Keynote Address by Sally Wentworth, President and CEO, Internet Society and Internet Society Foundation, to the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) 2025
Good morning. I am Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society and the Internet Society Foundation, and it is my honor to speak with you at this Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum.
Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts that have brought us here today. This APrIGF was planned to be held in person in Nepal, and while circumstances required us to shift to a virtual format, I want to commend our hosts—particularly the Internet Society Nepal Chapter, also known as Open Internet Nepal, and the Internet Governance Institute —for their dedication and hard work in making this gathering possible. Your perseverance in the face of logistical challenges demonstrates the commitment of this community to ensuring that the Asia Pacific region has a strong voice in shaping the Internet’s future.
A Story from Indonesia and Bangladesh
Let me start with a story that captures why we do this work.
About a year ago, four of our grantee partners in Indonesia and Bangladesh came together to share ideas and strategies from their work training women entrepreneurs to use the Internet for their small businesses. They invited us to join them in Jakarta for the day, and to meet with some of the women who had taken the courses.
Our team at the Internet Society got to hear about the courses themselves, which covered practical skills, like how to avoid online scams and how to market and sell products online. One after the other, the women shared how the course had fundamentally changed their lives. How they were able to grow their businesses, even create jobs in their communities, and to go on to share the skills they’d learned with their friends and family. But one quote in particular, from a woman living in a rural community, stayed with me: “As a woman with disabilities,” she said “it’s really hard to find jobs, especially at our age.” She said that thanks to the skills training, she’s now financially independent and able to help support her family.
This is an experience we hear about time and time again, from all corners of the world. And it’s a reminder that the Internet, at its best, breaks down barriers. But only when people have the skills to use it safely. The Asia Pacific region is showing the world how that can be done.
The Critical Importance of Asia Pacific’s Voice
Today the Asia Pacific region is home to more than half the world’s population. Your innovations, your challenges, and your solutions should be central to every global conversation about the Internet’s future. Yet all too often, the voices from this region are underrepresented in global Internet governance discussions.
This is why platforms like the APrIGF are so vital. You provide a space for stakeholders across this diverse region—from governments to businesses, from civil society to the technical community, from rural communities to major cities—all of us can come together and discuss the Internet issues that matter most to you. It is a place to build regional consensus on the actions that need to be taken and to work together to build an more open, safe and secure Internet for everyone across the region
And this year, your voice matters more than ever. We are in the midst of the UN’s WSIS+20 Review, a pivotal moment where the global community is evaluating our progress and charting the course for the next decade of our digital society. The decisions being made this year will shape the future of Internet governance and will even determine whether the Internet Governance Forum even continues to exist at all. While the most recent “Zero Draft” document was a good starting point for the negotiations, it is critical that the Internet community continue to advocate for the multistakeholder model and boost efforts that will remove inequalities within countries and across the region.
In the WSIS+20 review, it is also important that member states formally recognize that the tremendous growth in global Internet connectivity and digital transformation has been enabled by three factors
First, Open Standards. The more than 75,000 globally-distributed, interconnected, independent networks that make up the modern Internet, all rely on the open standards developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and other related Internet standards bodies;
Second, major advancements in Internet security technologies and applications. Wide scale deployment of end-to-end encryption technologies and other critical Internet security standards are the foundation of the global digital economy; and
Finally, we all depend upon the stewardship of essential Internet resources such as IP addresses, domain names and the Domain Name System (DNS) by the Internet technical community.
All of this was achieved through multistakeholder mechanisms and collaboration across borders and disciplines. This global cooperation between many stakeholders, in many countries, from many cultures, is more essential than ever if we hope to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The voice of the Asia Pacific region needs to be heard more strongly than ever in this global collaboration!
The State of the Internet in Asia-Pacific
Let me share some data about the Internet in your region—both the challenges and the opportunities.
According to the Internet Society’s Pulse Measurement platform, the Asia Pacific region has an Internet Resilience Index score of 46 out of 100, which places it on par with the Americas. This index measures infrastructure, market readiness, performance, and security. That score tells us that while there is much progress, there is also significant work to be done to strengthen the Internet across this region.
But the story is complex. On the one hand, the Asia Pacific region unfortunately leads the world in Internet shutdowns. Governments across the region continue to restrict or block access to the Internet or to services that use it, whether during protests, elections, or for a range of other reasons.
On the other hand, this region is rapidly adopting critical Internet technologies. Encrypted web deployment is over 70%—protecting people’s privacy and security online. Asia has the second-highest rate of IPv6 adoption, ensuring the Internet can continue to grow and evolve. These data points reflect the technical sophistication and forward-thinking approach of the Asia Pacific Internet community.
This contrast—between restriction and innovation, between shutdown and advancement—captures the tension we must address in conversations about the future of multistakeholder Internet governance in Asia Pacific. I ask each of you to think about how we best move forward through this tension.
What Nepal’s Recent Events Teach Us
This tension was clear in the recent events in Nepal, where social media sites were required to be blocked until they registered with the government. The events remind us of three fundamental truths about the Internet that we cannot forget.
First, we cannot underestimate how important services enabled by the Internet are for people’s lives. So important that when access is taken away, people are willing to take to the streets to get it back.
The Internet is no longer optional infrastructure—it is essential to people’s lives, their ability to connect with family, and their right to expression. These tools are integrated into every aspect of their lives and livelihoods.
Second, the Internet is under threat. Many governments in this region, and beyond, want to—and do—restrict access to the Internet or to services it enables.. Some claim it’s for security. Some say it’s for stability. Some argue it’s for protecting citizens. But whatever the stated reason, these shutdowns and restrictions deny people their fundamental abilities to connect, communicate, and innovate.
Third, we cannot be complacent. We are the Internet community, and we are best placed to defend the Internet. Events like this one, conversations like the ones you’ll have over the coming days—this is where we assert the Internet we want. This is where we build the coalition to protect and promote an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet for everyone in the Asia Pacific region.
This is why the APrIGF exists. This is why over 180 national and regional IGFs now provide year-round dialogue on Internet governance issues. This is why your participation matters.
Our Commitment to the Region
The Internet Society is committed to supporting the Asia Pacific region in building the Internet you want and deserve.
Since 2019, we have invested in projects across over 120 countries globally, including projects totaling almost $9 million US dollars across the Asia Pacific region. We have also been a strong supporter national and regional Internet Governance Forums across this region and around the world. We have helped create community networks and Internet exchange points. We have supported local technical communities and trained thousands of students in digital skills.
Through our Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative, the Internet Society is committing $30 million over the next five years to support locally-owned, scalable, and sustainable networks; to build technical capacity and develop the next generation of Internet leaders; and to expand infrastructure that is more affordable and reliable.
We are so fortunate to have chapters across the Pacific Islands, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, India, Nepal, and even more across the region. We have strong partnerships with organizations like APNIC, ICANN, such as the Asia Pacific Telecommunity and the ITU’s regional office, all working together to strengthen the Internet across Asia Pacific. Through local activism and partnerships, we can build a global movement to achieve the Internet we want.
A Call to Action
Let me close with a call to action for everyone participating in this APrIGF.
To the stakeholders in Nepal: Use this moment. Channel the energy and commitment shown by people willing to defend their right to Internet access. Engage with your government and the platforms on policies that support an open Internet rather than restrict it. Build coalitions across stakeholders to assert the Internet you want. At the Internet Society we are here to support your work in Nepal.
To all participants: The work you do here—the conversations you have, the relationships you build, the solutions you develop—this work shapes the future of the Internet in the Asia Pacific region. Don’t underestimate your power and impact.
Engage in the WSIS+20 discussions happening globally right now. Push for outcomes that support multistakeholder governance, that renew the mandate of the Internet Governance Forum, and that commit to connecting the remaining billions of people who remain offline.
Finally, hold on to the vision of an Internet that is affordable, accessible, and available in all languages. An Internet that is reliable and resilient. An Internet that is safe, secure, and governed through multistakeholder collaboration.
This is an Internet that is a force for good in our society.
This is the Internet for everyone. And everyone—including all of you—has a role in making that vision a reality.
Thank you for your commitment to this work. Thank you for ensuring the Asia Pacific region has a strong voice in shaping the Internet’s future. And thank you for including me in this important conversation.
I look forward to working with all of you to ensure the Internet truly is for everyone.
Thank you.