LILLESTRØM, NORWAY — The 20th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) wrapped up in Lillestrøm, marking two decades of global collaboration to shape a secure, inclusive, and open digital future.
Hosted by Norway in partnership with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the forum attracted over 9,000 participants from across the world — including policymakers, tech executives, youth leaders, academics, and civil society actors, especially from Africa and the Global South.
Themed “Building Digital Governance Together”, IGF 2025 served as a vital platform for multistakeholder dialogue. Over 260 sessions tackled pressing topics such as cybersecurity, digital rights, data governance, and the challenges posed by emerging technologies, particularly generative AI.
Major tech players like Meta, OpenAI, and TikTok joined the discussions, with actor and tech advocate Joseph Gordon-Levitt bringing attention to the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence.
In his keynote, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called digital cooperation a “shared global responsibility”, linking the IGF’s role directly to the Global Digital Compact and the Pact for the Future, both recently endorsed by the UN.
UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua emphasized the importance of strengthening the IGF’s mandate, calling for continued multistakeholder cooperation to ensure that digital technologies are safe, secure, and equitable. He urged global support ahead of the forum’s formal review at the UN General Assembly this December.
Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation, Karianne Tung, praised the forum’s success and reaffirmed Norway’s commitment to inclusive, transparent digital governance, highlighting its alignment with the upcoming WSIS+20 process.
A key outcome of the forum was the release of the ‘Lillestrøm IGF Messages’ — a collective policy roadmap that outlines global priorities for promoting digital rights, enhancing online trust, protecting human rights, and leveraging technology to advance peace and sustainability.
The IGF 2025 has once again proven its role as a cornerstone of global digital dialogue, laying the groundwork for a cooperative and ethical digital future.
