Global Digital Compact Rev.3:
Internet Society’s Views

The Internet Society has followed the Global Digital Compact (GDC) deliberations with attention, given the long-lasting implications of this process on the Internet. We continue advocating for elements that allow an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet to thrive. On this occasion, we share our views on the GDC’s third review (Rev.3), circulated among United Nations Member States on 12 July 2024.

Procedural Considerations

Unlike previous versions, GDC Rev.3 is under the Silence Procedure, which the UN General Assembly initially used during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Under this approach, government delegates will have 72 hours to raise concerns or “break” the silence. If any delegation breaks the silence, the deliberations will continue through further consultations with the co-facilitators. If no delegation breaks the silence, the text in Rev.3 will be maintained as initially presented. The deadline for delegations to break the silence is 16 July.

General Views

The GDC is an ambitious document that aims to “outline shared principles for an open, free, and secure digital future for all.” As such, the GDC Rev.3 contains positive language intended to foster connectivity solutions, including explicitly mentioning community networks, one of the most prominent examples of community-centered connectivity. The text also touches on Digital Public Infrastructure, which could help advance digital inclusion with appropriate safeguards to avoid negative clashes with open standardization processes.

Regarding the follow-up and review, Rev.3 still proposes provisions that would create new multilateral processes to follow up its implementation, including creating a new office for UN system-wide coordination and a High-Level Review with modalities to be defined through intergovernmental consultations. We’ve advocated mainly for leveraging existing mechanisms—such as the IGF, the CSTD, the HLPF, and the WSIS Forum—because we’re concerned that new multilateral mechanisms will potentially hinder the effective participation of small and under-resourced actors, including governments and non-governmental stakeholders.

Internet Governance

Compared with previous reviews, the GDC Rev.3 seems to be a good compromise on the Internet Governance portions. For instance, it reaffirms the Internet governance definition provided in the WSIS+10 outcome document, and it recognizes the primary role of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and its network of national and regional initiatives. The document also recognizes the opportunities that will arise during the WSIS+20 review in 2025 as an opportunity to advance the GDC implementation, enabling opportunities to align the Compact with the people-centered WSIS approach.

However, we’re concerned with the proposed adjustment regarding the necessary funding to support the IGF. While Rev.2 proposed a commitment to provide financial support to the Forum, Rev.3 updated it to “voluntary funding.” While we identify that the change reflects the current funding situation, we believe that preserving the status quo will not set the IGF up for success.

Since its inception, the IGF has evolved to adapt to its stakeholders’ needs, but the lack of stable revenue sources has hindered the Forum from realizing its full potential.