• digital cooperation
• digital sovereignty
• internet fragmentation
• internet governance

In the era of global connectivity, the Internet serves as the linchpin of modern society. However, this interconnectivity can be limited, and it is being limited by policies and activities imposing barriers, regulations, or censorship measures that can segment the global network into distinct entities. Although a complete separation is not viable, Internet fragmentation is a growing phenomenon. It has the potential to undermine the stability and security of the global network by fragmenting the domain name system (DNS), compromising the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures, and affecting trust in online communications.
This dissertation aims to analyse the impact of digital sovereignty on Internet fragmentation and overall Internet governance and the Global Digital Compact (DGC) role to foster digital cooperation to address it. Considering the ongoing debates and different perspectives presented by the three key players in technological negotiations, the United States (US), the European Union (EU) and China in the Digital Global Compact regarding Internet fragmentation, the paper will delimit the positions of these three governments, scrutinising the main arguments presented in their submissions and how they can be optimised for an agreement at the Summit of the Future. 
For this purpose, this study adopts a doctrinal approach in the first part to analyse overall Internet governance, digital sovereignty, and Internet fragmentation. This systematic analysis of policy documents and scholarship encompasses retrieving insights from legal frameworks and norms regarding Internet governance and digital sovereignty.  In other words, by scrutinising relevant policy texts and academic discourse, this study aims to provide an understanding of the legal landscape surrounding Internet fragmentation and digital sovereignty and identify key trends, challenges, and potential avenues for international cooperation and regulatory reform. In relation to the second part, document analysis is deployed to observe stakeholders’ main arguments presented by the EU, the US and China in their submissions and the ongoing drafts of the UN Digital Global Compact. 
The conclusion shows that despite the collective effort of the DGC, the overall text presents an abstract wording, which can be explained by the non-binding nature of the framework under discussion and the difficulties in finding common ground among many stakeholders, especially governments with different regulatory approaches concerning cyberspace. However, the second revised draft stressed the need to reinforce the multistakeholder governance model of the Internet and the role of the IGF in addressing Internet fragmentation. Hence, while this dissertation does not aim to predict the future, the findings indicate that no radical change in the current Internet governance modus operandi is on the horizon.
The dissertation is composed of three parts. The first analyses Internet governance’s definition and current debates on digital sovereignty and internet fragmentation. The second focuses on a brief overview of distributed bodies concerned with Internet governance, such as the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and how they engaged with a wide range of stakeholders in the context of digital cooperation. The third and final section focuses on the multistakeholder process of the DGC and its rationale, including the submissions of the selected governments and the three available drafts of the Compact at the time of this writing in July 2024.