However, much has changed in the two decades since the original WSIS discussions, and therefore it has been equally essential that the IGF be able to react, evolve, and improve to meet new challenges and scenarios. The IGF's evolution, bottom-up and needs-based, has reflected the spirit of “IGF+” envisaged by the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation. [...] Significant progress has been made in the development and evolution of that forum and its associated activities (including intersessional work and the network of national and regional Internet governance initiatives) since the first IGF in 2006. [...] Moreover, the IGF has evolved beyond an annual event to become a global ecosystem in which intersessional projects, issue-focused groups, national and regional Internet governance initiatives (NRIs), and dedicated conference tracks reinforce each other in building the evidence-based knowledge, insight, understanding, and innovation that are necessary to tackle the challenges of Internet and di [...] However, there is still much work to be done both on the accessibility and inclusion front to ensure that all users can gain and experience the benefits of the Internet, and that all can participate in Internet governance discussions on an equal footing. [...] What are the challenges to the implementation of WSIS outcomes? Part of the IGF's mandate has always been to "strengthen and enhance the engagement of stakeholders in existing and/or future Internet governance mechanisms, particularly those from developing countries." The challenges - political, technological, and economic - of providing equal opportunities for all people to engage in a multis [...] The IGF has endeavored to address these challenges in a variety of ways - holding the annual event in a wide variety of locations, improving remote participation capabilities (including via remote hubs), fostering and showcasing national and regional Internet governance initiatives, initiating targeted programmes such as the Youth and Parliamentary Tracks. There are many successes that we can [...] For example, a multistakeholder Leadership Panel was established in 2022 by the UN Secretary-General, with the aim of advising the IGF on its strategyIGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group 8 March 13, 2024 for addressing emerging and urgent issues, and defining its priorities. This evolution of the WSIS architecture can be attributed to the close and effective cooperation between the different e [...] The WSIS+20 review is an opportunity to modernize and update our international cooperation architecture, but we can only achieve this goal by building on the successful work and innovation that has been at the heart of the WSIS process, and avoiding duplication of existing governance frameworks and institutions. 12. [...] What should be the priorities for stakeholders seeking to achieve WSIS outcomes and progress towards the Information Society, taking into account ongoing and emerging trends? The scope of the Information Society has expanded significantly since the original WSIS events, a fact demonstrated by the breadth of discussions at recent IGF events - the 2023 IGF in Kyoto structured its proceedings ar [...] There remain challenges to realizing the WSIS vision and to achieving all that is contained in the mandate of the IGF.
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