What is Internet Governance?

According to Wikipedia, Internet governance is the effort by governments, the private sector, civil society, and technical actors to develop and apply shared principles, norms, rules, and decision-making procedures that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.

Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

The World Summit on the Information Society, an event held in 1995 and sponsored by the United Nations, established the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to open an ongoing, non-binding conversation among multiple stakeholders about the future of Internet governance.

The current IGF is a platform convened by the United Nations Secretary-General for inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on Internet governance and related digital technologies established in 2006.

It has convened 20 global annual meetings hosted by governments and developed a strong intersessional ecosystem in close cooperation with more than 180 national, regional, and youth IGF initiatives, supported by targeted capacity-development activities. On 17 December 2025, the United Nations General Assembly confirmed the IGF as a permanent forum of the United Nations (Resolution 80/173).

Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance

In 2026 the United Nations appointed actor, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt as its first Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance – a new role aimed at placing people at the centre of global digital policy conversations.

The Global Advocate’s role responds to growing public interest in issues such as artificial intelligence, digital platforms and online information ecosystems. It is designed as a public-facing complement to the UN’s digital governance work, helping make complex policy debates more accessible and relatable.

21st IGF Annual Meeting in 2026

The 21st annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2026) will be held 14-18 December in Nairobi, Kenya.  Interested participants are invited to subscribe to the IGF Newsletter to stay informed about IGF preparations and intersessional activities.

Video of Global Advocate interview

This UN video shows Gordon-Levitt talking about his new role in March 2026.