UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Forum participants in his video message. He thanked the organizers of the Forum for bringing together representatives of states, civil society, business and the technical community in order to create and maintain an open, secure and stable Internet. "We need to join forces and make sure that the remaining 2.6 billion people in the world have access to the Internet. We must work together to prevent the possible emergence of a gap in new digital technologies, avoid duplication and develop effective measures in response to emerging risks. In this vein, the Global Digital Compact, which will be adopted at the Future Summit in 2024, should develop goals and measures to protect the digital future," the Secretary-General stressed.
UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua noted that the topic of the Internet is inextricably linked with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Achieving the SDGs 2030 is quite a big and difficult task. The Internet will play an important role in overcoming and achieving it. In this regard, the UN Internet Governance Forum should unite all countries in the search for solutions and consensus," Li Junhua said. He reminded the participants that the Forum was first established in 2005 and in 2025 the outputs and outcomes of the Forum's work over twenty years will be summed up.
"An open and free Internet is extremely important for solving social problems such as development, health, security for the further development of mankind. On the other hand, it is also true that the Internet has given impetus to the development of illegal and dangerous information, including disinformation, cyber attacks and cybercrime, which threatens the security and freedom of our socio-economic actions. I am sure that we can maximize the benefits of using the Internet and at the same time reduce the risks from it if all participants of the world community come together to share their knowledge and develop a versatile approach," the Prime Minister of Japan noted in turn.
In total, 300 sessions on various topics related to the development of the Internet will be arranged at the site, and more than 3 thousand participants are expected.
