Internet Governance > Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a global multi-stakeholder platform convened by the United Nations (UN) to discuss public policy issues related to Internet governance, a space for open dialogue between governments, civil society, the private sector, the technical community, and international organizations. It was established in 2006 and is one of the main results of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS-2005).
The IGF has served as a vital multistakeholder platform for inclusive dialogue on major global Internet governance processes, including the IANA stewardship transition, the Global Digital Compact (GDC), and the WSIS+20 review. During the 2014 and 2015 IGF meetings in Istanbul and João Pessoa, the IGF held key discussions on the IANA stewardship transition, helping raise global awareness, encourage participation, and build trust in the multistakeholder model that ultimately guided the transition in 2016.
More recently, the IGF provided a space to engage stakeholders around the GDC preparations. Looking ahead to the WSIS+20 review, the IGF continues to serve as the primary multistakeholder platform where stakeholders can shape the future of digital cooperation and reaffirm commitments to an open, inclusive, and people-centered information society.
20 Years of the Internet Governance Forum
For two decades, the Internet Governance Forum has enabled open, inclusive, and informed discussions that influence how global Internet policy is shaped and implemented.
Learn more about the IGF’s concrete impact in our joint report with ICANN.
The Internet Society actively supports and helps fund the IGF. Alongside our community and partners, we advocate for strengthening the IGF as a vital UN multistakeholder platform, pushing for a permanent mandate and sustainable funding. We participate by:
- Financially supporting global, regional, and national IGFs.
- Attending meetings and contributing to preparations, consultations, and working groups.
- Mobilizing our community and partners to defend the multistakeholder approach.
- Sharing evidence-based stories, data (e.g., from Internet Society’s Pulse platform), and policy analyses to demonstrate the benefits of multistakeholder collaboration and inform public debate.
Through these efforts, we aim to bring the voice of the global Internet community to these crucial deliberations.
Upcoming Event
- Global Internet Governance Forum, 23—27 June 2025, Oslo, Norway
