2025’s battle for the future of the internet

Australia’s second Cyber Ambassador, Brendan Dowling, described 2025 as the year of a battle for the future of the internet. This webinar is about why, and how the battle is shaping up.

At the end of 2025, a 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society will conclude at the United Nations General Assembly.

The moment marks an opportunity for governments to assess progress over the past two decades towards building a sustainable, people-oriented digital world.

As part of the review, countries will decide the future of the Internet Governance Forum.

This webinar brings together an expert panel to talk through the direction the negotiations are taking. The discussion will spotlight the implications for Australia - and for the Internet.

Jordan Carter, auDA’s Internet Governance and Policy Director, will host a panel featuring:

• Annaliese Williams – auDA’s Specialist Policy Adviser
• Chris Buckridge – internet governance expert and member of the ICANN Board of Directors
• Ian Sheldon – Australian Government
• Jennifer Chung – DotAsia, and member of the Internet Governance Forum’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG).

The World Summit on the Information Society set out a development agenda to shape the information society in a way that meets the needs of people all around the world.

One element of the outcomes of the original summits in 2003 and 2005 was the adoption of the Tunis Agenda. This marked the moment where countries formally recognised the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance at the global level. It also led to the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum.

The outcomes of the WSIS were reviewed in 2015 and the mandate was extended for a ten-year period. A further review to assess progress and determine the future of WSIS was programmed for 2025.

Read more about WSIS+20 and why it matters. All the latest steps in the WSIS+20 review are documented by the United Nations.