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29 May 2025

WSIS+20 Five-Point Plan Follow-up: Eight Practical Recommendations

Add your signature to the letter here.
Accepting endorsements until 31 July 2025.

This document builds on the Five-Point Plan for an Inclusive WSIS+20 Review –endorsed by 114 organisations and 57 individual experts– to offer practical recommendations to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and meaningful stakeholder engagement in the WSIS+20 review process.

As engaged stakeholders in the WSIS+20 review process, we, the undersigned, submit these further recommendations:

1. Appoint a non-governmental stakeholder liaison within UN DESA to support the co-facilitators and the President of the General Assembly to facilitate stakeholder engagement.

2. Ensure the dedicated online platform centralising all relevant information is set up immediately and maintained regularly throughout the process.

3. Use the dedicated online platform to streamline resources and opportunities to broaden and diversify participation, including information about capacity building resources; national or regional consultations; visa assistance and supporting documentation; financial support for travel and broadband access to participate virtually.

4. Collect input on each iteration of the draft Outcome Document, including via:

a. Written submissions (with at least 7 working day notice and submission period), using multilingual submission templates with reasonable word limits;
b. Consultations, as outlined in points 5(a)–(e).

5. Design consultations to enable full and equal participation of stakeholders through:

a. Providing timely notice and sharing background documents and guiding questions at least 7 working days in advance;
b. Selecting accessible locations, supporting hybrid participation and offering synchronised meetings at multiple locations;
c. Accommodating diverse time zones, non-standard working days, and offering low-bandwidth participation options;
d. Applying equitable speaking arrangements, such as alternating or rotating speaking slots and ensuring balanced time allocation;
e. Structuring interactive dialogue formats that allow non-governmental and governmental stakeholders to respond to each other in real time.

6. Publish synthesis reports of inputs on each iteration of the draft Outcome Document, summarising written and verbal input, explaining how contributions were addressed and clearly indicating areas of consensus, disagreement, or ongoing discussion.*

7. Ensure opportunities for meaningful non-governmental stakeholder participation in the intergovernmental negotiations by:

a. Enabling stakeholders to, at a minimum, observe all meetings –preparatory or otherwise– in-person and via live-stream on UN Web TV.
b. Providing opportunities for stakeholder interventions through dedicated speaking slots.**

8. Ensure non-governmental stakeholders have a meaningful role in the High Level Meeting by:

a. Publishing accreditation procedures at least three months in advance;
b. Broadening eligibility criteria beyond WSIS+10 to include participants of national, regional, and global IGFs.
c. Allocating speaking opportunities, side events, and space for engagement with delegates.

 

* See, e.g., the consultation process for the UNESCO Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms.

** See, e.g., the rules of procedure of the Human Rights Council, the ITU and the Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime.

 

List of endorsing organisations:

  1. Access Now
  2. ARTICLE 19
  3. Asociación de Tecnología, Educación, Desarrollo, Investigación, Comunicación (TEDIC)
  4. Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
  5. Association of Freelance Journalists (AFJ)
  6. au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA)
  7. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
  8. BlueLink.net
  9. Body & Data
  10. CENTR – Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries
  11. Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
  12. Child Online Africa (COA)
  13. Colnodo
  14. Community NetHUBs Africa
  15. Cooperativa Sulá Batsú (CR)
  16. Council for Social and Digital Development (CSDD)
  17. CyberPeace Institute
  18. Data Privacy Brasil
  19. DENIC eG
  20. Deparment of Computer Technology, De La Salle University
  21. Derechos Digitales
  22. Digital Empowerment Foundation
  23. DotAsia Organisation
  24. DNS Africa Media and Communications
  25. DNS World Media and Communications
  26. Encryption Advocates Council
  27. European Center for Not-For-Profit Law (ECNL)
  28. Eurovisioni
  29. Eurovisioni A.C. , Europe
  30. Fantsuam Foundation
  31. Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA)
  32. Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
  33. Global Network Initiative (GNI)
  34. Global Partners Digital (GPD)
  35. Globe TechnoPolitics Forum (GTPF)
  36. GreenNet
  37. Instituto Panamericano de Derecho y Tecnología – IPANDETEC
  38. International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)
  39. Internet Architecture Board
  40. Internet Australia
  41. Internet New Zealand Incorporated (InternetNZ)
  42. Internet Service Providers and Connectivity Providers Constituency of ICANN (ISPCP)
  43. Internet Society (ISOC)
  44. Internet Society Colombia Chapter
  45. Internet Society Comoros Chapter
  46. Internet Society Dominican Republic Chapter
  47. Internet Society Ecuador Chapter
  48. Internet Society Libya Chapter
  49. Internet Society Mexico Chapter
  50. Internet Society Nigeria Chapter (ISOC-NG)
  51. Internet Society Philippines Chapter
  52. Internet Society Taipei (Taiwan)
  53. Internet Society Uruguay Chapter
  54. Insituto NUPEF
  55. Jokkolabs Banjul
  56. LaLibre.net Tecnologías Comunitarias
  57. Pacific Migration Partners
  58. Paradigm Initiative (PIN)
  59. Pollicy
  60. Public Interest Registry (PIR)
  61. Redes por la Diversidad, Equidad y Sustentabilidad A.C. (REDES A.C.)
  62. Rhizomatica
  63. Stakeholders Engagement Digital Webinar Series for Africa (SENDiWSA)
  64. Success Bridge Community Development Foundation
  65. Sursiendo, Comunicación y Cultura Digital
  66. Tech for Good Asia
  67. Tech Global Institute (TGI)
  68. Telecommunities Canada (tc.ca)
  69. The Meta-Layer Initiative (themetalayer.org)
  70. Virtual School of Internet Governance (VSIG)
  71. Wikimedia Deutschland e. V.
  72. Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)
  73. Women At The Table
  74. World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)

List of endorsing individuals:

  1. Amged B Shwehdy
  2. Bruna Martins dos Santos, Former IGF MAG Member and Policy and Advocacy Manager at WITNESS
  3. Carlos Vera Quintana
  4. Charles Mok, Research Scholar, Stanford University
  5. Cheryl Langdon-Orr
  6. Concettina Cassa, IGF MAG member
  7. Daveed Benjamin, Founder Director, The Meta-Layer Initiative
  8. Dr. Adebunmi Adeola Akinbo
  9. Dr. Hosein F. Badran, Principal Advisor, Badran Digital Consulting, Canada
  10. Dr. Konstantinos Komaitis, Resident Senior Fellow, Global Internet Governance Lead, Democracy and Tech Initiative, Atlantic Council
  11. Dr. Pari Esfandiari, President, Global TechnoPolitics Forum
  12. Dr. William J. Drake, Director of International Studies, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, Columbia Business School
  13. Engr. Kunle Olorundare, President/CEO, Jacobian-Sam Care Foundation
  14. Flávio Rech Wagner, IGF MAG member
  15. Giacomo Mazzone
  16. Hector Suero
  17. Joseph Fonorito
  18. Karim ATTOUMANI MOHAMED, ISOC Comoros
  19. Manal Ismail
  20. Marnel Peradilla
  21. Nduwayo Eraste
  22. Nicolas Fiumarelli
  23. Osama Manzar, Founder Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation
  24. Pefi Kingi
  25. Peixi Xu, Professor, Communication University of China
  26. Professor Dawn Carla Nunziato, The George Washington University Law School; Co-Director, Global Internet Freedom ProjectBarry Leiba
  27. Umut Pajaro Velasquez
  28. Winthrop Yu – Chair Emeritus, Internet Society Philippines Chapter
  29. Winnie Kamau, Vice Chair Africa IGF MAG
  30. Wolfgang Kleinwächter, Professor Emeritus, University AarhusAlfredo Calderón Serrano