Building on two decades of advocacy

WACC’s engagement at WSIS+20 builds on its long history of communication rights advocacy, Lee stressed.

“WACC was a co-host of the Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS) Campaign during the original 2003 and 2005 WSIS events, which resulted in the landmark civil society declaration ‘Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs.’”

Currently, WACC participates in the Global Digital Justice Forum alongside dozens of other organizations, contributing to the civil society advocacy document “Digital Justice, Now! A Call to Action for WSIS+20 and Beyond.” The organization also is an active part of the Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS, which has developed recommendations for making the WSIS process more transparent and inclusive.

In preparation for WSIS+20, WACC released a significant publication titled “Taking a Progressive and Decolonial Approach to Digital Ecosystems,” which outlines alternative visions for digital development that center community needs and rights. Several recent issues of its quarterly journal, Media Development, have delved deeper into more democratic and just approaches to digital governance.

Addressing contemporary digital challenges

WACC’s advocacy responds to urgent contemporary challenges in the digital sphere, said Lorenzo Vargas, WACC Programme Director. He listed key concerns including the crisis in journalism as a result of collapsed financial models, low levels of trust in media institutions, and the rise of anti-rights political actors aided by digital disinformation.

WACC also emphasizes the intersection of digital rights with broader global challenges like climate change, geopolitical tensions, and threats to democracy, according to Vargas. “Digital governance discussions cannot be separated from these wider contexts and must address how technology can contribute to solutions rather than exacerbating problems.”

He noted that some of these issues were already raised by WACC and project partners last year in response to the UN Global Digital Compact, adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Future.

Global coalition building

WACC’s participation in WSIS+20 reflects its commitment to building broad coalitions for digital justice. Vargas said the organization works with partners across different sectors and regions to advocate for policies that ensure that digital technologies serve human flourishing rather than corporate interests.

“Community organizations play a fundamental role in reaching the most vulnerable and addressing online harms. We need support to continue to do our work,” noted Patience Zirima from Gender and Media Connect, a WACC project partner in Zimbabwe.

“Too often, digital solutions are imposed from the top down without consulting the communities they claim to serve. We’re advocating for an approach that recognizes community expertise and ensures that digital transformation serves social justice rather than undermining it.”

Zirima is part of WACC’s delegation at WSIS+20 alongside two other representatives from the organization’s global network of partners working on communication rights, media justice, and digital equity issues.

“This diversity of perspectives strengthens WACC’s ability to advocate for inclusive digital policies that consider different cultural, economic, and social contexts,” Vargas explained.

The WACC delegation includes: