APC releases analysis ahead of WSIS+20 review

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has published an in-depth policy explainer on the WSIS+20 process, the United Nations’ twenty-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). APC, a long-standing civil society network focused on digital rights, internet governance, and feminist technology perspectives, has been involved in WSIS since its inception and continues to monitor how its commitments are being implemented globally.

The explainer aims to clarify the scope, priorities, and political context of WSIS+20, shedding light on what is at stake as governments, industry, and civil society evaluate two decades of digital policy development.

What WSIS set out to achieve

The WSIS process began with summits in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005), where governments endorsed a vision of a people-centred, inclusive, and development-driven information society. Key outcomes included:

• the Geneva Declaration of Principles, outlining human-rights-based digital development goals
• the Geneva Plan of Action, defining practical actions and targets
• the Tunis Agenda, which strengthened commitments on financing digital inclusion and established the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

These documents laid the foundation for today’s multistakeholder internet governance ecosystem.

What the review highlights

APC’s analysis notes that significant gaps remain in fulfilling original WSIS goals. Persistent issues include:

• digital divides across and within countries
• unequal access to digital skills and participation
• incomplete adoption of human rights and gender equality principles
• uneven implementation across regions

The report also emphasises new challenges that have emerged since 2005, such as artificial intelligence governance, surveillance technologies, cybersecurity risks, and market concentration among major technology companies.

Priorities for the next phase

The WSIS+20 review is expected to focus on:

• reaffirming human rights online
• integrating gender equality into digital policy frameworks
• addressing socio-economic dimensions of digital inequality
• strengthening multistakeholder participation and transparency
• renewing and potentially strengthening the IGF mandate
• ensuring alignment with the Global Digital Compact and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

According to APC, future digital governance frameworks must balance technological advancement with equity, rights, and accountability.

Institutional process and timeline

The review spans several UN bodies and forums. The UN General Assembly will host a high-level WSIS+20 meeting in December 2025. The process is supported by the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNESCO, and other UN agencies involved in WSIS implementation.

Looking ahead

APC’s explainer positions WSIS+20 as a critical milestone for evaluating whether global digital governance has remained aligned with its founding principles in the face of rapid technological and political change.

The outcome of the review will shape the role of multilateral and multistakeholder institutions, influence international norms on rights-based digital development, and help determine how the global community adapts longstanding commitments to new technological realities.