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IGF 2025 Global AI Governance: Reimagining IGF’s Role & Impact

 

What is the IGF’s impact in the global dialogue and governance of AI? What is IGF’s role now and what could it be in the future?

This session, organized by the Policy Network on AI (PNAI) will explore these questions and contribute directly to PNAI’s ongoing work in preparing a report and suggesting an action plan on how the IGF can maximize its impact as the central platform for inclusive and bottom up multistakeholder discussions on AI governance. The session will examine the role the IGF can play in the broader context of WSIS+20 review and implementation of the Global Digital Compact AI-related work, with a forward-looking perspective from 2026 and beyond.  

SPEAKERS

  • Ivana Bartoletti, Vice-President, Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer, Wipro (WEOG)
  • Mario Nobile, Director General, AgID Agency for Digital Italy (WEOG)William Bird, Director, Media Monitoring Africa (Africa)
  • Shuyan Wu, Deputy Director of User and Market Research Department, China Mobile Research Institute (APAC)
  • Paloma Lara-Castro, Policy Director, Derechos Digitales (GRULAC)
  • Moderator - Elizabeth Orembo, Research Fellow, Research ICT Africa (Africa)
  • Presenting PNAI’s work - Shamira Ahmed, Founder & Executive Director, Data Economy Policy Hub (Africa)

POLICY QUESTIONS

PNAI invites expert speakers and session participants to answer the following policy questions:

  1. What unique value can the IGF and PNAI bring to global AI governance? Are there specific AI topics or areas that the IGF should focus on, especially in the context of ongoing global AI governance dialogues, such as the GDC and WSIS+20, beyond 2026?
  2. How can the IGF help ensure that global AI dialogues and decision-making on AI governance are truly participatory, inclusive, open and multistakeholder, ensuring equitable voice of marginalized groups and the Global South? Which indicators could be used to measure if AI dialogues are truly inclusive?
  3. How can the IGF help support capacity building of communities to engage effectively in AI governance discussions, for example, by building up an  information repository on AI governance topics ? 
  4. How can PNAI facilitate a more inclusive multistakeholder approach to global AI governance and promote a multilateral, bottom-up approach (policymaking or standard setting processes)?

You are also welcome to share your views and suggestions on the topics through PNAI's Survey (open until 30.6.2025).

SESSION OBJECTIVES

The objectives of PNAI’s session are: 

  • To foster an inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on IGF’s role in AI governance; 
  • To gather views, input, reflections and opinions from both onsite and online participants; 
  • To generate actionable insights and concrete suggestions that will feed into the PNAI’s work and report that will be published in November 2025.

SESSION FLOW

The session starts with a welcome and short overview of PNAI and its goals in 2025. Speakers will share their views on the policy questions that frame the Session, building on their experience and expertise. 

The second part of the session is reserved for interaction between the audience and the panelists. The moderator will open the floor and take questions and comments from attendees in the Plenary Hall, and an online facilitator curates questions from the virtual chat for the panelists to address. The session wraps up with a summary of key takeaways.