IGF Newsletter: January 2023

JANUARY 2023 / THE IGF NEWSLETTER

 

18th IGF 8-12 October: SAVE THE DATE!

First Open Consultations & MAG Meeting

Shape the 2023 Programme with Thematic Inputs

On the Horizon: Stocktaking Analysis & Improvements in 2023

IGF Leadership Panel Discussions

Addis Ababa IGF Messages & 17th IGF Outputs

Intersessional Activities & NRIs

IGF Community Updates

UN Digital Stories

For Your Action!

Key Dates & Deadlines


kyoto­­

18th IGF 8-12 October: SAVE THE DATE!

The dates of the 18th IGF are confirmed! The Government of Japan will host the IGF on 8-12 October 2023 at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto.

All developments to plan this year’s programme, including meeting themes and structure, and public calls for sessions, will be made available on the IGF website in the coming weeks and months.

Stay tuned…


2023mag

First Open Consultations & MAG Meeting

The IGF 2023 First Open Consultations and Meeting of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) will take place on 8-10 March 2023 at the UN Office at Vienna (UNOV) - and is open to all stakeholders onsite or online.

The new membership of the MAG was ushered in at the end of 2022 and has begun its work under the leadership of MAG Chair Paul Mitchell. The truly multistakeholder and globally representative 2023 MAG includes second and third-year members, as well as new members hailing from Chad, Czechia, El Salvador, Hong Kong S.A.R., Mexico, Netherlands, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Tanzania.

Congratulations to all new and returning members in anticipation of their First Meeting and a constructive year ahead!

 

See More on First Open Consultations & MAG Meeting

 


thematic inputs

Shape the 2023 Programme with Thematic Inputs

As part of an annual practice to ensure the IGF programme is as bottom-up and inclusive as possible, we’ve opened our IGF 2023 Call for Thematic Inputs with a deadline of 31 January. All are invited to submit their views on issues the IGF should prioritize this year, selecting from the following digital policy themes: Cybersecurity and Trust, Universal Access and Meaningful Connectivity, Emerging Technologies and Innovation, Digital Cooperation, Rights and Freedoms, Economic Issues and Development, Media and Content, Data Governance, Technical and Operational Topics, and Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change.

100 inputs have been received and posted to the IGF website. Ensure yours is sent before Tuesday 31 January 2023, 23:59 UTC!

Submit Your IGF 2023 Thematic Input  


stocktaking

On the Horizon: Stocktaking Analysis & Improvements in 2023

More than 50 IGF participating organizations and individuals have contributed to our process to take stock of IGF 2022 and collect suggestions for improvements ahead of IGF 2023. A longstanding tradition, the annual stocktaking focuses on what aspects of the annual meeting worked well and less well from the perspective of the participant, in terms of programme content and logistics, and how these might be bettered the following year. Further comments on IGF improvements as they pertain to broader policy agendas, such as the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and Our Common Agenda report, were also welcomed this year.

The inputs received have been made public and will be synthesized by the Secretariat in a forthcoming analysis document.

Read More


lp

IGF Leadership Panel Discussions

The IGF Leadership Panel, inaugurated in the second half of last year, held its first face-to-face engagements at the IGF in Addis Ababa. A series of meetings during the IGF week kickstarted discussions on its concrete projects for this cycle and how it will fulfil its mandate handed down by the Secretary-General. An open dialogue with IGF participants further enriched the deliberations. Summary points and next steps from these meetings are publicly available.

The Panel, headed by Chair Vint Cerf, one of the “fathers of the Internet”, and Vice-Chair Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, will convene again in person on 6-7 March 2023 in Vienna, Austria.  

Learn More about the Leadership Panel & Its Members


addis msgs

Addis Ababa IGF Messages & 17th IGF Outputs

A major output of the 17th IGF, the “Addis Ababa IGF Messages”, is now final and published. The document, a first draft of which was released on the last day of the annual meeting and then revised following public comments, synthesizes the takeaways from the nearly 300 multistakeholder discussions that took place on the meeting’s five themes (Connecting and Safeguarding Human Rights; Avoiding Internet Fragmentation; Governing Data and Protecting Privacy; Enabling Safety, Security and Accountability; and Addressing Advanced Technologies, including AI). It is a unique record of informed and engaged thinking on the digital policy issues of the day, focused on solutions and ways forward, and inclusive of all stakeholder groups and regions.

In addition to the Messages, all are encouraged to consult other important outputs of IGF 2022:

Significant best practices and policy compendia have also been produced from IGF 2022 intersessional work and are now available, on:

Access All IGF 2022 Outputs!


cybersecurity

Intersessional Activities & NRIs

Best Practice Forums (BPFs) & Policy Networks (PNs)

The IGF featured four Secretariat-supported BPFs and PNs last year: the BPF on Cybersecurity; BPF on Gender & Digital Rights; Policy Network on Internet Fragmentation (PNIF); and Policy Network on Meaningful Access (PNMA). Their final outputs from 2022, containing critical policy surveys and best practices, are available on the activities’ respective pages and the IGF 2022 Outputs page.

The renewal of the 2022 BPFs and PNs this year, and the potential introduction of new intersessional topics, will be decided on by the MAG in the weeks ahead.

Once chartered, all are welcome to join these activities by signing up to BPF & PN mailing lists.

Dynamic Coalitions (DCs)

There are more than 20 issue-based DCs that work year-round on issues as diverse as Data and Trust, the Environment, and Digital Health. All are invited to contribute to their activities and join their events.

The Dynamic Coalition Coordination Group (DCCG), made up of representatives of each coalition, held its first meeting of 2023 on 18 January with a focus on DC contributions to the inputs process of the proposed Global Digital Compact.

Multistakeholder groups committed to the promotion or research of specific digital policy topics can apply with the Secretariat to form an IGF DC at any time!

More Information on the DCs Page

National, Regional and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs)

Participation at the 17th IGF in Addis Ababa was fruitful for the NRIs. In addition to successfully hosting several sessions, multistakeholder interest for new NRIs emerged. The Secretariat is in communication with stakeholders from several parts of the world, such as the Maldives, Cambodia, Central America, Mali and others, interested in having IGF processes established.

Hard work continues! The
feedback exchange NRIs hosted in late December 2022 has informed their first planning meeting on 23 January, centred on the NRI network’s objectives and work plan in 2023 and preparations for the 18th IGF in Kyoto.

Youth IGFs also continue working on their participation and cooperation in 2023 through a dedicated IGF Youth Track, this year titled “Safe Digital Future” and focused on Cybersecurity and Trust issues important to youth and for youth. The first open consultations with Youth IGFs and all interested others took place on 24 January.

More Information on the NRIs & Youth Track

 


comm updates

IGF Community Updates

IGF intersessional and community groups, including DCs and NRIs, have plenty of news to share!

Here are some of the latest items from our popular “IGF Community Updates” section:

 

 

 

 

For more updates like these, scroll down the IGF homepage to “IGF Community Updates” – and see them all in our General News, Intersessional News and NRIs News sections.


dig transf

Stories of Digital Transformation from around the UN System

Below are some of the latest stories on digital transformation from across the UN System – as digital begins to impact every policy area of the organization’s work.

Stories are collected by or contributed to IGF/DESA as they appear on UN websites.

 DESA Digital Learning Centre UN DESA’s Digital Learning Centre offers self-paced courses and microlearning for anyone interested in acquiring the latest knowledge for implementing the 2030 Agenda. A number of courses are available in areas that are related specifically to digital transformation.

Cryptocurrency in Africa: Alternative Opportunities for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals? Research – discussion paper: This paper presents the emerging applications of cryptocurrency in Africa, examines the evolving regulatory landscape and key accompanying risks and suggests potential policy considerations for leveraging this nascent, innovative instrument towards the advancement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the continent.

 The Digital Worlds of Displacement-Affected Communities Publication: A cross-context study of how people affected by displacement use mobile phones.

WFP and government join hands to transform rural communities in Madagascar Under the Rapid Rural Transformation (RRT) initiative, WFP and partners establish solar-powered hubs, a sustainable water source and ICT in remote areas allowing for the provision of essential services such as energy, water, and digital platforms to members of the community, in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner…

For persons with disabilities, innovation and bodily autonomy are fundamental on the path to inclusion An estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population has some form of disability. One in five women is living with a disability, yet young women and girls with disabilities have the lowest levels of sexual and reproductive health information and access; it is no coincidence that they also have much higher rates of gender-based violence, unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Through mobile phone apps, broader internet connectivity and enhanced digital technology, there is huge potential to improve and expand access to services and information for people with disabilities…


For Your Action!

Submit Thematic Input for IGF 2023

Register for IGF 2023 First Open Consultations and MAG Meeting

Browse & Share the “Addis Ababa IGF Messages”

Sign up to our Mailing Lists

Watch the IGF Homepage for IGF 2023 Info and Opportunities


Key Dates and Deadlines

26-27 January | Trinidad and Tobago IGF

31 January | 23:59 UTC | Deadline to Submit IGF 2023 Thematic Inputs

See the Full IGF Calendar


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