http://Data%20Privacy%20Brasil%20participates%20in%20the%20ITU’s%20consultation%20for%20the%20%2020-year%20review%20of%20the%20World%20Summit%20on%20the%20Information%20Society%20(WSIS+20)

07.02.25 - Governança e Regulação

Data Privacy Brasil participates in the ITU’s consultation for the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)

The 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) represents a major milestone for the field of digital governance in general and Internet governance in particular. In order to contribute to this process, Data Privacy Brasil submitted a response to this public consultation, which will be briefly discussed below.

por Louise Karczeski and Nathan Paschoalini

Tags: WSIS+20

Data Privacy Brasil participates in the ITU’s consultation for the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)

By Louise Karczeski and Nathan Paschoalini

The 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) represents a major milestone for the field of digital governance in general and Internet governance in particular. In 2025, the WSIS process will once again be scrutinized by the various stakeholders involved in Internet governance to assess its progress over the past 10 years, since the last review took place. To reinforce the multistakeholder model – which was established by the documents resulting from the first two phases of WSIS in 2003 and 2005 – the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialized agency for telecommunications and ICTs, which holds the mandate for WSIS, has launched a call for inputs to identify the issues that should be evaluated during the 20-year review. In order to contribute to this process, Data Privacy Brasil submitted a response to this public consultation, which will be briefly discussed below.

Implementation

Regarding the implementation of the WSIS process, our contribution focused on global digital cooperation and the challenges for the multistakeholder model. We highlighted how the increasing interest in digital policy by nation-states has favored multilateral processes. Acknowledging that, we argued that the operationalization of multistakeholderism should be strengthened, in order to promote inclusive digital governance. To this end, we recalled the NetMundial+10 guidelines and defended the permanent mandate of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), with regular funding sources. 

Action Lines

Our contribution also approached the WSIS Action Lines, suggesting the update of five action lines: in C4, on capacity building, the promotion of decent work should become part of its objectives, considering the impact of emerging technologies such as AI in working conditions and the widening of the digital skills gap. In C5, on building confidence and security in the use of ICTs, and C6, on enabling environment, data protection and privacy should be stated as two different political and legal areas, considering the advances on this debate and the conceptual differences between the two terms.

In C7, on ICT applications,  we called for the acknowledgement of, not only the opportunities for environmental action, but also the environmental sustainability and risks of digital technologies. Regarding C11, on international and regional cooperation,  we recommended the addition of the inclusive global governance of AI and data as objectives, along with the need for coordination of governance processes, such as the Global Digital Compact (GDC), and for aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In order to promote this alignment, we recommended the update in the action lines to address gaps related to the SDGs, such as the aforementioned on environmental sustainability. Along with that, we called for an update and better communication on the WSIS Stocktaking Database, which could be a valuable tool for connecting stakeholders working on similar projects, or the achievement of the same SDGs. 

At last, we highlighted the need for states to commit to the Action Lines, integrating them into their national agendas, along with the SDG goals. Also, for the better implementation of the Action Lines, new facilitators should be considered, specially the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), to secure the protection of Human Rights throughout all the Action Lines. 

Future vision

As mentioned, one of the core elements of the WSIS+20 process is the strengthening of the multistakeholder model for Internet governance. Building on this and drawing from processes such as NetMundial+10, we emphasized the urgent need for greater coordination among different governance initiatives at both global and local levels. Achieving this would allow the IGF to serve as a guide for best practices in policy-making and to identify key challenges that require efforts from the international community. Furthermore, the development projects discussed at the WSIS Forum can serve as an empirical foundation for policy discussions at the IGF, fostering a complementary relationship between these two spaces and between multistakeholder and multilateral models.

This need for coordination is closely related to other digital governance processes, such as the Pact for the Future and its GDC. This means that 2025 presents a significant opportunity for aligning and optimizing agendas through the WSIS+20 review and the implementation of the GDC. In this context, the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), in its role as the coordinator of global digital governance, can map common goals and facilitate the implementation and achievement of objectives by existing WSIS facilitators, such as the ITU and other UN agencies.

Even though the GDC is on a fine line between multistakeholderism and multilateralism, it is crucial that all these processes consistently include the participation of non-state stakeholders to reinforce the multistakeholder tradition of WSIS, which has contributed to its relatively successful trajectory over the past 20 years—a characteristic also recognized by the GDC, whose principles are well summarized and agreed upon in the NetMundial+10 Declaration. To operationalize this coordination and multistakeholder participation, we argued that the IGF could serve as the ideal and well-established space to act as a coordination and monitoring hub for the GDC process, considering its 20 years of experience in bringing together diverse stakeholders to deepen consensus on issues related to the information society.

Finally, we highlighted three emerging trends and topics that should be considered by the ITU during the WSIS+20 review and in shaping the future vision beyond 2025. These trends can be divided into three main axes: (i) critical infrastructure, (ii) capacity building, and (iii) cybersecurity.

Regarding the first axis, we argued that it is of utmost importance for the ITU to promote broader stakeholder participation in its International Advisory Board for Submarine Cable Resilience, considering the geopolitical implications of such infrastructures for discussions on digital sovereignty and for communication resilience.

For capacity building, we emphasize that this is a core element in shaping the future of telecommunications and ICT professionals, as well as individuals in general. Considering this, we argue that the ITU should strengthen its promotion of capacity-building programs through its educational platform, the ITU Academy. Additionally, it should foster the participation of civil society organizations, especially those based in the Global South, to develop courses and training programs on the ITU Academy, aiming to shed light on issues at the intersection of telecommunications, ICTs, and digital rights.

As for the last trend, we pointed out that cybersecurity is becoming even more critical in the context of advancing computational power and quantum computing, as it is essential to ensuring the security of nations and critical infrastructures, including telecommunications and ICT systems. Building on this, we argued for the promotion of best practices and techniques related to cybersecurity among governments and public and private institutions to maintain online security and resilience, as well as to safeguard the integrity of all communication infrastructures.

The 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society process will continue to spread through several activities throughout the year. There are high expectations for the UN ECOSOC’s Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) progress report on the implementation of the WSIS outcomes, expected to be released in April, as well as for the report by the UN’s Secretary-General. The facilitators for the WSIS Action Lines, ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, are also holding open consultations on the High-Level Event in July 2025. Data Privacy Brasil will continue to follow these developments, looking to strengthen civil society engagement from the Global South in the process.

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