Video Message
Members of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to address you on behalf of the United Nations.
Let me start by thanking the 2023 Multistakeholder Advisory Group, for your central role in shaping an impressive meeting in Kyoto last October.
We received very positive comments, and the success would not have been possible without the immense support of the MAG.
You have laid the important groundwork for this year’s preparations on our way to Riyadh.
The 2023 IGF brought together more than nine thousand stakeholders from 178 UN Member States, with an increased participation of the private sector and of members from the Asia-Pacific.
We hope to see the same or even bigger engagement at the 2024 IGF in Riyadh.
The dialogue and exchanges in Kyoto delivered forward-looking and action-oriented messages.
The Forum reiterated calls for the global community to do more, such as closing the multiple forms of digital divides, implementing the standard of openness and interoperability, and continuing a strong multistakeholder approach to Internet governance.
Let us keep these in mind as we programme and design the agenda and priorities for the Riyadh IGF.
This year’s MAG has an important task ahead.
With the Summit of the Future upcoming in September, and the review process of the World Summit on the Information Society in 2025, this year’s IGF is a critical one.
The agenda of the 19th annual meeting must be ambitious, building on the success of the Global Digital Compact and striving for a better digital world.
The MAG needs to ensure that all stakeholders across countries and communities, can participate and contribute to decision-making, to reflect peoples’ aspirations and secure their rights online.
An effective, multistakeholder governance approach is essential to ensure that policies and regulations are both inclusive and adaptable to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The IGF 2024 themes must be carefully crafted, guided by the inputs from the stakeholders and institutions received through the IGF’s public call.
Finally, I also welcome the fruitful collaboration between the MAG and the Leadership Panel. This will allow the IGF to be more strategic and impactful, in 2024 and beyond.
I have no doubt that the IGF 2024 will help to shape the future of the global digital agenda.
I wish you a productive meeting.
Thank you.