On 31 March – 1 April 2025, policymakers, technologists, researchers, and civil society representatives will gather in Brussels and online for the Global Multistakeholder High-Level Conference on Governance of Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds. Co-organised by the European Commission and the 2025 Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the event will serve as a key platform to discuss approaches for a responsible, value-oriented transition to Web 4.0, as well as standardisation challenges concerning virtual worlds.
To support meaningful discussions, a set of background materials has been made available to all participants. Developed by PPMI (part of Verian Group) and TNO, these documents provide essential context, summarising key insights from ongoing research and stakeholder consultations. Attendees are encouraged to review them in advance to fully engage in the discussions.
📌 One Future Internet: Multistakeholder Governance for Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds – an introductory document outlining the conference’s objectives and conceptual framework.
📌 Background Document – a comprehensive analysis of the technologies underpinning Web 4.0 and virtual worlds, key governance challenges, and stakeholder perspectives. This document is based on an extensive review of literature, expert interviews, workshops, and online consultations.
📌 Input Document – a synthesis of stakeholder consultations, presenting draft policy and technical principles that will be discussed during the conference. These principles and recommendations have been developed through a bottom-up, participatory process and will help shape the dialogue at the conference.
You can find more information on the dedicated page for the conference.
Following the conference, the finalised principles and recommendations will reflect both the pre-conference and in-conference discussions. While consensus is sought, the final document will remain a non-binding summary, designed to inform and inspire broader governance discussions among stakeholders.
This event feeds into the European Commission initiative ‘A Space for the Metaverse – Virtual World and the Transition to Web 4.0’, led by PPMI (part of Verian Group) and TNO. The study aims to explore governance needs and opportunities in the evolving digital landscape. You can visit this page to learn more about the project.
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