Developments in the Internet governance environment April to June 2025

In the second quarter of 2025, the discussion on Internet governance was dominated by the following five topics:

• The 20th IGF in Lillestroem
• The start of preparations for the WSIS+20 review conference
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and negotiations on the new UN AI bodies
• The progress of negotiations on cybersecurity
• Global digital conflicts: US, EU, G7 and G20

Internet Governance Forum

The 20th UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) took place in Lillestroem from 23 to 27 June 2025 under the theme ‘Building Digital Governance Together’. A total of more than 10,000 participants registered, 3,344 of whom were present in person. Nearly all topics related to digital policy were discussed in 262 sessions, including the digital divide, human rights, cyber security, platform regulation, disinformation, management of critical internet resources, artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems. WSIS+20 and the future of the IGF were also central topics. The IGF's mandate ends in December 2025. [1]

a. For the first time, all sessions were accompanied by ‘just-in-time AI reporting,’ complete transcripts and videos, and clear summaries.[2] The IGF's output was summarised in the ‘Lillestroem IGF Messages’ with a total of 67 recommendations for shaping the digital future (digital trust, sustainable and responsible innovation, universal access and digital rights, digital cooperation and artificial intelligence).

b. In his opening speech, UN Secretary-General Guterres praised the value of the IGF. "Through the years, you have shown how dialogue across sectors, regions and generations can help shape an internet that is rooted in dignity, opportunity and human rights.‘ Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere called for: ’We must safeguard the Internet not as a possession, but as a public trust, a shared space to remain open, free and accessible to all, a global public good. The next generation should inherit a digital common where perspectives are welcomed, identities are nurtured, and technology serves mankind for the benefit of all." Other keynote speakers included EU Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan Marin, ICANN CEO Kurtis Lidstroem and Lisa Hayes, Senior Director of TikTok.

c. The IGF had a number of documents and reports at its disposal

• The IGF Leadership Panel presented its eight-page document ‘The Internet We Want’.[4] The document formulates five criteria for a desirable Internet. According to these criteria, the Internet should be ‘1. Whole and open; 2. Universal and inclusive; 3. Free-flowing and trustworthy; 4. Safe and secure; and 5. Rights-respecting’.
• The document from the ‘Youth IGF’ makes eight demands: 1. Youth must be central in digital policymaking; 2. Design digital platforms with safety and dignity by default; 3. Create global standards for age-appropriate design; 4. Address digital risks without excluding vulnerable voices; 5. Expand digital literacy for all, especially in underserved regions; 6. Hold platforms accountable through transparency and regulation; 7. Protect youth data with informed consent and ethical limits; 8. Prioritise multistakeholder and intergenerational collaboration; 9. Create structures for youth participation in global governance, e.g. in bodies such as ICANN.[5]
• The Parliamentarian Track adopted a resolution with seven demands, including one for digital platforms ‘to uphold their role and responsibility in ensuring information integrity.’ Parliamentarians are called upon ‘to continue shaping the digital policy landscape and to exercise robust oversight of the implementation of policy and legislation, with a focus on freedom of expression, the right of access to information, democratic governance and civic engagement.’ [6]
• There were also reports from the Policy Networks on AI, Internet Fragmentation and Meaningful Access, the Best Practice Forum on Cybersecurity, numerous Dynamic Coalitions and over 150 national and regional IGFs (NRIs).[7]
• On 10 June 2025, ICANN and ISOC published a joint report entitled ‘Footprints of 20 Years of the Internet Governance Forum’. Among the outstanding achievements to which the IGF and other institutions such as ICANN and ISOC have contributed over the past 20 years is the ensuring of secure, stable and effective Internet communication between more than five billion people in almost every language on Earth. Both organisations emphasise that the IGF has demonstrated ‘how coordination—rather than control—has driven tangible progress in the Internet's resilience, reach, and trust.’ They are committed to giving the IGF permanent status.[8]

d. At the closing event, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, co-chair of the IGF Leadership Panel, warned that the world is not moving fast enough to combat digital threats. Authoritarian governments are using the Internet as a weapon, and disinformation spreads faster than facts via social media. It is necessary to fight for the truth, for human agency against manipulative algorithms, and for AI to serve humanity. Deputy UN Secretary-General Lin Jun Hua called for an expanded IGF mandate at WSIS+20: "As we look toward the UN General Assembly review of the IGF mandate in December, we have a critical opportunity to reaffirm and re-energise the IGF's role as a global home for inclusive dialogue and digital policies. I appeal to you, urge all of you, to remain proactively engaged here. The future of the IGF depends on your leadership, your energy, and your commitment. Let us carry the momentum from Lillestroem forward to ensure a successful outcome for the WSIS Plus 20 review, one that secures an open, safe, and inclusive digital future for all."

e. The discussion on the future of the IGF focused on both substantive and formal issues.

• In terms of content, many speakers referred to the Tunis Agenda's definition of Internet governance, which proposed a broad understanding that went beyond technical Internet issues and included all political, economic and social issues related to Internet use. For today, this means that discussions on digital governance, cyber governance, AI governance, data governance, etc. fall within the mandate of the IGF. The creation of new discussion platforms is therefore superfluous. It is important that the implementation of the ‘Global Digital Compact’ and the new UN ‘Global Dialogue on AI Governance’ are closely linked to the future IGF.
• The formal questions concerned whether the IGF's mandate should be extended for another ten years or given permanent status. Financing is a particularly critical issue. The name was also discussed. For many, ‘Internet governance’ no longer covers the complexity of today's digital world. However, renaming it the ‘Digital Governance Forum (DGF)’ was viewed critically. This would entail the risk of a reorientation that could jeopardise the success story of the IGF as a multi-stakeholder discussion platform organised on a bottom-up basis. A compromise proposal was to retain the acronym ‘IGF’ but add the subtitle ‘Global Forum for Digital Policy Making’. The IGF must also become more attractive to top representatives from politics and business and receive greater media coverage.

WSIS+20 Review Conference

Preparations for the Review Conference of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) entered the practical phase in the second quarter of 2025. On 12 April 2025, the UNCSTD adopted a resolution on WSIS+20. On 23 April, the President of the 79th UN General Assembly, Philemon Yang, nominated the two co-facilitators for the WSIS+20 process: Ekitela Lokaale from Kenya and Suela Janina from Albania. Both are UN ambassadors for their countries.

a. The UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD) is responsible for implementing the WSIS decisions in accordance with the Tunis Agenda. For the first time in 19 years, the annual resolution on the WSIS follow-up was not adopted by consensus. The US stated that it did not support any references to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender and climate change, and voted ‘no’.[9]

• The resolution itself contains few new aspects.[10] It basically just repeats the findings of recent years in 138 paragraphs. A proposal by the US to reduce the entire resolution to two pages and focus on the priorities of WSIS+20 did not receive a majority vote. However, the resolution now includes a call for the UNCSTD to streamline the next resolution in 2026.
• Proposals to give the IGF permanent status did not receive a majority vote. With regard to the IGF, the resolution even fell short of the wording of the Global Digital Compact (GDC). In the GDC, the IGF was described as the ‘primary’ forum for Internet governance , while in the UNCSTD resolution, the IGF is described as ‘a forum for multi-stakeholder dialogue on various matters’. References to the Sao Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines (SPMGs) were also rejected. The role of the UN Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) will be strengthened. However, the idea of upgrading UNGIS to a Multistakeholder Advisory Group did not gain majority support.
• The UNCSTD resolution will be forwarded to ECOSOC and the 80th UN General Assembly. It will form one of the foundations for the intergovernmental negotiation process on WSIS+20, which will begin in October 2025.

b. On 21 May 2025, the co-facilitators publish their ‘Roadmap’[11] with a timetable for various consultation formats and key dates for the presentation of drafts for the WSIS+20 final document, which is to be adopted by the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on 17 December 2025.

• The first government consultations began on 30 May 2025[12], followed by two days of virtual stakeholder consultations on 9 and 10 June 2025[13]. The consultations were positively received as being open, transparent and inclusive. The government consultations were broadcast live on UN TV. The stakeholder consultations were open to everyone. However, it was criticised that the consultations were organised as a ‘monologue’ with statements limited to three minutes each and did not allow for multi-stakeholder dialogue. In terms of content, the focus was on continuing the eleven WSIS action lines, overcoming the digital divide, guaranteeing human rights and security in cyberspace, the relationship between WSIS and the Global Digital Compact and the new UN bodies on artificial intelligence, and the future of the IGF.
• Based on the consultations, the co-facilitators published an ‘Elements Paper’ on 22 June 2025.[14] The paper contains 85 paragraphs divided into 16 chapters, including Internet governance, data governance, the digital divide, financial mechanisms, artificial intelligence, capacity building, human rights and the environment. It can be assumed that the ‘Elements Paper’ already outlines the structure of the final document. The comments requested by 25 July 2025 will then be incorporated into a ‘zero draft,’ which is expected to be published in mid-August 2025. This ‘zero draft’ will be the subject of intergovernmental negotiations beginning in New York in October 2025. These negotiations will be accompanied by stakeholder consultations, for which, according to Article 6 of UN Resolution 79/277, the President of the 80th UN General Assembly, former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, is responsible. UN General Assembly, former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, is responsible for these consultations. It remains unclear to what extent non-governmental stakeholders will be involved in the negotiations between governments. To accommodate critics, the co-facilitators want to establish a 10-member "Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board (IMSB)"[15], which will act as a hinge between governments and non-governmental stakeholders.
• The Elements Paper was discussed at length during the 20th IGF in Lillestroem at the end of June 2025.
  
  - Positive was the assessment that the paper builds on the previous results of the WSIS process and thus rejects ideas for the creation of new institutions or processes. Paragraph 10 expressly calls for the implementation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) adopted by the UN in September 2024 to be closely linked to the WSIS action lines. The community also welcomed the strong support for the multistakeholder model for shaping the digital future. This also applies to paragraph 60, which advocates extending the IGF's mandate and recognises the IGF as the ‘primary multistakeholder platform for discussion of Internet governance issues’.
  
  - On the other hand, paragraphs 48, 59 and 63 were viewed critically. Paragraph 48 refers to restrictions on the right to freedom of expression. Paragraph 59 uses wording from the 2003 WSIS documents. These state that ‘the governance of the Internet should be multilateral, transparent and democratic’. However, this wording on ‘multilateral’ was already superseded in 2005 by the Tunis Agenda, which commits to ‘multistakeholder’. Finally, paragraph Finally, paragraph 63 refers to the politically controversial concept of ‘enhanced cooperation’. The wording ‘launching a process of enhanced cooperation’ was used in Tunis to diplomatically resolve the conflict over the then unresolved issue of ICANN oversight. However, this process came to an end with the IANA transition in 2016. Critics warned in Lillestroem that a new debate on ‘enhanced cooperation’ could be used as a vehicle to develop new proposals for intergovernmental oversight bodies for the Internet.

Artificial intelligence

The debate on artificial intelligence continued in the second quarter, particularly at the UN, where the focus was on the modalities for establishing the ‘International Scientific Panel on AI’ and the ‘Global Dialogue on AI Governance’. The first AI summit in Africa, held in Kigali, added an additional nuance.

a. On 1 April 2025, the two co-facilitators appointed by the UN for the AI process, Maritza Chan Valverde from Costa Rica and Héctor José Gómez Hernández from Spain,[16] both UN ambassadors for their countries, presented the zero draft for the ‘Terms of Reference and Modalities for the Establishment of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance’[17]. This was followed by a consultation with stakeholders on 2 April. A first draft was presented on 15 May 2025, a second on 4 June 2025 and a third on 24 June 2025. Each of the drafts was subject to open, transparent and inclusive consultations with governments and stakeholders.

• According to the third draft of 24 June 2025[18], the Multidisciplinary Independent International Scientific Panel on AI will consist of 40 members elected by the UN General Assembly. The panel will submit an annual report to the UN General Assembly and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The idea of an advisory board for the panel, as envisaged in the first draft, is no longer included in the third draft. Instead, strict rules are proposed to prevent conflicts of interest. Members of the panel will participate in their ‘personal capacity’. The aim is to prevent the panel from being hijacked by commercial AI companies. The new UN AI panel is based on the model of the UN Climate Council.
• The Global Dialogue on AI Governance is to take place once a year as a multi-stakeholder discussion platform, alternating between Geneva (linked to the annual AI for Good Summit of the ITU in 2026) and New York (linked to the annual STI Forum of the UN in 2027). In September 2025, the new UN AI process is to be launched in New York with a high-level event chaired by the President of the 80th UN General Assembly. UN General Assembly.
• The paper further proposes that the 82nd UN General Assembly in 2027 prepare a resolution on AI governance, to be developed in parallel with the review conference on the Global Digital Compact planned for 2027. The new UN AI process is led by ODET, the UN Office for Emerging Technologies, under the direction of Deputy UN Secretary-General Amandeep Gil Singh. The modalities paper makes no mention of the IGF or WSIS, which operate under the supervision of UNDESA and Deputy UN Secretary-General Lin Ju Hua. Attempts by some governments to link the Global Dialogue on AI Governance to the IGF were unsuccessful.

b. On 3 and 4 April 2025, the first African AI Summit took place in Kigali with more than 2,000 experts from 97 countries. In the ‘Africa Declaration on AI’[19],we agreed on an ‘African Union Continental Strategy on AI’ based on an ‘Africa First’ approach. This is intended to promote African companies and talent, protect African data and help Africa participate in the global AI economy with confidence and on an equal footing. An ‘African AI Scientific Panel’ will be established and a fund of 60 billion US dollars will be created for AI projects. Africa must not become a ‘raw data supplier’ for the global North. International speakers included Bill Gates, Sam Altman (Open AI), Doreen Bogdan-Marin (ITU) and Amandeep Gil Singh (UN Tech Envoy).

Cyber security

In the area of cyber security, significant developments in the second quarter of 2025 included the preparations for the final meeting of the Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) in New York in early July 2025 and the informal consultations on autonomous weapon systems on 13 and 14 May 2025, also in New York. The signing ceremony for the new UN Convention on Cybercrime, scheduled for June 2025, has been postponed to October 2025 and will take place in Hanoi.

a. On 25 June 2025, the Chair of the OEWG, Ambassador Burhan Gafoor of Singapore, published the zero draft of his final report.[20] The mandate of the OEWG on cybersecurity, established in 2021, expires on 31 December 2025.

• The outcome of the OEWG is mixed. Progress, albeit modest, has been made in the areas of confidence-building measures and capacity building. The most important results are the establishment of a point of contact mechanism (POC), a so-called ‘red phone’ for cyber attacks, and a Global Roundtable for Cybersecurity Capacity Building. No progress was made on the controversial question of whether the eleven norms for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace adopted by the GGE in 2015 should be translated into a legally binding UN convention and whether further norms should be developed. Nor was there any progress on clarifying how international law should be applied in cyberspace. In 2015, the GGE had determined that international law applies both offline and online. It also remained controversial how non-state stakeholders from business, academia, the technical community and civil society should be involved in the work of the OEWG.
• The last OEWG meeting will focus on the question of continuing the OEWG's work beyond the end of its mandate. The zero draft contains a number of concrete proposals for establishing a permanent mechanism on cybersecurity within the UN framework. However, it leaves open whether this will result in a new permanent UN committee (comparable to the UN Space Committee) or a multi-year action programme to implement the eleven GGE norms of 2015, the POC mechanism and the Global Roundtable on Capacity Building. One option could also be to continue the work of the OEWG under the neutral name ‘Permanent Mechanism on Cybersecurity’.
• The involvement of non-state actors remains controversial. In June 2025, Canada and Chile, on behalf of 41 governments, presented a renewed working paper on ‘Practical Modalities for Stakeholder Participation and Accreditation: Future UN Mechanism on Cybersecurity’.[21] The paper contains 23 paragraphs with a detailed description of how and under what circumstances non-state actors with or without ECOSOC accreditation should be involved in the future work of the permanent mechanism. Non-state stakeholders are to be granted, among other things, the right to make written and oral contributions. One hour per day of negotiations is to be reserved for non-state actors. Their involvement is to be based on the principle of ‘A Voice, not a Vote’. Non-state actors must apply for participation. Governments may veto such applications, but must justify their veto on objective grounds. In disputed cases, the Chair may, despite a justified veto, call for a vote, in which case a simple majority is sufficient for accreditation. Like the zero draft, the modalities paper will be discussed at the OEWG meeting in July.
• In his letter dated 25 June 2025, the OEWG Chair expresses his hope that a consensus on the final report can be reached.[22] This report will then be forwarded to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, which will decide on the recommendations and the future permanent mechanism.

b. On 12 and 13 May 2025, informal multi-stakeholder consultations on internet-based autonomous weapon systems (AWS) took place in New York[23]. The consultations had been decided upon by the 79th UN General Assembly in December 2024. The resolution was based on an initiative by Austria. Proposals by UN Secretary-General Guterres and the President of the International Red Cross to negotiate an international treaty on AWS by 2026 were discussed.

• According to the proposal, AWS that are not subject to human control should be banned. AWS under human control should be regulated and bound by the Geneva Convention on International Humanitarian Law. The New York discussion also focused on the progress made by the expert group (GGE LAWS), which has been negotiating the issue for almost ten years under the umbrella of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). At its meeting in March 2025, the GGE LAWS agreed on some elements of a ‘rolling text’[24] and hopes to advance the work at its meeting in Geneva in August 2025 so that a final report can be presented to the 80th UN General Assembly in October 2025.
• Austria also organised two AWS workshops within the framework of EURODIG in May 2025 in Strasbourg[25] and at the IGF in Lillestroem in June 2025[26]. Both workshops took place in a multi-stakeholder format with government representatives (Austria), industry representatives (Helsing AG), civil society (Stop Killer Robots) and the technical community (IEEE). The fundamental conflicts that are also blocking intergovernmental negotiations became apparent.

Controversial digital policy: USA vs. European Union, G7 and G20

The conflict between the EU and the USA in the field of digital policy, which has been evident since US President Trump took office on 21 January 2025, continued to smoulder in the second quarter of 2025 without any new escalations. The EU continued its activities to implement its ‘Digital Decade’ and presented an interim report on the achievements of the first five years on 16 June 2025. Prior to this, the EU's new ‘International Digital Strategy’ was published on 5 June, which is primarily geared towards expanding international activities in the Global South. The US has not withdrawn its threats made in the memorandum ‘Defending American Companies and Innovators from Extortion and Unjustified Fines and Penalties Overseas’ of 21 February 2025[27]. However, reports from the US Department of Commerce (DOC) and the US Trade Representative (USTRA) are still pending, which are to determine the degree of discrimination to which American tech companies are exposed abroad. The G7 decision of 28 June 2025 to suspend the implementation of the OECD/G20 agreement on a global digital tax (BEPS Pillar Two) for American companies was seen as a kind of détente measure.

a. The most important digital activities of the EU Commission in the second quarter of 2025 were the announcement of the ‘AI Continent Action Plan’ on 9 April 2024[28], the launch of a consultation on the development of a ‘Data Union’ on 23 May 2025[29], the publication of the ‘International Digital Strategy’ on 5 June 2025 and the publication of the review of the first five years of the ‘Digital Decade’ on 16 June 2025. Regardless of the US threats against EU digital laws, the EU Commission also continued its proceedings against US digital companies. On 23 April 2025, penalties were imposed on Apple (€500 million) and Meta (€200 million) for violations of the DMA.

• The ‘International Digital Strategy’ of 5 June 2025[30] is an indirect response to the threats from the US. The core of the strategy is to diversify the EU's international digital activities globally and, in particular, to establish closer contacts with the ‘Global South’. The existing network of bilateral digital dialogues and technology councils is to be expanded and cooperation with the private sector strengthened in particular. By promoting European digital champions, an attempt is being made to reduce dependence on existing monopolists. To this end, a ‘Tech Business Offer’ is being put forward. This is to be managed by a multi-stakeholder ‘Tech Team Europe’. On the subject of internet governance, the EU reaffirms its previous positions in Chapter 5 of its international digital strategy: "The EU will continue to proactively defend the general availability and integrity of the Internet as a global, interoperable network of networks, reflecting the importance of the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance, for example in the upcoming editions of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and World Summit on the Information Society 20-year review (WSIS+20) negotiations. The EU acknowledges the central role of ICANN in managing the foundations of the Internet architecture."
• On 16 June 2025, the EU Commission presented an interim report on the ‘Digital Decade’ announced in 2020.[31] The report presents a mixed picture. It points to successes in legislation, but also identifies areas where greater efforts are needed, particularly in the development of practical AI applications. ‘Strengthening Europe's technological sovereignty and resilience is key to protecting strategic interests and reinforcing the EU's global leadership and competitiveness.’

b. On 27 June 2025, the G7 countries adopted a declaration on digital taxation and agreed on a so-called ‘side-by-side model’.[32] According to this, companies with a US parent company will be exempt from the 15% minimum tax on digital services under the 2021 OECD/G20 agreement (BEPS). ‘A side-by-side system would fully exclude US-parent groups from the UTPR and the IIR in respect of both their domestic and foreign profits.’

• The BEPS agreement was signed by more than 140 countries at the G20 summit in Rome in 2021 after years of negotiations. France and Germany in particular had been campaigning for a digital tax for years and criticising the system of ‘tax havens’ for American technology companies. This system prevents corporations from paying taxes where they make their profits. Under the first Trump administration, the US had already left the negotiations, which were nearing conclusion at the time, at the G20 summit in Riyadh in 2020. Developing countries had also been campaigning for a global digital tax since the early 2010s. It was hoped that this would generate revenues in the double-digit billion range.
• The G7 statement of 27 June 2025 is a capitulation, above all by EU members Germany, France and Italy, to threats by the US government to take action against the EU's ‘digital overregulation’. Commentators such as Pascal Saint-Amans of the Brussels-based Bruegel Institute view the statement as ‘a defeat for Europe and other G7 countries, which have conceded a carve-out for American businesses. This concession rewards threats by the US and does not send a signal of power at a time when Europe and other economies face challenges from the US.’ However, the G7's argument that special rights for US corporations would save the BEPS agreement as a whole and thus prevent so-called ‘profit shifting’ in the global digital economy has a bitter aftertaste: "In a sense, the minimum tax, which could have unfolded with US withdrawal, can now be seen as preserved, including by the US. “Don't tax me, and I will make sure all the others are properly taxed”. [33]

c. The annual G7 summit[34] took place under the Canadian presidency on 17 June 2025 in Kananaskis. For the first time in more than 40 years, no joint final declaration was adopted. Since the 2000s, these declarations have also included positions on cyber security, the digital economy and internet governance. The annual meeting of the G7 digital ministers has not yet taken place. The US will take over the G7 presidency in 2026. However, two documents on quantum technologies and AI were adopted in Canada.

• The ‘G7 Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Technologies’[35] contains nine recommendations, including strengthening private investment, promoting applications, improving training for the necessary experts and developing risk impact assessments. A new ‘G7 Joint Working Group on Quantum Technologies’ is to serve as a multi-stakeholder platform to coordinate national activities and report to the next G7 meeting.
• The ‘G7 Leaders' Statement on AI for Prosperity’[36] reaffirms the ‘human-centric approach’ of the G7 Hiroshima AI Process (HAIP) adopted two years ago. The focus is on promoting innovation rather than regulation. Small and medium-sized enterprises are to be promoted in particular. To this end, a new ‘G7 AI Adoption Roadmap’ was adopted. It points out that the expansion of AI and data centres is creating new challenges for the energy industry, which necessitates a new level of cooperation between the G7 countries in the energy sector. The statement refers to existing initiatives such as the OECD project ‘Global Partnership on AI’ (GPAI) and developments in the UN around the ‘Global Digital Compact’. A special chapter contains an offer of cooperation with developing countries. "We hear the concerns of emerging market and developing country partners about the challenges they face in building resilient AI ecosystems, including the risks of disruption and exclusion from today's technological revolution.

d. South Africa has taken over the G20 presidency in 2025. The G20 summit is scheduled for 22 and 23 November 2025 in Johannesburg. Digital policy is a priority for the South African Presidency. The annual meeting of G20 digital ministers is scheduled for 29 September 2025 in Cape Town. It is being prepared by the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG), which held its third meeting in Polokwane from 9 to 11 June 2025. The meeting focused on four priority areas: 1. Connectivity for Inclusive Digital Development; 2. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI); 3. Digital Innovation Ecosystems for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); and 4. Equitable, Inclusive AI. At the opening, South Africa's Digital Minister Solly Malatsi pointed out that South Africa is the first African country to hold a G20 presidency, which brings with it special opportunities to strengthen the digital economy and, in particular, AI developments in Africa.[37]

[1] https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/igf-2025-outputs

[2] https://dig.watch/event/internet-governance-forum-2025

[4] https://intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/263/28629

[5] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rdjDw5bUkV8Ufl3CpDcMqG3a0-C1oMfhZXnWIqPN7Ao/edit?tab=t.0

[6] https://www.intgovforum.org/en/filedepot_download/340/29814

[7] https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/igf-2025-outputs

[8] https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2025/footprints-of-20-years-of-the-internet-governance-forum/

[9] https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ecn162025d4_en.pdf

[10] https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ecn162025d4_en.pdf

[11] https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/wsis20

[12] https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/wsis20/1stPreparatoryMeetingStocktakingSession

[13] https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/wsis20/virtualconsultation

[14] https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/2025/WSIS%2B20_ElementsPaper_20June.pdf

[15] https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/2025/WSIS%2B20_IMSB_TOR.pdf

[16] https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2025-01/241108_letter_from_the_president_of_the_general_assembly.pdf

[17] https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2025-03/ai_panel_and_dialogue_zero_draft_19_march_2025.pdf

[18] https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2025-06/ToR%20and%20Modalities%20Rev%203%20%2824%20June%202025%29.pdf

[19] https://c4ir.rw/docs/Africa%20Declaration%20on%20Artificial%20Intelligence.pdf

[20] https://docs-library.unoda.org/Open-Ended_Working_Group_on_Information_and_Communication_Technologies_-_(2021)/Letter_from_OEWG_Chair_25_June_2025.pdf

[21] https://docs-library.unoda.org/Open-Ended_Working_Group_on_Information_and_Communication_Technologies_-_(2021)/Practical_Modalities_to_Enable_Meaningful_Stakeholder_Participation_in_the_Future_UN_Mechanism_on_Cybersecurity_-_crss-regional_paper_-_June_2025.pdf

[22] https://docs-library.unoda.org/Open-Ended_Working_Group_on_Information_and_Communication_Technologies_-_(2021)/Letter_from_OEWG_Chair_25_June_2025.pdf

[23] https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/aws/consultations/2025/reports/AWSR2.2.pdf

[24] https://docs-library.unoda.org/Convention_on_Certain_Conventional_Weapons_-Group_of_Governmental_Experts_on_Lethal_Autonomous_Weapons_Systems_(2025)/CCW-GGE.1-2025-WP.1_-_Chair's_summary.pdf

[25] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktuhwC02Wws

[26] https://dig.watch/event/internet-governance-forum-2025/open-forum-79-regulation-of-autonomous-weapon-systems-navigating-the-legal-and-ethical-imperative-2

[27] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/defending-american-companies-and-innovators-from-overseas-extortion-and-unfair-fines-and-penalties/

[28] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/ai-continent-action-plan

[29] https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14541-European-Data-Union-Strategy_en

[30] https://digital-strategy.c.europa.eu/en/library/joint-communication-international-digital-strategy-eu

[31] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/2025-state-digital-decade-package

[32] https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2025/06/g7-statement-on-global-minimum-taxes.html

[33] https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/implications-g7-agreement-global-minimum-tax

[34] https://g7.canada.ca/

[35] https://www.g7.utoronto.ca/summit/2025kananaskis/250617-quantum.html

[36] https://www.g7.utoronto.ca/summit/2025kananaskis/250617-ai.html

[37] https://g20.org/track-news/third-g20-digital-economy-working-group-dewg-meeting-held-in-polokwane/#:~:text=Third%20G20%20Digital%20Economy%20Working%20Group%20(DEWG)%20Meeting%20held%20in%20Polokwane,-11%20June%202025&text=The%20Department%20of%20Communications%20and,2025%20in%20Polokwane%2C%20Limpopo%20Province.