This session will explore digital inclusiveness in Saudi Arabia’s digital government, highlighting key findings from a recent study developed by DGA. It will cover the definition and key elements of digital inclusivity, with a focus on people with disabilities, accessibility standards, and universal design principles. Additionally, it will showcase Saudi Arabia’s efforts, programs, and success stories in building a more inclusive digital ecosystem. The session will address challenges such as accessibility barriers, policy implementation, and societal engagement, while also discussing opportunities for advancing digital inclusivity through innovative government initiatives and international collaboration. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A segment to encourage dialogue and knowledge-sharing.

Interaction will be facilitated through a well-coordinated setup that includes real-time video and audio feeds for both onsite and online participants. Dedicated moderators for both onsite and online participants will ensure that questions, comments, and discussions from all attendees are seamlessly integrated. Clear communication channels, such as chat functions and Q&A segments, will be used to ensure online attendees have equal opportunity to participate. The session will be designed to balance the needs of both onsite and online participants. This will involve careful planning of session timings, ensuring that speaker presentations are clear and accessible via screen-sharing platforms for online viewers, and that the audio-visual quality in the room supports both physical and virtual attendees. Tools such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams will be utilized for online participation, integrated with Powerpoint presentation.

This open forum will delve into Lesotho’s national digital transformation strategy, emphasising universal digital access, the protection of digital rights, and the promotion of sustainable innovation. As Lesotho seeks to harness digital technologies…

This session will explore Lesotho’s digital transformation strategy, focusing on universal digital access, digital rights, and sustainable innovation. Key topics include efforts to bridge the digital divide, enhance digital literacy, AI, and ensure cybersecurity and data protection. Challenges such as rural connectivity, affordability barriers, and gender equity in tech will be addressed, alongside opportunities for multistakeholder collaboration and international investment. The session will feature a roundtable discussion with government officials, the private sector, and civil society to share best practices and explore solutions for inclusive digital development in Lesotho.

1) Facilitating interaction between on-site and online speakers and attendees: We will ensure seamless interaction by having a dedicated moderator who will manage online and on-site speakers. The moderator will facilitate Q&A sessions, enabling both online and onsite attendees to ask questions using virtual platforms like Zoom chat. This will allow for real-time participation from both groups.

2) Designing the session for the best experience for both onsite and online participants: We will use visual aids like presentations and video clips to ensure that all attendees, regardless of location, have an engaging experience. The session will be streamed in high quality with clear audio and visuals, and real-time captions will be provided to enhance accessibility for online participants.

3) Complementary Online Tools/Platforms: We will use Zoom, Slido, and/or Mentimeter for live polling, Q&A sessions, and feedback collection. Additionally, we will utilise social media channels like Facebook and X to increase interaction and extend discussions beyond the session.

Discussions on AI governance progresses in multilateral frameworks such as the two UN Resolution on AI, the Global Digital Compact, and G7, G20, OECD and AI Action Summit. Yoichi Iida, who chaired the Working Group of Hiroshima AI Process, which is a major initiative on governance of advanced AI systems, will lead the panel discussion on the progresses of AI governance discussions with multi-stakeholder speakers. In the Hiroshima AI Process, the “Reporting Framework” was launched in February 2025 to ensure the effectiveness of the International Code of Conduct, and multi-stakeholder engagement will become even more important. To contribute to the follow-up to the GDC process, the panel will also discuss some specific measures to promote global AI governance.

1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees? Our session plans to take questions from onsite and online participants. 2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants? Our session plans to take questions from floor actively both online and onsite participants. 3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session. Our session explores to using some AI technology to increase participation.

The session will be structured into four key parts. We will begin with an introduction to the issue of online child sexual exploitation, providing a global context and explaining how digital media have contributed to the expansion of this crime. Next, we will present *Conexión*'s commitment to youth-led digital activism through the *Youth Voices for Change* initiative, highlighting its impact and reach. Following that, we will share practical tools to help participants engage effectively in digital activism. Finally, we will conclude with best practices and successful strategies for prevention and awareness-raising on this issue.

This session can be classified as session a Hybrid Meeting because it combines interactive and participatory elements for both in-person and virtual audiences, adapting the content and activities to both formats. Here’s how it unfolds: 1. Audience Interactivity: Throughout the session, active participation will be encouraged through real-time questions, polls, and spaces for comments or discussions, for both in-person and virtual participants. Attendees will be encouraged to express their doubts or reflections, and share their experiences and opinions on the topic. 2. Accessibility for All: As a hybrid session, digital resources (such as videos, presentations, and interactive tools) will be available to remote participants, allowing all attendees to follow the content simultaneously. Additionally, real-time communication platforms, such as chats, polls, and virtual hand-raising, will be used so remote participants can engage in the discussion equally. 3. Participatory Dynamics: During the practical part of the session, such as when discussing digital activism tools, group activities will be organized for both in-person and online participants. Attendees will be divided into groups (both in-person and virtual) to discuss a topic or analyze case studies, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to actively participate and contribute to the conclusions. 4. Hybrid Moderation: A moderator will oversee interactions in both the physical and virtual spaces, ensuring that comments from online participants are integrated with those from the in-person audience. This ensures the session is inclusive and that all voices are heard and valued equally. 5. Participatory Closure: At the end of the session, a Q&A space will be opened where both in-person and virtual participants can ask questions or share reflections. This will foster an environment of collaboration and mutual learning, making the session dynamic and inclusive. In this way, the session goes beyond merely presenting content and promotes active participation and equal engagement from all attendees, regardless of their participation mode (in-person or virtual).

As African nations work to harness the power of data for economic growth and social development, policymakers face a critical challenge: how to strike the right balance between innovation and protection. While data-driven technologies present immense opportunities for efficiency, inclusion, and market expansion, fragmented regulatory frameworks often create barriers to progress. Businesses struggle with compliance burdens that slow digital transformation, while governments seek to enforce data protection without stifling innovation. African policymakers have a unique opportunity to develop a bespoke approach to data governance that drives local innovation, enhances public services, and fuels equitable growth while protecting privacy rights. As no global region has yet perfected the balance of policy, law, regulation, and technology to safely unlock data's benefits for all, Africa's rapid digitization - combined with initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Agreement - creates momentum for charting a unified digital market approach. The African Data Leadership Initiative (ADLI)—a peer-exchange network established by DIAL, Smart Africa, and UNECA—has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges. Bringing together data economy decision-makers from Sierra Leone, Uganda, The Gambia, and Zambia in 2024 and Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda in 2025, ADLI has fostered cross-sector collaboration to shape policies that unlock data’s full potential while ensuring security, privacy, and trust. This Open Forum will feature ADLI participants sharing key insights from their peer-learning journey, reflecting on how regional and continental frameworks can support a responsible yet dynamic data ecosystem. Discussions will explore strategies for developing foundational data infrastructure, fostering public-private partnerships, and designing people-centred governance models that create trust and transparency. By focusing on both regulatory clarity and innovation-friendly policies, participants will examine how Africa can chart a path toward a unified digital market while safeguarding people's rights. With digital economies rapidly evolving, regulators must go beyond traditional compliance roles to become enablers of innovation. This session will highlight the importance of active collaboration between policymakers, businesses, and civil society in co-creating adaptable policies that keep pace with technological advancements. By interrogating lessons from ADLI’s peer-exchange network, this discussion will provide actionable insights on building an integrated data governance approach—one that promotes economic integration, drives local innovation, and ensures that the benefits of data are equitably distributed across the continent.

We will have a dedicated online moderator who will endeavour to: 1) Introduce All Speakers and share links to their contact information. 2) Prompt the participation of the online participants. 3) Monitor the chat and highlight questions from the online audience.

The Session shall discuss opportunities, challenges and solutions for Digital Cooperaiton. The role of Digital Cooperation in human development has been well established in a series of academic research; yet it is still a work in process given the access, affordabilty and robust digtial infrastructure in the underserveed areas home to some of the most vulnerable poor people across the global. Therefore there is a need to discuss and evolve a new road map for evolving a new road map for digital cooperation especially amongtst the vulnerabale women. New strategies need to be built on the earlier work done so far in Asia and West Africa that shall be showcased too at the Sessiion. The Session is proposed in a highly interactive and action-oriented mode.

We shall also be inviting a host of different stakehiolders from the UK Internet Governance Forum, ITU, UNESCO and other Civil Society Govt. groups to contribute to the session virtually since many of them would not be able to travel. Therefore we shall set up a robust infrastructure and connectivity; apart from ensuung backend coordination and follow-up for ensuring maximum particnpation in the hybrid mode. We shall be using Online Dgital tools for receiving the questions from the participants and sharing them with the Onsite and Online Moderators for ensuring a seamless dialogue.

The private sector is a key driver of innovation and growth in the Internet ecosystem. As the industry evolves to address emerging challenges such as cybersecurity threats, privacy concerns, and infrastructure development, multistakeholder Internet governance has become increasingly important. This session will explore how engaging private sector actors in multistakeholder Internet governance frameworks promotes innovation, enhances digital security and ensures sustainable growth. EuroISPA engages in multi-stakeholder Internet governance to participate in policy development processes, promote balanced regulation and ensure technical feasibility in decision-making. Participation enables collaboration with governments, civil society and technical experts, ensuring that the perspective and concerns of the European ISP sector are represented. By contributing to global fora such as ICANN and the IGF, EuroISPA helps to protect the principles of an open Internet while shaping a secure, inclusive and innovation-friendly digital environment. Key Objectives: 1. Highlight Private Sector Contributions: Demonstrate how the private sector contributes to Internet policies, standards and best practices that promote global Internet stability and innovation. 2. Promote Collaboration: Discuss how multi-stakeholder models enable partnerships between business, government, civil society and technical communities to address challenges such as online harm, digital inclusion and sustainable development. 3. Demonstrate Best Practices: Present real-life examples of successful multi-stakeholder collaborations involving the private sector. 4. Engage Participants: Facilitate stakeholder dialogue to identify challenges and opportunities for greater private sector engagement in Internet governance. Session Structure: 1. Opening Remarks (10 minutes): Introduction to the session's theme and importance of multistakeholder models for the private sector. 2. Panel Discussion (45 minutes): Panelists will share insights, success stories, and challenges in multistakeholder engagement from a private sector perspective. 3. Interactive Q&A (25 minutes): Open dialogue with the audience to encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration opportunities. 4. Closing Remarks (10 minutes): Summarize key insights and recommendations for strengthening multistakeholder engagement in internet governance. Expected Outcomes: Increased awareness of the private sector's role in multistakeholder internet governance. Identification of actionable strategies for businesses to collaborate with other stakeholders in policy development and technical standards. Strengthened partnerships between private sector actors and other stakeholders to promote a secure, resilient, and inclusive digital environment. Relevance to IGF 2025 Theme: This session aligns with IGF 2025's focus on fostering collaboration to address emerging digital challenges, ensuring all stakeholders—including the private sector—play an active role in shaping the future of the Internet. https://www.euroispa.org/2025/01/euroispa-on-internet-governance/

1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees? The session will employ a hybrid engagement model to facilitate interaction between onsite and online participants. This includes dedicated moderators for both formats to ensure seamless communication. 2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants? If possible, online participants will be encouraged to submit questions via a live platform, with the moderator relaying these queries to panelists in real-time. 3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session. If also possible, interactive polling tools like Mentimeter will also be utilized to gather audience insights and foster dialogue among all participants.

As AI adoption accelerates, deep fakes and security breaches pose significant threats to trust, privacy, and governance. This 90-minute roundtable will explore how these risks could stall AI innovation and undermine trust in digital ecosystems, while also identifying strategies to strengthen resilience. Bringing together experts in cybersecurity, AI ethics, law enforcement, and policy, the discussion will address: 1. The Scale of the Threat – How deep fakes and security breaches erode public trust and impact businesses, elections, and national security. 2. Governance & Regulation – The need for ethical AI frameworks, legal safeguards, and international cooperation to mitigate risks. 3. Building Resilient AI Systems – Best practices in AI security, deep fake detection, and trust-building measures. Through interactive discussions, live scenario analysis, and Q&A, this session will provide practical insights for policymakers, businesses, and digital rights advocates. It will contribute to strengthening AI governance and ensuring the internet remains a secure, trustworthy, and innovation-friendly space.

To ensure a rich and inclusive hybrid experience, this session will integrate real-time interaction and digital engagement tools to facilitate equal participation for both onsite and online attendees. 1. Facilitating Interaction – A dedicated online moderator will ensure that virtual participants can actively ask questions, engage in discussions, and contribute to live polls alongside in-person attendees. 2. Hybrid Session Design – The session will feature structured debates, live scenario analysis, and Q&A segments to foster an interactive and engaging discussion. Hybrid breakout rooms will encourage collaboration across locations. 3. Digital Tools for Engagement – Platforms such as Slido will enable live polling, brainstorming, and real-time feedback. AI-generated transcripts and chat-based Q&A will enhance accessibility. This approach will ensure an engaging, seamless, and inclusive experience for all participants, regardless of their location.

South Asia, home to billions of active internet users, is a critical market for global technology platforms. Yet, major platforms continue to underinvest in the region, providing inadequate infrastructure, weak content moderation, and limited regional representation. This governance gap has fueled a rise in techno-nationalism, where governments introduce protectionist policies under the guise of digital sovereignty, economic self-reliance, and national security. These measures include data-sharing requirements, data localization mandates, regulatory constraints on cross-border data flows, and increased state oversight of digital platforms. While framed as efforts to enhance security and economic independence, these policies risk fragmenting the internet, limiting interoperability, weakening multistakeholder governance, and creating a restrictive digital environment. This session will examine the intersection of platform underinvestment and state-driven techno-nationalism in South Asia, focusing on how civil society can drive advocacy for a more interoperable, open, transparent, and accountable digital ecosystem. The discussion will be structured into two key segments. The first segment will provide a fact-driven analysis of techno-nationalism in South Asia, with panelists from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh presenting case studies on how platform inaction and state intervention jointly contribute to digital fragmentation. The discussion will explore: 1. Government responses to platform underinvestment in South Asia with protectionist policies, such as forced data localization, intermediary liability laws, and increased state control over digital infrastructure. 2. The role of vague and overly broad legal frameworks in enabling unchecked state control over digital spaces. 3. The broader impact of these trends in accelerating internet fragmentation, undermining global digital governance, and obstructing cross-border cooperation in cybersecurity, digital trade, and human rights protections. Each panelist will present a 7-minute case study, followed by a 3-minute Q&A. The second segment will focus on civil society-led responses, exploring legal and policy interventions, advocacy efforts, and grassroots mobilization as mechanisms to counter techno-nationalism. Panelists will discuss how regional collaboration and coalition-building can strengthen efforts to push for inclusive governance frameworks that align with international human rights standards. Following these discussions, the session will transition into an interactive format, encouraging onsite and online participants to share insights, exchange strategies, and co-develop approaches to counter digital protectionism. The session will conclude with a synthesis of key takeaways and an open floor for final reflections. A public report will be compiled, capturing key insights, challenges, and proposed strategies to serve as a resource for further advocacy and policy discussions.

To ensure meaningful participation from both onsite and online attendees, the session will be designed with a strong interactive component. Two moderators, one online and one onsite, will manage the discussion, ensuring a balanced dialogue between onsite and remote participants. Online attendees will be encouraged to submit questions and comments via a live chat feature, which the moderator will actively integrate into the discussion. To enhance accessibility, presentation slides and multimedia materials will be shared with all participants, ensuring that both in-person and virtual audiences can fully engage with the session. The discussion will follow an interactive panel format, beginning with structured case study presentations, followed by audience Q&A after each presentation. In the second segment, the focus will shift to solutions, with panelists outlining potential advocacy strategies, legal challenges, and policy interventions. The session will then open the floor for broader engagement, allowing participants to share lived experiences, proposing alternative strategies, and collectively brainstorm solutions to the challenges posed by techno-nationalism in South Asia. To expand accessibility, the session will also be live-streamed, enabling broader participation beyond IGF attendees.

Technology is advancing rapidly, but at a pace that risks widening gaps between those who benefit and those who don’t. Where solutions are available, they are often inaccessible either by design or intent. The needs of diverse groups of people are not considered, and licensing and business models exclude a vast network of innovators that can adapt them to benefit disadvantaged and marginalised groups. This adds to  the great divide between the need to improve the health and wellness, as well as empowerment, inclusion and other outcomes for women and girls, and systemic barriers that prevent accelerating local FemTech innovation. 31% of women worldwide are not in education, employment, or training;  740 million in developing economies remain unbanked; and over 21 million adolescent girls in LMI countries become pregnant each year.  All the while, 75% of fem tech companies are currently based in the US or Europe; in 2023 women-founded startups accounted for 2% or less of VC funding; the funding for innovation for emerging markets has plummeted by over 40% since 2023; and existing solutions are often inaccessible to those most in need due to traditional licensing and business models. This session will explore how building open source FemTech products, including FemTech Digital Public Goods, can provide a service layer to national and regional Digital Public Infrastructure that improves outcomes for women and girls.

From the first minutes of the session the online moderator will act as a coordinator between the participants on site and the audience online. The entire session will be intersected with 30-sec long “activity moments” where the audience both online and in the room will have an opportunity to react to questions through a platform menti.com (or similar). The answers to these questions will contribute to and inform the flow of the discussion. The questions and moments will be scripted and rehearsed prior to the session. The questions will pull from different contexts, including from the statistics provided in the description of the session, e.g. “What percentage of global VC investment goes to companies founded solely by women?"