Global Digital Rights Coalition urges rights-based, inclusive direction for WSIS+20 Zero Draft

The Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS, representing civil-society organisations from the Global Majority and the Global North, has issued a comprehensive joint submission to the WSIS+20 review process. The coalition argues that the zero draft must be grounded in international human rights law to ensure a genuinely people-centred vision for the information society. Their recommendations cover four core thematic pillars, accompanied by detailed language proposals, and include process-related guidance intended to ensure a transparent, inclusive and accountable review.

At the centre of the coalition’s submission is a call for the draft to reflect a balanced and rights-based approach. They recommend explicit references to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ICCPR, ICESCR, CEDAW, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, while emphasising the need to recognise the role of OHCHR as a central implementing entity within Action Line 10. They argue for clearer commitments on media freedom, platform accountability, information integrity, and safeguards against surveillance, shutdowns and rights-incompatible technologies. The coalition also provides targeted proposals to address emerging challenges such as generative AI, transparency, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

The submission further stresses that digital inclusion must be treated holistically, noting that divides extend beyond connectivity to encompass structural inequalities that disproportionately affect women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, displaced populations and other marginalised groups. They call for expanded recognition of community-centred connectivity, Universal Service Fund transparency, accessible digital public infrastructure, and measurable indicators of meaningful connectivity.

On internet governance, the coalition urges renewal of the IGF mandate, adequate and dedicated funding, and explicit recognition of national and regional IGFs. They recommend grounding multistakeholder participation in the NetMundial+10 guidelines and reaffirming the Tunis Agenda’s definition of internet governance. Strengthening participation from the Global Majority is highlighted as a priority, especially for countries facing structural barriers and crises.

The submission also calls for clearer articulation of how WSIS+20 will interact with other digital-policy processes, particularly the Global Digital Compact. They support the proposal for UNGIS to develop a joint implementation roadmap and urge stronger coherence across UN mechanisms to avoid duplication and reinforce multistakeholder engagement.

Key points raised by the Global Digital Rights Coalition

• Anchor the WSIS+20 zero draft explicitly in international human rights law and standards.
• Recognise OHCHR’s central role by including it as a co-facilitator of Action Line 10.
• Strengthen language on media freedom, platform accountability and information integrity.
• Address structural and intersectional barriers to meaningful connectivity, including online violence.
• Expand commitments to community-based connectivity, USF transparency and inclusive digital public infrastructure.
• Reaffirm the multistakeholder model, including the Tunis Agenda definition and NetMundial+10 guidelines.
• Renew the IGF mandate, ensure required funding, and reinforce NRIs within the WSIS framework.
• Strengthen participation of Global Majority stakeholders across all stages of the review.
• Integrate the Global Digital Compact into WSIS implementation through a unified roadmap.
• Adopt process recommendations that ensure transparency, regional input, and inclusion of non-governmental experts in delegations.

The coalition’s submission, endorsed by major digital-rights organisations including Access Now, APC, Derechos Digitales, DRF, ECNL, GPD and many others, reflects a broad civil-society consensus that the WSIS+20 outcome must reinforce human rights, inclusion and multistakeholder governance at a moment of accelerating global digital transformation.