The Internet Society (ISOC) was an important and strategic participant at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +20 Forum High-Level event (HLE) 2025, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 7-11 July. As a prominent partner and thoughtful leader in the Internet governance community, ISOC’s participation focused on making the main principles of an open, globally connected, safe and trusted Internet’s main principles to champion.
WSIS+20 Hle was an important event, serving as a platform to review the progression of WSIS action lines since its establishment in 2003 and chart the course for future global digital cooperation. Discussion in the program was decisive, affecting the size of the United Nations and the size of the global digital landscape for the coming years, including an important debate around the Global Digital Compact (GDC).
The Internet Society’s Core Mission and WSIS HLE 2025
The Internet Society is a non-profit organization that works to support the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure and a force for good. Its mission aligns with the basic goals of WSIS, which aims to build an inclusive, development-oriented information society. In Wsis Hle 2025, the presence of ISOC was the direct expansion of this mission, focusing on three major areas:
- Making a multistakholder model champion: ISOC is a staunch advocate for the Multistakholder approach to Internet governance, where all sides – Governments, Civil Society, Private Sector, Technical Community, and Educationists – have a voice. This model is at the center of the WSIS Framework and ISOC work. In HLE, under the leadership of the ISOC delegation, CEO Sally Ventaworth actively participated in sessions to strengthen this approach, and is the most effective way to resolve today’s challenges and ensure that the Internet remains open and flexible.
- Promoting community-focused connectivity: Still offline with Arabs is a central target for both WSIS and ISOC. The Internet Society’s work in supporting and empowering community networks was a major topic of its presence in this program. Built and operated by local communities to meet their unique needs, these networks are a powerful model to expand access to underserved areas. ISOC highlighted the success stories of these projects, using data-intended evidence from their Internet Society Pulse platforms, to display their tangible effects on people’s lives.
- Strengthening online trust and safety: In the era of increasing cybersecurity dangers and data privacy concerns, the reliability of the Internet is more important than ever. The ISOC session and the discussion at Wsis Hle 2025 addressed important topics such as digital trusts and collaborative strategies to strengthen cyber flexibility. By sharing expertise and best practices, ISOC worked to promote a safe and reliable online environment for all users.
Key Engagements and Activities at the HLE
During the week-long incident, the Internet Society delegation participated in and led a variety of activities to carry forward its goals. His busyness was versatile, including:
- Roundtable discussion and panels: ISOC experts, including its leadership and staff, participated in many high-level dialogues and panel discussions. He contributed to topics such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the implementation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), and the role of a technical community in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). A notable session, “Governments and technical community: a successful model of multistakholder cooperation to achieve SDG,” was a discussion on.
- Workshops and Gyan Cafe: Beyond formal sessions, ISOC hosted and co-mainctive interactive workshops. These small, more concentrated gatherings provided a platform for deep engagement on specific issues, such as the “Knowledge Cafe” session on the discovery of innovative financial mechanisms for community connectivity initiatives and strengthening multisectoralism.
- Community and partner engagement: An important part of ISOC’s strategy was to take advantage of its partnership. He collaborated with similar ideologies and engaged with his own chapters and global networks of individual members. This community-centered approach ensured that, especially from civil society and the Global South, various types of voices were represented in global deliberations.
- Booths and Exhibitions: The Internet Society exhibition was a major booth in the hall, serving as a central center for information and networking. It provided the opportunity to the attendees to know about the ISOC initiative, including its work, routing safety, and its Internet Effect Assessment Toolkit on community networks, which helps stakeholders understand the effects of their policies on the Internet.
Shaping the Future: WSIS+20 and Beyond
Wsis hle 2025 was more than a monumental event; It was a forward-looking dialogue. The results of the discussions will inform the final review process of the WSIS+20 and affect the size of future digital policies. The role of the Internet Society was to ensure that this future is one where internet innovation and human expression remain a global, open, and permitted platform.
The major messages of ISOC were clear:
- Protect the multistakholder model: outline of any new regime, such as GDC, must be built on a successful multistakholder model. The centralized, top-down approach risks fragmenting the Internet and limiting its capacity.
- Priority to people-focused solutions: digital inclusion is not only about adding people; it is about empowering them. There is a prime example of this philosophy in community network action, which keeps the power and ownership of the infrastructure directly in the hands of those who operate it.
- Leverage evidence-based advocacy: Using data from platforms such as the Internet Society Pulse, ISOC provided concrete evidence on how some policies affect Internet health and flexibility. This data-operated approach strengthens logic for policies that preserve the open nature of the Internet.
The presence of the Internet Society at WSIS HLE 2025 was a testament to its permanent commitment to its mission. By actively participating in global dialogue, the organization remains an important voice in ensuring that the Internet develops in such a way that everyone benefits, everywhere.