UN Internet Governance Forum 2026 in Nairobi Turns to Governance in the Age of AI

The United Nations will convene the 21st Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2026) in Nairobi, Kenya, from 14 to 18 December 2026, marking the forum's first gathering since the UN General Assembly established it as a permanent body. The hybrid summit takes place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and online under the overarching theme "Governing the Internet in the Age of Intelligence: Our Shared Responsibility".

AI Governance and Global South Priorities

Convened by the IGF Secretariat, which is hosted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), with Kenya as host country, the forum is expected to draw more than 9,000 participants from over 165 countries across more than 250 sessions. The forum brings together governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community and academia to address digital governance issues including data governance, digital inclusion, and security, safety, stability and resilience.

Participation and Strategic Impact

The event is designed for parliamentarians, policymakers, technology innovators, civil society advocates, and researchers across developing regions. According to official guidelines, both onsite and virtual participants must register in advance through the United Nations Accreditation System on Indico at indico.un.org/event/1024890.

Why it matters As developing economies confront uneven compute distribution and imported regulatory standards, IGF 2026 provides Global South delegations with an open multilateral arena to shape artificial intelligence governance rules, address cross-border data rights, and demand equitable technical assistance rather than merely adopting external mandates.