UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in two phases: Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005). World leaders declared their commitment to building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society, recognizing the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in advancing development.

UN The Geneva Plan of Action and Tunis Agenda laid the foundation for Internet governance, ICT financing mechanisms, and implementation measures through specific targets and Action Lines. One of the major outcomes of WSIS was the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), as mandated in the Tunis Agenda.

UN, IGF Secretariat is based at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). Since its inception, the IGF’s mandate has been reviewed and renewed twice by the UN General Assembly: first in 2010 for five years (Resolution 65/141) and again in 2015 for ten years (Resolution 70/125).

UN draft resolution on modalities for the WSIS+20 review has yet to be adopted. It emphasizes a broad and inclusive preparatory process, engaging all stakeholders to assess progress, address gaps, and align WSIS outcomes with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN DESA will provide Secretariat support for the WSIS+20 review.

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Under the supervision of the IGF Secretariat’s Head of Office; and the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government’s Governance (DPIDG) Senior Public Administration Officer, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the consultant will be responsible for preparing key documents related to the WSIS+20 overall review particularly those of the IGF, and its role in the implementation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC).

The consultant will be tasked with research, synthesis, drafting, stakeholder engagement, and engagement with relevant UN bodies and multistakeholder groups. The specific tasks include:

1. Twenty-Year Review of the IGF: Achievements and Impact. Develop a comprehensive document assessing the IGF’s progress and impact over the past two decades. Conduct research on IGF participation trends, evolution of topics discussed and activities undertaken (within and beyond the annual meeting), and expansion of national and regional IGF initiatives (NRIs). Highlight IGF’s role in informing global digital policy processes, fostering multistakeholder dialogue, and inspiring and informing national and regional discussions.

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Showcase key milestones, including the increasing participation of governments, civil society, technical community, and private sector. Assess how the IGF has adapted to the changing digital landscape and its contributions to global digital governance. Provide insights on how host countries have leveraged the IGF to engage local stakeholders and stimulate national discourse on Internet/digital governance.

2. The Future of the IGF: Strategic Outlook. Develop a forward-looking document on the future of the IGF, based on the work of the Leadership Panel (LP) and the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG). Outline options for enhancing IGF’s role within the global digital governance landscape, and in particular, the UN system and its coordination with other UN agencies dealing with digital policy. Propose strategies for better communication of IGF outputs to decision-makers. Recommend frameworks for monitoring progress and impact, including using the Internet We Want framework and alignment with the Global Digital Compact (GDC).

Analyse funding challenges and propose models for securing the IGF’s long-term institutional and financial sustainability within the UN system. Suggest improvements to IGF’s institutional structure, including the establishment of systematic reporting mechanisms to track progress. 3. Non-Paper on WSIS+20 Overall Review. Support the drafting of a Non-Paper on WSIS+20 review, to serve as a starting point for discussions towards the development of the final outcome document to be adopted by the UN General Assembly.

The Non-Paper would be based on prior submissions and consultations with all stakeholders, including but not limited to UN Agencies, Ensure key suggestions and priorities identified by stakeholders are reflected in the final draft.