Wikimedia Foundation's speech at the United Nations General Assembly hall

Duration: 3:16 421 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Twenty years ago, bringing non-governmental stakeholders into discussions about internet regulation and digital policy might have seemed like a risky experiment, but today it stands as a highly productive framework for collaboration between governments, the private sector, civil society, and technical communities. This evolution has championed an open internet that supports freedom of expression while fostering participation in culture, the economy, and society at large. By working together across these diverse sectors, stakeholders have successfully created conditions for a mutually beneficial digital future where everyone can thrive through effective cooperation rather than isolation or top-down control. At the heart of this collaborative spirit is Wikipedia, which serves as a prime example of a digital public good built by global volunteers to advance sustainable development goals. This open and free encyclopedia represents online collaboration that transcends borders and cultures, existing in 292 different languages—more than the number of countries represented at the United Nations. Unlike simple automatic translations, these articles are largely written from scratch using verified external sources within specific local contexts, demonstrating how volunteer efforts can create comprehensive knowledge resources tailored to diverse linguistic communities without relying on proprietary systems or restrictive licenses. The success of projects like Wikipedia underscores a critical principle: those who build and maintain digital public goods must have a seat at the table when shaping internet governance policies known as multistakeholderism. This approach is not merely an empty term but a practical tool to ensure that the people creating essential digital commons are actively involved in decision-making processes for a prosperous and peaceful future. As member states commit to supporting digital public goods through initiatives like the Global Digital Compact, they must also create the necessary conditions to sustain this collaborative model within frameworks such as WIIS, ensuring that open innovation continues to drive progress without being stifled by restrictive regulations or exclusionary practices.

Read the full video transcript

I now give the floor to Wiki Media. Thank you, Madam President, your excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues. 20 years ago, the World Summit on the Information Society may have felt like an experiment. It may have felt risky to bring in stakeholders outside of government to discuss and shape internet regulation, digital policy, and the information society that we want to live in. But today, we see that what has started as an experiment has evolved into a very productive framework for effective collaboration between governments, the private sector, civil society, and the technical community. Championing an open internet that supports freedom of expression and participation in culture, the economy, and society. These stakeholders have worked together to foster a mutually beneficial digital future for everyone. However, in those 20 years, we've not only seen progress in digital policy, we've also seen the development of digital public goods, open-source projects that further the sustainable development goals. These digital public goods have been built by the stakeholders that the WHI's process has brought together. I'm honored to speak today on behalf of the Wikipdia Foundation which supports a global group of volunteers who have built one such digital public good. It is called Wikipedia and I'm sure everyone in this hall has used it and I'm sure many of you continue to use it frequently. This open and and free encyclopedia is the result of online collaboration across borders and across cultures. The Wikipedia article about the United Nations, for instance, exists in 292 different languages, a greater number than the countries represented here. These are not just automatic translations, but they are individual articles that have in large parts been written from scratch using external verified sources. in those specific local languages. This kind of volunteer work is only possible in an open internet that was that we must all support and defend. The people who build Wikipedia and other digital public goods and the digital commons that we all share and participate in need a seat at the table of internet governance. This is the essence of multistakeholderism for digital policy. Multistakeholderism is not just a hollow term but a tool to involve the people who built the digital public goods that we need for a prosperous and peaceful future. Member state member states have already committed to supporting digital public goods in the global digital compact. Now they must create the conditions for continued success in the whises process as well. Thank you very much. I thank Wiki Media.