Internet Society outlines priorities and remaining gaps in WSIS+20 Revision 1

The Internet Society has released a detailed analysis of the first revision of the WSIS+20 Zero Draft, noting clear improvements in how stakeholder feedback has been reflected but identifying several areas where further strengthening is required. The organisation welcomes the co-facilitators’ openness throughout the process and stresses that sustained transparency will be essential as negotiations move toward an outcome document. According to the analysis, language relating to internet governance has improved, including reaffirmations of the WSIS vision, recognition of the Global Digital Compact and explicit references to NETmundial+10 guidelines for collaboration and consensus-building. The Internet Society also commends stronger engagement with the IGF ecosystem, including intersessional work and the role of National, Regional and Youth IGFs.

The organisation highlights several key areas where the current text still falls short of what is needed for a robust WSIS+20 outcome.

Internet Society’s main concerns and priorities

• While the draft provides a permanent mandate for the IGF, it does not yet establish a roadmap for long-term, sustainable financing. Financial stability remains essential for maintaining the IGF’s independence and ensuring global stakeholder participation.
• Any recommendation on funding made by the UN Secretary-General should be informed by consultations with existing IGF funders and stakeholders, including the Internet Society.
• The draft does not fully articulate the conditions required for an enabling environment that supports meaningful connectivity and the development of an open and trustworthy Internet.
• Specific measures that remain insufficiently reflected include fostering investment, innovation and technological development; proportionate taxation and licensing frameworks; access to finance; fair and efficient spectrum management; and support for infrastructure-sharing models.
• Community-driven connectivity initiatives, which play a critical role in underserved areas where commercial deployment is not viable, are not adequately recognised in the current text.

The analysis concludes by encouraging the co-facilitators to expand on the progress made in Revision 1 to ensure that the WSIS+20 outcome document supports an open, inclusive and sustainable digital future. This latest assessment, endorsed by numerous Internet Society chapters and members, reflects collective input from staff, community stakeholders and partners, and focuses specifically on priority issues for Revision 1 rather than a full paragraph-by-paragraph review.