From Talk to Action: Safeguarding Core Internet Values in Today’s Digital Governance – Flash 07 2025
by IGF Dynamic Coalition on Core Internet Values
14 May 2025 | 09:30 - 09:55 CEST | Room 7
Consolidated programme 2025
This Flash session will discuss how topics that are discussed at Flash sessions in IGF processes, progress to eventually grow into international action.
From planting seeds to building communities, to shaping broader priorities, we take the example of Core Internet Values to illustrate our points and will discuss how to improve this path to global action.
Session description
The Internet Governance Forum has been, in the past, often given the sobriquet of "a talk shop". During the WSIS+10 Review, the APC performed an analysis of Concrete decisions or actions that have been taken as a result of engagement at national, regional and global Internet Governance Forum. Since the WSIS+10 recommended that more "Concrete Outcomes" were needed from the IGF, a number of processes including the publication of formal messages from each IGF as well as the IGF High Level Panel were implemented. Today, many examples abound where the dialogue started at IGF and ended up with concrete outcomes including discussions that moved to specialised fora and agencies. Linking workshops and the IGF Processes to SDGs was also a significant step into making sure the IGF discussions led to advances in the world's sustainable development.
In this session we will look at the specific case of Core Internet Values. From its first workshop in Sharm el Sheikh 2009 (Workshop on Fundamentals: Core Internet Values) until today, we have been refining the list of Core Internet Values and this, along with work undertaken by other organisations, has led to the widespread comprehension that there are indeed some Internet fundamentals which make the Internet what it is and what it will continue to be. But can we do more? How?
Agenda
- Introduction (5 minutes - Olivier)
- Setting the Stage: Dialogue as a Catalyst (5 minutes - Pari)
- Reality Check: Are Core Values Holding Up? (5 minutes - Olivier)
- What Needs to Change? (5 minutes - Pari)
- Participant Engagement (10 minutes - Everyone)
- Closing Reflection (Final 1 minute - Olivier and Pari)
Format
A hybrid session with both participants in person but also remote participants.
Further reading
- APC report on concrete decisions or actions that have been taken as a result of engagement at national, regional and global Internet Governance Forum during its 2011—2013/4 mandate.
People
Key participants
- Olivier Crépin-Leblond (in person)
- Pari Esfandiari (remote)