UN General Assembly adopts WSIS+20 Outcome Document
On 17 December 2025, the 80th UN General Assembly adopted the WSIS+20 Outcome Document by consensus [1]. This was preceded by hectic government negotiations that brought the process to the brink of failure on several occasions. In the end, the prevailing interest was not to interrupt the path towards building a "people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented" global information society based on international law and human rights, which began in Geneva in 2002, but to continue it until 2035 (WSIS+30). A key outcome of WSIS+20 is the removal of the time limit on the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which previously had a limited mandate. However, the financing of the IGF remained open. The UN Secretary-General is to make proposals on this by September 2026. In order to mobilise the financial resources needed to close the digital divide, the ITU was tasked with developing recommendations by 2027 through an "Internal Task Force". The Outcome Document strengthens the multi-stakeholder model for Internet governance. It closely links the WSIS process with the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and calls for greater coherence between complementary processes and the avoidance of duplication.
G20 Presidency: US announces "new G20" and shift in focus
On 1 December 2026, the USA took over the presidency of the G20 from South Africa. In a statement on 3 December 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a "new G20". The focus will be on AI and new technologies, alongside the removal of regulatory burdens and the securing of supply chains. The US will invite Poland to become a new G20 member and disinvite South Africa, which it accuses of failing in its G20 presidency last year. The US G20 presidency coincides with the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. The G20 summit will take place in Miami, Florida, in December 2026.[2]
G7 Digital Ministers' Meeting: Focus on AI applications and quantum technology
On 9 December 2025, the G7 digital ministers met in Montreal and discussed AI in particular. In the G7 2025 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministerial Declaration, the ministers advocate a "human-centric approach" and an "enabling environment for the widespread adoption of secure, responsible and trustworthy AI". "We seek to promote AI that drives innovation and growth and benefits people, mitigates negative externalities, promotes our economic and national security, respects applicable legal frameworks, including human rights, and is enabled through Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT)." The main focus is on promoting AI applications in small and medium-sized enterprises. To this end, a "Toolkit for SMEs Deploying AI" and measures for training AI experts were adopted. Other topics included quantum (a "G7 Joint Working Group on Quantum Technologies" was formed), the promotion of a resilient and competitive digital economy, and supply chain security.[3] The reference to "applicable legal frameworks" is seen as a concession by the US, which rejected all references to other global AI discussions such as the UN's new "Global Dialogue on AI Governance" or the continuation of the Bletchley Process initiated by the UK in 2023. No reference was made to the WSIS+20 negotiations either.
EU digital policy: concretisation of the AI Act and enforcement of platform rules
On 4 December 2025, the 6th meeting of the EU Commission's AI Executive Board took place in Brussels[4]. Discussions focused on the consequences of the "Digital Omnibus" of 19 November 2025 for the implementation of the EU AI Act and a "set of guidelines to provide clear and practical instructions on how to apply the AI Act" [5]. A first draft of a "Code of Practice on marking and labelling of AI-generated content"[6] was put up for discussion, containing rules for labelling and recognising AI content, in particular deepfakes. Comments are requested by mid-January 2026. On 15 December 2025, the EU Commission also launched a Data Act Legal Helpdesk for the implementation of the "EU Data Act".[7] Bilateral cyber dialogues took place in December 2025 with Canada[8], Singapore[9] and the United Kingdom[10]. On 5 December 2025, the European Commission imposed a fine of US$120 million on X for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA)[11]. In another case, the European Commission accepted TikTok's voluntary commitments to comply with advertising guidelines.[12]
Broadband Commission: Strategy shift towards "meaningful connectivity"
The Broadband Commission, a joint initiative of ITU and UNESCO, presented its annual report, "The State of Broadband: Our digital world," on 15 December 2025.[13] The report acknowledges that significant progress has been made in the global development of broadband infrastructure. The number of Internet users has risen from 4.2 billion in 2020 to six billion in 2025, and the number of 5G users from 70 million (2020) to 2.9 billion (2025). However, the strategy for overcoming the digital divide is changing. "Historically, bridging the digital divide was seen as an issue of providing good-quality infrastructure to unconnected areas and communities, but this is now seen as just one initial step towards universal and meaningful Internet connectivity. Addressing affordability issues and skills gaps are also essential to ensuring people in developing countries can access the Internet to find relevant and meaningful content and services."
[1] https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4095872?ln=en&v=pdf
[2] https://www.g20.utoronto.ca/2026/251203-rubio.html
[3] https://www.g7.utoronto.ca/ict/2025-declaration.html
[4] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/sixth-ai-board-meeting
[5] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/supporting-implementation-ai-act-clear-guidelines
[6] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-publishes-first-draft-code-practice-marking-and-labelling-ai-generated-content
[7] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-launches-data-act-legal-helpdesk
[8] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/european-union-and-canada-strengthen-their-digital-partnership-focus-artificial-intelligence
[9] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/european-union-and-singapore-discuss-reinforcing-digital-cooperation-through-digital-partnership
[10] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/eu-and-uk-hold-third-cyber-dialogue-reinforcing-their-collaboration-cybersecurity
[11] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2934
[12] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-accepts-tiktoks-commitments-advertising-transparency-under-digital-services-act
[13] https://www.broadbandcommission.org/publication/state-of-broadband-2025/
