Nearly 70 APAC Youth Leaders Unite to Urge Structural Inclusion in WSIS+20
Jenna Fung
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Nearly 70 youth leaders from across the Asia-Pacific have come together in a coordinated effort to produce a Joint Letter on the WSIS+20 Zero Draft (attached). Facilitated through the APAC Youth WSIS+20 Series led by NetMission.Asia, this process drew on over 120 written inputs from 26 youth leaders across 18 economies and a 2.5-hour live editing session with 17 participants—demonstrating the energy, commitment, and collaboration of the next generation of Internet governance leaders.
The Joint Letter emphasizes three key priorities:
Recognizing youth as stakeholders beyond beneficiaries – ensuring young people are structurally included as active decision-makers.
Closing the digital divide – addressing gender, linguistic, and cultural diversities to ensure equitable access for all.
Building responsible innovation and equity for future generations – advancing technologies that evolve ethically and inclusively.
The Joint Letter was officially submitted to the co-facilitators of the WSIS+20 Review Process on September 30. This review represents a pivotal moment to ensure that youth are not seen as optional contributors, but as active co-creators of the digital future we all share. We invite you to read and reflect on the perspectives in this Joint Letter, and to consider them seriously if you are committed to a truly inclusive, multistakeholder approach.
Thank you for all that you do to support an inclusive Internet governance ecosystem, and for engaging with the voices of the next generation of leaders who are ready to help shape it.
Learn more about the submission and the APAC Youth community’s ongoing contributions to WSIS+20:
APAC Youth WSIS+20 Series: http://nma.asia/apac-youth-wsis-20
News update on the submission of the joint letter: https://netmission.asia/2025/09/30/70-apac-youth-submit-joint-letter/