Co-authored by Concettina Cassa and Anriette Esterhuysen.

The WSIS+20 review confirmed the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as a permanent institution within the UN system. This marks an important milestone for one of the world’s most established multistakeholder spaces for digital policy dialogue. But permanence, while significant, is only the beginning. It also raises new questions about how the IGF can strengthen its relevance, increase its impact and deepen its contribution to global digital cooperation.

From Permanence to Relevance

The digital governance landscape has changed dramatically since the IGF was created. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital inclusion and growing geopolitical tensions are reshaping policy debates at unprecedented speed. At the same time, decision-making on digital issues has become increasingly fragmented across institutions and processes. In this context, the IGF has an opportunity not simply to endure, but to evolve.

Our paper, “Beyond permanence: Shaping the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for strategic impact in the post-WSIS+20 Context,” explores possible pathways for the next phase of the IGF’s development. It argues that the challenge ahead is not to reinvent the IGF, but to strengthen it as an integrated, inclusive and impactful digital policy ecosystem. Greater integration across the IGF community, stronger links with policy processes inside and outside the UN system, more effective and timely outputs, and enhanced multistakeholder collaboration can all increase the Forum’s contribution while preserving its open, inclusive and non-negotiating character.

Strengthening the IGF Ecosystem

Drawing on discussions held within the IGF MAG Working Group on Strategy, the paper presents reflections and practical recommendations organised around four interconnected pillars: integration, relevance, impact and identity. It highlights the importance of strengthening participation from developing countries and underrepresented communities, improving policy uptake of IGF outputs, supporting National and Regional IGFs, and investing in the institutional capacity needed for the IGF’s permanent mandate.

The transition from permanence to relevance is now the central task. The IGF’s future success will depend not on the permanence it has secured, but on the difference it makes to global digital governance and to the people whose digital futures are shaped by it.

Read the full paper here.