IGF 2021 Call for Session Proposals

IGF 2021 Call for Session Proposals

 

For the IGF 2021 programme, stakeholders can apply to organize different types of sessions by 26 May, 23:59 UTC. This year, stakeholders are invited to focus their session proposals on the IGF 2021 issue areas the MAG identified. In addition, several new types of sessions are introduced.  All stakeholders are welcome to learn more about the 'issue-driven approach' and explore the types of session they can apply for, as indicated in the below description. 

Hybrid IGF

The IGF 2021 will be organised in a hybrid format, welcoming participants joining physically on-site in Katowice as well as participants joining virtually online. The goal is for all participants whether on-site or accessing the IGF online to have a similar experience when engaging with IGF sessions. Workshop and session organisers are expected to consider elements of interactivity and accommodate the hybrid format in their proposals. These elements will play an important role in the MAG's evaluation of proposals. 

The hybrid approach to IGF 2021 also means that stakeholders can submit session proposals regardless of whether they plan to be present onsite in Katowice or not.

Learn more about the hybrid format and hosting of sessions with an organizing team participating only online or as a mixture of online and onsite participation.



An ‘issue-driven approach’

In response to input from the IGF community and from proposals relating to the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation calling for a more focused IGF, the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) has opted for using an issue-driven approach to design the IGF 2021 programme. The MAG launched a call for issues late in 2020. Over 230 responses produced a set of issues, which were then clustered and prioritised by the MAG, to achieve a dual goal:

  • Contribute to ongoing IGF evolution and strengthening through an approach to the programme that would encourage focused discussion that delves more deeply into specific issue areas, thereby potentially leading to more focused outcomes.
  • Maintain and the IGF’s open and bottom-up character as a space for dialogue and debate on a wide range of issues considered relevant by people and institutions from all stakeholder groups around the world.

Finally, the MAG agreed on two main focus areas and four emerging and cross-cutting issue areas:

IGF 2021 Main focus areas 

IGF 2021 Emerging and cross-cutting issue areas 

This issue-driven approach is somewhat different from previous years, where broad themes formed the basis of IGF programme content. The goal for IGF 2021 is, in general, to work with fewer issues treated in greater depth. Session proposals that are linked to the two main focus areas and the connected policy questions outlined below are encouraged to also explore linkages between the main focus area and cross-cutting issues. At the same time, the flexibility and openness of the IGF programme are retained through the emerging and cross-cutting issues, as session proposals fitting within these areas are expected to cover a wider set of topics. The issue-driven approach is expected to facilitate the creation of more focused and structured IGF outputs, including the key messages.

IGF 2021 issue focus and the COVID-19 pandemic. As we share the call for session proposals for IGF 2021, the world is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the many challenges that accompany it. The theme of IGF 2020, Internet for human resilience and solidarity, is as relevant now as it was a year ago. IGF 2021’s main focus areas – Economic and social inclusion and human rights and Universal access and meaningful connectivity – relate directly to this context and the MAG welcomes proposals that explore these linkages. 



New session formats

As noted, there are several new types of sessions for which stakeholders can apply. Below are the descriptions for these sessions.

How to submit your session proposal?

Stakeholders are strongly encourage to look through the session formats carefully and consider which is the most suited to the session wanting to propose.

Please explore the session formats down below and click on 'Learn more & Apply' button under the session type description. You will then be directed to a dedicated page through which an online application can be submitted.

 


Workshops

Workshops are sessions in the IGF annual meeting on a specific Internet governance topic or question. Internet governance is defined as “the development and application by Governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and  use of the Internet.” Workshops should offer expertise or insight on the topic and generate discussion among participants. 



Who can apply?

  • Any person, or group of persons, from any stakeholder group - civil society, the technical community, the private sector or government - may submit a workshop proposal. 
  • Organizing teams who are proposing a session for the first time, or are from developing countries, are especially encouraged to submit. 
  • It is also strongly encouraged to list a team that is diverse in terms of gender, region, stakeholder group, age (e.g. youth), and physical ability (e.g. persons with disabilities), as diversity is an important factor during proposal evaluation.

Learn more & Apply


Open Forums

Open Forums are interactive sessions organized by governments, treaty-based international ‎organizations, and global organizations with international scope and presence, with operations across ‎regions, dealing with Internet governance issues. Open Forums should focus on a government ‎or organization’s Internet governance-pertinent activities during the past year and allow sufficient ‎time for questions and discussions. ‎

Who can apply?

  • Governments
  • Treaty-based international organizations
  • Global organizations from any stakeholder group with international scope and presence, with ‎operations across regions, dealing with Internet governance-related issues.

Learn more & Apply


Town Halls

Town Halls are interactive sessions organized by entities dealing with Internet governance issues of international scope. Through town hall sessions, stakeholders exchange views on ‎topical and controversial Internet governance issues. This session type is particularly suitable for ‎current and emerging issues.‎

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Organizations dealing with Internet governance issues of international scope
  • Organizations need to demonstrate their existing operational work status in the global Internet governance ecosystem and clearly outline Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through the session

Learn more & Apply


Launches and Awards

Sessions to present and discuss Internet governance-related academic and/or research initiatives or ‎outputs such as research or think tank work, book launches and similar. Proposals should clearly ‎state the relevance to Internet governance and IGF’s thematic focus. Session content must adhere to ‎the UN Code of Conduct. This sessions type can also be suitable for award ceremonies. 

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Stakeholder with demonstrated interest in Internet governance
  • Organizations need to demonstrate their existing operational work status in the global Internet governance ecosystem and clearly outline Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through the session

Learn more & Apply


Lightning talks

Lightning talks are brief, to-the-point, prepared presentation on a specific Internet governance issue.‎

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Stakeholder with demonstrated interest in Internet governance
  • Organizations need to demonstrate their existing operational work status in the global Internet governance ecosystem and clearly outline Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through the session

Learn more & Apply


Networking Sessions

These are interactive gatherings of stakeholders interested in a same or similar issue on Internet ‎governance. Their open (in the case of face-to-face events - open-seating) formats are spontaneous ‎and can serve as icebreaker, prompting quicker ways for people to get to know each other. ‎Networking sessions are also a suitable session type for social gatherings, or for gatherings of people ‎and organisations from a particular region, stakeholder group, or area of activity.‎

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Any organization which demonstrates its existing operational work status in Internet ‎governance ecosystem
  • Organizations need to demonstrate their existing operational work status in the global Internet governance ecosystem and clearly outline Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through the session

Learn more & Apply


Dynamic Coalition Sessions

Dynamic Coalitions (DC) have traditionally used individual sessions to discuss related to their DC topic, and any work done by their coalition which they wish to highlight.

Who is eligible to apply?

  • DC recognized by the IGF Secretariat which provided an annual report, and a session report if it hosted an individual meeting at a previous IGF
  • DCs recognized in 2021 which submitted a 'light' activities report to outline any work done since the recognition

Learn more & Apply


National, Regional and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs) Collaborative Sessions

Through a bottom-up, consultative process, the NRIs are invited to submit issues of priority that would ‎help understand the mutual thematic interest for all NRIs on which the NRIs sessions could focus. ‎NRIs coordinators should submit inputs through the form below, on behalf of their organizing ‎committees. The final deadline to submit issues is 3 May 2021, 23:59 UTC, aiming at forming organizing teams and developing session proposals by the deadline for all session proposals submissions.

Who is eligible to apply?

  • NRIs recognized by the IGF Secretariat

Learn more & Apply


Pre-events (Day 0 sessions)

These sessions take place on the day before the IGF official programme begins. Requesters are granted the space to hold the events if their content is IG-relevant and appropriate. Taking into consideration the regional and stakeholder balance, as well as the relevance for the Internet governance, space for these sessions is allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis and requested durations are granted based on availability. 

Who is eligible to apply?

  • Stakeholder with demonstrated interest in Internet governance
  • Organizations need to demonstrate their existing operational work status in the global Internet governance ecosystem and clearly outline Internet governance-related objective to be achieved through the session

Learn more & Apply


FAQs - Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions

 

(i) Session teams participating fully online

If a session’s organizing team participates only online (includes online speakers, moderators, rapporteurs and other involved resource parties), the session would still be assigned a meeting room at the 16th IGF in Katowice. The onsite participants may choose to join the session from the meeting room or some other space they feel comfortable in, through the meeting’s platform. The meeting room would contain the necessary technical equipment, such as a screen on which the session online layout would be projected, and a microphone to enable onsite participants to contribute to the discussions (via the online platform).



All participants, onsite or online, would need to request the floor to speak through the IGF online floor request system.



(ii) Session teams with mixed online and onsite presence

If the session will have a mixed component, with some participants joining online and some onsite, the room moderator(s) will act as a bridge between two groups of participants and ensure the interactivity and equal ways of participation for both groups.

  • I don’t know yet if I will be able to travel to Katowice. Can I still apply for a session?

    Yes, absolutely! Regardless of whether you will take part online or onsite, you can still submit a proposal and organize a session. 

     
  • Some of my speakers won’t be able to travel to Katowice. Can they still participate?

    Yes, absolutely! Speakers can take part online or onsite.

     
  • None of my speakers or moderators will be able to travel to Katowice. Can we still submit a proposal and participate online?

    Yes, absolutely! It is possible to submit proposals for sessions in which all involved parties join fully online, including speakers, moderators, rapporteurs and other resources the session will benefit from. 

     
  • If the session has only online speakers, do I still need to provide an onsite moderator?

    No, there is no need to provide an onsite moderator. The assigned meeting room in Katowice from which participants can connect to the online session will have a member of the technical support team who will provide information on how to contribute to the discussions.