It\u2019s that time of the year again \u2013 the season of conferences and convenings! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And RNW Media is heading to Norway later this month to present, participate and engage with diverse and wide-ranging stakeholders from around the world at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum 2025 (IGF), scheduled to take place in Lillestr\u00f8m from 23-27 June. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, summer is a busy conference season. However, IGF is not just any<\/em> conference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, as I prepare to attend IGF for the first time with the RNW Media delegation, a few questions have been on my mind: <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some basics first. IGF is a UN-led forum, convened by the UN Secretary-General<\/a> and hosted by a different member state every year. Now in its 20th<\/sup> edition, IGF first emerged out of the final meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)<\/a>, held in Tunisia in November 2005. IGF was envisioned as a “multistakeholder”<\/a> space that encourages engaging in dialogue on internet governance and digital public policy. Consequently, IGF convenings don\u2019t lead to \u201cnegotiated outcomes\u201d<\/a> or, in other words, they do not result in formal policy recommendations. Instead, the forum intends to serve as a means to inform, engage and inspire cross-sectoral dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders spanning the public, private and civil society sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, there are two interesting aspects worth noting here (and they also help answer some of my questions). <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, the initial discussions around establishing IGF recognised that internet governance is a broad concept<\/a> \u2013 one that includes legal, policy and business challenges, as well as concerns related to cybersecurity, international taxation, knowledge management, privacy, access to digital technologies and information<\/a>. While media was not explicitly outlined within the initial working definition of internet governance, engaging with digital media inadvertently involves many, if not all, of the related topics outlined above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And in 2025, it\u2019s not just internet, but increasingly artificial intelligence (AI) that demands urgent attention. Addressing this challenge requires global, intersectional and inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches to shape AI regulation and governance frameworks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “We are committed to enabling and promoting effective and ethical approaches for using AI in media.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Second, one of the themes covered in the first ever convening of IGF in 2006 was \u201cfreedom of expression and responsibility to limit that freedom\u201d<\/a>. The topic is as, if not more, relevant in 2025 as it was back in 2006. Today, there is a creeping rise of techno-authoritarianism globally. Its impact goes beyond politics, economy and culture \u2013 it threatens the survival and viability of independent and public interest media in Europe and beyond. It is no surprise, then, that RNW Media and other civil society organisations that are working on advancing public interest journalism and democratic values ought to actively participate in a global convening like IGF. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At RNW Media, participating at IGF is also critical for engendering, influencing and challenging the existing public discourse(s) on the role that (generative) AI has been increasingly playing in newsrooms and in content production workflows around the world. We are committed to enabling and promoting effective and ethical approaches for using AI in media. This is outlined in the Haarlem Declaration<\/a>, our blueprint for the ethical principles and values\u00a0we must abide by to implement AI in media.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are looking forward to centring and engaging in discussions with diverse stakeholders that advance ethical AI practices in real-life situations. This includes contexts where AI tools support media-makers in improving their efficiency and productivity, without compromising human oversight, quality and credibility in journalism or other forms of content. As a media development organisation, we also bring an inter- and transdisciplinary focus that examines the intersection of media, technology (AI) and public interest (including access to reliable and accurate, fact-based information online) and governance (focused on digital public policy). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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The History of IGF<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/span>What We Bring to IGF This Year<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n