17 Dec 2025
How UN Digital Governance Permanence Validates Our Path from Demo to Standard
DeVOTE has always believed that for technology to truly serve democracy, it must be built within frameworks of global trust and standardization. Last week, the United Nations General Assembly took a historic step to cement such a framework for the digital age by deciding to establish the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as a permanent UN forum.
For those working on the frontiers of digital democracy, this is more than bureaucratic news. The IGF is the world's primary multistakeholder platform where governments, the private sector, technologists, and civil society meet as equals to shape the future of the Internet. Its elevation to a permanent body signals a global commitment to collaborative, inclusive digital governance.
This decision resonates powerfully with our mission at DeVOTE. For years, we have actively engaged in this exact ecosystem, most notably as a stakeholder in the IGF's Dynamic Coalition on Blockchain Assurances and Standardization (DC-BAS). These coalitions are where the substantive, year-round work of the IGF happens, developing the best practices and policy frameworks that guide emerging technologies.
"This permanence completes a primary goal for DeVOTE," says Eugene, our CEO. "It gives the global community a stable, authoritative platform to build the frameworks for trustworthy digital infrastructure. For us, it's the definitive signal that the world is ready to move from concept to standard—and it's the environment where our technology can follow to improve democracy."
The journey from our early technical demonstrations to contributing at this level reflects our core belief: real-world impact requires both robust technology and robust governance. The UN's commitment to the IGF provides the latter. It assures that the standards we help develop and the solutions we build have a lasting, legitimate home in the global conversation.
This milestone is a validation of our path and a catalyst for our next phase. The conversation about blockchain for assurance now has a permanent seat at the highest table. We are ready to continue our work within this enduring framework, translating this historic commitment into tangible tools for a more transparent and participatory future. Read more: https://www.intgovforum.org/en