News archive

20 years of IGF: the importance and impact

The IGF was created by the United Nations in 2005. Its main job is not to make laws but to bring together different voices, governments, businesses, tech experts, civil society, and young people, to share ideas, solve problems, and guide the future of the Internet. Think of it as a giant roundtable where everyone can speak up, no matter if they are from a big country, a small island, a large company, or a tiny nonprofit.

Why Is the IGF Important?

Most global meetings are closed, with only a few powerful people in the room. The IGF is different. It is open, transparent, and inclusive. Anyone can join: students, activists, engineers, or presidents. This makes it a trusted place where people learn from each other and work together.

The IGF doesn’t pass laws, but it does something just as powerful - it shapes ideas. These ideas then travel into parliaments, companies, and international organizations, where real decisions are made. For example, the IGF has influenced global debates on artificial intelligence, online safety, data protection, and digital rights.

The impact of IGF

Over 20 years, the IGF has made a lasting mark:

• Safer Internet: The IGF created space for experts to talk openly about cybersecurity, online harms, and how to protect children online.

• Better Access: It supported the growth of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), especially in Africa, lowering costs and bringing faster Internet to millions of people.

• Local Voices: More than 170 national and regional IGFs were born, so each country or region could discuss its own digital challenges.

• Historic Changes: During the IGF, countries and experts worked together on the IANA transition, which gave the Internet’s core systems a global, multi-stakeholder model instead of being run by just one government.

• Youth and Inclusion: Special tracks were built for young people, women, parliamentarians, and people with disabilities, making sure that no one is left out of digital talks.

Even though the IGF doesn’t make rules, it changes the way rules are made. Governments understand tech better because of the IGF. Tech experts understand society’s needs better. Civil society can push for human rights, while businesses can share ideas on innovation.

Thanks to the IGF, discussions about the Internet are more balanced, global, and human-centered. It has helped shape laws on data protection in countries like Brazil and supported community networks that bring Internet access to villages that companies ignored.

The Future of Internet Governance

The Internet keeps changing: think of AI, the metaverse, or even digital climate impacts. The IGF is ready for these challenges. Its vision for the future is called “The Internet We Want”. This means an Internet that is:

• Open and free for everyone

• Safe and trustworthy, with strong protection against cybercrime

• Inclusive, giving equal access to people everywhere

• Sustainable, helping the planet instead of harming it

• Human-centered, protecting democracy and rights

You might not attend the IGF, but its impact touches your daily life. The safety tools on social media, the speed of your Internet connection, and the laws that protect your data are all influenced by conversations at the IGF.

IGF is like a bridge: it connects people from across the world to make sure the Internet works better for everyone. As the digital world grows, the IGF will remain a key space to ensure the Internet stays fair, safe, and open.