This is a critical year for Internet Governance.
In 2025, the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20), a United Nations-led process to assess the effectiveness of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for development since 2005, is taking place. This review will help define the UN’s future actions in digital development, including how different stakeholders will be involved.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-part summit held in 2003 (Geneva) and 2005 (Tunis). It created a shared vision of an inclusive information society and developed concrete action plans to that end. The “WSIS+20” refers to the 20-year review of these WSIS outcomes. It’s a process to evaluate the impact of the WSIS Action Lines and identify new trends, challenges, and opportunities in the digital landscape. The co-facilitators for the WSIS+20 review, H.E. Mr. Ekitela Lokaale, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations, and H.E. Ms. Suela Janina, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Albania to the United Nations, convened an Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board (IMSB) to help ensure that the voices and perspectives of diverse stakeholders and communities are included in the WSIS review process. The two co-convenors for the IMSB include DotAsia’s VP for Policy Development, Jennifer Chung, alongside Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, one of the “Fathers of the Internet”.
On 2-3 July 2025, a team of NetMission Ambassadors and APAC Youth developed a webinar series to reflect on WSIS+20 outcomes and key digital policy issues, and collaboratively shape an APAC Youth Statement to input into WSIS+20 processes. The statement is their collective voice—a live, evolving document reflecting the priorities, ideas, and vision of youth across the region. The series has evolved into an ongoing youth community consultation process, led by APAC Youth leaders with support from DotAsia. For youth participation to move beyond symbolic consultation, meaningful integration into all aspects of the WSIS framework is essential. Youth inclusion and participation is being integrated into all areas, especially where inclusive policy frameworks and multistakeholder engagement are discussed and crucially at decision-making stages that shape and impact digital transformation.
On July 29, 2025, three representatives from the NetMission team intervened as speakers at the WSIS+20 Informal Stakeholder Consultation Session to make sure young people were present, heard, and counted. For NetMission, this moment was more than symbolic, because it was a chance to bring lived realities and policy insights from youth across Asia-Pacific directly into global digital governance. Each representative delivered a three-minute intervention focused on a thematic area of the Elements Paper, including ICT for Development, Capacity Building, and Monitoring and Measurement. Their collective message was clear: Youth across the Asia-Pacific are showing up, speaking up, and ready to shape the digital future. The APAC Youth webinar series, participation in the WSIS+20 Consultation session, and an open call to action are a connected, holistic approach for APAC Youth to have a say in WSIS+20.
DotAsia is also a core Secretariat member of a Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM), established in 2024 during the development of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and in the lead-up to WSIS+20. TCCM is made up of members of the Internet’s technical community, who also stand united in our support for strengthened multistakeholder Internet governance. The TCCM also provided a response to the WSIS+20 Elements Paper, which you can read here and on DotAsia’s website.
This year reaffirms why diverse stakeholder participation in Internet Governance—including APAC and youth participation—isn’t just necessary, it’s transformative. DotAsia is grateful to be part of this milestone WSIS+20 consultation and to carry forward youth voices that are often overlooked, yet deeply impacted by the digital policies being shaped today.