NAIROBI, May 1, 2026 — The United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will return to Africa for its 21st annual meeting, with the gathering set to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 14 to 18 December 2026.
Kenya will become the first African nation to host the prestigious UN-backed summit twice, having previously served as the host in 2011. The announcement has been welcomed by digital governance advocates across the continent as a recognition of Africa’s growing centrality in global internet policy debates.
The 2026 meeting is expected to span five days and include more than 250 sessions, with participation from over 165 countries and around 9,000 attendees.
The forum arrives at a landmark moment for global internet governance. Following Resolution 80/173 passed by the UN General Assembly in late 2025, the IGF has been established as a permanent body a significant shift from its previously temporary mandate. The IGF 2026 process builds on the outcomes of the first 20 IGF meetings, including the 20th IGF hosted by the Government of Norway in Lillestrøm in June 2025.
The thematic focus for the Nairobi summit is still being shaped through a participatory process. An open Call for Thematic Input has invited stakeholders from across the world to contribute their perspectives on the most pressing issues, priorities, and challenges in the governance of digital technologies spanning AI, misinformation, and data governance.
In a high-profile appointment linked to the forum, actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been named the first United Nations Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance, a role affiliated with the IGF and designated by UN DESA to help advance a people-centred approach to digital governance.
Africa is not waiting for December to make its voice heard. From 19 to 21 May 2026, the Kenya Internet Governance Forum Week and Africa Tech Policy Summit (AfTPS) will bring together more than 800 delegates to shape how AI gets regulated, who controls African data, and what the internet looks like for the next billion users. The AfTPS is intended to serve as a strategic bridge, aligning African perspectives on AI regulation, data sovereignty, and digital identity ahead of the global forum.
Local capacity-building efforts are also ramping up. On 25 April 2026, the Kenya School of Internet Governance (KeSIG) opened Cohort 11, its most diverse class yet. Youth engagement is similarly being prioritised, with the Kenya Youth IGF 2026 scheduled for 20 May, bringing together young people to shape the country’s internet governance agenda under the theme: Digital Future Youth: Shaping Kenya’s Internet Governance Agenda.
As December approaches, all eyes will be on Nairobi not just as a host city, but as a symbol of Africa’s ambition to move from the margins to the centre of the global digital governance conversation. Kenya becomes first African nation to host the UN-backed summit twice.
For more information, visit intgovforum.org
