s in it for them’ addressed a fundamental challenge in multi-stakeholder engagement.

Impact

This intervention brought much-needed diversity to the discussion, shifting focus from developed-world perspectives to include challenges faced by landlocked, resource-constrained countries. It influenced subsequent speakers to consider broader inclusivity and practical benefits for all stakeholders, not just technical communities.

Words are sweet, but food is better. So we want the results and the impact on human life on the planet and bring prosperity to the people.

Speaker

Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava (ITU)

Reason

This blunt statement cut through diplomatic language to emphasize the ultimate purpose of technical collaboration – tangible human impact. It challenged the tendency toward ceremonial discourse and demanded focus on measurable outcomes.

Impact

This comment served as a reality check that reoriented the discussion toward practical outcomes rather than process. It influenced the tone of subsequent contributions, with speakers becoming more specific about concrete results and measurable impacts of their collaborative efforts.

But to achieve these goals, governments need to work with the tech community to better understand the technology and what it can and can’t do, but we also need the tech community to work with governments to better understand policy making and how that works as well.

Speaker

UK Participant

Reason

This comment articulated the bidirectional nature of learning required for effective collaboration, moving beyond the common assumption that only governments need to understand technology. It highlighted that technical communities also need policy literacy.

Impact

This observation reframed the collaboration as mutual education rather than one-way technical assistance. It influenced how participants conceptualized their roles, suggesting that successful partnerships require both sides to develop new competencies and understanding of each other’s domains.

Overall assessment

These key comments transformed what could have been a ceremonial MOU signing into a substantive discussion about practical collaboration mechanisms. The most impactful contributions moved beyond diplomatic pleasantries to address real challenges: how to make regulation more agile and technically informed, how to create practical tools for policy assessment, how to ensure inclusivity beyond traditional stakeholders, and how to focus on measurable human impact. The discussion evolved from celebrating existing partnerships to identifying concrete next steps and frameworks for deeper collaboration. The diversity of perspectives – from EU regulatory frameworks to African development challenges to technical community insights – created a rich dialogue that demonstrated the multi-stakeholder model in action rather than just advocating for it in theory.

How to better understand technology capabilities and limitations from a government perspective, and how policy making works from a technical community perspective

Speaker

UK representative

Explanation

This two-way understanding is essential for effective collaboration between governments and technical community to achieve digital development goals

What more can the tech community do to support government initiatives, and what suggestions/ideas can they bring to governments

Speaker

UK representative

Explanation

The speaker emphasized this needs to be a two-way conversation where the tech community proactively engages with governments with suggestions and ideas

How to increase recognition and integration of Internet Governance Forum intersessional work in WSIS Action Lines and SDGs

Speaker

Wouter de Natris

Explanation

There is ongoing work on cutting-edge themes like health, inclusion, and cybersecurity that needs better integration with broader digital development frameworks

How to re-energize (not rewrite) the digital development action lines to reflect the reality of the 2020s

Speaker

UK representative

Explanation

While global connectivity has improved significantly since 2005, the SDGs have not made the expected progress and need to be updated for current realities

How to achieve the goal of connecting the unconnected by 2030

Speaker

UK representative

Explanation

Despite progress in global connectivity reaching two-thirds of the global population, there is still significant work needed to achieve universal connectivity

How to build trust and transparency between different sectors beyond the ‘regular suspects’

Speaker

Anne Rachel Inné

Explanation

There is a need to extend collaboration beyond traditional participants to include all sectors of government and ensure they understand how digital systems work and their benefits