Newsletter Volume 1 No. 1, May 2020

IGF 2020 Newsletter: May 2020 

Welcome to the inaugural IGF 2020 Newsletter! This regular newsletter will summarise key news and activities for busy IGF participants. Let us know if you have any feedback on how to improve this newsletter.

In this newsletter:

• Preparations for IGF 2020
• New at the IGF
• Intersessional Activities
• National, Regional and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs)
• For Your Action!

Preparations for IGF 2020

Plans are going ahead for IGF 2020, 2-6 November 2020. The Host Country, UN DESA and the IGF Secretariat are keeping a close watch on the development of ‎the COVID-19 pandemic and its possible impact on the IGF processes. Any changes will be ‎communicated as early as possible to assist IGF participants in their preparations for the meeting.

The IGF 2020 program is being guided by four thematic tracks:

1. Data
2. Environment
3. Inclusion
4. Trust

Calls for workshops, Open Forums, Day 0 pre-events, Dynamic Coalition sessions, NRI sessions and IGF Village Booths have now closed. The list of submissions is now available.

The Multistakeholder Advisory Group is currently evaluating workshop proposals according to its established review process.

The new MAG Chair has posted an update on the MAG’s activities

The Government of Poland has posted an update on their preparations for IGF 2020.

New at the IGF

The IGF website will receive a major upgrade, thanks to a grant from the UK Government.

IGF making progress in translating key documents into all 6 UN languages. And you can help!

How can the IGF can support global digital cooperation in the context of follow-up on the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation’s recommendations? See the report on consultations held in January.

The MAG has launched an initiative to look back and learn from the IGF’s first five years of Best Practice Forums (BPFs).

Intersessional Activities

Best Practice Forums (BPFs)

The work of this year’s four BPFs is beginning to ramp up. Your participation will help produce more robust outputs that can help guide global Internet policy development and implementation in the following areas:

• Cybersecurity
• Gender and Access
• Data and New Technologies in an Internet Context
• Local Content

Dynamic Coalitions (DCs)

16 of the 18 active DCs have submitted proposals for slots at IGF 2020. Learn more about DC activities and how you can participate.

National, Regional and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most NRI meetings scheduled for the first half of 2020 have been postponed for later in the year, while a few NRIs will now host their 2020 meetings remotely. The NRIs’ collaborative preparatory process for IGF 2020 is underway.

For Your Action

Consider hosting or participating in a remote hub.

Know of people who could make a great contribution to IGF 2020? Let the IGF Secretariat know!

Key dates and deadlines

See also: Full IGF calendar

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Engage with us:

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