Amplifying CSOs’ voices in digital governance: key takeaways from engaging with Internet Governance Forum initiatives

Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in the creation, promotion, and enforcement of effective digital governance. They bring valuable diverse perspectives to digital policy processes, especially those of marginalised communities. CSOs advocate for the application of internationally recognised digital rights and principles to ensure policy measures promote equality, equity, and non-discrimination while addressing the needs of those facing the most risk of digital harm. However, CSOs often encounter significant barriers when trying to access and participate in spaces where digital governance is discussed, developed, and established.  As a result, the voices of the global majority remain underrepresented in digital governance discussions, which can perpetuate the neglect of urgent digital rights issues that disproportionately affect marginalised groups such as young people, women, and LGBTQIA+ people. 

 

To address this underrepresentation, Oxfam and its partners are working under the framework of the ReCIPE project to enhance the capacity of CSOs to influence policy processes that protect digital rights and address digital harm. In the first year of the project’s implementation, we supported our partners’ engagement in a series of specific policy processes linked to the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The IGF brings together stakeholders from around the world to discuss good policies and practices related to the evolution, use, and accountability of the Internet and other technologies. Discussions at the IGF are informed by initiatives at national and regional levels—these initiatives are some of the most important spaces for CSOs to engage in dialogue with governments and other stakeholders on pressing digital governance issues affecting their respective communities. 

Our engagement in IGF initiatives around the world:

 

Here are some examples of how we supported our partners’ engagement in initiatives at the national and regional levels: 

  • Our partner, the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), represented the ReCIPE project while contributing to the Phnom Penh Internet Forum. This forum was initiated by the Digital Rights Working Group to promote, protect, and create a dialogue platform about digital rights and internet freedom in the country.
  • SONSA, our partner in Somalia, contributed to a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to build a more inclusive digital ecosystem by supporting the organisation of the first Somalia IGF.
  • During the East Africa IGF, Oxfam facilitated a panel with speakers from civil society and the technical community in Uganda to discuss how young people across the region are leveraging technology to drive innovation, advocate for digital rights, and overcome challenges posed by the digital divide. 

Our key takeaways

Engaging in these initiatives wasn’t easy. We faced time and budget constraints, while navigating the increasing number of complex issues requiring attention from those with the power and responsibility to uphold digital rights. However, this experience led us and our partners to identify three main takeaways: 

 

First, CSOs concerned with digital rights and the role of technology for humanitarian and development programming need to be more coordinated, agile, and dynamic to take advantage of finite resources and limited opportunities to engage in complex digital governance environments. Existing non-profit platforms like NetHope and the International Civil Society Centre can help facilitate collaboration between CSOs from the Global North and the Global South, ensuring strong civil society representation in the IGF process and other digital governance discussions, including with private sector companies. 

 

Second, multilateral organisations like the European Union, can play a key role in creating opportunities for governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to engage on digital rights issues across multiple countries and global policymaking processes. These global policymaking processes should be grounded in best practices and informed by lessons learned at the national and regional levels. Multilateral organisations can also help to address the access gap for global majority voices in global digital policymaking processes and promote more accountable and effective policies and practices. 

 

Third, there is a pressing need to promote and strengthen a multistakeholder approach to digital governance. By including a broad range of voices, experiences, and perspectives, we can ensure that universal principles are articulated and that frameworks and mechanisms are established in both the public and private sectors to protect digital rights for all. The IGF is an example of a process that promotes engagement in discussions on an equal footing for all stakeholders from governments, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector, the technical community and civil society (including academia). However, decisions soon to be made in processes including the World Summit on the Information Society 20-year review and the Global Digital Compact implementation could substantially affect how digital governance decisions are made in the future. A multistakeholder approach to decision-making should remain the cornerstone for addressing the growing complexities of governance in the digital age. 

 

Alongside our ReCIPE project partners, we will continue to engage with government authorities, progressive private sector companies, and other stakeholders on digital rights whenever possible. Together, we will ensure the perspectives of the global majority on digital technologies are heard and heeded.