Enhancing CSO participation in global digital policy processes: Roles, structures, and accountability | WSIS+20

During the session ‘Enhancing CSO participation in global digital policy processes‘, Diplo launched the four-year Civil Society Alliance for Digital Empowerment (CADE) project, co-funded by the European Union. The CADE project, led by Diplo, will be implemented by a consortium of civil society organisations from various regions in hopes of bringing forth inclusive, evidence-based internet governance policymaking.

Key challenges identified during the discussion include expanding limited opportunities for CSOs to contribute meaningfully to digital policy processes, lowering financial barriers such as membership fees for standard-setting bodies, and correcting the currently skewed composition with its overrepresentation of organisations from the Global North. The CADE project seeks to address these issues by providing tailored training to CSOs to improve their skills in internet governance and facilitate constructive dialogue with policymakers.

The session featured insights from Stephanie Borg Psaila of DiploFoundation, Karolina Iwańska from the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), Jovan Kurbalija of DiploFoundation, Olivier Allais from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Abed Kataya of Social Media Exchange (SMEX), and Radka Sibille representing the EU.

The CADE Project: Supporting Digital Governance

Borg Psaila opened the session by emphasising the importance of the CADE project. The project aims to bring CSOs, particularly from the Global South, closer to digital policy processes. It also focuses on standard-setting organisations like ITU, ICANN, and IETF.

Challenges in Civil Society Participation

Limited Opportunities and Inclusivity Issues

Karolina Iwańska highlighted three primary barriers to effective civil society engagement:

1. Limited opportunities: CSOs often face a narrow understanding within standard-setting bodies, typically limited to consumer groups or trade unions, excluding human rights groups and representatives of marginalised communities.
2. Resource and knowledge gaps: The technical complexity and high entry thresholds of these processes make it difficult for CSOs to participate meaningfully. Additionally, the lengthy nature of these processes requires sustained funding and resources.
3. Global North dominance: Participation is heavily skewed towards organisations from the Global North, with significant underrepresentation from the Global South.

Iwańska stressed the need for more inclusive procedures and better integration of human rights considerations into standard-setting processes.

Addressing Inclusivity and Clarity

Jovan Kurbalija emphasised the importance of true inclusivity in digital governance. He argued that ‘fake inclusivity’—where participation opportunities exist but are not practically accessible—is worse than no inclusivity at all. Kurbalija advocated for genuine capacity development to ensure meaningful participation from diverse voices, particularly from local communities and the Global South.

ITU’s Approach to Civil Society Engagement

Olivier Allais provided insights into ITU’s efforts to engage CSOs. He acknowledged that while focus groups are open and inclusive, study groups often require memberships that can be a barrier. Allais emphasised the need for a multistakeholder approach, bridging the gap between developed and developing countries in standardisation processes. He highlighted ITU’s commitment to including human rights considerations in its standards.

Local Context and Collaborative Efforts

Abed Kataya shared SMEX’s experience in Lebanon, where it engaged with government entities during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure data protection and privacy in digital platforms. Kataya underscored the importance of multistakeholder collaboration and the need for CSOs to play an active role in bridging gaps between governments and citizens.

EU’s Support for Civil Society Empowerment

Radka Sibille outlined the EU’s support for the CADE project as part of its broader strategy to promote human-centric digital transformation. She highlighted the importance of empowering CSOs to advocate effectively in international digital policy debates and the need for a cultural shift within standard-setting organisations to be more receptive to diverse voices.

Financial Barriers and Practical Solutions

The discussion also touched upon the financial barriers faced by CSOs, including membership fees and the cost of accessing standards. Audience members suggested the need for open access to core standards, similar to the open access provided for scientific publications. Iwańska pointed to recent developments in the EU, where the Court of Justice ruled that regional standards must be publicly available free of charge.