Session
UNESCO
Tatevik Grigoryan, Associate Programme Specialist, UNESCO Camila Gonzalez, Consultant, UNESCO
Mr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information (UNESCO) Mr. Alexandre Barbosa, Head of the Center of Studies for Information and Communications Technologies (CETIC.br), Brazil (GRULAC) Ms. Jennifer Bachus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, USA (WEOG) Mr. Vinton Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google, USA (online) (WEOG) Ms. Helani Galpaya, Chief Executive Officer of LIRNEasia, Sri Lanka (Asia Pacific) Ms. Tenanoia Veronica Simona, Chief Executive Officer, Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation, Tuvalu (Asia Pacific)
Cedric Wachholz, Chief of Section for Digital policies and Digital Transformation, UNESCO
Camila Gonzalez
Camila Gonzalez
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
10. Reduced Inequalities
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Targets: The session will highlight the significance of indicators in equipping stakeholders across various sectors with the means to align themselves with the UN SG's roadmap for digital cooperation and the Global Digital Compact, aimed at achieving the SDGs. By providing concrete solutions towards fulfilling Goals 4, 5, 10, 16, and 17 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNESCO's Internet Universality Indicators framework addresses a global and national standard-setting gap. It serves as a comprehensive research tool to promote Internet policies for sustainable development in all countries.
The session will follow a panel discussion format, featuring high-level speakers who will engage in a moderated discussion, exploring key themes and exchanging insights. Audience participation will be encouraged through a Q&A segment, allowing for interaction and the inclusion of diverse perspectives. The session will begin with opening remarks to set the context and conclude with a summary of key takeaways and potential next steps, ensuring a well-rounded and engaging dialogue.
UNESCO will host a high-level launch of the Second-Generation Internet Universality Indicators (IUIs) ROAM-X Framework at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) taking place from 15 to 19 December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This event aligns with global efforts to harness digital transformation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in light of the recent Pact for the Future and the upcoming 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Responding to the rapidly evolving digital landscape, UNESCO initiated a comprehensive revision of the IUI ROAM-X Framework in late 2023. The ROAM-X framework is built on the principles of an Internet grounded in human Rights, Openness, Accessibility to all, and Multistakeholder participation, with 'X' representing cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, environment, sustainable development, trust, and security. The year-long collaborative effort of the revision with global experts and stakeholders aimed to: - Ensure the IUIs remain relevant, adaptive, and future-ready. - Integrate key insights and lessons from five years of global assessments and local applications. - Enhance accessibility and ease of use to accelerate stakeholder adoption and implementation. Through this extensive consultation, UNESCO and its partners are now poised to introduce the Advanced Internet Universality Indicators. This next generation of indicators directly and indirectly reflects the outcomes of NETmundial +10, the Sao Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines, the Future Summit, and the principles of the Global Digital Compact. Objectives of the Session UNESCO’s commitment to multi-stakeholder Internet governance is fundamental to the implementation of the Internet Universality Indicators, as these tools support a digital ecosystem that is inclusive, rights-focused, and sustainable. In this session, UNESCO aims to bring together representatives from diverse sectors whose active engagement is critical to shaping a collaborative, human-centered digital future. The session will focus on the following objectives: - Facilitate a dynamic global multistakeholder dialogue to engage in critical discussions about emerging digital challenges and collaborative solutions. - Explore how the IUIs contribute to the implementation of broader international frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and illustrate their vital role in advancing global development objectives. - Provide clear pathways for countries to integrate the new IUIs into their digital development strategies. Demonstrate how the revised IUIs can transform and advance national internet development and governance, supporting evidence-based policy-making and tailored policy recommendations. - Emphasize how the new indicators specifically address the needs of marginalized communities, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital age. - Outline specific roles and opportunities for different sectors (government, civil society, private sector, academia) in leveraging the IUIs for positive change. - Facilitate discussions on how the IUIs can strengthen regional internet governance initiatives and cross-border collaboration. The launch of the Advanced IUIs at IGF represents a bold step toward a more inclusive, rights-respecting Internet. Through this platform, UNESCO aims to mobilize global support and commitment to these transformative tools, propelling a shared vision for a resilient, equitable digital future.
To ensure hybrid participation, the session will have an online moderator, and will be receiving questions and insights from online participants.
Report
• The revised Internet Universality ROAM-X Indicators (IUI) offer a flexible, evidence-based framework that provides stakeholders with a comprehensive and updated understanding of challenges in today’s internet landscape. These indicators align with global efforts such as the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the upcoming 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
• Achieving inclusive and sustainable internet governance requires active multistakeholder participation. The Multistakeholder Advisory Board (MAB) model enabled by the IUIs provides a robust mechanism for fostering collaboration across diverse sectors and perspectives.
• While adopting a fully evidence-based approach to internet governance presents challenges, pursuing this goal is essential. Multistakeholder efforts are also critical to ensure robust, diverse, and reliable sources of evidence.
• Adopt the Revised IUIs: Empower stakeholders to assess their internet environments comprehensively, identify gaps and strengths, and use this data to inform policymakers. The flexibility of the IUIs allow for countries to adapt the Framework to their priorities, including addressing emerging challenges such as the environmental impact of the internet and the governance of advanced digital technologies.
Strengthen Multistakeholder Collaboration and Prioritize Evidence: Policymakers must actively create spaces to gather diverse voices across and within sectors. Collaboration must be supported by a commitment to leveraging evidence and data, despite challenges in accessibility, to ensure informed and effective internet governance policies.
This high-level event launched the revised Internet Universality ROAM-X Indicators (IUI), titled “Internet Universality- Advancing Inclusive Digital Transformation with ROAM-X Indicators”. The session emphasized the critical need to advance a human- centered digital future grounded in inclusivity, equity, and resilience, highlighting the IUI’s role in this. Speakers underscored the importance of collaborative, multi-stakeholder efforts, adaptive frameworks, and actionable indicators to bridge the digital divide, address emerging challenges, and align policies with local and global realities.
Key Highlights from Speakers:
Mr. Tawfik Jelassi (Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO) reiterated UNESCO’s commitment to fostering a human-centered digital future through its revised Internet Universality Indicators (IUIs) and its ROAM-X pillars (Rights, Openness, Access, Multistakeholder + Cross-cutting indicators). Key points included:
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The revised IUIs are designed to address contemporary challenges and opportunities of the Internet landscape in a more efficient way. They include updates in issues related to platform governance, meaningful connectivity, and children’s rights, as well as include new themes on advanced digital technologies and the environmental impact of the Internet.
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The revised IUIs also include a streamlined structure, that eases implementation for stakeholders.
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The original IUIs were implemented in 40 countries, having significant impact in the digital policies and plans of, for example, countries like Argentina and Senegal.
Mr. David Souter (Managing Director, ICT Development Associates) stressed key changes in the revised Framework:
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They introduce overarching questions in each category and give more prominence to certain questions, that should allow research teams to provide a more analytical response to the different indicators
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The overall number of questions and indicators (both core and supplementary) were reduced. This not only simplifies the implementation process, but also maintains the flexibility given to research teams in selecting the questions and indicators that are relevant within their own countries.
Alexandre Barbosa (Head, Cetic.br) emphasized:
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The role of the IUIs in identifying gaps and strengths in the internet landscape, prompting stakeholders and policymakers to develop policies that address these findings
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Multi-Stakeholder collaboration in ensuring that the resulting policy recommendations from the assessment are inclusive but also rooted in cross-sectoral expertise.
Vinton Cerf (Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google)’s interventions centered on fostering digital resilience and improving multistakeholder collaboration:
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Data-driven policymaking is essential in internet landscape
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There is a fundamental component for connectivity that lies in cooperation between the government with the private sector and civil society
Jennifer Bachus (Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy) emphasized the importance of:
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While multilateralism continues to dominate in internet governance policymaking, multistakeholder participation also continues to have a fundamental role. It is important to ensure to include different perspectives, even from within the same sector.
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Policymaking based on evidence and data is fundamental but remains challenging in terms of defining the data sources and reconciling differences between them.
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Climate-Resilient Infrastructure is fundamental to develop sustainable digital systems to withstand environmental vulnerabilities.
Ms. Tenanoia Veronica Simona (CEO, Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation) highlighted the experience of implementing the IUIs in Tuvalu:
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Tuvalu has an ambitious digital journey that includes unique challenges related to internet development, related to infrastructure, environmental risks linked to climate change, dependence on partnerships and development aid, and limited technical expertise.
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The IUIs provide solutions in identifying priorities and building targeted strategies that address them, bridging divides for small island nations through capacity building and digital resilience.
Ms. Alaa Abdulaal (chief od Digital Economy Foresight, Digital Cooperation Organization) underscored:
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Data-Based Indicators are fundamental in allowing stakeholders understand their standing in diverse issues, elaborate policies that address gaps, and track progress
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Multisectoral collaboration is crucial to foster equitable digital economies.
Key Takeaways
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Advancing Inclusivity Through ROAM-X, where the revised IUIs framework provides actionable indicators to promote inclusive, rights-based digital policies. Stakeholders must integrate these principles into national governance to leave no one behind.
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Harmonizing Local and Global Efforts for Multi-stakeholder cooperation, vital for aligning international frameworks like the Global Digital Compact with localized solutions tailored to unique contexts.
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Capacity Building and Innovation to prioritize investments in resilient infrastructure, AI adoption, and climate-resilient initiatives to ensure secure and inclusive digital development.
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Sustainability and Collaboration for emerging technologies to be leveraged responsibly to build a future that champions equity, sustainability, and innovation.
Conclusion
The session reaffirmed the shared responsibility of governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector in building an inclusive digital future.