Session
Organizer 1: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Christian Dawson, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Ram Mohan, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Toral Daftary Cowieson, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Theresa Swinehart, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 5: Sophie Mitchell, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 6: Jennifer Chung, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 7: Manal Ismail, Government, African Group
Speaker 2: Ram Mohan, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Toral Daftary Cowieson, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Theresa Swinehart, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 5: Sophie Mitchell, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 6: Jennifer Chung, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 7: Manal Ismail, Government, African Group
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: We have chosen a roundtable with a panel format to create a dynamic and participatory discussion. The panel will serve as a catalyst, with experts providing key insights and framing critical issues to ignite conversation among IGF participants. However, the session will not be a traditional one-way panel discussion. Instead, it will be highly interactive, fostering an open and inclusive roundtable format where all attendees—both onsite and online—can actively contribute. This structure ensures that diverse perspectives are heard, making the session more engaging and impactful.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: We have chosen a roundtable with a panel format to create a dynamic and participatory discussion. The panel will serve as a catalyst, with experts providing key insights and framing critical issues to ignite conversation among IGF participants. However, the session will not be a traditional one-way panel discussion. Instead, it will be highly interactive, fostering an open and inclusive roundtable format where all attendees—both onsite and online—can actively contribute. This structure ensures that diverse perspectives are heard, making the session more engaging and impactful.
Policy Question(s)
This session will explore key questions surrounding language inclusion in digital spaces:
• How can policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society integrate linguistic diversity into Internet governance frameworks to ensure equitable access?
• What are the key technical and regulatory challenges in supporting multilingual digital ecosystems, and how can open standards and cross-sector collaboration address them?
• How can governments, businesses, and content platforms promote digital access for linguistic minorities through policies, funding, and open technology initiatives?
These questions will drive discussions on policy frameworks, technical solutions, and best practices for embedding language accessibility into global digital inclusion efforts.
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how language barriers impact digital inclusion, economic opportunities, and civic participation. They will hear diverse perspectives from technical experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and grassroots organizations on strategies for integrating linguistic diversity into digital access initiatives.
The session will showcase real-world case studies and best practices on multilingual domain names, content accessibility, and inclusive governance frameworks. Attendees will receive actionable recommendations to help governments, businesses, and civil society implement language-inclusive policies and technology solutions.
Additionally, this session will provide an opportunity for meaningful engagement, allowing both onsite and online participants to contribute insights and propose solutions. The discussions will serve as a foundation for ongoing collaboration, empowering stakeholders to champion language inclusion in their respective fields.
Description:
Despite global efforts to expand Internet access, linguistic diversity remains an overlooked barrier to digital inclusion. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, the dominance of a few major languages online prevents billions of people from fully participating in digital spaces. This workshop will explore how language accessibility can be integrated into Internet governance, digital rights frameworks, and connectivity strategies to ensure universal access. Bringing together experts from technical, civil society, industry, and governmental backgrounds, this session will identify policy gaps, technical challenges, and best practices in supporting multilingual digital ecosystems. Participants will hear from leaders working on multilingual domain names, inclusive content policies, and grassroots digital inclusion efforts that are helping to bridge the language gap online. The discussion will highlight successful case studies where inclusive language policies have improved digital access, economic participation, and civic engagement for linguistic minorities. It will also examine how technical standards, regulatory frameworks, and industry initiatives can align to promote linguistic diversity across platforms and services. This highly interactive session will encourage input from both onsite and online participants, incorporating dedicated Q&A segments, multilingual engagement tools, and breakout discussions for collaborative problem-solving. Attendees will leave with concrete recommendations to drive policy and technical innovations in support of linguistic diversity. As part of IGF 2025’s overarching theme of Building Digital Governance Together, this session aligns with the subtheme of Universal Access and Digital Rights, advocating for an Internet that truly serves all language communities
Despite global efforts to expand Internet access, linguistic diversity remains an overlooked barrier to digital inclusion. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, the dominance of a few major languages online prevents billions of people from fully participating in digital spaces. This workshop will explore how language accessibility can be integrated into Internet governance, digital rights frameworks, and connectivity strategies to ensure universal access. Bringing together experts from technical, civil society, industry, and governmental backgrounds, this session will identify policy gaps, technical challenges, and best practices in supporting multilingual digital ecosystems. Participants will hear from leaders working on multilingual domain names, inclusive content policies, and grassroots digital inclusion efforts that are helping to bridge the language gap online. The discussion will highlight successful case studies where inclusive language policies have improved digital access, economic participation, and civic engagement for linguistic minorities. It will also examine how technical standards, regulatory frameworks, and industry initiatives can align to promote linguistic diversity across platforms and services. This highly interactive session will encourage input from both onsite and online participants, incorporating dedicated Q&A segments, multilingual engagement tools, and breakout discussions for collaborative problem-solving. Attendees will leave with concrete recommendations to drive policy and technical innovations in support of linguistic diversity. As part of IGF 2025’s overarching theme of Building Digital Governance Together, this session aligns with the subtheme of Universal Access and Digital Rights, advocating for an Internet that truly serves all language communities
Expected Outcomes
This workshop will generate concrete policy recommendations for governments, businesses, and civil society to integrate language inclusion into Internet governance and digital access policies. It will serve as a call to action, encouraging a global commitment to prioritizing linguistic accessibility and ensuring that marginalized communities are not excluded from digital participation.
A key output of the session will be a working document summarizing best practices, case studies, and policy recommendations that can be shared with IGF stakeholders and beyond. Additionally, the session aims to foster ongoing collaboration by establishing a network of policymakers, technologists, and civil society organizations dedicated to advancing multilingual digital ecosystems.
Ultimately, this workshop will serve as a catalyst for future cross-sector initiatives aimed at ensuring that language is not a barrier to full and equal participation in the digital world.
Hybrid Format: To ensure an engaging hybrid session at the 2025 IGF, we will incorporate interactive design elements such as live polling, a multilingual chat for online participants, and dedicated Q&A rounds. Speaker coordination will be managed by both onsite and online moderators to maintain a seamless discussion flow.
We will leverage IGF’s virtual platform features alongside complementary engagement tools like Google Docs for real-time collaborative note-taking and audience input tools that allow equal participation for both in-person and remote attendees.
To enhance post-event engagement, we will establish a dedicated online forum for continued discussions and policy development, ensuring that key takeaways evolve beyond the session itself. This approach fosters inclusivity, interactivity, and long-term impact for all participants.