On 17 December, ICANN President and CEO Kurtis Lindqvist addressed the United Nation (U.N.) General Assembly during its High-Level Meeting on the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of WSIS+20. Kurtis, and others in the technical community, were invited to share their views with the U.N. member states. Kurtis took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of multistakeholder collaboration in ensuring that the Internet remains stable, secure and reliable not only for those online today, but the 2.2 billion people yet to come online.
At the conclusion of this meeting, the U.N. General Assembly formally adopted the WSIS+20 Outcome Document that will guide the next phase of global digital cooperation. ICANN’s contribution underscored a central point that has carried through the WSIS process since 2003: the Internet works because collaboration works.
The WSIS+20 Outcome Document represents an important agreement that the Internet is a shared global resource and its governance requires a multistakeholder approach. The Outcome Document commits the global stakeholder community to maintaining an open, accessible and interoperable Internet. It also reflects the realities of the Internet: it is a system that connects billions globally, supports essential services and digital economies, and provides a platform “where everyone can create, access, utilise and share information and knowledge”.
The Outcome Document reaffirms that “the value and principles of multi-stakeholder cooperation and engagement“ are characteristics of the WSIS process and that “effective participation, partnership and cooperation of Government, the private sector, civil society, international organisations, the technical communities and all other relevant stakeholders including youth” will continue to be vital to achieve the goals of WSIS. This recognition will be critical as the global community enters the next phase of digital cooperation.
WSIS+20 also brings renewed urgency to key areas where progress must continue. The digital divide remains one of the most significant challenges. Expanding meaningful connectivity, particularly for the 2.2 billion people still offline, requires long-term investment, technical readiness and sustained commitment from all stakeholders.
Another significant element of WSIS+20 is the focus on strengthening the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), including through giving the IGF a permanent mandate. Ensuring that the IGF has predictable support, stable resourcing, and the ability to plan for the long term is critical for the IGF to continue serving as the world’s most globally representative platform for dialogue on digital governance. The commitments made at WSIS+20 will help sustain this role.
ICANN welcomes the broad-based approach to the WSIS+20 review process. The contributions made throughout the process by governments, international organizations, and the wider Internet community have strengthened and informed the discussion while reinforcing that digital cooperation cannot be effective without participation by all stakeholders. Leadership from member states helped make this outcome possible. The creation of the WSIS+20 Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board (IMSB), with participation from Theresa Swinehart, ICANN Senior Vice President, Global Domains and Strategy, and members of other stakeholders groups, was an important stepping stone in the discussions, bringing non-government stakeholders’ perspectives into the process.
The decisions adopted by the U.N. General Assembly set the direction for the next chapter of WSIS implementation. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves, as there is much work to accomplish. The ICANN 2026-2030 Strategic Plan is our roadmap and our commitment to continue to work with governments, international organizations, industry, civil society, academia, end users and the technical community to support a secure, interoperable, and globally accessible Internet for all. We invite you to join us in this work.
The remarks delivered at the General Assembly reflect this commitment and will guide our contributions as we move into the next phase of digital cooperation.
