IGF 2024 Day 0 Event #155 No systematic approach to IG and human rights in the Balkans

The session would look to start by defining the core issue - which is not that Western Balkan countries have been inactive on various issues related to internet governance, but that these processes have lacked cohesion, structure, forethought and ultimately been driven not by local pwnership and political goodwill but by donor requests, projects and international community priorities. This has resulted in multiple fronts being opened with none taking center stage and has left the topic of internet governance in the [Western] Balkans looking as a tick-the-box exercise to implement various donor driven strategies. After a round of questions aimed strategically at government officials and actors who are trying to implement various programs (not projects), the discussion would move to what the Western Balkans is missing by using such an approach. This will be based on expertise of activists and leaders such as Diplo Foundation who have been attempting to put the topic on the agenda for more rhan 15 years and are currently active in other regions as well. Experts and activists such as Bojana Kostic will look to capture the human rights element and the actual cost of right infringement which an unstructured and unregulated (often autocratic) approach to internet governance in the Western Balkans is taking. The discussion will look to close with a clear and concise roadmap by the activists and CSO leaders, while at the same time serving as an advocacy tool for government officials through explaining and defining the benefits and even political points on the table for governments and leaders willing to make strategic leaps in this field. Over the course of last several years that the IG is coming to the "agenda" in the region, it is clear that while each of the stakeholder groups is undertaking its own approach and activities the efforts to make joint steps is non existent - this results it the absence of a number of strategic and legal documents necessary for this struggle. While some of the regional countries lack national CERTs, others don't have (and have never had) national cyber strategy. In the last few years especially, the whole region is experiencing the shrinking of human rights and freedoms especially in the online space - and new restrictive laws are being passed. Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, as one of the strongest regional networks and investigative NGO media, is reporting on digital rights and its violations extensively. The second regional report on the digital rights & freedoms and its violations will be published just before the IGF 2024. Its findings will also be presented during this session and will serve as a comprehensive roadmap for discussion and bringing together all relevant players.

1. BIRN as media NGO has over 20 years long journalistic experience and is working towards inclusivnes. The onsite moderator will comunicate with the online moderator in order to ensure that all voices (online and offline) are acounted for and given space to. 2. After the short overview, the floor will be given alternately to online and offline speakers or session' attendees who wish to speak/comment. 3. Zoom (BIRN holds Zoom professional account); if possible we plan to also share the session on BIRN social media (Facebook/Instagram and Twitter) weather through direct streaming or via dedicated posts inviting also public on social media channels from the region and betond to follow and participate.