The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), convened annually by the UN Secretary-General, is a global multistakeholder platform that facilitates discussions on Internet and digital public policy issues. This year, Norway will host the United Nations 20th Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2025) under the overarching theme “Building Digital Governance Together”.
The African IGF (AfIGF) is a regional IGF initiative dedicated to fostering exchanges within the region on relevant digital policy topics. In recent years, the IGF has sought to strengthen the participation of parliamentarians in discussions on some of the most pressing issues related to the use, evolution and governance of the Internet and related digital technologies at the global and regional Forums.
Building on Parliamentary Track experiences at the African IGF since 2022 and under the overarching theme “Parliamentarians Empowering Africa’s Digital Future”, dedicated sessions for parliamentarians from across the African region will be held again at the African IGF 2025 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
The activities will facilitate dialogue and exchanges on key digital policy issues among Members of Parliaments (MPs), and between MPs and other stakeholders from within and beyond the African continent. Focus will be given to the Parliamentarians of information and communication technology (ICT) related committees at the national or regional parliaments, who work on digital affairs and Internet policy issues.
Objectives: 1. Familiarize MPs with the IGF space and the broader international ecosystem for Internet governance and digital policy. Encourage them to actively contribute to relevant regional and international processes. Prepare MPs for participation in the IGF 2025 meeting and the dedicated Parliamentary Track, as well as future IGF meetings and activities. 2. Update MPs on a set of Internet governance and digital policy issues relevant to African countries. Facilitate dialogue on these issues with other parliamentarians, as well as with relevant international and regional organisations from different stakeholder groups (intergovernmental organisations, the technical community, private sector, civil society). 3. Discuss the relevance of legislative work in shaping a digital future in the region. Highlight issues that need to be considered when legislation for the digital space is developedFacilitate cooperation and exchanges of good practices with MPs from national and regional parliaments, as well as parliaments from other regions, which have advanced legislative work on digital policy issues. 4. Expose the MPs to relevant internet governance processes (e.g., WSIS+20 review process, the Global Digital Compact) and other UN flagship initiatives. Collaborators The IGF Secretariat is collaborating on the regional Parliamentary Track with several partners, including the the African Union, the GIZ, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African School on Internet Governance (AfriSIG), and the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance (APNIG).
[Opening] Opening of the Regional Parliamentary Track and Welcome Remarks Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Tanzania Chengetai Masango, Head of the IGF Secretariat Tanzanian Parliament Adil Suleiman, Senior Policy Officer, African Union Commission Julia Kronberg, Head of Cooperation, German Embassy, Tanzania
[Parliamentary Session 1] Roundtable Discussion with Members of Parliament: Towards Effective Digital Governance in Africa The regional Parliamentary Track will start with a roundtable discussion amongst all Members of Parliaments to explore the most pressing digital issues in African countries and regions, specifically regarding data governance. Members of Parliaments will share insights of existing regulatory frameworks in their countries, as well as current trends and prospectives legislations. These priorities and insights will guide the discussions of the regional event and will inform deliberations at the global IGF Parliamentary Track, held alongside the IGF 2025 from 23 to 27 June in Lillestrøm, Norway.
[Parliamentary Session 2] Safeguarding Democracy in the Digital Age: Legislative Priorities and Policy Pathways in Africa Citizens need to have confidence in the system and institutions of democracy, including electoral processes. However, trust is deteriorating with the rapid spread of misinformation through digital technologies. This session brings together legislators from all African regions to exchange good practices on strengthening institutional resilience against misinformation and lessons learned from diverse regulatory approaches to preserve information integrity.
[Parliamentary Session 3] Striking the Balance: Upholding Freedom of Expression in the Fight Against Cybercrime. This session unites the architects of Africa’s early WSIS engagements with today’s youth changemakers to reflect on our shared journey and chart the path forward. We’ll revisit the founding principles of multi-stakeholder cooperation established at WSIS, then dive into an open dialogue on how intergenerational alliances can build resilient digital institutions across the continent. Through moderated panels and youth-led breakout labs, participants will co-design a roadmap of priority spanning policy, partnership models, and capacity building to carry Africa’s digital cooperation into the next twenty years.
[Parliamentary Session 4] Intergenerational dialogue on digital cooperation for Africa’s future - road to WSIS+20
[Parliamentary Session 5] Building Truly Inclusive AI Governance Practices in Africa
[Parliamentary Session 6] What is next? Closing of the Regional Parliamentary Track and Insights about the Global IGF By this time, the discussions at the regional Parliamentary Track will have drawn out the priority areas for parliaments to focus on. Members of Parliaments will be given insights on the IGF 2025 and its global Parliamentary Track, as well as upcoming activities during the IGF 2025.
Session Description: Empowering Youth-led SMEs in the Digital Economy: Policies for Inclusion and Growth
Young entrepreneurs are at the forefront of the digital economy, driving innovation and job creation. However, many youth-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) struggle with barriers such as limited access to capital, restrictive regulatory environments, and gaps in digital literacy. This session will explore how policy reforms, digital platforms, and financial inclusion strategies can create an enabling ecosystem for young business leaders.
The discussion will feature real-world success stories of youth-led enterprises that have leveraged digital tools to scale their businesses. Experts from policy, industry, and entrepreneurship will assess the role of governments, financial institutions, and private sector actors in bridging gaps in digital infrastructure, funding, and skills development.
Key focus areas will include: Digital and financial inclusion strategies for young entrepreneurs. Regulatory frameworks that support SME growth in the digital economy. Best practices from digital platforms empowering youth-led businesses.
By highlighting concrete solutions, this session aims to inform policies that promote sustainable and responsible innovation, ensuring that young entrepreneurs are equipped to drive inclusive economic growth in the digital era. Attendees will gain valuable insights into policies and strategies that can empower youth-led SMEs in the digital economy. They will learn about successful case studies of young entrepreneurs who have leveraged digital tools and platforms to scale their businesses. The session will provide a multistakeholder perspective, featuring voices from policymakers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs, offering diverse viewpoints on enabling youth-driven digital innovation.
Participants will also explore practical solutions such as financial inclusion models, digital upskilling programs, and regulatory frameworks that foster SME growth. Additionally, they will receive actionable recommendations on how governments, investors, and technology providers can collaborate to remove barriers for youth-led enterprises. Ultimately, this session will equip attendees with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate for inclusive policies that support sustainable and responsible digital innovation.
Mr. Karsan, Gabriel identifies as a Digital Dreamer, internet leader and activist. The protagonist of the youth narrative in building modern equitable civilizations leveraging the power of technology through equity and accessibility of the internet and technology resources distributed... Read More →
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the internet by developing open standards and protocols that underpin global connectivity. However, African participation in IETF activities remains significantly low, as highlighted by the fact that as of August 2024, only 22 RFCs (Request for Comments) have authors from Africa, representing just 0.24% of all RFCs. This underrepresentation limits the continent's influence on key technical decisions that impact its digital future and weakens Africa’s role in shaping global internet standards.
This session aims to explore the barriers to African engagement in the IETF and propose strategies to increase participation. It will address the following key points: The role of the IETF in internet governance and its impact on Africa’s digital transformation. The importance of African representation in IETF working groups such as DNSOP, v6ops, and Green. The correlation between IETF meeting locations and regional contributions to RFCs. The absence of an IETF meeting in Africa and the potential benefits of hosting one on the continent. Strategies to increase African contributions to IETF standards, including awareness campaigns, capacity-building programs, and funding opportunities for participation.
The broader impact of African participation in IETF on Enhancing Digital Cooperation and Universal Access to Meaningful Connectivity. A stronger African presence in IETF deliberations will not only enable the continent to have a say in shaping protocols that directly affect its internet ecosystem but also reinforce regional digital sovereignty. Enhancing digital cooperation between Africa and global internet governance institutions such as IETF, ICANN, ISOC, and the ITU is crucial for sustainable digital development. Moreover, as Africa continues to develop its Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and improve access, ensuring that the continent is actively involved in the technical standardization process will help build an inclusive, secure, and resilient internet ecosystem.
As an African policymaker and a recent participant in the IETF Policy Maker Programme, I had the opportunity to attend IETF 122 in Bangkok (March 2025). During the Open Mic session, I questioned the IETF leadership about the lack of meetings in Africa. This session will build on that discussion and seek to mobilize African internet governance stakeholders to advocate for increased African involvement in the IETF, ensuring that Africa plays an integral role in the future of the global internet.
Linkedin post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/internet-engineering-task-force-ietf-meeting-africa-i-karim-hqdue/ DNSOP WG: https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/dnsop/about/ GREEN WG: https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/green/about/ V6OPS WG: https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/v6ops/about/ Stats on RFCs per continent: https://www.arkko.com/tools/rfcstats/d-contdistr.html
As Africa advances the development of its Digital Single Market and scales up Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) including digital identity systems, interoperable cross-border payment platforms, and regional data exchange frameworks – the governance of data has emerged as a defining pillar of the continent’s digital transformation. Data now underpins public service delivery, economic growth, artificial intelligence, innovation, digital trade, and regional integration. Yet, in the absence of coherent, trusted, and harmonized data governance frameworks, Africa’s ability to fully realize its digital potential remains constrained. Fragmentation across national laws, regulatory regimes, and institutional capacities—further complicated by concerns over sovereignty and uneven political will—continues to hinder the establishment of secure, interoperable cross-border data flows. This high-level panel will convene senior leaders and experts from governments, regional bodies, international organizations, civil society, and academia to examine what effective, inclusive, and future-oriented data governance should look like for Africa. The session comes at a pivotal moment, as ongoing developments—including the domestication of the AU Data Policy Framework, implementation of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, and regional initiatives in ECOWAS, SADC, and EAC—present unprecedented opportunities for regulatory coherence and multilateral cooperation.
Panelists will explore how African institutions can: • Design governance systems that protect digital rights and ensure equitable access to data. • Redefine data sovereignty to enable secure and interoperable cross-border data flows, • Foster innovation, economic resilience, and sustainable digital development, and • Address the growing influence of emerging technologies such as AI, on the data governance landscape and the African data ecosystems. Drawing on national, regional and continental experiences, the panel will engage with the following key questions: • What does “good data governance” look like in the African context? • How can data governance frameworks embed inclusion and representation, particularly for marginalized groups and communities? • In what ways can institutions safeguard data sovereignty while enabling cross-border data flows? • What forms of continental leadership and coordination are needed to harmonize frameworks across diverse legal, political, and economic landscapes?
