Executive Committee Summary Records Summary Record of 87th meeting of the Executive Committee – 13 May 2025

Nov 17, 2025 | Meeting Summary Records, Reports and Meeting Minutes

Internet Governance Forum Support Association (IGFSA)

87th meeting of the Executive Committee

13th May, 2025

  1. The Executive Committee held its 87th meeting on 13th May, 2025. The meeting took place in Palais de Nations, E Building, Bar Serpent, Geneva, Switzerland, with some participants joining online. with the following participants: Amrita Choudhury (Chair), Chris Mondini, Markus Kummer, Amado Espinosa and Flávio Wagner from the Secretariat team: Jennifer Chung and Phyo Thiri Lwin. A quorum was established for the meeting, with four out of the eight Executive Committee members taking part.
  2. During the call, the agenda was reviewed. The draft agenda was presented and adopted.
  3. There was a discussion regarding Bank status and adding an EC member as the banking Signatory. Chris Mondini expressed readiness to take on the role of banking signatory and suggested a review of the funding approval and payment execution processes once his signatory status is formalized. An action item was noted to arrange a coordination call between an EC member, the IGFSA Secretariat, and the accountant for operational alignment. Procedures for internal approvals (e.g., funding requests, signatory actions) were discussed.
  4. Funding Request and Disbursement Status – The pending fund requests discussed included:
    • During the meeting, several pending funding requests were reviewed. It was agreed that further follow-up is needed with the DRC IGF, Moldova Internet Governance Forum 2025, and Uganda Internet Governance Forum 2025 to clarify their current funding gaps for support. 
    • Funding was approved for two initiatives: the Ghana IGF was granted US$2,000, and the East Africa IGF received an allocation of US$3,000. These approvals are in line with the general funding guidelines for NRIs, which provide US$2,000 for national-level events and US$3,000 for regional initiatives. In addition, a number of requests were pre-approved pending eligibility checks. These include the Central Asian Internet Governance School (CASIG) and the Central Asian Internet Governance Forum (CAIGF), the West Africa Internet Governance Forum, the Togo Internet Governance Forum 2025, IGF Panama 2025, and the Africa IGF. 
    • These pre-approvals are subject to verification of eligibility criteria and submission of the necessary supporting documentation. A special note was made regarding the IGF Panama 2025 and Youth IGF Panama, which are organized as separate events. In recognition of this, it was agreed to support them individually, with US$2,000 allocated to IGF Panama 2025 and US$1,000 allocated to Youth IGF Panama. 
    • Finally, it was noted that a follow-up is required to obtain the detailed budget plan from the Africa IGF in order to complete the assessment and finalize any funding decisions.
  5. Plan for IGF2025 and Day 0
    • It was noted that the proposed Day 0 session at IGF 2025, titled “Sustainable Funding for IGF NRIs,” has been approved. The full session proposal is available via the IGF Day 0 Session link. A finalized version of the proposal is to be shared with the UN IGF Secretariat soon. Ahead of that, the IGFSA Secretariat will circulate the draft to the Executive Committee for review and feedback.
  6. Discussion on Sponsorship and Outreach plan for FY 2025 
    • Key points from the discussion included a targeted outreach approach to previous sponsors. To enhance efficiency and sustainability, EC members agreed to replace printed flyers with QR codes linking directly to the IGFSA website. This approach is intended to reduce both costs and environmental impact. 
    • Follow-ups on related action items will be tracked such as to follow up with TCCM. Work will also continue on updating and aligning the IGFSA website landing page to support IGF 2025 outreach goals. An update was also provided on the current inventory of IGFSA-branded T-shirts: Medium – 17 units, Large – 14 units, and XL – 6 units. 
    • Additionally, it was shared that DotAsia will host a booth at IGF Norway, and IGFSA promotional materials will be made available there to increase visibility and engagement.
  7. AOB
    • During the discussion, the secretariat shared that she had spoken with someone from ICANN about the potential use of ICANN auction proceeds to support IGF-related activities through community-approved grants. Theresa indicated that IGFSA could consider applying for such a grant to support the IGF or contribute to the IGF Trust Fund. An EC member provided background information on the ICANN Grant Program, outlining the procedural steps involved in the application process. He will follow up with ICANN staff to obtain further clarification. It was also noted that if IGFSA decides to apply for a grant, he may need to recuse himself or step down from the Executive Committee to avoid any conflict of interest. 
    • A discussion was held regarding IGFSA’s support for the IGF Secretariat intern’s travel to attend the IGF in Norway. The proposal was positively received, recognizing the value of providing such opportunities for capacity building and engagement. Additionally, there was a discussion about possible funding for IGF.
    • Additionally, a productive meeting is suggested to take place at ICANN 83. It was mentioned that the conversation is to focus on exploring areas of collaboration between IGFSA and ICANN, enhancing IGFSA’s visibility at future ICANN events, and strengthening joint outreach strategies to expand engagement and impact across stakeholder communities.