Below are two statements from TCCM members Rosalía Morales (NIC Costa Rica) and Elizabeth Bacon (Public Interest Registry), which were delivered at the third session of the WSIS+20 Review Virtual Stakeholder Consultations, which took place on 29 July, 2025.
Statement from Rosalía Morales (NIC Costa Rica), on behalf of a Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism
Good morning, Chair, Co-facilitators, all,
I am speaking on behalf of a Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM) – a group of aligned members of the Internet technical community with a long history of involvement in multistakeholder Internet governance.
Our role as members of the Internet’s technical community is to operate the infrastructure that supports the Internet’s core functionality. An open, global, secure, resilient and interoperable Internet is a crucial foundation for human development, innovation and progress.
We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this stakeholder consultation to offer our contributions to the Elements Paper and note our thanks to the President of the General Assembly, to the co-facilitators, and to the Secretariat for their work thus far in the Review process.
While TCCM’s comments for this consultation focus on the Internet Governance aspects in paragraphs 62 and 64 of the Elements Paper we also note support for:
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The renewal of the WSIS framework and its contribution to a people-centred Information Society. The Internet is key technology providing the foundation upon which the information society can achieve its goals and deliver resources to improve quality of life globally.
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Maintaining the WSIS Action Lines as fit for purpose. They provide a sound and flexible foundation on which to grow a people-centered, inclusive, development-oriented information society able to support sustainable development and access.
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Strengthening the IGF with a permanent mandate and diverse resourcing strategy, as well as evolving its role within the Internet governance ecosystem to include an agenda setting function. The IGF provides an under-utilized means of identifying and framing key issues of collective importance. The IGF should be leveraged as a platform for the identification of key governance issues, facilitation of stakeholder deliberations and subsequently providing a structured set of priorities and stakeholder perspectives for consideration by multilateral platforms such as the WSIS Forum and ECOSOC through UNCSTD.
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The continued role for all stakeholders, including the technical community, in the conduct of all WSIS activities to ensure a truly multistakeholder, transparent and inclusive Internet governance model.
Specific to the Internet Governance aspects of the Elements paper, we urge member states to support:
A permanent mandate for the IGF:
- TCCM supports the mandate of the IGF being made permanent. This will support all stakeholders to invest in its improvement and development and to drive improved participation from stakeholders and communities currently under represented, including those in the Global South. The Zero Draft should call on Member States and all stakeholders to provide stable and sufficient human and financial resources to the IGF, including its Secretariat, to strengthen its reach and impact and to drive improved participation.
- Complementarily, we also advocate for a diversified funding approach to ensure sustainable, robust funding and appropriate support by the multistakeholder community. This will help ensure that the diverse voices present in the IGF system can have the most impact on realizing the WSIS vision.
Enhanced Cooperation:
- As recognized by the Global Digital Compact, the IGF represents a unique platform that does not exist elsewhere for the enhanced cooperation among all stakeholders that will be necessary as we continue to build an inclusive, people centered and development-oriented information society.
- The existing WSIS infrastructure including the WSIS Forum and the IGF, along with the IGF ecosystem of intersessional work and the National and Regional IGF Initiatives, continue to be the logical and established venues for centering implementation and follow-up of all outputs that impact Internet governance and digital policy processes. They demonstrate the multistakeholder cooperation that has been the hallmark feature that has fostered energy and progress around sustainable development, the Information Society, and increased access to the societal benefits technology and the Internet enable.
- TCCM members believe that cooperation between governments and other stakeholders remains the best way to engage to support the Internet and digital technologies that are critical to building inclusive, resilient societies. Multistakeholder processes will best support the WSIS vision and promote “an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe and secure digital future for all.”
- The TCCM understands that the technical community expertise can enhance policy discussions and ensure policy proposals do not inadvertently cause negative impacts on the operation and use of the Internet.
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important process. Please feel free to reach out if there are any questions or comments.
Rosalía Morales
Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism
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Statement from Elizabeth Bacon (Public Interest Registry), on behalf of a Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism:
Thank you Excellency. It’s a pleasure to be with all of you today.
My name is Elizabeth Bacon and I’m with Public Interest Registry (PIR), the operators of the .ORG top-level domain, and I am speaking as a member of a Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM) – a group of aligned members of the Internet technical community with a long history of involvement in multistakeholder Internet governance.
Our role as members of the Internet’s technical community is to operate the infrastructure that supports the Internet’s core functionality. An open, global, secure, resilient and interoperable Internet is a crucial foundation for human development, innovation and progress.
We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this stakeholder consultation to offer our contributions to the Elements Paper and note our thanks to the President of the General Assembly, to the co-facilitators, and to the Secretariat for their work thus far in the Review process.
While TCCM’s comments for this consultation focus on the Internet Governance aspects in paragraphs 62 and 64 of the Elements Paper we also note support for:
- The renewal of the WSIS framework and its contribution to a people-centred Information Society. The Internet is key technology providing the foundation upon which the information society can achieve its goals and deliver resources to improve quality of life globally.
- Maintaining the WSIS Action Lines as fit for purpose. They provide a sound and flexible foundation on which to grow a people-centered, inclusive, development-oriented information society able to support sustainable development and access.
- Strengthening the IGF with a permanent mandate and diverse resourcing strategy, as well as evolving its role within the Internet governance ecosystem to include an agenda setting function. The IGF provides an under-utilised means of identifying and framing key issues of collective importance. The IGF should be leveraged as a platform for the identification of key governance issues, facilitation of stakeholder deliberations and subsequently providing a structured set of priorities and stakeholder perspectives for consideration by multilateral platforms such as the WSIS Forum and ECOSOC through UNCSTD.
- The continued role for all stakeholders, including the technical community, in the conduct of all WSIS activities to ensure a truly multistakeholder, transparent and inclusive Internet governance model.
Specific to the Internet Governance aspects of the Elements paper, we note that:
- Critical to contributing to efficient and effective progress towards an inclusive Information Society is dedication to diligent measurement of participation, funding, outcomes, and impacts of the work of the IGF, National and Regional Initiatives, Policy Networks, Best Practices Fora, and Dynamic Coalitions, including how their work contributes to progress on the goals of the WSIS Action Lines. The IGF internal structures should be empowered to review their functioning and develop new mechanisms, as required, through a process of constant review and monitoring.
- The Global Digital Compact recognized the IGF as “the primary multi-stakeholder platform for discussion of Internet governance issues.” The WSIS+20 Review should prevent the duplication of the IGF’s purpose, scope, and activities as the IGF has the agility and institutional strength to address issues relating to digital governance and GDC implementation.
- Measuring and monitoring the work of the IGF will not only allow the IGF Community to more accurately report on the contributions made by the Community’s work, but also identify where we can work more efficiently and effectively. Providing data-driven analysis can identify those areas where efficiencies in planning, execution, and follow-up can be made.
- Along with measurement providing a data-driven approach to planning and evaluating the work of the IGF, a more strategic approach to engagement between the yearly IGF to encourage continuous progress towards identified goals is key to getting full value on the investment in the IGF.
- We believe the IGF is key to discussing a broad spectrum of Internet governance issues, identifying emerging themes and priorities. However, reviewing the organizational aspects of the IGF could allow for work to flow more continuously through the annual event to NRIs, Policy Networks, and Dynamic Coalitions maximizing the investment in the IGF.
We urge member states to consider and support these approaches to maximize the impact of the IGF. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important process.
Elizabeth Bacon
Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism