Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the World Internet Conference (WIC), has called for inclusivity and cooperation to improve digital governance at a UN forum on internet governance.

Ren made the remarks as a specially invited guest at one of the open forums of the 18th UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Kyoto, Japan, on Oct 9, under the theme of “Jointly Share the Responsibilities in the Digital Era and Promote Digital Governance and Cooperation”.

Noting that digital governance should be more precise and efficient, Ren suggested using technology to govern technology and improving the effectiveness of governance with the help of digital technology.

He also appealed for more inclusive governance to avoid the exacerbation of the global digital gap and prevent the marginalization of vulnerable groups.

Ren also suggested that relevant parties work together to resolve such issues as cross-border data flow, platform governance, artificial intelligence, and internet security through dialogue and consultation.

The open forum was jointly hosted by the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies. It invited representatives from various sectors worldwide to engage in dialogue, covering such topics as the impacts of internet innovations on digital governance, the pathways of digital governance capacity building and international cooperation on digital governance.

The IGF is one of the most important platforms for promoting international governance on cyberspace. Themed on “The Internet We Want - Empowering All People”, the 18th IGF is scheduled to be held in Kyoto from Oct 8 to 12.

Around 8,000 representatives worldwide, including senior government officials, high-level representatives of international organizations, and senior executives from leading internet enterprises, are attending the event.