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Best Practice Forums (BPFs)
What are the BPFs?
A report produced by the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) Working Group on Improvements to the IGF called for the development of more tangible outputs to ‘enhance the impact of the IGF on global Internet governance and policy’. To enrich the potential for IGF outputs, the IGF has developed an intersessional programme of Best Practice Forums (BPFs) intended to complement other IGF community activities.
BPFs offer substantive ways for the IGF community to produce more concrete outcomes. They carry their work in an open and consultative manner. BPF outcomes – in the form of compilations of good practices – are intended to help inform policy debates and serve as inputs into other pertinent forums and processes. All interested stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to the BPF discussions, through public consultations, surveys, mailing list discussions, online meetings, and other modalities for public engagement. Stakeholders interested in contributing to BPF activities are encouraged to subscribe to the dedicated mailing lists where online meetings and other activities are announced.
What is the substantive focus of the IGF 2020 BPFs and how to participate?
Every year, the MAG agrees on thematic focus of the Best Practice Forums. The analytical process and development of the final BPF output document are done in an open and consultative way with the community. Every month, dedicated virtual meetings are hosted. All stakeholders are welcome to join the meetings and/or send their written contributions to igf[et]un[dot]org. For the start, all stakeholders are invited to subscribe to dedicated BPF mailing lists through which relevant updates are continuously communicated.
For IGF 2020 cycle, the BPFs are focused on the following themes:
| BPF | Scope of work | Co-facilitators and Mailing list |
| Cybersecurity |
The BPF continues the analysis of international cybersecurity agreements it started in 2019, and divides its work in 3 tracks: - New agreements and recent developments - Understanding and documenting methods of norms assessment - Outreach to widen participation in the BPF |
BPF Cybersecurty webpage Mailing list: Subscribe HERE to the BPF on Cybersecurity mailing list |
| Gender and Access | The BPF will compile good practices and develop recommendations on how Internet-related policy processes and spaces (should) foster the participation of women and gender-diverse people. Our focus will be on Internet-related policy processes and spaces that address issues related to violence, harm, pleasure and consent online. |
BPF Gender & Access webpage Mailing list: Subscribe HERE to the BPF on Gender and Access mailing list |
| Data and New Technologies in an Internet Context | What best practices exist to ensure that users’ data is collected, analysed and used to bring benefit, and not harm, to users? |
BPF Data & New Technologies webpage Mailing list: Subscribe HERE to the BPF on Data and New Technologies in an Internet Context mailing list |
| Local Content | The BPF will compile and analyse case studies of policies and approaches to protect, preserve and remunerate creative work and collective wisdom in order to create a sustainable model for the production, distribution and local fruition of local content in the digital age. |
BPF Local Content webpage Mailing list: Subscribe HERE to the BPF on Local Content mailing list |
| Reviewing past BPFs and developing guidance for future BPFs: a ''BPF on BPFs'' |
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In 2020, the MAG launched an initiative to evaluate the first six years of Best Practice Forums. The 'BPF on BPFs', as one of the IGF’s intersessional activities, will document the open consultative process carried out across the BPF networks to recommend improvements to the BPF work and criteria for evaluating, proposing and approving the future BPFs. Objectives of this activity are available in this outline. |
Reference Reading:
- IGF BPFs 2014 - 2019 Outputs
- IGF Best Practice Forums (BPFs): A Participants Guide
- 2016 IGF Community Activities: Modalities and Timeline(s)
- Looking back on the 2015 BPF process: Observations, Thoughts and Suggestions to Enhance the BPF Process, Participation and Outputs
- Possible collaboration between the BPFs and NRIs
معلومات إضافية
معلومات الاتصال
United Nations
Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
Villa Le Bocage
Palais des Nations,
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
igf [at] un [dot] org
+41 (0) 229 173 678
