Welcome to the United Nations
UN DESA - Institutional Home of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Secretariat
UN DESA provides the institutional home for the Internet Governance Forum. The concept of the IGF emerged between the two phases of WSIS. The intention was to fill “a vacuum within the context of existing structures” and to address “issues that are cross-cutting and multidimensional and that either affect more than one institution, are not dealt with by any institution or are not addressed in a coordinated manner”. The second phase of WSIS in Tunis requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations to convene the IGF with the mandate to deal with the broad range of issues related to Internet governance as defined by the Tunis Agenda in the section relating to Internet governance, from paragraph 22 to 82. Through dialogue, the IGF seeks to develop a common understanding of these issues and raise awareness of the development dimension of Internet governance. By setting development and capacity building as its cross-cutting and overarching priorities, the IGF made it clear that Internet governance is not an end in itself, but should be responsive to the economic and social dimensions of development.
The IGF is not a traditional United Nations process. Its purpose is to bring people together from all stakeholder groups. They are to meet as equals, neither to make decisions nor to negotiate, but to discuss, exchange information and share good practices. While the IGF may not have the power to make decisions, it informs and inspires those who do. The Forum develops a common understanding of how we can maximize the opportunities the Internet offers, how we can use it for the benefit of all nations and peoples and how we can address any related risks and challenges. For more information about IGF, please visit this link or www.intgovforum.org
Statements by UN DESA Officials at the Annual IGF Forums
● Internet Governance Forum 2023
Opening Remarks at Opening Session by Mr. Junhua Li, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Eighteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 8-12 October 2023, Kyoto, Japan
Remarks at Press Conference of 18th Internet Governance Forum by Mr. Junhua Li, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Eighteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 8-12 October 2023, Kyoto, Japan
Remarks at IGF Parliamentary Roundtable by Mr. Junhua Li, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Eighteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 8-12 October 2023, Kyoto, Japan
● Internet Governance Forum 2022
Opening Remarks at Opening Session by Mr. Junhua Li, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Seventeenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 28 November to 2 December 2022, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Remarks at Press Conference of 17th Internet Governance Forum by Mr. Junhua Li, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Seventeenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 28 November to 2 December 2022, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Remarks at IGF Parliamentary Roundtable by Mr. Junhua Li, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Seventeenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 28 November to 2 December 2022, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
● Internet Governance Forum 2021
Opening Remarks at Opening Session by Mr. Liu Zhenmin,Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Sixteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 6-10 December 2021, Katowice, Poland
Remarks at Press Conference of 16th Internet Governance Forum by Mr. Liu Zhenmin,Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Sixteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 6-10 December 2021, Katowice, Poland
Remarks at UN Open Forum "Connecting the digital dots – how the UN System is supporting the digital transformation and the way forward?" by Mr. Liu Zhenmin,Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Sixteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 6-10 December 2021, Katowice, Poland
Remarks at IGF Parliamentary Roundtable by Mr. Liu Zhenmin,Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Sixteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 6-10 December 2021, Katowice, Poland
● Internet Governance Forum 2020
Opening Remarks by Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs: Internet Governance in the Age of Uncertainty Opening Session - Fifteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 9-17 November 2020, Virtual
Closing Remarks by Mr. Liu Zhenmin,Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs: Internet Governance in the Age of Uncertainty CLOSING SESSION - Fifteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 9-17 November 2020, Virtual
● Internet Governance Forum 2019
Speech on the Main Session – Achieving the SDGs in the Digital Age by Mr. Liu Zhenmin Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Fourteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 25-29 November 2019, Berlin, Germany
● Internet Governance Forum 2018
Remarks to the High Level Panel II by Mr. Liu Zhenmin Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Thirteenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 12-14 November 2018, Guadalajara, Mexico
● Internet Governance Forum 2017
Opening Remarks by Mr. Liu Zhenmin Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Twelfth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 18 December 2017, Geneva, Switzerland
● Internet Governance Forum 2016
Opening Remarks by Mr. Lenni Montiel, Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development - Eleventh Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 7 December 2016, Guadalajara, Mexico
● Internet Governance Forum 2015
Secretary-General’s message to the Internet Governance Forum (delivered by Mr. Lenni Montiel, Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development), Tenth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 10 November 2015, João Pessoa, Brazil
● Internet Governance Forum 2014
Opening Remarks by Mr. Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Ninth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, (delivered by Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination & Inter-Agency Affairs, 2 September 2014, Istanbul, Turkey
● Internet Governance Forum 2013
Opening Remarks by Mr. Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Eighth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, (delivered by Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination & Inter-Agency Affairs, 21 October 2013, Bali, Indonesia
● Internet Governance Forum 2012
Press Statement by Mr. Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Seventh Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 5 November 2012, Baku, Azerbaijan
● Internet Governance Forum 2011
Opening Remarks by Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs - Sixth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (delivered by Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination & Inter-Agency Affairs), 27 September 2011, Nairobi, Kenya
Closing remarks by Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director, Division for Public Administration and Development Management of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (delivered by Mr. Vyacheslav Cherkasov, Senior Public Administration & Governance Officer), 30 September 2011, Nairobi, Kenya
● Internet Governance Forum 2010
Opening Remarks by Mr. Sha Zukang, USG for Economic and Social Affairs - Fifth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (delivered by Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development), 14 September 2010, Vilnius, Lithuania
● Internet Governance Forum 2009
Opening Remarks by Mr. Sha Zukang, USG for Economic and Social Affairs - Fourth Meeting of Internet Governance Forum 15 November 2009, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
● Internet Governance Forum 2008
Address by Assistant Secretary-General Jomo Kwame Sundaram at the Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum 3-6 December 2008, Hyderabad, India
● Internet Governance Forum 2007
Secretary-General's message to the Internet Governance Forum (delivered by Mr. Sha Zukang, USG for Economic and Social Affairs) - Second Meeting of Internet Governance Forum, 12 November 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
● Internet Governance Forum 2006
Secretary-General's message to the Internet Governance Forum (delivered by Mr. Nitin Desai, Special Adviser for the World Summit on the Information Society), First Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, 30 October 2006, Athens, Greece