“At a time when global governance is under strain and international cooperation is facing serious setbacks, spaces like the IGF are more relevant than ever.”

Cristian León Coronado
Fundación InternetBolivia.org

 

ReCIPE project partners participated in the 20th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum hosted by the Kingdom of Norway in Lillestrøm from 23 to 27 June 2025:

“IGF 2025 brought together participants from governments, civil society, the private sector, technical communities, and international organizations. This inclusive model ensures that diverse voices—including youth, marginalised groups, and representatives from the Global South—are part of shaping digital policy… [The IGF] is part of a global movement, but it also emphasizes local ownership and relevance for accountable digital governance.” 

-Theary Luy, Head of Program at the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC).

 

Tran Thi Tuyet (IPS, Vietnam), Cristian Leon and Lu An Mendez (Fundación InternetBolivia.org, Bolivia), Theary Luy (CCC, Cambodia), Khadeja Ibrahim (MIFTAH, Palestine), and Mohamed Aded Ali (SONSA) shared their insights at a session convened by Oxfam, discussing key findings and learnings extracted from research conducted in ReCIPE partner countries: 

 

 

Panelists reflected on what struck them the most about contributing to discussions during the Forum, and what they see as follow-up priorities.

Attending IGF 2025:

Mohamed A. Ali, Executive Director at Somalia Non-State Actors (SONSA) reflected that the Global IGF fostered “genuine commitment to multistakeholderism for discussing and reflecting on data privacy and surveillance, digital inclusion and access, artificial intelligence governance, and cybersecurity and internet fragmentation.” 

Multistakeholderism is a key concept for Internet governance implying cooperation between governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, for the development and application of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet. 

See this Internet Society report for info on the term.

"Attending IGF 2025 was truly eye-opening. I was especially impressed by how even small countries are taking bold steps to lead in innovation, technology, and AI. It reaffirmed for me that size is no barrier when there is vision, collaboration, and commitment." -Thy Try, Open Development Cambodia.

"The IGF community’s unique role as a global hub for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and piloting innovative solutions demonstrates that progress is truly achieved when people, not just technology, are placed at the heart of digital policy development." -Tran Thi Tuyet, IPS.

"The high-level discussions held and the involvement of a diverse range of actors show that the multistakeholder model remains alive and that there is a genuine interest in opening conversations on critical issues – such as threats to digital civic space." -Cristian León Coronado, Fundación InternetBolivia.org.

Key takeaways:

“The UN Secretary-General highlighted how the IGF has shown the power of dialogue across sectors, regions, and generations to shape a trustworthy internet, especially in the face of misinformation, surveillance, and online scams.” -Theary Luy, Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC).

"There is a real challenge in relation to governing AI, as its complexity and design allow major companies and global powers to drive its development outside accountability frameworks. Forums like the IGF can and should play a key role in shaping that conversation... Regarding digital inclusion, there’s a positive outlook on efforts to close the digital divide through infrastructure innovations—such as low-orbit satellites—and the adoption of meaningful connectivity models in several Global Majority countries. However, I was disappointed by the lack of participation from infrastructure solution actors in discussions on internet governance.” -Cristian León Coronado, Fundación InternetBolivia.org.

“I was reminded of just how important open data and evidence-based policymaking are for shaping strong digital and AI strategies.” -Thy Try, Open Development Cambodia.

“One of the most powerful takeaways from IGF 2025 was witnessing how deeply intertwined internet governance is with broader political realities, especially for marginalised communities like Palestinians. I was particularly struck by the global solidarity around digital rights and the growing recognition of how content moderation, surveillance, and infrastructure access disproportionately affect stateless and displaced populations.” -Khadeja Ibrahim, MIFTAH.

The road ahead:

“We are committed to enhancing the capacity of all stakeholders to understand, shape, and govern emerging technologies in ways that empower individuals to protect their rights and challenge digital injustices. We believe that by demystifying technology and making it accessible, we can genuinely safeguard digital rights and anticipate new threats before they become systemic challenges." -Tran Thi Tuyet, IPS.

“Debates on digital rights are stronger than ever—but unfortunately, violations are increasing... In this context, civil society showed strong presence through multiple coalitions and alliances between organizations from the Global South and North. Strengthening these groups and their advocacy capacities is critical in today’s uncertain world to ensure that voices denouncing abuses and risks linked to technology remain strong.” -Cristian León Coronado, Fundación InternetBolivia.org.

“Moving forward, we’re committed to deepening advocacy efforts that centre Palestinian digital rights within international digital policy conversations, and to working toward greater inclusion of decolonial perspectives in multistakeholder internet governance spaces. For Palestinians, our digital spaces are not just about free expression, they are about survival.” -Khadeja Ibrahim, MIFTAH.

Looking ahead for SONSA, Mohamed A. Ali commented: “… expected actions and commitment points would be to promote more inclusive digital participation by advocating for accessible digital tools and localized content in underrepresented communities. We will begin laying the groundwork to organize IGF Somalia 2025 by building a multi-stakeholder coalition that includes government, civil society, youth, the private sector, and the tech community, ensuring that the forum is inclusive, locally relevant, and aligned with global internet governance priorities.” 

“We will work together with Open Development Cambodia and other civil society organisations in Cambodia to engage with the Government towards the establishment of the first IGF Cambodia meeting. IGF Cambodia would not only strengthen national digital governance but also connect Cambodia to global conversations, enhancing visibility and influence.” -Theary Luy, Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC).

“At Open Development Cambodia, we see these lessons as both timely and valuable. As we prepare to host the 3rd edition of the Cambodia Youth Internet Governance Forum and look ahead to the country’s first National IGF, these global experiences will guide us in fostering inclusive dialogue and multi-stakeholder engagement. Ultimately, by promoting open data and collaborative approaches, we can build a more trusted, transparent, and resilient digital ecosystem for Cambodia.” -Thy Try, Open Development Cambodia.

If you attended the IGF 2025, we hope you had a chance to visit our ReCIPE booth where we showcased key publications and ongoing work. If you’d like to learn more or discuss potential ideas for collaboration, you can reach out to Daniel Pasquini, Digital in Programmes Global Manager at daniel.pasquinidaniel.pasquini@oxfam.org .