IGF 2016: Enabling Inclusive and Sustainable Growth

The IGF 2016 Newcomers Track aims to help participants attending the IGF annual meeting for the first time, to understanding the IGF processes and to foster the integration of all new-coming stakeholders into the IGF community. 

Its focus is to make the meeting participant's first IGF experience as productive and welcoming as possible. 

This session will serve for the first-time coming participants to speak to some of the key IGF stakeholders about the history of the IGF, its ongoing processes and community engagement.

Most of the time will be reserved for the participants attending for the first time, to ask anything they would like to ask about the IGF. 

Stay in contact: subscribe to the Newcomers Track mailing list by clicking on: igfnewcomers@intgovforum.org

 

The Road to a Local IGF: Strategies to Organize a Local IGF
The fellows of the IGF Academy have been working on a strategy toolkit to help create Internet governance forums and to enhance existing Internet governance structures. The toolkit is an outcome of the first IGF Academy program - IGF Academy Fellows provided country-specific analysis, evaluations and strategies; Internet governance experts reviewed their recommendations and scientific editors cooperated with them to finalise the toolkit. The strategy toolkit consists of four elements: stakeholder mapping; funding strategy; communication strategy and SWOT analysis. It guides human rights activists, journalists, governments and other stakeholders who want to initiate Internet governance forums and processes to start the organizing process in a strategic, structured way. Additionally, the IGF Academy aims to strengthen ties between local and regional Internet governance stakeholders and to provide concrete steps for multistakeholder participation in the global United Nations IGF.
About
The IGF Academy’s goal is to foster freedom of expression on the Internet and to strengthen inclusive, transparent Internet governance processes. It facilitates the development of national Internet governance processes and supports engagement with corresponding regional and global Internet governance processes.

Moderator:

Renata Baltar - UNIFOR - Stakeholder group: Civil Society - Country: Brasil

Speakers:

Paiva, Gustavo (Remote)  - UFRN - Stakeholder group: Civil Society - Country: Brasil
Kimberly Anastácio - Ibidem -  Stakeholder group: Civil Society - Country: Brasil
Ephraim Percy Kenyanito - Accessnow - Stakeholder group: Civil Society - Subsaharan Africa

Rapporteur:
Hafedh Gharbi Yahmadi - Stakeholder group: Business - Country: Tunisia

Remote moderator:
Olevie Kouami -  Stakeholder group: Civil Society - Country: Togo

An inspirational group of activists, researchers and practitioners on Internet Governance have come together after IGF2015 and other IG events in Latin America to engage in different organizations in the area. This reveals the impact that debate arenas such as the IGF have and further presents the importance of regional engagement and effective strategies to achieve it.

The dialogues and actions of this group were revisited in events like Internet Freedom Festival, Rightscon, ICAN55, WSIS Forum and other arenas. These activists continue the debate in online groups, both mobile and on computers. Their work continues identifying leaders in Internet Governance and other groups which can be articulated so that regional engagement increases and future actions can be planned so as to fully integrate unrepresented regions in the Internet Governance future.

Our online activism communities on IG in the Global South are dispersed and do not easily communicate with each other. Through this Flash Session, we wish to expose a few of them and to bring them together, in order to strategize and create global ties independent from organizations and companies.

By showcasing these efforts, it's expected that new communication bridges can be built. As well, common goals and concerns, such zero rating,increase in connectivity, cybersecurity and other can be addressed primarily.

The IGF Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things (IoT) brings together stakeholders from all over the world to engage in a dialogue on “good practice” in IoT, with the intent to find a realistic and long term sustainable way forward.

Since the 3rd Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting in Hydrabad (2008), IoT has been on the agenda for multi-stakeholder discussions of all IGFs, and the Dynamic Coalition on IoT continues to raise attention for the potential as well as challenges of the emergence of a world in which increasing proliferation of sensors and actuators connected to the Internet, which collect, act and share data, both among other things and with people.

The Internet of Things is still in early stages, and in many ways new possibilities are developed and discovered beyond our imagination, and we welcome it for its potential to help alleviate specific societal challenges where it can. The Internet of Things has, however, been around long enough to already a history with consequence.  Following the DC meeting during the IGF in Istanbul in 2014 and subsequent meetings during 2015, we came to the conclusion that in order to foster both innovation and user trust in the Internet of Things, like the Internet, a careful balance should be struck between regulation and innovation. In 2015, this lead to the publication of a draft document on Global IoT Good Practice that was shared on the IGF platform and subject of discussion during the DC IoT meeting during the IGF in Joao Pessoa.

We came to understand that the way forward is to be found in taking ethical considerations into account from the outset, both in the development, deployment and use phases of the life cycle, thus to find a sustainable way ahead using IoT helping to create a free, secure and rights enabling environment.

In addition, in 2016 we witnessed the first large-scale use of IoT objects vulnerabilities as IoT devices are now deployed for massive DDOS attacks. Responsibility for ensuring abuse of devices for such action should be attributed thus to ensure action will be taken to counter such abuse towards the future.

Following the IGF meeting, taking into account feedback on the IGF online platform and having discussed this face to face during meetings in Brussels (EuroDIG, 8 June 2016) and Washington DC (USA IGF, 14 July 2016), an updated paper is presented at http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/dynamiccoalitions/2015-dynamic-coalition-outputs   and more information is available at  http://www.iot-dynamic-coalition.org/.

This declaration is on the table for this session. During the session, and over the coming year we want to further zoom in to what “good” looks like from a global multistakeholder perspective, and how sustainable development of IoT that is trusted, useable, accessible, affordable and  profitable (in societal and/or business sense) can take place.

The DC workshop will be oriented around 5 key ideas that are reflecting our current thinking working towards a common appreciation of IoT good practice in 2016.  These ideas are at the core of the draft declaration on IoT best practice that has been published on the IGF website. The ideas on which we would like to receive feedback are:

1. Defining “Ethical IoT”: Explaining “ethical” in IoT perspective requires a multistakeholder dialogue: In terms of “ethical” it was remarked that a proposed “ethical approach” should find a balance in being “sufficient” from a civil society point of view, and “do-able” from a business point of view, and sustainable from a technical point of view, in the end leading to a balance of trust and “profitability” (in societal and/or business sense) that fosters a fertile environment for further development of connected technologies and services including those that make it possible to tackle societal challenges that could not be tackled, before.
2. IoT to address societal challenges: Overall, IoT was seen as “coming” and “promising” and necessary to be able to address specific societal challenges. In this it is important to ensure developing countries can and will benefit from IoT applications as well, such as in agriculture and disaster warning systems. Possibly a “Principle” on “using the most available technology possible” so that for instance GSM networks can already facilitate creation of and interaction with IoT ecosystems in developing countries. Aim is to develop an annex to the declaration with examples of good practice in a variety of applications.
3. Global Ontology for IoT: IoT is not one big animal: it is an ecosystem with many elements. It is important to distinguish the specific IoT application, before becoming more specific than “generic”. We need to develop an ontology for IoT applications with respect to: a. Privacy sensitivity; b. Security level required, not only for protecting data but also for avoiding unauthorized tampering; c. Safety level required, much depending on the type of application and sector.
4. Awareness raising: Need for IoT awareness with citizens and consumers: In terms of “making people aware” it was pointed out that “meaningful transparency” also means that people should not be expected to be technical experts.
   1. a.       One way of dealing with this is using simplified codes (like the washing labels on clothing), and clear language reference sites, like a “Wikipedia for IoT”, where possible;
   2. b.        Another important factor is for users to have choice and ownership, and where this is not possible, for business to commit to “fairness” –a concept to be further developed over the coming year;
   3. c.       The third element is the “expertise” element: how can we ensure independent trusted expertise is available to explore further whether systems are doing what they promise - possibly to be guaranteed by governments
5.       Securing the IoT infrastructure has two aspects that need to be addressed:
   a.       IoT devices are inherently vulnerable themselves, as both sensors and actuators may be compromised via hacks and cyber attacks. Depending on the IoT application, appropriate measures will need to be taken that are proportional to the security and/or safety challenge;
   b.       IoT devices are often connected to the Internet and, when not well protected, can be “recruited” to become part of increasingly massive size botnets that can be used for DDOS attacks. Proper security avoiding easy capture is therefore also a necessity. This will need to come with appropriate attribution of responsibility in ensuring this to be the case.

Agenda

1. Opening, introduction of the why and what of the draft declaration on IoT Best Practices by Maarten Botterman, Chairman DC IoT (5 min.)
2. Background to the draft declaration: history and thoughts on ways forward by Wolfgang Kleinwaechter, University of Arhus, ICANN Board (technical community) (5 min.)
3. Panel, moderated, with representatives from all sectors preparing short statements on one or more of the ideas above or the Best Practice paper as “committed contributors” to this session 

Confirmed “committed contributors” include:

1. Karen Rose (Information Society)
2. Olga Cavelli (ITU WS20)
3. Jari Arkko (Ericcson, Chair IETF)
4. Vint Cerf
5. Grace Abuhamed (NTIA)
6. Megan Richards (EU Commission)
7. Max Senges (Google)
8. Joseph Alhadef (ORACLE, Chair ICC BASIS)

  4. Open discussion with all participants and panel), moderated by Avri Doria

Some countries in Latin America have recognized the access to the Internet as a human right. For example, Mexico introduced the right to access the Internet in its Constitution and Costa Rica's Constitutional Court recognized it in a ruling. 

However, there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding what a right to access the Internet means. Particularly, there is a need to develop and understand the scope and the State obligations derived from the recognition of this right. This is particularly relevant since the recognition of a right to access the Internet might become a trend in Latin America and it would be useful to open the discussion about the implications of such recognition.

R3D, a digital rights organization in Mexico is preparing a paper developing a proposal for understanding the obligations to respect, protect, promote and guarantee the right to access the Internet as recognized in Mexico's Constitution. 

The objective of the panel is to present the proposal and open a multi-stakeholder dialogue. Discussants would receive the draft paper in advance since it would guide the public discussion at the IGF 2016. The outcomes of the dialogue will help R3D to develop and publish a final proposal for understanding the right to access the Internet from a Latin-American perspective that can serve as a guide for implementation around the region.

The room should have an online participation station, several roaming microphones to capture audience questions/comments and video/audio capabilities to facilitate the initial presentation and to facilitate possible remote participation.

Speakers provisionally confirmed:

Carrillo, Arturo
Del Campo, Agustina
Erramuspe, Alejandra
Huerta, Erick
Ruiz, Claudio

We will explore whether and how human rights frameworks and inclusive governance processes should play a role in the drive to achieve universal connectivity. 

Sustainable Development Goal 9 targets “universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.” Upon the SDG launch, global opinion shapers and business leaders released a Connectivity Declaration to “connect the world,” launched the Global Connect Initiative, and continued striving to Connect the World. These initiatives prize public-private partnerships, and laud maxims like “dig once” to ensure that diverse stakeholders plan and execute development projects efficiently.

But efficient connectivity alone cannot be the only priority in global ICT development. The digital pipeline that is essential to economic development also connects, and threatens, members of vulnerable groups worldwide. The challenge is building a framework for human rights in the digital age that allows the internet’s current billions and next 4 billion users to connect seamlessly, securely, affordably, and openly.

We posit that respect for privacy, freedom of expression, and inclusive governance processes must go hand in glove with the drive to connect. For that to occur, bridges must be built between connectivity, development, and human rights communities, and internet governance expertise must help create more inclusive models and structures.

This workshop will approach SDG9 through a lens of inclusivity and respect for rights. We will theorize practical solutions to connecting the last mile, capacity building among vulnerable groups, and more, and take the answers to the major stakeholders committed to connecting the world.

[Updated] Speakers confirmed:

Bhardwaj, Manu - U.S. Department of State
Jorge, Sonia - Alliance for Affordable Internet
Micek, Peter - Access Now
Nguyen, Carolyn - Microsoft
Solomon, Brett - Access Now
Viola, Mario - Institute for Technology & Society (ITS Rio)

This joint DCAD and G3ict workshop will suggest to develop possible sustainable accessibility goals for persons with disabilities in the use of the Internet. 
Though accessibility improvements in many areas have been made since the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was adopted in 2006, and certain levels of awareness on the importance of accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities are recognized in general, there are still a lot of barriers that persons with disabilities often encounter. Such barriers are created without any intention, but often due to the lack of information on experiences and efforts already made, as well as challenges that occurred in implementing accessibility projects in countries or regions, etc. Unless we share what we have done globally in a recognized international forum like IGF, we can’t achieve the goal of “Enabling Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” in a real global interoperable manner that lets persons with disabilities have functional equivalent access and full participation in life no matter where they live.
The workshop will facilitate to share such up-to-date information, and discuss possible five areas of sustainable accessibility goals. This will include: general status of accessibility; accessibility for SDGs; public procurement of accessible ICTs; relay services; and challenges in small islands. All of those topics will be presented in depth by international accessibility experts, then followed by interactive discussion.

Speakers provisionally confirmed:

Astbrink, Gunela
Ellis, Gerry
Okite, Judy 
Saks, Andrea

UNESCO Workshop, Internet Governance Forum: December 2016, Mexico

 Workshop Title: Encryption and Safety of Journalists in the Digital Age

 15:00 – 16:30, Wednesday, 7 December 2016, Workshop Room 6

 Topic Summary

 Over the last decades, encryption has proven uniquely suitable to be used in the digital environments. It has been widely deployed by a variety of actors to ensure protection of information and communication for commercial, personal and public interests. From a human rights perspective, there is a growing recognition that the availability and deployment of encryption by relevant actors is a necessary ingredient for realizing a free and open internet. Encryption supports free expression, anonymity, access to information, private communication and privacy. As a result, limitations on encryption need to be carefully scrutinized.

As recommended by UN Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression and Privacy in their several reports, encryption remains a key issue to explore further as an important measure to protect freedom of expression, privacy and other human rights online.

Digital harassment is an increasingly frequent occurrence that has forced journalists to abandon stories or even the profession. This type of intimidation is especially acute for women journalists, who often face graphic rape and death threats that include personal details when they publish work online in multiple ways including social media.

Encryption plays a crucial role in protecting online safety for all users including journalists and media actors. UNESCO aims to carry forward the human rights discussion on encryption by launching its new edition of the Organization’s Internet Freedom Series publication: Human Rights Aspects of Encryption. The journalistic dimension will be highlighted to address the safety of journalists online and explore the existing mechanism and legislation to protect journalists from digital harassments.

It will be an interactive discussion built on a brief introduction of the research at the beginning and short remarks from panellists. Majority of the time will be dedicated to the Q and A with the audience and remote participants.

Resources and links:

 Link to UNESCO Internet Study “Keystones to foster inclusive Knowledge Societies”: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/internetstudy/

 UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/publications-and-communication-materials/publications/publications-by-series/unesco-series-on-internet-freedom/

 Link to UNESCO Concept note on Internet Universality:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/crosscutting-priorities/unesco-internet-study/internet-universality/

 Link to ConnectingtheDots Outcome documents of UNESCO: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/outcome_document.pdf

 In-Person Moderator: Guy Berger, UNESCO

 Remote Moderator: Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, UNESCO

 Rapporteur: Xianhong Hu, UNESCO

 Speakers

 Mr. Frank La Rue, Assistant Director-General of  UNESCO

Mr. Wolfgang Schulz, Hans-Bredow-Institut fur Medienforschung

Mr. Amos Toh, Legal assistant to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom Of Expression

Ms. Courtney Radsch, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Mr. Marc Rotenberg, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)

Ms. Amalia Toledo, Karisma Foundation and FLIP

Mr. Sebastián Bellagamba, Internet Society (ISOC)

Mr. Janis Karklins, Vice President of Human Rights Council

Agenda

 Preparation  meeting with panelists, 15 mins before the session

5’ Opening remarks from the Chair Mr Guy Berger, UNESCO Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development 

5’ Introduction by Mr. Frank La Rue, Assistant Director General for Communication and Information, UNESCO.

10’ Presentation by Mr. Wolfgang Schulz, Hans-Bredow-Institut fur Medienforschung

Remarks by panelists

5’ Mr. Amos Toh, Legal assistant to UN Special Rapporteur on FOE

5’ Ms. Courtney Radsch, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

5’ Mr. Marc Rotenberg,  Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)

5’ Ms. Amalia Toledo, Karisma Foundation and FLIP

5’ Mr. Sebastián Bellagamba, Internet Society (ISOC)

5’ Mr. Janis Karklins, Vice President of Human Rights Council

Open floor to other stakeholders at present

40’

Q&A

In this workshop, we aim to discuss the right to freedom of speech for LGBT and sexual rights activists, looking at case studies of violations from around the world. The discussants, together with the audience, will unpack why and how these violations take place, as well as discuss the strategies and policy recommendations to ensure that freedom of sexual expression is protected online.

Debates around dissenting voices and their right to freedom of expression - particularly on the internet - primarily revolve around political and religious dissent. This is despite the fact that, alongside politics and religion, sexual content is the most pervasively censored, regulated, and persecuted speech online. Therefore, this workshop build on the success of the 2015 session “LGBT Rights and the Internet” to further explore with multiple stakeholders the questions of which sexual content is tagged as “harmful,” who makes these decisions, and how the internet community can ensure the right to sexual expression and access to information, while maintaining a safe and secure internet for all users, particularly women, young people, and LGBTs.

In light of the IGF 2016 theme “Enabling Inclusive and Sustainable Growth,” it is important to highlight strategies and measures to include activists and bloggers doing progressive sexual rights work online in the discussion of internet governance.

Speakers provisionally confirmed:

Datta, Bishakha

This is a chaired discussion on Identity Governance is a follow-on from workshops at EuroDIG and UK-IGF earlier in 2016. This builds on work that has been taking place over the last 6 years. This journey has already resulted in some surprising answers and changes in direction….

Fundamental finding from last year:
People do not understand Cyber Identity (identity assurance and identity management on the Internet) Too many systems are designed by white English men in lab coats for white men in lab coats, they can sometimes be exclusive of those who do not have English as a language or have physical or mental challenges. Digital by default is a nice idea but how do you support every type of person in a global community?

Key issues for this year:

How do you prevent digital exclusion through proper governance of identity on the Internet, where countries are going “digital by default” and developing countries are coming online?

To look at the governance of identity on the Internet and its impacts on security, privacy and anonymity. Is anonymity really possible or desirable and how does anonymity relate to trust and privacy?

To look at the use of identity in commercialisation of the Internet with particular regard to legal frameworks and inclusivity of identity systems.

There are a number of other questions that are relevant and we aim to address as many of these as possible:

• How do you ensure that identity on the Internet is properly governed to address the sometimes conflicting goals of; inclusion, privacy and national security requirements?
• How do you ensure that identity management and access control systems are designed to be all inclusive and not just designed for white males in lab coats?
• How do you ensure identity management systems do not foster exclusion of groups or minorities by ensuring they cover all languages, and support those with physical and mental challenges?
• Should users self-govern their identities on the Internet or should governments or commercial organisations be involved in identity governance?
• Should any organisation or body have the right to dictate what personal information can be collected, stored and data-mined and what level of assurance is required in online identity?
• How will freedom of expression be affected by introduction of a generalised system of real-name user identity or enforced assured identity
• Whether legislative controls could ever effectively govern identity on the Internet?
• How to protect the naïve from themselves so they do not damage their privacy or become a victim of identity theft?
• How do you balance anonymity & security and how much do security & privacy overlap?
• What is anonymity and is it possible or desirable on the Internet?
• The reasons to promote or suppress 'anonymity' in the Internet and its relationship to trust
• How freedom of expression would be affected by introduction of a generalised system of real-name user identity or enforced assured identity
• Whether legislative controls could ever effectively govern identity on the Internet?
• Whether commercial frameworks can be used to govern identity on the Internet?
• Should people use identity attributes as currency on the Internet? How valuable is your identity?
• How to protect the naïve from themselves so they do not damage their privacy or become a victim of identity theft, and
• Preventing digital exclusion through proper governance of identity where countries are going “digital by default” and developing countries are coming online

Countering gender based abuse online has been one of the key challenges that hinder optimal use of the Internet and other digital technologies. In the report of best practice forum on online abuse and gender based violence against women found that “abuse and gender-based violence against women, whether perpetrated online or offline, is difficult to address because of the attitudes, stereotypes and beliefs that underpin the issue. In an online context, such efforts are further complicated because responses need to be implemented within the global context of the Internet and with the cooperation of a multitude of stakeholders”. As the BFP’s report highlights the abuse against women remains disproportionate and technology at times becomes a tool, being used to commit, abet or aggravate different forms of violence against women.

As noted in BFP on Countering Abuse report, “online abuse and gender based violence can, among other things, limit women’s ability to take advantage of the opportunities that ICTs provide for the full realisation of women's human rights, act as a barrier to access that can exacerbate the gender digital gap, often violate women’s human rights, and reaffirm and reproduce gender stereotypes”. Thus, countering online abuse and gender-based violence is essential for both inclusivity and sustainability. Enabling women to participate equally online would help create an environment which allows for the optimal use of the Internet and also help women access equal opportunities for growth and development in today’s digital, networked society.

Speakers provisionally confirmed:

Abraham, Sunil
Baig, Asad
Hussain , Furhan
Lim, Serene 
Radsch, Courtney 

Moderator:

Renata Baltar

Speakers:  

Ana Paula Lourenço (Remote)
SALDANHA MAIA, CLERIA PATRICIA (Remote)
Flavia Lefevre Guimarães - Proteste 
Louise Marie Hurel - FGV
Kemly Camacho - Sula Batsu
Erika Smith - APC

Remote Moderator:
Jamila Venturini (PT-BR)
Bernice Kibet (EN)

Rapporteur:
Shita Lakshmi (Hivos/MAG)


Informing the audience about a problem on online violence against
women and genderfluid internet users all over the world. Presenting world statistics on cybercrimes. A discussion about the stats on suicides committed by young women who had their lives exposed in the internet. In this workshop we aim to teach best practices in defending against cyberattacks. We will also use the concepts of online protection and privacy on desktop and mobile apps. Techniques used as phishing, malware and how to guard against them will also be established. Having in mind also women and LGBTQ living in developing countries we will talk about what to do when doxxing (the practice of identity data exposure) is done to them and how can they react. This work stems from actual on-the-field experience in training in gender and technology issues done in a regional event in Ceara (Northeast Brazil), Python women programmers regional group, Campus Party festival national editions twice and Conference of Women in Free Software and International Free Software Forum. All knowledge acquired
in these opportunites will be shared and rebuilt with participants.

 

UNESCO Open Forum session:
 

Putting Internet Universality at the heart of the SDGs

This session will provide participants with an introduction to UNESCO's Internet Universality approach and ROAM principles (standing for a Rights-based, Open, Accessible, Multistakeholder-shaped Internet) and link them directly to this year's IGF theme of “enabling inclusive and sustainable growth.” Building on this basis, four key topics will be covered: 

1)      Internet governance and the Sustainable Development Goals

With the ongoing technological transformations and after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, it is clear that an open and collaborative Internet will be a critical component in achieving sustainable development. Building on the 2015 IGF, UNESCO, UNDP Regional Office for LAC and GFMD propose an open debate on the connections between the Internet Governance agenda and the 2030 development agenda.

Introduction : Frank La Rue, ADG/CI

Discussants:

• Anriette Esterhuysen, APC

2)      Internet Indicators Project

In 2013, Member States called at UNESCO's General Conference for a comprehensive and consultative multi-stakeholder study on Internet-related issues within UNESCO's fields of competence. This study is online at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/internetstudy and was formally endorsed by the Member States during the 38th UNESCO General Conference in November 2015.  The study promotes the “Internet Universality” concept, an Internet based on human rights, and the principles of openness, accessibility and multi-stakeholder participation, the primary framework, which will be used in this project.

UNESCO will outline and propose for discussion an initial set of Internet indicators assessing democracy, human rights and sustainable and inclusive development dimensions, while using the concept of Internet Universality (see above) as the guiding framework. 

Introduction: Guy Berger, Director, Freedom of Expression and Media Development Division (FEM) or Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, Programme Specialist, Montevideo Regional Office, UNESCO

Discussants:

• Anri van der Spuy
• UNDP Regional Office for LAC

3)      Balancing transparency and privacy

Balancing freedom of expression and privacy remains an important debate at the IGF in recent years. UNESCO takes this debate further to shed light on the intersections between specific aspects of freedom of information, as included in freedom of expression, and transparency. We will share highlights of the new edition of UNESCO’s Internet Freedom Series publication, relating transparency issues to privacy protection in the digital age.  Come and learn more about the tension between the public’s need to access and use public information, and privacy and personal data protection, particularly in the context of ongoing trend of ever spreading applications of big data, open data, IoT, smart cities, etc.

Introduction: Guy Berger, Director, Freedom of Expression and Media Development Division (FEM)

4)      Universal access: Multilingualism and empowering peoples with disabilities

Universal access to the Internet requires that all people, including with disabilities, can access the Internet in the language they speak, in order to enable an “inclusive and sustainable growth” of the Internet. For this, Internet users need to create and access content and have software tools in their own languages. UNESCO will briefly present multilingualism on the Internet facts, including from its work with EURid, and share information on the new UNESCO Atlas of Languages in Danger project.

Introduction: Indrajit Banerjee, Director, Knowledge Societies Division (KSD), UNESCO

Discussant:

• Giovanni Seppia, External Relations Manager, EURid

Chairperson: Frank La Rue, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO

Rapporteur: Xianhong Hu, Programme Specialist, FEM, UNESCO

Online moderator: Cédric Wachholz, Programme Specialist, KSD, UNESCO

Aims to inform stakeholders of the work of the Commonwealth within the Internet Governance Forum under the banner Commonwealth Internet Governance Forum, follow up on the discussions of the CIGF held at the IGF 2015, particularly on encouraging greater engagement by Commonwealth stakeholders in internet governance, share national/regional best practices pertaining to the potential role of Internet Governance in inclusive and sustainable Growth and inform stakeholders of the upcoming activities that lend to broadbasing Internet Governance.

Name of Speaker(s)

Shola taylor, Secretary-General, CTO

Session Description:

This ITU-UN Women Open Forum panel discussion focuses on the global gender digital divide and highlights EQUALS: The Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age which aims to create “an unstoppable global movement where women and girls are equal participants in the digital technology revolution”. EQUALS is committed to closing the gender digital divide by bringing global stakeholders to a centralized platform for coordinated action including data and information sharing.

EQUALS was announced at the annual meeting of the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development on September 18 in New York with high level support from the ITU Secretary General and UN Women’s Executive Director. EQUALS launched a social media and communications campaign that has received tremendous feedback from prominent leaders, high level representatives and professionals.

Several Consultations amongst partners have taken place virtually since then, with the first physical meeting and coalition discussions took place at ITU Telecom World 2016 on November 16 in Bangkok to discuss the priorities and action steps. The priority areas identified by partners will be the focus of the partnership and will allow EQUALS to set measurable targets that support the achievement of commitments made by partners. The formal launch of EQUALS is planned to take place at the 2017 WEF Davos meeting.

Areas of action:

Providing a shared platform, the partnership is committed to leveraging on and optimally utilizing the strengths, talents and reach of the partners to focus on three key thematic areas: access, skills, and leadership. Without access, no participation is even possible. After access comes the need to educate women and girls about the numerous opportunities of the digital age and develop in them proper skills leading to a real and positive impact on their lives, families and societies. And by encouraging female leadership, EQUALS ensures longevity and mentorship, enabling this movement to grow and evolve organically.

 

Moderator: ITU, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Chief of the Strategic and Planning Mem - Moderator

Opening remarks:  Lara Blanco, Deputy Director for UN Women Americas & Caribbean Regional Office, UN WOMEN

Panelists:

Microsoft, Paul Mitchell  – Private Sector
GSMA, Claire Sibthorpe– Private Sector
Mexico, Yolanda Martínez Mancilla - Government
Web Foundation (Alliance for Affordable Internet), Nanjira Sambuli – Civil Society
IGF Secretariat, TBA – Civil Society
UNCTAD, Cecile Barayre – International Organization

DCPR 3rd Annual Meeting – 9 December 2016, 11:30-13:00

This annual meeting of the DCPR will consist of two integral parts: first, a stock-taking about initiatives that have relied upon the 2015 DCPR Recommendations on Terms of Service and Human Rights. This will include a short presentation by Mr. Toby Mendel, Executive Director at the Centre for Law and Democracy, presenting CLD´s 2016 Recommendations for Responsible Tech, and Mr. Luca Belli, Senior Researcher at Center for Technology and Society of the Fundação Getulio Vargas, presenting the findings of CTS´s Terms of Service and Human Rights Project. An opportunity will be given to all participants to comment on the featured work, as well as to draw the attention to further initiatives in this space.

The second segment of the meeting will provide a forum for discussion of recent trends and developments about governmental pressures on intermediaries to behave “responsibly”. This discussion will include an overview of the responsibilisation of internet intermediaries in current legislative proposals, co-regulatory measures (such as the recently adopted EU Code of Conduct on Hate Speech) and the evolving Council of Europe framework for intermediary responsibility.

Featured speakers include:
- Megan Richards, Principal Adviser, DG CONNECT, European Commission - Daphne Keller, Director for Intermediary Liability at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society
- Wolfgang Schultz, Research Director at the Humbolt Internet Institute and Chair of the CoE expert group on internet intermediaries;
- Karmen Turk, Lecturer at the University of Tartu and member of the CoE expert group on internet intermediaries;
- Barbora Bukovska, Senior Director for Law and Policy at Article 19.