ICC calls for enabling policy environments to operationalise global digital cooperation

The full statement was delivered by Maria Fernanda Garza, ICC Honorary Chair, on 17 December 2025.

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the International Chamber of Commerce, a global business organisation that brings together companies of all sizes from across all regions and sectors of the world economy.

We express our sincere appreciation to the co-facilitators of the WSIS+20 review process for their leadership, openness, and tireless efforts in guiding this inclusive and constructive review process.

We also thank all Member States for their engagement throughout the process and their shared commitment to a consensus-based advancing a common vision for the digital future.

The WSIS+20 review process placed emphasis on the right foundation. It recognised that expanding meaningful connectivity is the base upon which all can benefit from the promise of the Internet and digital technologies.

Connectivity enables participation in modern economies and societies, supports innovation, and allows digital solutions to scale across borders and communities. Without it, digital transformation cannot deliver on its potential to advance development and opportunity. From this foundation flows the need for trust.

This review process rightly recognised that digital development must be grounded in respect for human rights. States have the obligation to protect human rights also in the digital environment, while business has the responsibility to respect those rights in the design, development, deployment and use of technologies.

When these roles are clearly understood and aligned, they reinforce confidence in digital ecosystems and help ensure that innovation delivers long-term social and economic value.

Furthermore, the review process raised important questions about how global digital cooperation should be organised. By entrusting the Internet Governance Forum with a permanent mandate, Member States can reaffirm their confidence in the multistakeholder model.

Over the years, the IGF has demonstrated that it is fit to discuss all public policy matters related to the Internet, providing a unique space for dialogue, learning and cooperation among governments, business, civil society, the technical community, and international organisations. This inclusive approach is essential in a digital environment that is evolving faster than any single actor can manage alone.

Looking ahead, the success of the WSIS+20 review will ultimately be measured by implementation. To translate our shared commitments into tangible outcomes, the most important task is to create enabling policy environments.

Such environments encourage investment, innovation, and responsible use of digital technologies. They are built on openness and coherence. They include policies that support the free flow of information across borders, avoid unnecessary fragmentation and provide regulatory clarity and predictability. They promote interoperability, foster competition and innovation, and enable digital solutions to scale globally. Crucially, they are developed through dialogue with stakeholders who design, build, and operate digital networks and services, ensuring that policies are practical, future-oriented, and grounded in real-world experience.

Business has a central role to play in this. Companies invest in digital infrastructure, deliver the services that connect people, enterprises, and governments, and develop the skills that allow individuals and workforces to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

These contributions are not made in isolation; they depend on partnerships, trust, and policies that recognise the value of private sector expertise and investment.

Let me conclude by emphasising that the WSIS vision has always been rooted in collaboration. The outcome of the 20-year review must also reaffirm that no single stakeholder can deliver digital development alone. Business takes its role in this multistakeholder partnership seriously, and we stand ready to work with governments and all stakeholders to ensure that the Internet and digital technologies continue to serve as engines of inclusive growth, innovation and sustainable development for all.

Thank you.