IGF MAG Renewal 2025
General guidance and notes to take into consideration regarding nominations for a position on the MAG
In between the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) negotiation phases in 2003 (Geneva) and 2005 (Tunis), the multistakeholder 40-member Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) was established to propose action on the governance of the Internet.* Following the second WSIS phase, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was convened by the UN Secretary-General in 2005. Its Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) was established in 2006 to assist the Secretary-General in convening the annual IGF meeting by advising on the annual meeting programme and schedule. MAG members serve in their personal capacity, but are expected to have established linkages within stakeholder communities. More information is available in the MAG Terms of References.
During the WSIS+10 review, the IGF had its mandate renewed for five years in 2010 (2011-2015) and again in 2015 for another ten years (2016-2025).** Currently in its third mandate, the IGF and its extension will once again be a critical aspect of the upcoming WSIS+20 review process in 2025. The WSIS+20 and IGF+20 consultation will be informed by the proposed Global Digital Compact, to be adopted at the Summit of the Future in 2024.
WSIS+20’s outcome document is foreseen as input to a review of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. As the processes strengthen their alignment, and as new technologies deepen their imprint on societies, an IGF mandate beyond 2025 will be discussed, presenting an opportunity for continuity and progress toward the aim of a people-centred and multistakeholder approach to global digital transformation.
MAG 2025 Renewal
It is the usual practice that the United Nations Secretary-General appoints members of the MAG, with careful consideration of the recommendations made by nominating stakeholders from the broader community. However, due to the critical importance of the WSIS+20 and IGF+20 review processes, this year, the open nomination process will exceptionally seek nominations from the alumni pool of MAG members from the 2006 to 2024 IGF cycles, as well as members of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG).
The goal for the MAG 2025 composition is to ensure its members have a deep understanding of the IGF and WSIS processes, gained through specific experience in MAG and WGIG work, enabling them to strategically guide the IGF toward the WSIS+20 and IGF+20 renewal processes, prepare the 20th annual IGF meeting and strengthen the future MAG's working modalities.
Within the MAG and WGIG alumni pool, members will be invited to nominate up to two candidates, from their cohort in terms of the year(s) they served together, based on their valuable and constructive contributions to the work of the MAG and the IGF.
The MAG 2025 composition will have forty (40) members in total. Individual appointments will be for one (1)-year term without the possibility of renewal.
The overall composition of the MAG should have a regional, stakeholder and gender balance and in this light nominators are requested to review current and past MAG member affiliations. Further, the Secretary-General launched the gender parity strategy in September 2017 as part of a system-wide campaign to advance this priority at the United Nations and the MAG composition aims to align with it.
Members coming from the Government stakeholder group may hold up to 40% of the total number of seats on the MAG, with the remaining percentage shared equally across the three other stakeholder groups, i.e. civil society, private sector, and the technical community. The overall 2025 MAG membership composition will balance the number of stakeholder groups across regions by region’s population and number of member states. Furthermore, geographical balance will be sought within regions.
In addition to gender parity, the MAG 2025 selection will give due consideration to the representation of stakeholders with experience in youth engagement, including through the National, Regional and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs), as well as stakeholders with high-level profiles and rich experience in Internet governance policies, across all stakeholder and regional groups. This is in line with ongoing efforts to strengthen the IGF.
Former IGF Host Countries hold one seat each on the MAG. Treaty-based intergovernmental organizations, including the UN system, can also hold observer seats and participate in the work of the MAG. Particularly for 2025, UN regional commissions are invited to designate one representative each.
Please note that the overall composition depends on several considerations including the nominations received, as well as the final decision of the UN Secretary-General.
The list of past and current MAG members since 2006 to date is available at the IGF website, and the list of WGIG members is available at WGIG website.
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* WGIG Report https://www.wgig.org/WGIG-Report.html
** Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 16 December 2015