National and Regional IGF initiatives (NRIs):
Planning the IGF 2016 Substantive Session
- Virtual Meeting XII: 15 November 2016 -
About
1. The twelfth virtual planning meeting for the National and Regional IGF Initiatives’ (NRIs) main session at the IGF 2016, took place on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 at 16:00 p.m. UTC.
2. The meeting was hosted by Ms. Anja Gengo from the IGF Secretariat. This Summary Report will reflect the main key points raised during the meeting.
3. The agenda is attached to this document as Annex A1 and a list of Meeting Participants as Annex A2. Annex A3 includes a list of other relevant documents, as referenced in this report.
SUMMARY REPORT
Introductions and Agenda adoption
4. Participants introduced themselves stating which NRI they are affiliated with, and were asked to share any updates on their Initiatives’ activities and future plans. The full list of participants is available as Annex A1.
5. The Host shared the agenda with everyone. It was suggested to discuss the schedule for the NRIs booth volunteering under last agenda item, Any other Business (AoB).
6. All suggestions were fully endorsed and agenda unanimously adopted.
7. It was reminded that the UK IGF is scheduled to be on 17 November. Details for online participation available at this initiatives’ website: http://uk-igf.ifdnrg.com/.
8. It was noted that the sub-regional IGF of West Africa will happen during 17 and 18 November at Niamey, Niger.
9. On behalf of the eighth national IGF of Italy, a brief update was submitted. It was noted that a two days long meeting was held in Venice on 14 and 15 November. It was structured in 32 plenary sessions (opening and closing) and 8 workshops. Some of the session topics were inspired by the global IGF agenda. Topics inspired by global IGF were: net neutrality principles and the future generation networks, Internet governance across the world, cybersecurity, human rights on the Internet, how to tackle digital divide and Internet of things. Besides these, two very specific workshops on Italian specific matters were: the organization of the Internet in Italy and industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 workshop, chaired by the president of the ICT industries federation of Italy, was dedicated to the recent programme of support to innovation and digitalization of Italian MSEs of the same name (Industry 4.0), launched by the Italian government few months ago. The one on the organization of Internet in Italy discussed about the current fragmented situation of the Internet in Italy, where competences are fragmented at the governmental level, but also within the business sector and civil society. The only sector a little bit more structured and cooperating in cluster is the academia sector, that in fact was the most represented at the IGF Italia of this year.
Of particular interest was the session on Digital divide, where the Italian Government has presented the recently launched plans to bring the broadband in all rural areas and in small towns, that will finally take in account the special nature of Italy, where most of the population and of the MSE is still living out of the metropolitan areas. Across all the workshops and in the plenaries, the main topic of discussion was how to transform the "Carta dei diritti del cittadino su Internet" (Charter of citizens internet rights) recently approved by the Italian Parliament, into concrete acts of legislation that could start a process of modernization of the whole society. The full report of this annual meeting will be submitted to the IGF Secretariat.
NRIs Main Session: Allocation of presenters
10. At the beginning of the discussion, it was noted that the IGF Secretariat was coordinating the process of gathering inputs on all decision making processes regarding the organization of the NRIs main session, to ensure that the process is conducted in a bottom up manner.
11. It was reminded that so far two online surveys were done in order to get the inputs. These were extensively discussed on the NRIs mailing list and on the numerous NRIs virtual meetings. Regular updates were submitted to the MAG on each of the proposals and final decisions.
12. Participants were informed that so far 37 national and regional IGFs confirmed their participation at the NRI s main session. The record is shown below as an Annex A2.
13. In particular, it was noted that the representation of the Youth IGFs needs to be discussed as a separate agenda item. From the IGF Secretariat, it was noted that the discussion on the application of the IGF core principles on these IGFs is a subject for further discussion for the NRIs community.
14. Due to a bigger number of confirmed speakers than initially expected, it was agreed that the NRIs representatives will be speaking on one of the four topics. In order to finally allocate the speakers per topics, it was agreed that a public survey will be sent out so that the NRIs can prioritize their topic preferences. Depending on the number of priorities per topic, the final time schedule will be developed, all in agreement with the NRIs colleagues. Participants agreed that the deadline for the proposal will be next week’s Monday.
15. It was noted that the final goal of the above describe organization is to have as many individual IGF initiatives as possible being represented at the main session.
16. In the following week, a proposal for the remote moderators and rapporteurs, per each segment, will be sent for final approval of the NRIs community.
17. One participant raised a question if the NRIs colleagues that didn’t discuss the two topics from segment II, will be able to speak about the same ones. Following this question, it was noted that the NRIs colleagues are fully independent in self-choosing on what topic they will be speak, based on the quality of the content thy can provide
18. One participant raised the concerns that the organization of the main session is only focused on the on-site NRIs speakers, while many of the NRIs will not be able to be present on-site. However, they will be present online and it was asked for the focus to be shifted to these speakers.
19. Participants agreed that the online participation is equally important as on-site, and that online speakers are welcome to priorities their topics, send the update to the Secretariat and confirm their participation, so that the current version of the presenter’s schedule can be adjusted.
Session co-moderators
20. Participants were reminded that the initial proposal indicates that the NRIs will be in a role of the co-moderators, per each of the topic. It was explained that then role of the co-moderators will be to use the guiding questions to ask the speakers to respond. The session will be in a form of a conversation, and not in presenting the one-sides statements.
21. On the above mentioned guiding questions, it was asked if it is possible to still submit updates to the guiding questions and if they could be re-posted to the NRIs list. The Secretariat answered that the guiding questions will be posted along with this report to the NRIs list, where suggestions to the existing version of the questions are welcome, if any.
22. Some of the participants raised concerns that the NRIs should be in a role of speakers, and not in a role of moderators, as that position requires someone that is neutral, thus not affiliated with the NRIs, but who at the same time, knows and understand how the NRIs work and collaborate.
Moreover, some participants noted that this is not a content based session as others, but rather a session where the audience will receive an overview on what is happening across the world on Internet governance and what is the position of each country/region, which is an additional reason for not having the NRIs moderators.
23. Some participants noted that the NRIs that will be in a role of the co-moderator for a specific topic, will not be in a role of a speaker for that topic. Also, there are guiding questions that they will use, and that are produced by the NRIs, which means that the NRIs will be just formally running the conversation, on the pre-agreed scenarios, without having any space for being subjective or biased.
24. Due to the above presented arguments, the IGF Secretariat asked for this discussion to be continued on the NRIs mailing list, by the next week’s Tuesday, with asking all NRIs colleagues to submit their feedback on the submitted proposal.
AoB
- Honorary Host Country Co-Chair
25. Participants were informed that Mr. Victor Lagunes from the Office of the President of Mexico will be in a role of the honorary Host Country Co-Chair.
- NRIs main session reporting
26. One participant raised the question of the reporting about the NRIs main session, after the IGF meeting, with suggesting that the report could be an excellent starting point for the next year’s work. It was advised that the report should be focused on the lessons learned about how different stakeholders in different parts of the world think and address challenges. This was welcomed as a useful input, and explained that each main session will follow the main session reporting requirements developed by the MAG. However, these ideas could serve for developing a work plan for next year(s).
27. Some participants expressed their commitment to spend time at the NRIs booth. It was agreed that an official call will be launched through the NRIs mailing list, so that the full schedule can be developed.
Next Steps
28. The Secretariat will create a public form for the NRIs to indicate the topic priorities and speakers.
29. After this meeting, the Secretariat will send two calls to the NRIs mailing list:
- Call for indicating the topics priorities and names of the presenters. Deadline: Tuesday, 22 November 2016.
- Call for feedback on the proposal for the co-moderatos. Deadline: Monday, 31 November.
30. Next meeting: The Secretariat will schedule a call for the confirmed nriS speakers. Time and date to be decided.
31. For any suggestions or questions regarding the Report, kindly contact the Secretariat at: [email protected].
ANNEX A1
Meeting Agenda:
- Welcome and introductions
- NRIs Main Session Presenters
- NRIs Moderator(s)
- AoB
ANNEX A2
List of Meeting participants (in alphabetical order):
- Abakar Hissein, observer from Chad
- Abdeldjalil Bachar Bong, IGF Chad
- Ali Hussain, IGF Pakistan (in formation)
- Ana Neves, IGF Portugal
- Anja Gengo, IGF Secretariat
- Artem Goriainov, Central Asia IGF
- Chengetai Masango, IGF Secretariat
- Daniel Macías, IGF2016 Host Country representative
- Fotjon Kosta, IGF Albania (in formation)
- Giacomo Mazzone, EuroDIG, IGF Italy, MAG member
- Imran Ahmed Shah, IGF Pakistan (in formation)
- Israel Rosas, IGF2016 Host Country representative
- Izumi Okutani, IGF Japan, MAG member
- Jennifer Chung, Asia Pacific regional IGF
- Juuso Moisander, IGF Finland, MAG member
- Laura Watkins, IGF UK, MAG member
- Lianna Galstyan, IGF Armenia
- Lorena Jaume, IGF Germany
- Louise Marie Hurel, observer from Brazil
- Mahamat Adam Seid, observer from Chad
- Mahamat Silim Moustapha, observer from Chad
- Maheeshwara Kirindigoda, IGF Sri Lanka
- Makane Faye, Africa regional IGF
- Marilyn Cade, USA-IGF, MAG member
- Mary Uduma, IGF Nigeria
- Nathalia Patrício, IGF Brazil
- Nicolas Fiumarelli, IGF Uruguay
- Nigel Cassimire, Caribbean IGF
- Oksana Prykhodko, IGF Ukraine
- Satish Babu, observer from India
- Sorina Teleanu, SEEDIG and IGF Romania
- Subhash Dhakal, Nepal IGF (in formation)
- Susan Chalmers, USA-IGF
- Youssouf Abdelrahim, observer from Chad
- Yuliya Morenets, Youth IGF movement
- Zeina Bou Harb, Arab IGF, MAG member
ANNEX A3
List of shared documents:
NRIs that confirmed their attendance [* final confirmations pending]:
A. National IGFs
AFRICA (7)
- Chad IGF
- Nigeria IGF
- Ghana IGF
- Kenya IGF
- South Africa IGF
- Uganda IGF
- DRC
ASIA-PACIFIC (3)
- Indonesia IGF
- Sri Lanka IGF
- Japan IGF
EASTERN EUROPE (4)
- Armenia IGF
- Bosnia and Herzegovina IGF
- *Poland IGF
- Georgia IGF
- GRULAC (5)
- Colombia IGF
- Mexico IGF
- Argentina IGF
- Peru IGF
- Brazil IGF
- WEOG (9)
- UK IGF
- German IGF
- IGF-USA
- Spain IGF
- Portugal IGF
- Finland IGF
- Netherlands IGF
- *Austria IGF
- *Canada IGF
B. Regional IGFs (8)
- Arab IGF
- African IGF
- West African IGF
- EuroDIG
- SEEDIG
- AP IGF
- LAC IGF
- Caribbean IGF
- Central Asia IGF