What is WSIS+20?
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a unique two-phase UN summit with the overarching goal of building a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented information society where everyone can create, access, use, and share information.
The first phase, held in Geneva in 2003, resulted in the Geneva Plan of Action, which consists of 11 Action Lines reflecting a set of technologically neutral targets to achieve this society.
The second phase, held in Tunis in 2005, set out a vision for a distributed, multistakeholder approach to internet governance. It created the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as a cornerstone of multistakeholder policy dialogue, as well as the annual WSIS forum.
Since then, work to implement the Action Lines has progressed and various WSIS-related events have taken place, including the WSIS+10 review in 2015.
WSIS+20 refers to the 20-year review of the WSIS process.
The review aims to assess progress made in implementing the WSIS vision and outcomes and to determine future directions for creating an inclusive information society. The process culminates in a high-level meeting at the UN General Assembly at the end of 2025, where the future of WSIS and digital cooperation will be considered.
ARTICLE 19’s advocacy on WSIS+20
ARTICLE 19 is participating in the review process throughout 2025.
As a member of the Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS, Global Network Initiative, the Global Forum for Media Development, and the Global Digital Justice Forum, we have submitted joint inputs to the Elements Paper for the WSIS+20 overall review.
And through the Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS, we are promoting a human rights-based, people-centric, and multistakeholder approach to the review process.
About the Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS
The Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS (GDRC-WSIS) promotes a human rights-based, people-centric, and multistakeholder approach to the WSIS+20 review process.
The GDRC-WSIS is a collective of civil society organisations, from the Global Majority and Global North, offering our shared expertise to advance human rights and multistakeholderism in the WSIS+20 review process.
We believe that the WSIS+20 review process and its outcomes should be anchored in international human rights law and require meaningful multistakeholder engagement and procedures.
As a collective, we are committed to working with UN member states and other stakeholders throughout the review to ensure that its outcomes respond to the full range of challenges faced by our societies to achieve a people-centric and rights-based digital future.
Our members include:
Access Now – Association for Progressive Communications (APC) – ARTICLE 19 – Data Privacy Brasil – Derechos Digitales – Digital Rights Foundation – DW Akademie – European Center for Not-for-Profit Law – Fundación Multitudes – Global Partners Digital – Global Network Initiative – International Center for Not-for-Profit Law – Tech Global Institute – Paradigm Initiative – WACC – Weiba Foundation
See this page for an up-to-date list of all coalition members.
The GDRC-WSIS is working to achieve the following priorities:
1. Promote a human rights-based, people-centric, sustainable and development-oriented approach to the WSIS+20 review: Ensuring that the review and implementation of the WSIS action lines and outcomes are anchored in international human rights law. This includes strengthening the WSIS framework to safeguard against human rights abuses, including surveillance, internet shutdowns, and censorship; promoting rights-respecting regulation; and formally recognising the role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
2. Advance the multistakeholder approach to global internet governance and digital policy processes: Including through promoting the practical implementation of the São Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines, which will create more open, transparent, accessible, equitable, and inclusive policymaking at all levels.
3. Strengthen the WSIS vision and its institutions, like the IGF: Preventing the WSIS institutions from being subsumed into or diluted by other digital governance processes, and ensuring the continued existence and effectiveness of the IGF. New global digital frameworks, such as the Global Digital Compact, should be implemented through the WSIS architecture.
Members of the GDRC-WSIS will be present at multiple events across 2025. Visit this page for details of our events, key updates, and publications.
The coalition has published the following joint publications:
- Joint input to Elements Paper for the WSIS+20 overall review (24 July 2025)
- Civil society joint input: ITU Council Working Group on WSIS & SDGs Call for Inputs on the WSIS+20(February 2025)
The coalition also contributed to the following cross-stakeholder publications:
We are a dynamic, outcome-focused coalition, and welcome new members from civil society organisations who align with our priorities and share our values of collaboration and impact.
If your organisation shares our vision, please submit a membership request.
Other ways to engage in the WSIS+20 review:
- Check if your government is holding national consultations to inform their approach to the review process.
- Participate in consultations held as part of the intergovernmental preparatory process. Consultations are expected to take place virtually and during the sidelines of other events. For more information, visit GPD’s Digital Governance Calendar.
- Subscribe to GPD’s WSIS mailing list by emailing [email protected] – or contact [email protected] to be added manually.
- Subscribe to ICANN’s WSIS mailing list by clicking here.
