ABOUT

The Portuguese Initiative of the Internet Governance Forum (IPFGI) is a national dialogue platform that brings together all stakeholder, public and private, along with the technical and academic community and society at large, to inform, reflect and debate how the Internet should be governed, an increasingly relevant topic at national, regional and global levels.

IPFGI is part of the network of NRIs (National and Regional IGFs), initiatives framed within the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF). These are organized as Internet governance forums at national, sub-regional regional, and youth levels. The main criteria for defining a region is geographical (as in the case of EuroDIG for Europe), although in certain cases factors such as shared language and culture are also considered (as in the Lusophone IGF).

The national discussion with all stakeholders culminates in a document titled “Mensagens,” which contributes to the global debate at the annual IGF.

Between 2010 and 2016, this initiative was organized nationally as the Information Society Forum – Internet Governance. In 2017, it adopted the name “Portuguese Initiative on Internet Governance,” and in 2018 it became the “Portuguese Initiative of the Internet Governance Forum.”

INTERNET GOVERNANCE

What is Internet Governance and digital policy processes?

Internet governance refers to the set of principles, norms, rules, decision-making processes and programs that shape the evolution and use of the Internet. This definition, established in the Tunis Agenda within the framework of the World Summit on the Information Society (2005), continues to serve as the conceptual foundation of international digital cooperation.

Over the past 20 years, it has been increasingly recognized that Internet Governance is part of a broader digital governance ecosystem, encompassing not only the technical infrastructure of the Internet but also, among many other areas, structural challenges related to the digital economy, quantum computing, the metaverse, data governance, artificial intelligence and the protection of fundamental rights in the digital environment.

In this context, Internet governance is not an isolated domain, but rather a central pillar of the global digital policy architecture, interacting with multiple international, regional and national processes.

The multistakeholder model

Internet governance is based on a multistakeholder model, which recognizes the distributed, transnational and interdependent nature of the Internet at a global level. This model entails the participation of different communities with distinct but complementary roles and responsibilities:

Governments – define public policies, ensure the regulatory framework and represent the country in international digital governance processes (e.g., ministries, regulators, public authorities, participation in the UN, OECD and others);
Private sector – includes technology companies, digital platforms and various economic sectors (such as energy, health, finance or transport) that are increasingly dependent on the Internet and digital policies;
Technical community – develops standards and protocols and ensures the management of critical Internet resources, guaranteeing its secure and interoperable functioning (e.g., Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and the Internet Engineering Task Force);
Comunidade académica – produz conhecimento multidisciplinar sobre a Internet, envolvendo tanto áreas tecnológicas como ciências sociais e humanas (ex.: universidades, centros de investigação, especialistas em políticas digitais);
Civil society – represents public interest, promoting human rights, digital inclusion and civic participation (e.g., NGOs, user associations, digital literacy initiatives).

This model has been consistently reaffirmed as essential to ensure an open, global, interoperable, secure and people-centered Internet, providing an alternative to exclusively intergovernmental approaches.

Digital policy processes

Digital policy processes cover a growing and interconnected set of issues, reflecting the central role of digital technologies in contemporary societies. Key domains include:

Cybersecurity and the resilience of critical infrastructures
Protection of personal data and privacy
Universal access and digital inclusion, including meaningful connectivity
Information integrity and the governance of online content
Governance of artificial intelligence, including ethics, security and accountability
Digital economy and cross-border data flows
Human rights in the digital environment

The IGF: anticipating global trends

The main global platform for dialogue on these issues is the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), created in 2006 by the United Nations. The IGF stands out as a non-negotiation, inclusive and multistakeholder forum that promotes debate, the sharing of best practices and the building of common understanding.

The IGF brings together, on an equal footing, governments, the private sector, the technical and academic communities and civil society. This multistakeholder model allows for the integration of diverse perspectives and responds to the global and distributed nature of the Internet, strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of digital policies.

Over the years, the IGF has established itself as a central space for debate on key digital challenges, including digital inclusion and connectivity; data protection and human rights; cybersecurity; governance of artificial intelligence; information integrity; and emerging technologies.

More than just a discussion forum, the IGF contributes to informing public policies, bringing stakeholders closer together and anticipating global trends.

A strengthened IGF within the United Nations system

The WSIS+20 review marked a decisive evolution by:

Making the IGF a permanent United Nations forum;
Reaffirming the multistakeholder model as the foundation of digital governance;
Integrating the IGF into the implementation of the Global Digital Compact.

This institutional strengthening recognizes the unique role of the IGF as a platform for global cooperation in an increasingly complex digital context.

A global network: from local to international levels

The IGF is supported by a dynamic network of national initiatives (such as IPFGI), as well as regional and sub-regional initiatives (NRIs), which enable:

The adaptation of global discussions to local contexts;
The promotion of broad and inclusive participation;
The strengthening of the link between national policies and international processes.

The Global Digital Compact

The adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) in September 2024, within the framework of the Summit of the Future, represents a milestone in international digital cooperation.

For the first time, United Nations Member States agreed on a comprehensive set of principles and commitments to guide the shared digital future, structured around five objectives:

Bridging digital divides and accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Promoting an inclusive and equitable digital economy;
Ensuring an open, secure and rights-respecting digital environment;
Establishing responsible and interoperable data governance models;
Strengthening the international governance of artificial intelligence.

The GDC reflects the growing interdependence between digital policies and sustainable development, international security and fundamental rights.

WSIS+20: consolidation and updating of the global digital architecture

The 20-year review of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) culminated, on December 17, 2025, in the adoption of the outcome document by the United Nations General Assembly, through Resolution A/RES/80/173, strengthening and updating the global digital governance architecture.

This process, known as WSIS+20, introduced significant structural advances:

Institutionalization of the IGF as a permanent UN forum, consolidating its central role in the global digital ecosystem;
Clear reaffirmation of the multistakeholder model as the foundation of digital cooperation;
Integration of the Global Digital Compact into the WSIS architecture, avoiding institutional fragmentation;
Strengthening commitment to human rights in the digital environment, including the universal applicability of offline rights in the online space.

An evolving architecture: complementarity between WSIS and the GDC

The relationship between WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact is one of strategic complementarity.

WSIS provides institutional architecture, founding principles and multistakeholder cooperation mechanisms developed over two decades.
The GDC introduces updated policy priorities and operational commitments in response to emerging challenges, notably artificial intelligence and the data economy.

This articulation aims to ensure coherent, inclusive and effective digital governance, avoiding institutional overlap and promoting synergies between different international processes.

Portugal and Internet Governance

Portugal has been playing an active role in promoting an open, inclusive and multistakeholder approach to Internet governance, consistently participating in major international forums and contributing to the development of digital policies aligned with human rights, innovation and sustainable development.

The Portuguese IGF initiative serves as a key platform to: