The United Nations General Assembly has reached an international consensus on the entity that should govern the Internet, confirming the adoption of a multi-stakeholder governance model, in a step described as enhancing openness and reducing risks of surveillance and domination by any single side.
Under this model, governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, technical and academic communities, along with other parties, contribute to the management of the Internet. This aligns with the vision set forth at the 2003 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which advocated for a human-centered Internet that serves development and inclusivity.
The United Nations stated in the final document: "We reaffirm our commitment to the World Summit on the Information Society's vision of building an inclusive information society, oriented towards development, enabling everyone to create, access, use, and share information and knowledge."
No single entity controls the Internet
In an official document dated December 16, 2025, the United Nations emphasized that the management of the Internet should not be subject to the dominance of any single entity, acknowledging that many developing countries still face significant challenges, both in accessing the Internet and in actively participating in digital governance processes.
The document emphasized that international cooperation, financing, and public-private partnerships are essential solutions to bridge these gaps.
The United Nations also expressed concerns about several issues, including:
- The high cost of Internet access.
- The digital gender divide.
- Marginalization of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, indigenous peoples, and migrants.
- Human rights violations.
- Misuse of digital technologies in cybercrime, surveillance, and child exploitation.
- The spread of misinformation.
- Environmental impacts of digital transformation.
Artificial Intelligence under scrutiny
The document, presented by the German politician and President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, included a full chapter on artificial intelligence, acknowledging its potential benefits to humanity but also warning against unknown risks associated with its rapid development, scale, and level of autonomy.
Among the human-centered recommendations are:
- Expanding digital education and training programs.
- Supporting open-source models.
- Making training data accessible.
- Expanding access to high-performance computing infrastructure.
Internet Governance Forum becomes permanent
In a significant development, the United Nations announced the transformation of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) into a permanent body, after it had previously been held as an annual event only.
A comprehensive review is scheduled for 2035, in which the United Nations invites all relevant parties to engage in various stages of the process, aiming to identify future focus areas and ensure that the Internet remains an open, safe, and inclusive space for all.
