On October 13, 2025, Youth representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region brought forward powerful interventions at the Informal WSIS Stakeholder Consultations on the Zero Draft, urging for structural inclusion of young people in shaping the future of digital governance.
Representing the APAC Youth WSIS+20 Joint Letter, which was endorsed by nearly 70 youth leaders from 18 economies, speakers from NetMission.Asia, Hong Kong Youth IGF, and Southeast Asia Youth IGF delivered a united message: youth are not just beneficiaries of the digital age — we are co-creators of its future.
Youth as Structural Partners in Digital Governance
Speaking on the theme Bridging Digital Divides, Capacity Development & Human Rights, Jenna Fung (Managing Director, NetMission.Asia) emphasized that these three priorities form the foundation for ensuring youth are structurally included in global digital policymaking.
She highlighted the deep inequalities across the Asia-Pacific region, from gender gaps to linguistic and rural divides, and called for a shift from symbolic youth participation to systemic inclusion.
“Youth don’t just need a seat, we’re here to help build a stronger, sturdier table for all who come after us. One that can carry diverse voices, and make room for those who’ll inherit the world shaped by our decisions today.” – Jenna Fung
Three key calls to action were outlined:
- Bridge divides with diversity in mind, ensuring linguistic, cultural, and gender equity.
- Invest in capacity development that empowers, by including youth in national delegations and establishing a Youth Advisory Council to work alongside WSIS and IGF processes.
- Embed human rights and sustainability at the core of digital innovation, including ethical technology development and environmental accountability.
Youth as Equal Partners in Multistakeholder Governance
Phyo Thiri Lwin (Southeast Asia Youth IGF) reaffirmed the central message of the APAC Youth Joint Letter, calling for youth and Youth IGFs to be explicitly recognized as equal partners in multistakeholder governance.
She echoed the need for governments and institutions to include young leaders in national delegations and to institutionalize youth participation through a Youth Advisory Council supporting WSIS, Action Line facilitators, and the IGF.
Accountability and Inclusivity in the Digital Future
Jasmine Ko (Hong Kong Youth IGF 2025) reinforced the call for a human-centric and accountable digital future. Drawing on local consultations with Hong Kong youth, she urged the WSIS+20 process to address structural inequities that go beyond connectivity, emphasizing accessibility, affordability, and trust.
She called for:
- Equitable access and stronger digital literacy programs, especially for women and linguistic minorities.
- Community-based and intergenerational initiatives to build digital trust.
- Transparent and enforceable frameworks to ensure data protection and responsible technology governance, particularly in the use of AI.
A Collective Vision for WSIS+20 and Beyond
The interventions of Jenna, Jasmine, and Phyo reflect a shared vision across APAC youth: that bridging digital divides, building capacity, and protecting human rights are inseparable from ensuring genuine youth inclusion. The contributions of APAC youth leaders to WSIS+20 showed that when meaningfully included, young people don’t just enrich discussions; they redefine inclusion, reimagine governance, and help build a fairer, more resilient digital future for all.
To learn more about our interventions, you may watch the official recording, read our submitted written inputs to the WSIS+20 Zero Draft (Joint Letter) and refer to the full text of our oral statements on Bridging digital divides, Capacity development & Human rights (by Jenna Fung), and other topics (by Jasmine Ko). More details about the APAC Youth WSIS+20 Series and our broader contributions to the WSIS+20 Review process are available on our landing page.
Written by Jenna Fung