WIC hosts open forum on bridging digital divide during 2025 IGF

On June 24, the World Internet Conference (WIC) hosted an open forum on "Bridging the Digital Divide: Focusing on the Global South" during the 2025 United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Lillestrom, Norway.

The forum addressed the growing risk of digital inequality, especially in developing countries, as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence continue to advance. High deployment costs and limited access to digital skills have made it difficult for many communities in the Global South to benefit from digital advancements. Participants emphasized the need to strengthen capacity building, create innovative governance models, and deepen international cooperation, so as to build a digital future that is inclusive, fair, and accessible to all.

The IGF is one of the main platforms under the UN framework for global discussions on internet governance. The 20th edition of the IGF was held under the theme "Building Digital Governance Together." It brought together representatives from governments, international organizations, academia, the private sector, and civil society. Through open dialogue, the forum aimed to identify collaborative solutions for building a more inclusive, secure, and sustainable digital environment.

Among the speakers at the WIC forum were Li Junhua, United Nations under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs; Francis Gurry, vice-chair of the WIC and former director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization; Tripti Sinha, chair of the Board of Directors at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers; Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC; Qi Xiaoxia, director-general of the Bureau of International Cooperation at the Cyberspace Administration of China; Nii Narku Quaynor, chairman of Ghana Dot Com who is widely recognized as the Father of the Internet in Africa; and Chern Choong Thum, WIC global youth leader and special functional officer at Malaysia's Ministry of Communications. The forum was hosted by Zhang Hui, deputy secretary-general of the WIC.