The Lesotho Internet Governance Forum (LesIGF) is Lesotho's national multistakeholder platform for discussing Internet governance. It was established in 2021 by the Internet Society Lesotho Chapter (ISOC Lesotho) and the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation (MICSTI), and was formally recognized as a national IGF initiative in 2024.

LesIGF brings together government, civil society, the private sector, the technical community, and academia to discuss the policy issues shaping Lesotho's digital future — from access and infrastructure to data governance and cybersecurity. It follows the same principles as the African IGF (AfIGF) and the UN IGF:

  • Open — any Internet governance stakeholder may join through the LesIGF Secretariat.
  • Multistakeholder — active, democratic participation across sectors, including women and youth.
  • Transparent — open communication, decisions, and implementation of LesIGF activities.
  • Accountable — mechanisms exist to review and redress LesIGF actions.
  • Remote participation — LesIGF uses the Internet itself to widen participation beyond Maseru.

Objectives

  1. Raise awareness of Internet governance issues among the public, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
  2. Facilitate open, inclusive dialogue among government, civil society, the private sector, the technical community, and academia.
  3. Contribute to informed, inclusive Internet-related policy.
  4. Build participants' capacity on Internet governance and emerging technology trends.
  5. Enable Lesotho's participation at continental and global Internet governance platforms.
  6. Strengthen multistakeholder engagement within SADC and the African Union.
  7. Address emerging issues — cybersecurity, privacy, digital inclusion, and the impact of new technologies.
  8. Advocate for universal, affordable Internet access, including for marginalized and underserved communities.

Membership

Membership is open to representatives from government, civil society, academia, media, finance, agriculture, and the ICT sector. LesIGF's activities are coordinated by the National IGF Committee.

Since 2021

LesIGF held its first meeting in August 2021, under the theme "Internet Governance for Development." The most recent edition, LesIGF 2024, was held 11–12 July 2024 at Lancer's Inn, Maseru, preceded by the Lesotho School of Internet Governance (LesSIG). A 2025 edition was not held due to administrative issues. LesIGF returns 26–30 October 2026, with LesSIG running 26–28 October ahead of the two-day Forum. See PastIGFs page for the full history.