[NEW] Comment on Draft I, now published
Draft I of Policy Options for Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion(s) – Phase II has now been published on the IGF’s review platform. It provides a summary of over 40 contributions we received in response to our call for input, including background contributions and research. It was drafted using a skeleton outline extracted from the initiative’s framework (see the framework tab), which was developed by various volunteers earlier this year.
This Draft will be closed for comment on 14 November 2016, whereafter comments and other input will be considered and incorporated as far as is reasonable to produce Draft II, which will be published before IGF 2016. We will similarly stop receiving background and original inputs on 14 November 2016.
Provide background input
Download the CENB Phase II Call for Input, or read it below:
All stakeholders are invited to submit contributions on the theme “Policy Options for Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion(s)”. While the deadline for Draft 1 was 31 August 2016, further contributions will still be considered on a rolling basis.
To participate in the drafting process, or to learn more about progress about this initiative as a whole, join the intersessional mailing list.
What format should my feedback be in?
Contributions are preferred in Microsoft Word, but should as far as possible be supported by links to studies, reports, references, statistics, etc. and are expected to be of reasonable length in order to maximize readability. Additional templates may be developed to aid contributions if this is deemed helpful.
What will happen to my contribution?
All contributions will be published on the IGF’s website and will be analysed and incorporated into the outcome document for Policy Options for Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion, as far as is deemed possible and relevant by the editorial group of volunteers. All contributors’ details will be credited in the outcome document, and contributions may be published on the IGF’s website.
Who do I send my feedback to?
Email contributions should be sent to Anri van der Spuy ([email protected]).
Proposed questions to guide your response:
While inputs of any format will be considered for incorporation, a suggested format could include bullet points addressing some or all of the following questions:
- How would you define, or how do you understand, the theme “Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion”?
- The first phase of Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion (2015) identified a set of policy options aimed at the creation of enabling environments, including deploying infrastructure, increasing usability, enabling users, and ensuring affordability. What are the factors to consider when adopting these policy options at local levels (e.g. the state of a country’s market development, the available infrastructure, level of capacity-building, etc.).
- Are you aware of any specificities around connectivity at a local or regional level? (In other words, do you know of factors that impact connectivity in, for instance, rural areas but less so at an urban level? Or factors that affect connectivity at regional or larger scale, but not as noticeably at local or smaller scale?)
- Data shows that the growth of Internet adoption is slowing down in some areas, especially as broadband services extend to more remote, less densely populated areas (facing challenges beyond affordability and availability). What are some of the barriers or limitations preventing people who do have Internet access from being enabled or empowered through such connectivity?
- What does meaningful access mean?
- How can connectivity contribute to reaching the new SDGs?
- Do you know examples of stories where using ICTs to support development has not worked, and why?
- Can you think of ways in which ICTs or Internet connectivity could be used to help reach the SDGs?
- Do you know of examples of success stories that can illustrate how Internet access can help to address real-world problems (in either developed or developing countries)? For example, do you have stories or experiences to share regarding some or all of the following SDG-related questions:
- How can connecting and enabling users help to reduce poverty in its various forms? (SDG 1)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to end hunger, achieve food security and support improved nutrition? (SDG 2)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to promote sustainable agriculture? (SDG 2)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to ensure healthy lives and to promote well-being at all ages? (SDG 3)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to ensure inclusive and equitable, quality education? (SDG 4)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to promote lifelong learning opportunities? (SDG 4)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to achieve gender equality? (SDG 5)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to empower women and girls? (SDG 5)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation? (SDG 6)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy? (SDG 7)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth? (SDG 8)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to promote full and productive employment? (SDG 8)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to ensure decent work? (SDG 8)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation? (SDG 9)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to reduce inequality within and among countries? (SDG 10)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable? (SDG 11)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns? (SDG 12)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to combat climate change and its impacts? (SDG 13)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development? (SDG 14)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss? (SDG 15)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development? (SDG 16)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to provide access to justice for all? (SDG 16)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels? (SDG 16)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to strengthen the means of implementation (SDG 17)
- How can connecting and enabling users help to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development? (SDG 17)