IGF 2026 WS #237 Who Shapes Global AI Governance? From Dialogue to Action

Description

Decisions on international AI governance today will shape how people access information, exercise rights and participate in society. Yet emerging institutions and processes risk reinforcing inequalities by limiting the ability of governments, communities with fewer resources, civil society and other stakeholders to influence priorities and hold decision-makers accountable.

The first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the preliminary report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI established an agenda and evidence base. The next challenge is translating these priorities into implementation and accountability. As preparations begin for the Second Global Dialogue and the 2027 Global Digital Compact review, this workshop will explore how governments and stakeholders can shape this transition.

Convened by the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), the session builds on the Coalition’s Joint Multistakeholder Statement on the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance and its commitment to a rights-respecting approach. It will bring together governments, civil society, technical community and private sector to examine how evidence, participation and accountability inform implementation.

Aligned with the IGF 2026 theme, the session will explore how shared responsibility can be applied in practice: embedding human rights, transparency and accountability; addressing capacity and representation gaps; and ensuring meaningful stakeholder influence.

Through three policy questions, the session will facilitate an interactive government–stakeholder dialogue. An opening poll will identify priorities for the next Dialogue, including human rights safeguards, AI value chain transparency, capacity gaps, AI’s environmental and social impacts, and stakeholder participation. Speakers will respond to the results, followed by participant-driven discussion.

The discussion will build on, but not be limited to, the FOC Statement and civil society perspectives from the first Dialogue. Recommendations will be captured in the IGF session report, shared with stakeholders preparing the Second Global Dialogue, and inform follow-up work by the FOC Task Force on AI and Human Rights.

Policy Question(s)

Building on the priorities identified during the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, where does the second Dialogue offer the greatest opportunity to advance practical progress?
In the areas prioritised by participants, what concrete outputs could the second Dialogue realistically advance, such as shared guidance or benchmarks, implementation roadmaps, capacity building initiatives, or mechanisms for monitoring and follow-up?
What consultation and follow-up arrangements would enable civil society, countries with limited resources and capacity, and historically underrepresented groups, to influence the priorities, outcomes and implementation of the next Dialogue more meaningfully?

Expected Outcomes

The workshop will produce:

A participant-ranked assessment of where the second Global Dialogue offers the greatest opportunity for practical progress.
A short set of practical actions or outputs that the second Dialogue could advance, informed by participant contributions from different regions and stakeholder groups.
Practical recommendations for strengthening stakeholder influence over the next Dialogue and connecting its outcomes to implementation by governments and other relevant actors.
A concise record of both areas of convergence and important unresolved differences across stakeholder and regional perspectives.
An IGF session report that will be shared with the Co-Chairs and other stakeholders preparing the Second Global Dialogue on AI Governance and will inform follow-up work by the FOC Task Force on AI and Human Rights.

Reference Document

Format

Theater Duration (minutes): 60 Format description: The theatre layout is well suited to the session’s purpose of enabling direct exchange between a diverse IGF audience and speakers from different stakeholder groups. As the session focuses on moderated dialogue rather than small-group work or collaborative drafting, participants will engage through an opening poll, questions and direct interventions. Poll results, online participants and submitted questions will be displayed on screen to create a shared point of reference, while roving microphones and a digital question channel will support broad participation.

A 60-minute format provides sufficient time to gather onsite and online input, address the three linked policy questions and reflect on key recommendations, while keeping opening remarks concise. Most of the session is reserved for participant interaction, making the format well suited to generating focused, diverse and actionable input without reverting to a traditional panel.

Hybrid Format

Hybrid Format: The workshop will use a “one room, two access points” approach, ensuring equal participation for onsite and online audiences. Moderators will alternate between both participation modes throughout the session, integrating online contributions rather than treating them separately. For each policy question, interventions from both audiences will be gathered before speakers respond. The online moderator will monitor chat and raised hands, surface written contributions and flag under-represented perspectives, while the onsite moderator will reference the virtual room and poll results. No more than two consecutive interventions will come from either mode.

All speakers will join the virtual platform to ensure equal access to captions, links and polling. A rehearsal will cover accessibility, timing and contingencies. Participants will shape discussion through an opening poll and digital questions. A low-bandwidth tool will support polling and engagement, with chat and floor access available as alternatives. Contributions will inform the final report.

Organizers

Organizer 1: Marland Klara, Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) Organizer 2: Hannah Brice, Global Partners Digital Organizer 3: Helen Turek, Freedom Online Coalition Support Unit Organizer 4: Zach Lampell, ICNL

Speakers

Speaker 1: Zach Lampell, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group Speaker 2: Luc Dockendorf, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG) Speaker 3: Jamal Tonzua Seidu , Government, African Group Speaker 4: Nicole Karlebach, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG) Speaker 5: Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

Moderator

Zach Lampell, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

Online Moderator

Marland Klara, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization

Rapporteur

Hannah Brice, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

Participant Benefits

What will participants gain from attending this session?

SDGs

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Reduced Inequalities
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Partnerships for the Goals

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