IGF 2024

Heightened knowledge, awareness and implementation of globally recognized ethical practices will ensure KSA improves it’s transparency index rating and garners a reputation as transparent business environment, therefore increasing inward investment and a thriving economy.
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The Session will be introduced by Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Mr Bjorn Berge, who will give a general presentation of the Council of Europe Framework on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, and its global significance as the world’s first legally binding instrument on AI. It will be moderated by the Chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI), Ambassador Thomas Schneider of Switzerland. The session will then be dedicated to an open discussion between the panelists, who represented their governments in the CAI during the elaboration and negotiation of the treaty.
The Session will be divided into 3 parts and actively managed by an experienced moderator in order to keep a good rhythm, maintain the audience’s attention and facilitate interaction with attendees: - A keynote speech - A panel discussion - An interactive session with the audience both online and onsite, with the possibility for all to ask questions, including in the chat. The session will be promoted on Council of Europe communication channels, as well as within the CAI community in order to broaden the participation to the debate.

NAMAA AI is a digital innovative platform designed to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to enhance e-Services across various sectors (Water, Agriculture and Environment). The platform aims to streamline processes, improve user experiences, and provide advanced analytics for decision-making.
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Generative AI (GenAI) now acts as a forcing function for organizations to enhance their AI capabilities, presenting numerous opportunities and challenges leaders. The session will cover: o Understand GenAI’s impact on the broader AI adoption o Identify the key challenges when adopting AI o Explore what mature organizations do differently to achieve AI success

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, the pursuit of computational supremacy has become a global race. Quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and other frontier technologies are reshaping human progress. However, as we accelerate toward this digital frontier, we encounter a stark reality: a deepening gap between those who benefit from these innovations and the next billion who remain on the periphery, dreaming of internet access. The Digital Divide Revisited: Unseen Barriers The term “digital divide” traditionally referred to the gap between those with internet access and those without. But today, it encompasses more than mere connectivity. Let’s explore the invisible barriers that exacerbate this divide: High Costs: While efforts focus on connecting everyone, affordability remains a critical issue. Internet prices in many developing countries far exceed the United Nations’ target of less than 2% of the national average monthly income1. Bridging this cost gap is essential. Low Digital Literacy: Access alone is insufficient. Empowering users with digital literacy skills is equally vital. Without the ability to navigate complex interfaces and utilize online tools effectively, connectivity remains underutilized1. Complex User Interfaces: Complicated interfaces hinder adoption. We must design user-friendly experiences that empower even the least tech-savvy individuals to harness the power of computation. Towards Inclusive Computation: A Multistakeholder Dialogue Our proposed Day 0 event aims to foster dialogue among stakeholders governments, tech companies, civil society, and academia around the following key elements: Shared Infrastructure: Imagine a world where shared networking infrastructure built on progressive clean energy enables seamless computation. By pooling resources, we can bridge gaps and democratize access. Quality Data: Access to clean, reliable data is fundamental. Let’s advocate for policies that prioritize data quality and openness, ensuring that everyone benefits from the digital ecosystem. Open Source Collaboration: Frontier technologies thrive when knowledge flows freely. Encouraging open-source collaboration can level the playing field, especially between global south and north regions. Literacy and Norms: Literacy extends beyond reading and writing. Digital literacy understanding algorithms, privacy, and security is essential. Norms around frontier computation should prioritize inclusivity. Social Capital as Human Capital We believe that interconnectedness is the bedrock of progress. When social capital knowledge shared, experiences exchanged is amplified by a robust internet infrastructure, it becomes human capital. Civic action and innovation emerge when barriers dissolve, and equal shaping of frontier tech becomes a reality
We shall ensure effective engagement balance of using active chat, online equal slot management in questions, Use of the online mentimeter feature for polls and reflection for a collective and distributed inclusive participation of stakeholders.

the participant will gain the knowledge of the success story of Etimad platform and how it contributed to KSA national transformation. Also it will give the participant a high level knowledge of the uses of Etimad platform and its roll on fighting corruption
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Our workshop delves into the transformative potential of Locally Accessible Cloud Services (LACS) and the Front Line Operation System (FLOS) for connectivity resilience during disasters, bridging the digital divide, and fostering inclusion for unconnected communities. This workshop explores the LACS and FLOS initiative, standardization under ITU-T, and the feasibility studies conducted in the Philippines, with planned studies in the African continent. The system is designed to provide essential cloud-based services—including communication, information sharing, geographic information systems (GIS), and disaster response capabilities like emergency alerts—directly to localities that lack stable internet access. Our discussion will focus on the architecture, deployment, and social impact of local cloud devices, which serve as mini cloud hubs, capable of operating in remote and underserved areas. These hubs offer critical services that are often disrupted in conventional setups during natural disasters or in areas with unreliable internet infrastructure. By decentralizing data storage and processing, they ensure that essential services remain accessible even when the Internet is down. The workshop will cover the potential of Learning Management Systems (LMS) within the system, highlighting their role in providing educational resources and continuity in regions where educational infrastructures are compromised or non-existent. This aspect of the system is crucial for enabling ongoing education during crises, thereby reducing educational disparities. Additionally, the workshop will highlight the AI-driven features of our system that support localized speech-based interactions and image analysis for various use cases with edge computing capabilities, allowing for efficient local data processing and real-time AI applications. These features are pivotal in enhancing the scalability and functionality of LACS and FLOS in various environments, particularly in disaster-stricken or isolated regions. Our diverse, multinational team from Japan, the Philippines, and India brings a rich blend of perspectives and expertise, crucial for addressing the global challenges of digital exclusion.
We will facilitate interaction between onsite and online participants by: Interactive Tools: Besides using Zoom, we'll employ tools for real-time polling, Q&A sessions, and live feedback, ensuring online participants interact as actively as onsite attendees. Pre-Session Engagement: We'll distribute pre-session materials and initiate discussions on LinkedIn or a dedicated forum to warm up conversations and gather preliminary insights. Dedicated Online Facilitators: Facilitators will monitor and integrate online participation, ensuring questions and comments from online attendees are addressed during the live session. Session Documentation: A live shared document will record key points, questions, and insights from both onsite and online discussions, accessible to all participants in real-time. Follow-Up Engagement: Post-workshop, we'll provide a summary of discussions and a feedback survey to continue the dialogue and refine future workshops.
Draft Agenda:

Opening remarks by Dr. Toshikazu Sakano (2min.)
Challenges and possible solutions to provide network for the unconnected in Africa (10 min.) Mrs. Mary Uduma Civil Society, Africa.
The role of Artificial Intelligence in bridging digital divide and fostering inclusion of unconnected communities (10 min) Ms. Sandra Mahannan, Artificial Intelligence Engineer, Uniccon Group of Companies, Nigeria.
Introduction of eXtensible Front-line Augmented Communication Exchanger(X-FACE) and Locally Accessible Cloud System (LACS) (10 min.) Dr. Babatunde Ojetunde, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Japan.
Use-cases and potential practical deployments of X-FACE (10 min.) Mr. Chandraprakash Sharma, CEO of Wisflux Pvt. Ltd., India.
Potential use-cases of X-FACE in Philippines and Asia pacific (10 min.) Mr. Jeffery Llanto, Executive Director of Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation, Inc. (CVISNET), Philippines.
Potential use-cases of X-FACE in Nigeria and Africa (10 min.) Dr. Jimson Olufuye Kontemporary Konsulting Ltd. Nigeria.
Q&A, Networking and Discussion (25 min.)
Closing remarks by Dr. Toshikazu Sakano (3 min.)

Even though women are a huge part of the IGF community and make up half of the population globally, women’s voices have been historically low or entirely absent in public and digital spaces. These imbalances ultimately deny leadership opportunities to women in IGF and digital spaces in their local environments, especially women who face additional forms of discrimination. IGF Women’s Summit will focus on IGF leadership mindset and to spotlight the women who can harness the power of this pivotal moment on the internet and to shape the Digital platforms, contribute a new way forward and come up with actionable solutions to drive meaningful progress in internet governance. This final output of the summit will be a resource produced by a community of participants at the summit, covering women’s views on the key themes under discussion at the Internet Governance Forum. The aim is to overcoming barriers for women participation on internet governance and digital spaces globally and to enable women voices to be translated into impact globally. The outputs will be considered living resources that will be updated and changed as additional input and comments are received throughout the IGF2022 and published on the final day. The IGF Women Summit will provides a unique platform to collect the views of the broader Internet governance community on the topic of how to enable women’s meaningful and affordable access to the Internet and digital governance.
1) To facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees, we will use a combination of technology and strategic planning. We will have designated staff members on-site who will be responsible for relaying questions and comments from online participants to the speakers. We will also utilize virtual meeting platforms that allow for seamless communication between both groups. Additionally, we will encourage online participants to actively engage through live polls, chat functions, and Q&A sessions. 2) To ensure the best possible experience for both online and onsite participants, we will design the session with inclusivity in mind. This means providing clear instructions for accessing the session online, ensuring that all presentations are easily viewable and audible for online participants, and creating opportunities for interaction between both groups. We will also establish designated breaks for networking and discussion to allow participants to connect with each other regardless of their location. 3) To increase participation and interaction during the session, we plan to use complementary online tools such as virtual whiteboards, breakout rooms, and live polling. These tools will help keep the session engaging and interactive for all participants. We will also encourage attendees to use social media platforms to share their thoughts and insights, creating a digital conversation that complements the live session. Additionally, we will provide a post-session feedback survey to gather insights and suggestions for future events.

Papers on any internet/digital governance-related topic are welcome. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are warmly encouraged. There will be the possibility for a focused subset of accepted papers to be fast-tracked for publication in a relevant journal. In previous years, collections of papers presented at the symposium were invited for publication in the journal Telecommunications Policy. We particularly welcome presentations of research that take a global perspective, and explicitly invite comparative papers. GigaNet encourages emerging scholars and researchers working with diverse methodologies to submit their work to the symposium. Proposals should be submitted in English. Participation in the GigaNet symposium is free of charge. The Global Internet Governance Academic Network traditionally holds its annual symposium on Day 0 of the IGF, and has done so since 2008. The symposium brings together a number of academics to discuss issues of pertinent to the Internet Governance community. We also aim to engage with practitioners who are active in both the technical community, civil society, and policymakers, by inviting them to participate in the event as discussants for sessions.
The session may be organised in a hybrid format, to ensure inclusiveness from as many parts of the world as possible. The Giga-Net Annual Symposium has carried out this exercise in previous years, and has experience in this field. GigaNet will ensure that online participants are able to interact with onsite participants in a constructive manner. We may use sli.do or mentimeter as tools to further engage with participants both onsite and online, in order to ensure that we can successfully balance the interactions between online and onsite participation.

The internet, with its ever-expanding influence on communication, commerce, and social interaction, demands a robust and adaptable governance framework. However, the current multistakeholder model struggles to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the online landscape, particularly the challenges of: Balancing diverse stakeholder priorities Enforcing established norms and principles Addressing novel governance issues arising from new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). This talk explores the potential of integrating AI into the digital governance framework. We will delve into how AI-powered solutions can: Facilitate consensus building by analyzing stakeholder positions and identifying common ground. Enhance enforcement by monitoring online activity and flagging potential violations. Proactively identify emerging governance issues related to AI and IoT through data analysis and risk prediction. The discussion will explore the ethical considerations and potential pitfalls of utilizing AI in governance. Ultimately, the talk will propose a future vision for digital governance that leverages the power of AI to ensure a safe, inclusive, and responsible online environment.
Facilitating Interaction in a Hybrid Talk: 1. Interactive Platform: I'll be leveraging a robust hybrid event platform that seamlessly integrates live Q&A. Imagine this: an on-stage moderator acts as a bridge between the audiences. Online attendees can submit questions directly through the platform, while the moderator can also take questions raised by those physically present. The platform will display all questions in a unified stream, ensuring no voice goes unheard. 2. Polling and Live Feedback: Let's get everyone involved! Before the presentation even starts, I'll launch a quick poll using the platform to gauge the audience's existing knowledge on the topic. Throughout the talk, I'll sprinkle in real-time polls to keep everyone engaged. Imagine live charts and graphs dynamically updating as online and onsite attendees participate. This not only keeps things interesting but also allows me to tailor the discussion based on the audience's understanding. Afterward, we can wrap up with a concluding poll to gather valuable feedback on the session. 3. Backchannel Communication: To foster a sense of community and real-time exchange, I'll encourage everyone to utilize a dedicated chat channel within the platform. This allows online attendees to discuss the presentation live, ask clarifying questions amongst themselves, and share insights. Onsite attendees can be prompted to join the conversation as well, creating a truly interactive space. 4. Breakout Rooms (Optional): If time permits, I'd love to incorporate breakout room sessions! These smaller, focused discussions can be mixed groups with both online and onsite attendees. Imagine a virtual room where everyone, regardless of location, can delve deeper into specific aspects of the topic, fostering a richer exchange of knowledge and interaction. Designing the Session for Optimal Experience: Presentation Design: Forget blurry visuals! My presentation will be meticulously designed with clear, high-resolution elements that are easily readable from both a physical screen and a virtual platform. Everyone deserves a crystal-clear experience. Engaging Delivery: Lectures are out, conversation is in! I'll maintain a conversational tone throughout the presentation, peppering it with storytelling elements to keep both online and onsite audiences engaged. Think of it as a dynamic discussion, not a one-way lecture. Active Participation: No one gets left behind! I'll be posing questions directly to the online audience throughout the presentation, encouraging them to participate verbally or through the chat. This ensures everyone feels involved and their voices are heard. Recording Availability: Life happens, and sometimes you can't attend live. No worries! I'll have the entire session recorded and made available to all attendees after the event. This allows those who couldn't attend live or want to revisit the content at their own pace to benefit from the discussion. Complementary Online Tools: Social Media Integration: Let's take the conversation beyond the platform! I'll encourage the use of a designated event hashtag on social media platforms like Twitter. This allows online and onsite attendees to share their thoughts, spark discussions, and participate in a broader conversation surrounding the topic. Imagine a live feed of insights and perspectives! Live Captioning: Inclusion matters! To ensure accessibility for attendees with hearing impairments, both online and onsite, I'll be utilizing live captioning services. This way, everyone can follow the discussion in real-time. Collaborative Pad: Want to brainstorm together? I might utilize a collaborative online document or whiteboard tool. Imagine a virtual space where both online and onsite attendees can contribute ideas and brainstorm in real-time. This fosters a sense of shared creativity and problem-solving. By implementing these strategies, I aim to create a dynamic and inclusive session that dismantles the physical barrier between online and onsite attendees. We'll foster interaction, a sense of shared experience, and ensure everyone gets the most out of this exciting discussion on digital governance!

This in-person lightning talk provides an introductory overview of digital financial inclusion, focusing on how the adoption of open, global, interoperable payment networks can address existing barriers while leveraging opportunities to enhance financial inclusion. The session will address key questions: How can interoperable payment systems reduce the digital divide in financial services? Which payment systems exist today, and which serve domestic markets within the Global South exclusively? How can we bridge or connect disparate financial ecosystems and Global North and Global South payment networks? The lightning talk will delve into the practical benefits of seamless transactions across different networks and currencies, highlighting how such integration can provide underserved populations with better access to financial services. Moreover, the talk will consider the broader implications of these advancements for the evolution of the Internet and the digital economy by 2030. By enabling more inclusive financial practices, these technologies are not only transforming individual lives but are also shaping global economic structures, promoting sustainable growth, and enhancing socio-economic equity. The overall objective for this session is to provide audience members with foundational knowledge for understanding the strategic importance of financial technologies in driving forward the goals of economic inclusivity and development within the digital age.
As lightning talks are fully in-person events, this will not be a hybrid session.

Government technology leaders face unabated pressures, both technological and societal, to deliver better, faster and increasingly more cost-effective citizen services. The session will cover:
- Identifying the technologies that can drive IT forward
- Determining the impact of emerging technologies and data practices on your digital transformation
- Augmenting technology innovation with leadership innovation-

Sync, ITHRA, has been at the forefront of fostering a positive relationship between humans and technology, with a strong global presence. As we navigate an increasingly digital world, our well-being is deeply influenced by the way we interact with technology. While connected populations benefit from technological advancements, underserved communities face barriers to accessing these resources equitably. The importance of digital wellbeing—creating a safe, balanced, and inclusive digital environment for all—has never been more critical. This workshop is Call to Action Expanding Global Reach through Collaboration with CST, we are committed to extending our reach by expanding the index from 35 to 75 countries over the next 3 years in two phases. This collaborative effort will enable us to gather deeper insights into digital well-being, online harassment, and responsible innovation on a global scale. We call on partners, organizations, and governments worldwide to join us in this mission, ensuring that together, we create a safer and more inclusive digital landscape for all. The IGF event marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between CST and SYNC, paving the way for more impactful workshops focused on digital well-being in countries across the globe. We invite partners from around the world to work with us in connecting the unconnected while balancing innovation with responsibility. At this pivotal moment, moreover, we will announce that several countries have committed to taking action and joining us in this mission. Together, we can drive global change and ensure that digital spaces foster well-being and growth for everyone. Let this be the beginning of a collective movement toward digital inclusivity, with more nations set to join in the coming months. Expected Outcomes: - ● Harnessing Innovation and Balancing Risks in the Digital Space: Promoting innovation that supports digital wellbeing while addressing the risks associated with digital engagement. ● Enhancing the Digital Contribution to Peace, Development, and Sustainability: Fostering digital inclusion and resilience, ensuring all communities benefit from digital public goods. ● Advancing Human Rights and Inclusion in the Digital Age: Ensuring that digital wellbeing is a fundamental component of digital rights, promoting equitable access and inclusivity. ● Improving Digital Governance for the Internet We Want: Encouraging multi stakeholder collaboration and good governance practices that prioritize humane technology and digital wellbeing.
Yes – people will be able to join remotely.

The IGF Kyoto 2023 meeting was one of the most successful meeting in IGF history with 11,145 participants including 6,279 in-person participants. Yoichi Iida, who took IGF2023 host country Co-Chair and G7 Digital and Tech WG Chair in the same year 2023, summarizes the international discussions on Internet governance and on IGF2023. He also plans to introduce the discussions in 2024, including the Global Digital Compact, the G20 Digital Economy Track, and the NET mundeal + 10. Considering WSIS + 20 coming in 2025, he overviews the main points regarding Internet governance while analyzing the current status and issues of government initiatives such as the Declaration of Future Internet and Open Internet for Africa.
1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees? Our session plan to take questions from online participants.
2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants? Our session plan to take questions from floor actively both online and onsite participants.
3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session. Our session explores to using some AI technology to increase participation.

Parabl, an applied research lab, in partnership with UN IGF Coalition on the Internet Rights Principles Dynamic Coalition created the concept of a Last Mile Coalition. With our Brazilian partners Impact Bank, Plexos Institute, & Official Brazilian representatives at Y20 (G20 Youth) on we have been developing hyper-regional digital resource solutions that seamlessly interact with omni-accessible hardware. The mission is to empower Brazilian leapfrog communities by providing meaningful connectivity and enabling economic growth through innovative solutions built alongside regional interests. Brazil's upcoming G20 presidency in 2024 presents a unique opportunity to address the digital divide on a global stage. The recent Netmundial+10 event, co-sponsored by the G20, highlighted these challenges and facilitated discussions on multi-stakeholder approaches to internet governance. By collaborating with other G20 member nations, Brazil can leverage its experiences and leadership to promote best practices and encourage international cooperation in tackling the digital divide by presenting itself at the IGF. This 2 hour session is composed by a diverse panel addressing how internet access is pivotal to reduce inequalities, generate opportunities and can enable, through real world use cases provide for measurable impact data on such impact. From alternative internet hardware implementation to local use cases, the session will lay out the reasons why and a pilot plan to strategize, implement and prove how internet access in remote areas can ignite a relevant flow of actions and opportunities: from small tech hacks on internet provision strategy to local people engagement Through the fusion of community network infrastructure, collectivist economics, and innovative tools like Waypoints, edge caches, and smart batteries we're establishing new benchmarks in the Last Mile Design Space. With this momentum we can unleash the full potential of leapfrog communities in months not decades - forging a path towards a more connected and equitable future. Participants will gain insight into the new and much needed approaches around connecting last mile communities and greater context around strategies for innovative resilient grid solutions in general. Digital equity is only possible by working together to address the interrelated barriers to access
The co-organisers will actively promote the session on their respective social media handles, encouraging remote participation and consultation on the issues raised during the discussion. Remote participants will be able to pose questions to subject matter experts and other participants during the session through Slido. We will also use polls, shared documents and activity based tools such as Miro/Mural board to enhance participation. Events would be created on LinkedIn and Facebook for maximum outreach. Digital promotional materials will be published on official online platforms of all co-organisers (eg. Blogs, Medium articles).

This session explores strategies to help overcome obstacles to Internet access and education for Afghan women. Attended by key stakeholders and women in technology, the session will feature expert insights, interactive discussions and inspiring stories concerning gender equality and empowerment in the digital space in Afghanistan. The session will a) highlight the challenges faced by Afghan women due to education bans and limited access to Internet; b) showcase successful initiatives and case studies of women leveraging Internet access for education, skill development, and economic opportunities in Afghanistan; c) discuss strategies to improve Internet infrastructure, digital literacy, and online safety measures for Afghan women; and d) explore partnerships, opportunities, and collaborative efforts to support women's access to education and digital resources in Afghanistan.
To ensure an engaging hybrid session, we will employ several strategies: - Our main moderator will be participating on site. - We will designate a skilled remote moderator to facilitate seamless interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees. - The moderator will actively manage discussions, ensuring all voices are heard and questions are addressed. - We will design the session with a balanced focus on both onsite and online participants, utilizing visual aids and clear communication to maintain engagement across both platforms. - We will leverage online tools/platforms such as interactives, chat features, and collaborative document sharing to enhance participation and interaction. - We will prioritize accessibility and interactivity to create a cohesive and inclusive experience for all participants, regardless of their location.

The NRIs Coordination Session is an annual collaborative and open work meeting with all National, Regional, and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs), alongside representatives from the IGF community. Developed in an inclusive and bottom-up manner, this session provides a platform to bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss and shape the role of NRIs in addressing pressing global challenges and advancing digital governance.

This year’s discussion will reflect on key developments, including the recognition of the multistakeholder approach in the Global Digital Compact (GDC), and the implementation of its objectives; as well as on the preparation for the WSIS+20 and with that the IGF+20 process, reflecting on its two decades long role in fostering multistakeholder Internet governance which led to organically emerged network of 174 national, regional, and youth IGF initiatives.

Participants will examine the implications of the GDC and WSIS+20 for NRIs, and vice versa, and identify actionable strategies for advancing the shared vision. This session also aims to prepare for upcoming global reviews, including the IGF+20 mandate review, ensuring the continued relevance and impact of NRIs.

DRAFT AGENDA

1) Welcome and introduction by IGF Secretariat
2) Evolution of the NRIs - good practices of impact
3) NRIs role in the context of WSIS+20 and IGF+20
a) How is WSIS+20 impacting NRIs?
b) NRIs role in IGF+20 mandate review
c) IGF National Initiatives relation with their countries’ government
d) GDC implications for NRIs
4) Closing

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, innovation serves as a catalyst for efficiency and growth and is a critical driver and a necessity for governments, businesses, and organisations to maintain competitiveness. Yet, with innovation comes inherent risks ranging from cybersecurity threats to ethical dilemmas. This session sheds light on risks accompanying innovation in the digital sphere and explores strategies and frameworks for harnessing innovation while managing and mitigating risks in the digital sphere. Topics: Understanding the Digital innovation landscape Exploring Risks in the Digital Sphere Strategies for Harnessing Digital Innovation Risk Management Frameworks Case Studies and Best Practices Approach: This session will adopt an interactive, hybrid and participatory approach, including: • Panel discussions featuring relevant stakeholders, sharing regional and global experiences. • Q&A to address audience queries and insights. • Polls and audience engagement activities to foster knowledge exchange. Key Takeaways: • A comprehensive understanding of the risks accompanying digital innovation. • Practical strategies and frameworks for effectively managing and mitigating these risks. • Insights from real-world case studies • A network of peers and experts for ongoing collaboration and learning in the digital innovation space. Questions: How can policymakers facilitate the establishment of collaborative platforms and knowledge sharing networks to enable ongoing learning and exchange of insights among peers and experts in the field of digital innovation and risk management? What incentives and support mechanisms can governments implement to encourage the adoption of practical risk management strategies and frameworks by businesses and organisations in the digital sphere? What are the primary risks and challenges associated with the quality, bias and security of AI training data and how do these factors impact the ethical deployment and effectiveness of AI systems?
The moderator will manage the follow of the discussion ensuring that both onsite and online participants have equal opportunities to contribute. The virtual meeting platform that supports live streaming, interactive features and communications will bridge he gap between remote and in-person attendees. Integrating polling tools to gather instant feedback from online and in-person participants during discussions

In this talk, we explore the intricate dynamics between artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping modern disinformation and influence operations. As AI technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, its capabilities to generate and disseminate information have evolved, presenting both challenges and opportunities for information integrity. The presentation delves into how AI algorithms can be employed to create and spread highly convincing fake news and deepfakes, undermining public trust and distorting democratic processes. Additionally, the discussion will cover the use of AI in detecting and countering these threats, highlighting cutting-edge technologies and methodologies that can identify and mitigate malicious content online. The talk aims to provide a balanced perspective, illustrating how AI acts as a double-edged sword in the digital information ecosystem. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the ethical considerations, potential regulations, and the critical need for international collaboration to harness AI responsibly in the fight against disinformation. This session is crucial for policymakers, technology experts, and concerned citizens aiming to stay informed about the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its implications for global security and governance.
The speaker is only onsite. online participants will have the possibility to follow the talk by video streaming. They will have possibility to ask a questions using the text chat. Any platform is possible to be used: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Temas

The very meaning and significance of the Internet is that it is a global network. In this regard, any restrictions on its functionality in connection with the protection of state sovereignty, often misunderstood, will inevitably lead to fragmentation of the Internet. In fact, the main functionality of the Internet is the transfer of information, including international one, and this functionality is violated when any fragmentation measures are applied. In addition, the inclusion of the Internet without restrictions and on the territory of the entire planet is the main value of the Internet as a global resource and property protected by the international community. Different jurisdictions, even unexpected ones, apply different official means to protect their citizens, but in reality to enforce their sovereignty over citizens, infrastructures, digital economies, and information. Digital transformation and information technologies facilitate surveillance, profiling, digitalizing restrictions and repressions. A Multi-stakeholder approach is the only way to protect peace, development, and sustainability, but it needs to be constantly applied to ensure balancing risks in the digital spaces. Non governmental stakeholders widely represented in the digital sphere, could be important participants in the discussion making move from multilateralism to real multistakeholderism. The Internet itself is much larger and less linear than the state borders of any country, and therefore the measures that are taken in relation to the sovereign Internet, the introduction of consequent regulatory norms within the country, are only negative and serve as a closure of the network from the world, then fragmentation on a global scale. The Internet is of value only when it has an interconnectedness that allows it to provide international communication without technical interference created by the state. Any complex technological system is the result of international efforts to create and maintain. Generally speaking, today it is impossible to create any technology only within the framework of one country, or such creation would be economically inexpedient or technologically deficient. Splintered Internet leads to growth of mistrust and risks of global conflicts. Today we can see that the Internet remains an exclusive tool for cooperation between nations without any political factors within countries. We can see its importance for global cooperation, not just multilateral, but multi-stakeholder. Bringing stakeholders from affected digitally transformed locations, high risks in freshly created digital space, is one of the targets of this session. We expect to create output documents summarizing risks and suggesting approaches for further development.
Remote Moderation would allow remote participants to interact in the Session as well as onsite participants.

Many fear that data is artificial intelligence's greatest weakness. Do you have enough data? Do you know the provenance and lineage? There are many proposed metrics to assure the data is ready, but have you considered that AI processes are not equal or even similar in many cases? AI-ready data is not about metrics and provenance as a standalone assessment. It is an ongoing experience, and if you fail to comprehend it, your data assurance may just be a "puff of smoke." The session will cover:
Determine the strategy and operations behind AI-ready data
Understand why AI-ready data is an ongoing experience 
Find out how the context, use cases and ongoing assessments of data differs -

What do we mean when we say the "Internet"? To many of us, the Internet might be what we access on our phones or laptops – content, applications, and services. It provides a way for us to communicate with family, friends, and colleagues, and to access and share information. However, the Internet – an essential communications, development, and empowerment tool – would be impossible without its technical meaning. The Internet is a network of many networks, more than 70,000+, independently owned and managed, that are globally connected and use common protocols that facilitate communications and enable interoperability. The Internet We Want is only possible because of the stability, resiliency and interoperability of its technical foundation. The technical aspects that make up the Internet are invisible to many and are often taken for granted. The session aims to strengthen participants' understanding of the technical foundations of the Internet and the technical community’s role in the Internet’s operations and development. We will discuss how these organizations that comprise the Technical Community, with separate responsibilities and work together to ensure the Internet continues to function well. The session will take a step-by-step approach in explaining how Internet communications are enabled. How do our computers know where to find the website we want to access? How does our email end up at the correct destination? At this year's IGF, we will discuss the Internet We Want. This session will provide participants with a deeper understanding of how the Internet’s technical foundations and robust multistakeholder governance model supports the Internet we all want.
We encourage online as well as onsite participants. The Internet technical community is very familiar with working on hybrid formats, it is how we conduct many of our meetings. The moderators and speaker are very experienced in this format.

The anticipated impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on sustainable development is undeniable, as it holds transformative potential across various sectors, including health, education, and transport. Globally, numerous initiatives and frameworks are being developed to leverage AI for advancing development. Notably, ESCWA has released a comprehensive guide for formulating national AI strategies. Additionally, organizations such as UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are actively engaged in projects and initiatives aimed at fostering AI policies and strategies that align with national developmental priorities. Under the umbrella of the League of Arab States, experts from the Arab region are currently working on the formulation of Arab AI Strategy. To ensure the successful implementation of AI projects, robust governance frameworks are essential to ensure that AI applications and systems are safe, ethical and aligned with societal values. AI governance also involve mechanisms to address risks like bias, privacy infringement, and misuse while fostering innovation and trust.
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This lightening talk analyses the evolving landscape of national AI policies in sub-Saharan Africa, the influence of transnational actors on these policies, and the parallels that can be drawn with the 'Brussels effect' of the GDPR and DSA. We explore how we can improve African digital governance for the Internet We Want. Big Data and what effective models of multi-stakeholder governance would look like in this context. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are reshaping how governance is conceived, negotiated and deployed. In Africa, expectations are mounting around the potential of AI/ML systems to make polities more efficient, accountable and resilient vis-à-vis developmental challenges and anticipated environmental shocks. Although currently at an experimental stage, most AI-driven initiatives are catalyzing the attention of national governments, institutional donors and corporate actors. But while national agendas and policy strategies are being laid out, there is still a lack of clarity on how to prevent or minimize the negative externalities that a growing literature on AI/ML is highlighting. Scholarly concerns span from function creep, or the repurposing of citizen technologies and data for commercial or security aims, to the risk of reproducing pre-existing biases into predictive models, to an over-reliance of the public sector on corporate, and often foreign, players. In lightening talk, we present our research findings from surveys, interviews, and focus groups, which explores the multi-stakeholder governance of AI in Africa, focusing on the mutual shaping of politics and digital technologies in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. We will discuss the Internet We Want from an African perspective, exploring how policymakers, the private sector and international donors influence the trajectories of AI agendas and the role of local normative and governance frameworks in shaping their implementation.
1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees? One organizer is entirely responsible for managing the online forum. This ensures that we cater the session to the needs of those attending online as well as in person. We will ensure that this organizer moderates the chat and acts as a conduit between those online and in person. The online moderator will monitor the chat, field questions, and provide feedback from online participants to the presenters. 2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants? Our session will involve sharing a PowerPoint that highlights our research findings. As a result, there will be a visual for both the online and in-person participants to follow along to. This will ensure that the data is relayed across our audiences. Moreover, we will run a hybrid Q&A to ensure that the voices of those online and in-person are given equal weight. We also assume that the live stream of the IGF will be available to those attending online. If not, we have the capacity to have our online moderator set up a livestream for the video, as they will be joining in person. 3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session. We will use the tools suggested by the IGF. We have run hybrid sessions successfully on Zoom, Teams, and Google Meets so we are confident in our ability to successfully use the online tools/platforms provided by the IGF. As a complement to the IGF tools/platforms, we intend to use Menti Meter to gain participant engagement and feedback during the lightening session. We will use those in the latter part of our lightening talk when we discuss the policy implications of our findings.

Format description: Informal workshop convening a diverse group of stakeholders from various sectors to exchange ideas, collaborate on challenges, and identify concrete actions for inclusion in the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. Policy Question(s): • What are the most urgent challenges and priorities in the development and deployment of sustainable and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), and what are the implications for development? How can we better harness the benefits and potential of AI to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while ensuring that we address the potential risks and misuse? • How can global collaboration across sectors help solidify and operationalize commitments that drive responsible AI innovation for both people and the planet? • How can diverse stakeholders come together to agree on concrete, actionable commitments around the five principles of the 2030 Agenda – People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership – to ensure the responsible use of AI for the SDGs? What will participants gain from attending this session? This informal workshop seeks to foster dialogue among a diverse group of stakeholders, creating a collaborative space where participants can actively shape the commitments for the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. By sharing their ideas and insights, participants will contribute to identifying concrete, actionable commitments. The session encourages creative thinking, multistakeholder collaboration, and practical problem-solving, ensuring that the commitments reflect a broad range of perspectives and drive responsible AI innovation aligned with the SDGs. Longer Description: Artificial Intelligence holds unprecedented potential to resolve global challenges. At the same time, it poses risks to exacerbate existing digital divides. Its sustainable and responsible development and deployment is integral to addressing current sustainability issues and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs. Recognizing the urgency to act, a broad spectrum of stakeholders — spanning the public and private sectors, multilateral and regional organizations, civil society, academia, research institutions, and the technical community — convened at this year’s inaugural Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) on October 7-8, 2024. This high-level dialogue addressed the transformative role of AI in advancing sustainable development, marking a crucial step toward formalizing actionable commitments through the proposal for a Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs, to be endorsed at the next HSC in June 2025. The Declaration will represent a living, evolving set of commitments, agreed upon by diverse stakeholders. These commitments will aim to catalyze AI’s positive impact on people and the planet, and prosperity, ensuring that AI-driven innovations are developed and implemented in ways that uphold human rights, promote social equity, and prioritize ecological sustainability. As part of this, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and UNDP are initiating a multistakeholder global dialogue to develop the Declaration. In doing so, they reach out to a diverse range of stakeholders to contribute their expertise and support in shaping the commitments that will define the Hamburg Declaration. Expected Outcomes This session aims to identify critical areas of action that will shape the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the SDGs. By contributing their sector-specific insights and expertise, participants will help to ensure the Declaration is both comprehensive and inclusive. These collective inputs will guide the formulation of commitments that drive responsible AI innovation in alignment with the SDGs. The IGF, with its diverse array of attendees, provides an opportunity to capture new perspectives across different backgrounds and geographies.
Facilitating Interaction: Ms. Chan will bridge onsite and online participants, using high-quality AV tools to ensure smooth communication. Ms. Amoyi will monitor the chat to bring in virtual questions and comments in real-time. Designing for Optimal Experience: All participant - if online or on-site - will have the oportunity to share their input. It will be a small circle of participants so a successfull discussion is guaranteed. Online Tools for Interaction: We plan to use Zoom or Teams, and Google Docs for idea sharing, and Miro for collaborative brainstorming, enhancing engagement for all participants.

This session delves into the intricate ways modern AI technologies are exploited to provoke conflicts, disrupt societal harmony, and manipulate information landscapes. By examining real-world examples and discussing potential consequences, the session aims to shed light on the ethical implications of AI-driven conflict instigation. Participants will explore strategies to confront such challenges, including regulatory frameworks, ethical guidelines, and technological safeguards. This session aligns with IGF issue areas related to "Harnessing innovation and balancing risks in the digital space" and "Improving digital governance for the Internet We Want" .
To enhance interaction between onsite and online participants we will employ a mix of technology and session design tactics. Interactive tools like live polling and Q&A session. Moderators will ensure balanced participation by alternating between onsite and online speakers.

In the nascent phase of the latest technological revolution, transformative technologies like artificial intelligence are unleashing significant energy. They are continually fostering the emergence of new academic frontiers, technological domains, and innovative modalities. These technologies are closely integrated with the socio-economic developmental needs, propelling a transformative shift towards an intelligent society. The rapid pace of technological advancement not only challenges traditional knowledge and authority structures but also sparks global debates and discussions on moral ethics, data security, privacy protection, and energy consumption. 
This session, grounded in a global perspective, deeply explores the latest trends in Intelligent Society Governance, the primary challenges faced, and the future opportunities from the aspect of government international cooperation. We welcome multi-stakeholders to speak on issues related to institutional adjustments, policy tool transformations, and value orientations in Intelligent Society Governance. Here, we urge participants to share their wisdom and experiences and to engage in deep discussions on the potential challenges and opportunities on the path of Intelligent Society Governance from an international viewpoint. Additionally, pilot experiments and grassroots innovations are also focal topics, pointing toward a more sensitive, diverse, and open approach to Intelligent Society Governance. 
The session is dedicated to fostering collective reflection among nations on coordinating the advancement of artificial intelligence technology with public values, and promoting a fair, sustainable, and more humane future for an intelligent society. By facilitating cross-national and interdisciplinary exchanges, the session aims to outline future action directions for practitioners while calling on global researchers to delve deeper into shaping an intelligent and trustworthy society. 

The Internet’s success is largely due to work done behind-the-scenes including efforts to ensure that everyone uses the same standards, so that all devices can talk properly to each other. The Internet relies on open standards that are developed through collaborative and consensus based processes. Open standards are freely available to anyone to use. Engineers, researchers, and governments all have a place in these processes. In contrast, closed processes can limit innovation and competition by restricting access to the development process and favoring the interests of a few stakeholders. Closed processes can also lead to proprietary technologies that lock users into specific products or vendors, limiting choice and hindering interoperability. During this session, panelists from different stakeholder groups involved in standards development processes will share real world examples demonstrating the importance of open standards for the Internet. They will also explore some of the challenges confronting open standards processes.
We encourage online as well as onsite participants. The technical standards community is very familiar with working on hybrid formats. The moderators and speaker are very experienced in this format, know the issues very well and will be able to easily guide the audience through the topic.

This workshop intends to highlight the importance of financial institutions in driving digital transformation by reallocating funds from underperforming projects to digital initiatives; it aims to:

Explore and identify emerging trends and technologies, such as blockchain, AI, and fintech innovations, that can enhance the capabilities of financial institutions
Assess the scalability of innovative financial solutions and their potential for broader application across different regions
Discuss various funding models and investment strategies that can support collaborative efforts in enhancing digital infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
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Since the early days of the public internet, libraries have been at the forefront of applying digital technologies to enhance service delivery. The ongoing rapid growth of emerging technologies, tools and applications has underlined libraries’ potential as a hub for advancing access to information and knowledge for all, and also as a co-creation hub for the socio-economic development of the communities they serve. However, the realization of this potential everywhere cannot be taken for granted. There needs to be a holistic approach, drawing on multistakeholder partnerships and data-backed decision making to identify and develop capacity of librarians, build their ability to act as agents of digital inclusion, and foster development and adoption of policies that will facilitate resource allocation and sustainability of libraries’ contribution to digital Future. In achieving this mutual goal of digital future there by Harnessing innovation and balancing risks in the digital space, this session will share core practical applications of empowering librarians in African countries through the African Library Internet Governance Ambassadors Program: empowering librarians to participate in the discourse and actions of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Through the session, we will share how librarians in Africa are shaping internet governance policies and advancing digital inclusion strategies for libraries through targeted engagements, capacity development and advocacy activities to empower library leaders to become ambassadors for internet governance within their communities. Through the session, we will engage with IGF participants and ecosystem partners to share feedbacks on key areas of improvement and scaling the African Library Internet Governance Ambassadors Program, how they can be actively engaged in various IGF NRIs, and other potential collaborations that will further position libraries as core stakeholders in the internet governance ecosystem and discourse.
Active participation both online and in-person is a priority for us to engage audience for the session. Prior to the session, we will conduct online awareness and publicity for the session to our library networks to register and sign up to attend the session, sharing key expectations.

The Absher Platform has significantly transformed the way citizens and residents interact with government services in Saudi Arabia. This transformation has been marked by the consolidation of various services onto a single digital platform and the increasing digitization of information. These changes have led to significant improvements in efficiency, accessibility, and transparency. This workshop will explore the journey of transforming Ministry of Interior E-services from traditional in-person interactions to digital platforms, focusing on the pivotal role of the digital identity on Absher Platform.
The workshop will be divided into two parts: a) a presentation on the Transformational Story of Absher Platform; b) the last part will be devoted to Q&A between the presenter and the attendees.

The IGF 2024 Global Summit is a key component of the IGF 2024 Youth Track, organized under the motto "Empowering Youth for Trusted AI" as part of a broader series of activities. As the entire track, the Summit is developed through bottom-up consultations amongst designated representatives of the IGF Host Country, the UN IGF Secretariat, various Youth IGFs, and other youth-driven Internet governance initiatives.

Undoubtedly, AI is impacting education. While the highest legal and human rights mechanisms guarantee the right to education, in reality, this right is not universally realized. Is AI an opportunity or an obstacle in making the right to education a reality for everyone, everywhere? Through an exchange of perspectives and practices between current and future experts and leaders from both the Global South and Global North, the Summit will explore AI’s role in education. A dynamic dialogue is anticipated, focusing on key policy questions related to AI’s impact on education, ethical considerations, and ways education systems can evolve to prepare humanity for an AI-driven future.

The IGF 2024 Global Youth Summit discussion will be guided by several policy questions, such as:
• How’s AI innovation impacting education? What concerns the world and what brings opportunities?
• How do existing education policies and guidelines effectively integrate AI usage and adoption in the educational system?
• What ethical principles should guide the development and implementation of AI in educational settings? What are the potential risks of prioritizing innovation over ethics in the development of AI tools for education? Is there a risk in excluding localized data in AI systems used in education?
• What policies are necessary to prevent the digital divide from widening due to AI implementation in education?
• Who should be held accountable for decisions made by AI systems in educational environments, and how can this accountability be enforced?
• How can global collaboration be fostered to address the challenges and opportunities of AI in education?
• How can education systems be reformed to better prepare students for a future where AI plays a significant role?

The session will open by experts:
• Mr. Henri Verdier, Ambassador for Digital Affairs, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Government of France
• Ms. Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u, Minister, Ministry of Information, Communications, and Digital Economy, Government of Kenya
• Ms. Phyo Thiri Lwin, Coordinator, Youth Myanmar IGF
• Mr. Ahmad Khan, Research and Development Engineer, Aramco, Saudi Arabia
• Mx. Umut Pajaro Velasquez, Coordinator of Youth LACIGF and Youth IGF Colombia; Member of Youth Coalition on Internet Governance; Junior Researcher at Malmö University

Onsite Moderators:
• Ms. Carol Roach, IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group Chair
• Ms. Ihita Gangavarapu, Youth India IGF coordinator

Online Moderators:
• Ms. Ines Hfaiedh, Tunisia IGF, Arab IGF
• Mr. Keith Andere, Kenya IGF, Africa Youth IGF

Agenda and flow:
The Summit is designed as an interactive dialogue between current and future generations of experts and learners. After the panel - comprising senior and youth experts - sets the stage, most of the session will focus on an open discussion with all participants, both in-person and online. The overall flow is:
• Welcome by the moderators
• Panellists set the context (each speaks for up to 5 minutes)
• Open floor discussion (40 minutes)
• Concluding remarks by panellists (1 minute each)
• Closing by the moderators

Output: Action-oriented Messages from Youth to be part of the IGF 2024 Report for broad dissemination. The messages will be produced by the IGF Secretariat and the summit’s rapporteurs:
• Ms. Afi Edoh, Togo IGF
• Mr. Athanase Bahizire, Youth DR Congo coordinator
• Ms. Polycarp Ochieng, Kenya Youth IGF
• Mr. Ernest Mafuta, Zambia Youth IGF

In support of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development

The Internet Commons Forum (ICF) has been jointly organised by CTS-FGV, APC, and Free2Air, since 2019. The ICF aims at gathering thinkers and doers that are developing ideas and solutions for a less concentrated and more just Internet. See http://www.intcomforum.org/ The Internet Commons Forum 2024 will explore the AI Commons paradigm. The concept of the AI Commons represents a shared space where resources, knowledge, and tools related to artificial intelligence (AI) are accessible to and usable by all stakeholders. This session will delve into existing initiatives, policies, and implementation strategies aimed at fostering collaboration, innovation, and equitable access in the AI ecosystem. The debate will have four components. First, panellists will explore the concept of AI Commons, analysing what constitutes the AI Commons, and why is it instrumental for the advancement of AI technologies. Second, they will showcase exemplary initiatives, from open-source AI libraries to collaborative research projects, embodying the principles of the AI Commons, discussing their objectives, impact, and lessons learned in building and sustaining collaborative AI ecosystems. Third, they will discuss the extent to which existing policy frameworks and governance models can foster effective implementation of the AI Commons. Despite its potential benefits, establishing and maintaining the AI Commons presents various challenges, including issues related to data governance, intellectual property rights, and interoperability. These dimensions are addressed by multiple legal framework and panellists will debate the extent to which such frameworks may facilitate or hinder the emergence of AI commons. Lastly, panellists will discuss the how to foster active engagement from diverse stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society organizations, to build AI Commons requires. Panellists will discuss strategies for fostering inclusive participation, promoting knowledge sharing, and empowering communities to contribute to the AI Commons.
To facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees, we will leverage a hybrid event platform that provides real-time communication channels. For the onsite attendees, we will project the virtual attendees and their questions/comments onto the screen to ensure that both groups can engage with each other. To participate you can use the hashtags #ICF2024 and #AIcommons on social media. The session will be designed with both online and onsite participants in mind. The session will be structured with interactive segments to engage all attendees, such as Q&As and debates to cater both online and onsite participants.

The deployment of the latest generation, security-related internet standards and ICT best practices is at best a moderate success for some and up to dismal for many. IS3C endeavours to speed the deployment up by raising awareness how deployment by the ICT industry can be stimulated in a positive way. By providing reports on the current situation, including recommendations and best practices. It also provided toolkits that can assist in procuring ICTs and today will provide a set of arguments that can convince decision-takers in organisations to either deploy or demand deployment through procurement procedures. It’s plans for the future contain the organisation of workshops on ICT procurement, IoT security by design and “The Hub”.
IS3C’s new tool providing arguments that can sway decision-takers to decide positively on deployment, is presented at the IGF in Riyadh, just like our animation film on closing the skills gap in tertiary cybersecurity education’s offer and industry’s demand.
In a highly interactive consultative session the topics of cybersecurity standards and consumer awareness and protection are brought together. Together they will discuss how consumer organisations and consumer protection agencies can contribute to the adoption of security by design principles in the global ICTs market. In this part of the session IS3C will discuss how consumer (protection) organisations can contribute to the more wide-spread deployment of the latest cybersecurity standards. The session will consider in particular: i) new ways of empowering consumers towards a level of awareness that allows them to make a well-informed choice in buying ICT products that are secure by design; ii) the value of comprehensive independent testing of the security of ICT products entering the global market; iii) whether there is a role for regulators to ensure producers, suppliers and service providers comply with the latest cybersecurity standards, in order to increase the ability of their consumers to protect themselves when they use their devices and services and; iv) are there ways in which the two very different organisations could cooperate in the future that leads to secure by design ICTs?
 
IS3C has ambitious plans for 2025. It will share them with you in this workshop. Of course, there will be ample time for discussion and questions.
In this IS3C Day 0 workshop the deployment of the latest generation, security-related internet standards and ICT best practices will be presented from different angles. The main part consists of a roundtable discussion on how consumer organisations and consumer protection agencies can contribute to a more secure and safer internet. How can they ensure that consumers better understand the importance of buying digital products secure by design.
The workshop’s agenda is:
1. The launch and presentation of IS3C’s latest toolkit and report titled ‘To deploy or not to deploy, that’s the question. How to convince your boss to deploy DNSSEC and RPKI’. (10 minutes)
2. The premiere of IS3C’s short film on the cybersecurity hub made by students and staff of the Pixel Blue College, Alberta, Canada, followed by a call to join the Hub. (10 minutes)
3. The consumer debate has the form of a round table (40 minutes). In this interactive discussion with onsite and online audience we discuss how can we ensure that consumers better understand the importance of buying digital products secure by design. The second angle is, what could be the role of consumer advocacy and protection organisations in putting pressure on the ICT industry to produce and/or provide secure by design products, software and services? The panel will also reflect on the potential role of IS3C to raise awareness with these organisations.
4. Finally, IS3C will announce its plans for 2025 (15 minutes)
5. Questions (15 minutes)

With the profound development of globalization and digitalization, the seamless flow and utilization of data have become essential drivers of economic innovation and social development. Faced with the opportunities for development and security risks associated with the massive processing and application of data, individuals worldwide are increasingly recognizing the crucial importance of fair and effective data governance in promoting public welfare and ensuring sustainable development. Furthermore, there is also a growing recognition of the need for comprehensive ecosystem cultivation and a sound legal framework oriented towards future needs in data governance. As effective data governance is of great value to public well-being and sustainable development, the future-oriented data governance requires good rule of law safeguards. The Bureau of Internet Laws and Regulations of Cyberspace Administration of China intends to organize the event to exchange and share the insights on the current status and development trends of data governance in different countries and regions around the world, to explore and study the main concerns and challenges and their legal responses, and to promote the strengthening of international exchanges and cooperation in the field of legalization of data governance.
1. Utilize appropriate video conferencing tools such as Zoom or similar platforms, complemented with online/offline audiovisual streaming equipment, to ensure that online participants have a comprehensive view of the event venue throughout the entire duration. Simultaneously, guarantee that offline speakers and attendees have full visibility of all online participants, thereby achieving a "face-to-face" visual and auditory experience for both online and offline attendees. 2. The event is structured into four main segments: opening remarks, keynote speeches, interactive Q&A sessions, and closing remarks. The on-site host and online host will collaborate seamlessly to organize and host the entire event, ensuring efficient time management and providing ample opportunities for all stakeholders to express their views. Following the completion of on-site speeches, the hosts will guide online participants to share real-time insights and perspectives on the event theme. They may also pose relevant questions to the on-site speakers, who will provide immediate responses. Furthermore, the hosts will ensure a structured cross-interaction between online and offline participants, maintaining a smooth flow of engagement according to the predetermined schedule. 3. Throughout the event, a comprehensive assessment should be made regarding the adoption of suitable tools/platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Weibo. This will enable the broadest possible participation and enhance the level of interaction during the event.

UNESCO will host a high-level launch of the Second-Generation Internet Universality Indicators (IUIs) ROAM-X Framework at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) taking place from 15 to 19 December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This event aligns with global efforts to harness digital transformation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in light of the recent Pact for the Future and the upcoming 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
Responding to the rapidly evolving digital landscape, UNESCO initiated a comprehensive revision of the IUI ROAM-X Framework in late 2023. The ROAM-X framework is built on the principles of an Internet grounded in human Rights, Openness, Accessibility to all, and Multistakeholder participation, with 'X' representing cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, environment, sustainable development, trust, and security. The year-long collaborative effort of the revision with global experts and stakeholders aimed to:
- Ensure the IUIs remain relevant, adaptive, and future-ready.
- Integrate key insights and lessons from five years of global assessments and local applications.
- Enhance accessibility and ease of use to accelerate stakeholder adoption and implementation.
Through this extensive consultation, UNESCO and its partners are now poised to introduce the Advanced Internet Universality Indicators. This next generation of indicators directly and indirectly reflects the outcomes of NETmundial +10, the Sao Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines, the Future Summit, and the principles of the Global Digital Compact.
Objectives of the Session
UNESCO’s commitment to multi-stakeholder Internet governance is fundamental to the implementation of the Internet Universality Indicators, as these tools support a digital ecosystem that is inclusive, rights-focused, and sustainable. In this session, UNESCO aims to bring together representatives from diverse sectors whose active engagement is critical to shaping a collaborative, human-centered digital future.
The session will focus on the following objectives:
- Facilitate a dynamic global multistakeholder dialogue to engage in critical discussions about emerging digital challenges and collaborative solutions.
- Explore how the IUIs contribute to the implementation of broader international frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and illustrate their vital role in advancing global development objectives.
- Provide clear pathways for countries to integrate the new IUIs into their digital development strategies. Demonstrate how the revised IUIs can transform and advance national internet development and governance, supporting evidence-based policy-making and tailored policy recommendations.
- Emphasize how the new indicators specifically address the needs of marginalized communities, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital age.
- Outline specific roles and opportunities for different sectors (government, civil society, private sector, academia) in leveraging the IUIs for positive change.
- Facilitate discussions on how the IUIs can strengthen regional internet governance initiatives and cross-border collaboration.
The launch of the Advanced IUIs at IGF represents a bold step toward a more inclusive, rights-respecting Internet. Through this platform, UNESCO aims to mobilize global support and commitment to these transformative tools, propelling a shared vision for a resilient, equitable digital future. To ensure hybrid participation, the session will have an online moderator, and will be receiving questions and insights from online participants.

Is the format of a live dialogue (intro-question-answer-comment) supposed to be about how far we have distanced ourselves from real life and the truth, being constantly online amid the chaos of content, fakes and truth, anonymous accounts, metavers, games, virtual offices and shops, virtual classrooms? As technologies and corporations, expressing their intention to take care of the maximum comfort of our lives have brought us closer to an antisocial lifestyle and loneliness. This light conversation aims to help all of us, taking advantage of all the benefits of the Internet, use the time spent online to be closer to each other and human communication, and not live in our own digital bubble.
We will accept questions and comments from online participants. We plan the session so that participants and listeners have the opportunity to have an open dialogue and present their opinions. After this session, we will use all communication resources to spread the polarity of opinions and the most interesting statements and thoughts. If there is such a technical opportunity, we want to show a short video before the discussion begins.

What is a digital twin? What forms can it take and for what purposes does it serve? Are we talking about a doppelganger as a special form of self-representation in the digital space or as a way of interacting with someone with whom it is impossible to do so in the real world? - Digital footprints: what are they, why and how do we leave them, where are they used now and what are the potential scenarios for future use? - Digitization of personality/consciousness: what are our limitations in technology, case studies (text bots, visuals in VR, etc.) - Ethics of interacting with digital doppelgangers. Psychological, social and legal issues. Handling, storage and use of digital doppelganger data. - Various practices for handling accounts/digital objects of deceased people.
Organizers of the networking session will conduct a pre-event tech check with all online participants to test their internet connection, audio, and video quality. Any possible connectivity issues will be detected in advance to ensure a seamless experience during the session. In terms of representation during the session both onsite and online moderators will work to ensure that online and offline participants and speakers are equally represented and have the same opportunities to speak, ask questions and intervene. Session will also incorporate instant feedback collection from the audience as for discussion to be naturally navigated. All participants, including online, will be able to provide instant feedback during the discussion using various online tools (i.e. Mentimeter or Kahoot!). On every onsite question there will be given word to online participants providing them with an opportunity to present their view or ask a question.

The workshop presents a unique opportunity to address the lack of investment laws and transparency in many countries, encouraging businesses to invest in important digital services; it aims to:
-Explore the significant requirements for investment legislation and transparency to encourage private sector participation in building digital infrastructure
-Identify the gaps and challenges in governance, high-cost infrastructure, security, access to the Internet, data privacy, freedom of expression, and sustainability while providing impactful solutions to address them
-Outline the best practices involved in creating legislative models, standardizing policies, maintaining transparency, and addressing market dominance

Our objective for the session is to reinforce the importance of the multistakeholder approach to tackling digital threats, including Internet shutdowns, exploring and showcasing ways in which inclusive multistakeholder collaboration (countries, civil society and the private sector) can facilitate and effect positive change. We will also use the session to wrap up the UK country chairship of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC)’s Task Force on Internet Shutdowns (TFIS) showcasing learning, progress and achievements from our two-year leadership on this work. The session will feature a panel discussion and Q&A, bringing together experts to look at the ways in which an inclusive multistakeholder approach can effectively tackle digital threats, including Internet shutdowns, the challenges, and practical ways to safeguard and further develop this collaborative approach. Speakers will represent governments, civil society, international organisations, academia and the private sector. The session will aim to look at country case studies to identify both challenges and effective collaborative approaches. During 2024, the UK is chairing the FOC’s Taskforce on Internet Shutdowns (TFIS) alongside Freedom Online Coalition Advisory Network (AN) members Access Now and the Global Network Initiative. TFIS serves as a multinational and multistakeholder coordination and response mechanism on Internet shutdowns. Through TFIS, we are working to improve coordination among like-minded countries, civil society, and the private sector to anticipate and respond to Internet shutdowns and restrictions. As the biggest multilateral, multistakeholder forum dedicated to internet governance, the UN IGF is the ideal platform to bring partners together to progress this work.
The session will follow a Town Hall style format, with an aimed balanced representation of both online and onsite speakers and participants. The event will have an onsite moderator, chairing the discussion, and an online moderator to manage online participation, for example questions and comments in the online chat. The onsite and online moderators will be working closely together during the event to ensure a fluid and smooth conversation and interactions between participants onsite and online, supported by Google Meet/Zoom/etc and onsite AV equipment. The event will begin with an introduction and welcome from the moderator, followed by 3-5 minutes of speaking time for each speaker, which will take up the first part of the event. The second half of the session will be for an open discussion with attendees. During this time, the onsite moderator will chair the conversation and contributions from both online and onsite participants, ensuring equal opportunity of speech. The online moderator will source questions from the online audience to the onsite moderator, who will intertwine the online queries and comments with questions from the onsite audience. To maximise engagement, we will consider using social media and/or interactive polling (1-3 poll questions) on relevant issues throughout the event to 'read the temperature in the room'. The poll will use Slide/Mentimeter, which will allow onsite attendees to quickly access it using their mobile devices. The poll questions will also be pasted on the chat box by the online moderator, so people can respond to the poll questions in the chat box if they are not able to use Slido/Mentimeter. The online moderator will be responsible for collating insights from social media, the polling tool and responses in the chat box, to feed these to the on site moderator to announce and provide comments in designated moments throughout the event.

The DCO aims to provide a tool that will support the DCO Member States to embed ethics and address the human rights risks within the broader AI governance spectrum. This session proposes to go into a deep dive of how the DCO has developed the Responsible AI tool to ensure ‘ethics by design’ in AI development and adoption within the DCO Member States and beyond. We plan to discuss the key human rights risks that need to be addressed by all stakeholders within the AI building sphere, map relevance and severity of those risks to different AI use cases, and encourage open feedback and insight from key subject matter experts that we can incorporate into the final version of our Responsible AI governance framework and tool.
This session has the potential to gather expert insights and feedback incorporating inclusive perspectives into our tool that we aim to use in holistic, cross-border ways.

The IGF LAC Space, in its eighth edition, will continue to bring together a wide range of organizations, stakeholders and researchers from Latin America and the Caribbean in order to learn about the progress and achievements of recent years, as well as the projects and challenges of the time to come. Participants will address Internet governance from a Latin American and Caribbean perspective, commenting on how their projects have contributed to economic and social inclusion, advanced human rights and ensured universal access. The session will also be dedicated to presenting and discussing research papers that have addressed the use, development, evolution and regulation of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean. The session will thus seek to foster informed discussion and new opportunities for regional collaboration.
Simultaneous translation will be available to ensure the active participation and inclusion of non English speakers, therefore we kindly request to consider enabling zoom interpretation. Moderators will promote a balance between audience participation online and onsite, applying strategies like reserving a slot for remote audiences questions or comments.

Discussing self-sovereign identities in the context of managing personal data on the Internet is gaining popularity. The concepts of personal sovereignty and complete control over who can access our data and under what conditions are highly appealing. However, numerous technical and economic challenges hinder the realization of personal sovereignty. The advancement of electronic document management could potentially diminish personal sovereignty over time. A prominent case study in this field is Solid, a project by Tim Berners-Lee, a pioneer of the Internet, aimed at decentralizing the web and empowering users with data control. Initiatives like Solid and similar projects have the potential to prompt a reassessment of current data management practices and a reshaping of the social networks and services market. Topics for discussion during the session may include: The feasibility of such projects The possibility of achieving the same level of convenience in a decentralized system like Solid compared to today's centralized services The implications and costs for users transitioning to such a system Potential new opportunities for users The impact on the advertising market Funding sources for decentralization and technology development Evaluating whether user privacy justifies the associated changes
At the start of the session, the moderator will provide the opening remarks, establishing the framework for the discussion. Thereafter, the speaker will take the stage and highlight the core theme of the session. The moderator will then encourage interactive dialogue between both online and in-person participants. Finally, the moderator will summarize the key points covered and conclude the session.

In today's digital landscape, there's a growing acknowledgment of the gender dimension of cyber threats as well as the persistent digital and cyber gender divide with women representing only 25 percent of the global cybersecurity workforce. However, specific gender-differentiated impacts of cyber threats and strategies to increase women participation in cybersecurity remain underexplored, hindering multi-stakeholder efforts to enhance cyber resilience and promote inclusive international peace and security governance models. Building upon the work within the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Gender and its Best Practices Forums, this open forum will explore gendered impacts of cyberattacks and practical steps for mainstreaming gender into global cybersecurity policy. It will also aim to identify concrete strategies to enhance women's participation in cyber diplomacy and the cybersecurity workforce more broadly to pave the way for a more inclusive and secure digital future. This session is part of a series of events convened jointly by the UN Institute for Disarmament Research and the Stimson Center to collect insights and recommendations from across the multi-stakeholder community for a ‘Compendium of Good Practices for Mainstreaming Gender into Global Cybersecurity Policy.’ With this workstream, the conveners intend to stimulate practitioner-led discussions to advance consensus recommendations of the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) to identify specific gender-based vulnerabilities and harms stemming from cyberattacks as well as concrete good practices for integrating gender considerations into cybersecurity policy and digital development initiatives across the globe. Key Session Objectives: - Raise awareness about the gendered impacts of cyberattacks on individuals, communities, and society. - Highlight the importance of gender-focused research in strengthening the UN framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace. - Share good practices from existing gender mainstreaming initiatives in cybersecurity and digital development projects, including those identified through IGF channels and forums like the Gender Report Cards and relevant Best Practices Forums. - Foster gender-sensitive approaches to countering malicious cyber activities and inform actionable insights for cyber and digital capacity-building efforts. - Encourage the Internet governance community to explore gender-based threats and support the collection of gender-disaggregated data for policy making.
To ensure seamless interaction between onsite and online participants, after the initial kick-off interventions, we will prioritize questions and interventions from the online audience before turning to onsite participants, ensuring inclusivity and equal engagement across both groups. Utilizing online polling tools, we will collect input and written resources on the subject from all attendees. This approach will allow us to promote real-time engagement but also to gauge the pulse of the audience and tailor discussions accordingly. To collect lessons learned and good practices, we will divide in-person and online participants into break-out groups using one or more online moderators as needed. This will provide opportunities for all attendees to actively contribute and exchange ideas. The organizers will also leverage complementary online tools and platforms such as Slido and online polling tools to collect input and encourage engagement during the session. These tools will enable us to collect questions, gather feedback, and facilitate interactive polls in real time, enhancing engagement and fostering a sense of community among participants, regardless of their location. By incorporating these interactive elements and encouraging active participation from both online and onsite attendees, we aim to create a dynamic and inclusive discussion where diverse perspectives are valued, heard, and recorded to inform the compendium of good practices, which will be published in 2025.

Reflecting the multistakeholder nature of IGF, this session is co-organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Google Asia-Pacific under the research consortium of the Safer Internet Lab (SAIL). Southeast Asia is increasingly a hotspot for Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) as great power competition escalates in the Indo-Pacific region. FIMI describes a pattern of mostly non-illegal but manipulative behaviour conducted by state or non-state actors and their proxies that threatens to impact values, procedures, and political processes negatively. While Southeast Asia is underrepresented in global internet governance discourse, it is experiencing significant digital growth and potential alongside vulnerabilities from both internal and external risks. Internally, the uneven terrain and divergent capabilities of ASEAN member states create challenges. Externally, rising FIMI activities, especially disinformation campaigns, pose threats to the region's stability and democratic resilience. A number of external actors are engaging in sharp power and corrosive capital across Southeast Asia's economic, political and information domains.
However, ten countries in the region differ in their interpretation of what constitutes hostile interference versus acceptable influence, stemming from its diverse socio-political contexts. To harness innovation and balance risks in Southeast Asia's digital space, it is critical to convene regional stakeholders to exchange knowledge and develop collective, multistakeholder responses. This session will share insights on varieties of FIMI across the ASEAN political and information landscape, economic and technological vulnerabilities that enable interference, best practices and solutions from local, national and regional perspectives, and recommendations to mitigate risks while preserving the benefits of digital growth. By fostering dialogue between state and non-state actors, this event aims to elevate Southeast Asian voices in the global discourse on safeguarding the digital ecosystem from manipulation. It will explore how to cooperatively tackle disinformation, protect democratic institutions, and build resilience - so that the region can continue to harness digital innovation as a powerful force for socio-economic development and progress. The session expects to receive valuable multi-stakeholder input to inform—and potentially even offer constructive and mutually beneficial solutions—the understanding and current policy and regulatory approaches to address information manipulation and disinformation in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. This will be important to raise awareness of the global Internet Governance community, including the technical community and civil society, on the nature and ramifications of the current debates.
This hybrid workshop will be facilitated by two moderators—one on-site and one online—to ensure seamless integration and engagement of all participants. The session will begin with brief expert presentations, followed by an extended 10-15-minute Q&A and discussion. Moderators will actively encourage both onsite and online attendees to pose questions, provide input, and exchange ideas using tools like Mentimeter for polling and Padlet for crowdsourcing. Live streaming will enable global participation. At the session's conclusion, moderators will summarize key findings, recommendations, and future actions, which will be compiled and disseminated to participants post-event, along with a visual recording. This workshop aims to model inclusive, impactful hybrid discussions at IGF 2024 through skilled moderation, intuitive technology, and active audience contribution. The goal is to convene diverse Southeast Asian voices to jointly combat digital threats like foreign information manipulation and interference while amplifying the region's innovation potential.

The session would look to start by defining the core issue - which is not that Western Balkan countries have been inactive on various issues related to internet governance, but that these processes have lacked cohesion, structure, forethought and ultimately been driven not by local pwnership and political goodwill but by donor requests, projects and international community priorities. This has resulted in multiple fronts being opened with none taking center stage and has left the topic of internet governance in the [Western] Balkans looking as a tick-the-box exercise to implement various donor driven strategies. After a round of questions aimed strategically at government officials and actors who are trying to implement various programs (not projects), the discussion would move to what the Western Balkans is missing by using such an approach. This will be based on expertise of activists and leaders such as Diplo Foundation who have been attempting to put the topic on the agenda for more rhan 15 years and are currently active in other regions as well. Experts and activists such as Bojana Kostic will look to capture the human rights element and the actual cost of right infringement which an unstructured and unregulated (often autocratic) approach to internet governance in the Western Balkans is taking. The discussion will look to close with a clear and concise roadmap by the activists and CSO leaders, while at the same time serving as an advocacy tool for government officials through explaining and defining the benefits and even political points on the table for governments and leaders willing to make strategic leaps in this field. Over the course of last several years that the IG is coming to the "agenda" in the region, it is clear that while each of the stakeholder groups is undertaking its own approach and activities the efforts to make joint steps is non existent - this results it the absence of a number of strategic and legal documents necessary for this struggle. While some of the regional countries lack national CERTs, others don't have (and have never had) national cyber strategy. In the last few years especially, the whole region is experiencing the shrinking of human rights and freedoms especially in the online space - and new restrictive laws are being passed. Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, as one of the strongest regional networks and investigative NGO media, is reporting on digital rights and its violations extensively. The second regional report on the digital rights & freedoms and its violations will be published just before the IGF 2024. Its findings will also be presented during this session and will serve as a comprehensive roadmap for discussion and bringing together all relevant players.
1. BIRN as media NGO has over 20 years long journalistic experience and is working towards inclusivnes. The onsite moderator will comunicate with the online moderator in order to ensure that all voices (online and offline) are acounted for and given space to. 2. After the short overview, the floor will be given alternately to online and offline speakers or session' attendees who wish to speak/comment. 3. Zoom (BIRN holds Zoom professional account); if possible we plan to also share the session on BIRN social media (Facebook/Instagram and Twitter) weather through direct streaming or via dedicated posts inviting also public on social media channels from the region and betond to follow and participate.

The new European strategy for a Better Internet for Kids (BIK+ Strategy), adopted by the European Commission in May 2022, aims to provide a delicate balance between digital participation, empowerment, and protection of children in the digital environment. BIK+ Strategy comes as an adaptation to the 2012 BIK Strategy, following a decade where technological developments exceeded any expectation. The new strategy, adopted after a long consultation process, aims to place children at the forefront of developments/ decisions that will be adopted by key stakeholders and the industry that concern the digital environment in the years to come. Children, as the digital citizens of the future, and being raised in a digital environment deserve to have a saying to what concerns the developments, protective measures, and their rights, and to shape the world they will live in. Based on the above critical and thoughtful elements, the BIK+ Strategy places emphasis to the following three pillars: 1. Provide children with a secure digital environment that safeguards them from harmful and illegal online content, conduct, contact, and risks, while also enhancing their well-being by ensuring age-appropriate content and respecting their best interests. 2. Empower all children, including those in vulnerable situations, with the skills and competencies required to make sound decisions and express themselves safely and responsibly in the online environment. 3. Encourage active participation by respecting children's opinions and incorporating more child-led activities in the digital environment to promote innovative and creative safe digital experiences. Against this background, European Safer Internet Centres (co-funded by the European Commission) as part of the Insafe-INHOPE network aim to further implement the objectives of the BIK+ Strategy at national and regional level. On one hand SICs are invited to develop raising awareness initiatives and pedagogical resources and also celebrate the Safer Internet Day. On the other hand, they are putting policies into practice and implementing helplines which are intended to be private confidential and non-judgemental and can be contacted for free from anywhere in each State Member. These 24-hour national listening services for all children and young people (or even for parents and teachers) provides help, support and counselling services giving them means of talking through their queries or worries with trained staff. The Helplines aims to empower, protect and support young people whatever their situation, from cyberbullying, family and relationships, to education, online safety and rights. Often, child helplines are a child or young person’s first point of contact with child protection services, and the most trusted and accessible gateway for them to find much needed further support. According to the BIK+ Strategy the EU co-funded Safer Internet helplines and hotlines should continue to assist the public, in particular children, when confronted with harmful and illegal content. If granted the status of ‘trusted flaggers’ under the conditions of the DSA, they will be able to contribute to a swifter assessment of and action upon notifications of illegal content online. On the other hand, the EU co-funded SIC helplines collaborate in the harmonization of the 116 111 in the sense that will addresses cyberbullying. To give further insight into this work, during this Day 0 event participants will hear from representatives of Insafe and 2 European Safer Internet Centres (from Belgium and Poland) who will present their national best practices on child and youth helplines. The moderator representing Insafe will start by contextualising the work of helplines within the Insafe network, followed by the presentation of helpline best practices by the Safer Internet Centre representatives. To complement and illustrate the work done, an intervention will be given by a BIK Youth Ambassador from Portugal, representing a wider youth network of 40+ Ambassadors from across Europe. The session will end with a discussion and Q&A session, co-facilitated by the onsite and online moderator, to allow onsite and online participants to interact with the speakers.
References: 

https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/strategy-better-inter…
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/european-strategy-bett…
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act-…
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1) How will you facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees? One on-site moderator and one online moderator will jointly host this Day 0 event. The online moderator will build the bridge between the online attendees (and online speakers if applicable) and the on-site moderator, alerting her each time a question/comment is made by the online attendees. Moreover, the online moderator, will take care of written responses while the session is running, making sure questions/comments are responded to “on the go”, while also posting useful links/references in the chat for the online attendees to consult.
2) How will you design the session to ensure the best possible experience for online and onsite participants? The Day 0 event will be supported by Power Point presentations, each speaker (present on-site) will have a short slide deck prepared to support his/her intervention. This will make the presentation more accessible to both on-site and online participants. After each presentation, a few minutes will be given to the on-site and online audience for Q/A. The on-site moderator together with the online moderator will facilitate the Q/A making sure questions and comments from on-site and online are equally considered.
3) Please note any complementary online tools/platforms you plan to use to increase participation and interaction during the session. Social media (e.g X and LinkedIn) will be used to boost visibility of the session and its outcomes.

While AI technologies promise significant benefits, the human rights risks they pose too often fall disproportionately on marginalized populations, such as women and girls in all their diversity, persons with disabilities, members of marginalized racial, ethnic, religious, or linguistic groups, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQI+ persons, children, and human rights defenders. For example, AI systems are often used to generate harassing and harmful “deepfakes” or spread disinformation that specifically targets women and human rights defenders; AI systems can perpetuate patterns of bias found in their training data, reinforcing historical patterns of discrimination faced by groups defined by traits such as gender, geography, race, or caste; and AI tools enable advances in surveillance technologies that are too often used to interfere with rights to peaceful assembly or freedom of association, especially by marginalized populations, and have been used for targeting by security forces with harmful effects for civilians and privacy rights.
This interactive workshop session aims to collaboratively develop feasible steps that can advance the identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks to marginalized populations that are created or exacerbated by AI. Framed by remarks from government, civil society, and industry stakeholders describing the challenges and constraints they face in this area, the workshop will explore 1) pressing issues related to AI’s impacts on marginalized populations; 2) success stories that should inform future actions; and 3) feasible steps that different groups of stakeholders can take to advance progress. The discussion will pay particular attention to how these issues and potential actions differ across diverse cultural, geographic, and economic contexts. After the event, the key issues and steps identified will be collated into an outcomes document, which could be published by the FOC.

•Show-cases university success stories in adopting open-source software: Highlight successful cases where universities have effectively used and developed open-source software, demonstrating its impact on enhancing educational and research processes. ( King Khalid University ) •The role of universities in creating software communities, incubators, and accelerators: Discuss how universities establish and support tech communities centered on open-source software, including an overview of a community project and an entrepreneurial initiative that exemplifies this effort. (Imam Mohammed Bin-Saud University ) •Universities' role in attracting and supporting talented students and graduates: Emphasize the strategies universities use to recruit and nurture young talent, focusing on their contributions to developing open-source software and fostering technological innovation. ( Al-Jouf University ) •Partnership between the Digital Government Authority and universities for supporting open-source software: Highlight the collaboration aimed at aligning with the government’s direction in adopting open-source software, showcasing joint initiatives and training programs. ( AlQassim University ) •Future goals for increasing the number of specialists in open-source software: Discuss aspirations to grow the number of specialists in open-source software and the significance of meeting local and global market demands for skilled professionals . ( All The participants ) •The future of research and innovation in open-source software: Review current and anticipated research contributions in open-source software, focusing on their potential to drive technological advancements and scientific innovation . ( All The participants )
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This session will explore how we can reimagine the delivery of judicial services to beneficiaries using technology. It will briefly touch on how technology has significantly improved our daily lives, making access to services far easier compared to the pre-digital age. The session will focus on how governments can leverage technology to enhance public services, particularly in the justice sector. We will use the example of the Saudi Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and discuss what the world can learn from MOJ’s experience in driving business transformation through digital innovation
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People around the world turn to Search to find information, learn about topics they’re interested in, and make important decisions. As the information ecosystem evolves, empowering users with information literacy skills, education and tools has never been more important. In response to this growing need, Google developed Super Searchers training. Originally developed for librarians, this training program uses hands-on demonstrations to help users understand how to use Google’s information and search literacy tools – such as About this Result and About this Image – to more efficiently analyze information online. The program focuses on three key areas: • The need for improved information literacy: With vast amounts of information available online, people need strong information literacy skills. Developing skills to critically engage with a variety of information sources and types, such as assessing the credibility of sources and tracing claims back to their original context, is essential for people to effectively navigate the evolving information ecosystem. • Navigating Misinformation: In today's dynamic information landscape, there's a growing concern surrounding the dissemination of inaccurate and misleading information. With the increasing volume of information accessible online, there's a need for users to develop critical evaluation skills to understand the claims being made online and assess the trustworthiness of a given piece of content. • Building trustworthy information ecosystems: By promoting information literacy, Super Searchers contributes to a web environment where people can find trustworthy and accurate information. Participants in this session will learn key information literacy skills and be able to critically engage with the information they find online including: • Developing methods to navigate the search engine results page more efficiently. • Understanding the variety of information sources online and how to evaluate their credibility and relevance. • Verifying the accuracy of information found online, including using cross-referencing and trusted fact-checking websites. With the information literacy strategies and tools explored in this session, participants will be equipped to more confidently navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
Using Zoom will allow both onsite and online participants to see and hear each other. We will ask all participants, both in person and remote to be logged in so we can manage the question queue in a neutral manner, but when in doubt will defer to remote participants as sometimes they are more difficult to spot. Our onsite and online moderators will be in constant communication to ensure that we can facilitate questions and comments from both onsite and online participants. We will also consider the unique challenges and opportunities that remote participants face, such as time zone differences, technical limitations, and differences in communication styles. We will urge our speakers to use clear and concise language, avoid technical jargon, and provide context for all information discussed during the session to ensure that both onsite and online participants can follow along and understand the content. Finally, we will explore the use of a polling tool, such as Mentimeter or Poll Everywhere during the interactive quizzes to gather feedback from both onsite and online participants in real-time.

It is of the utmost importance that the main concepts and definitions regarding privacy and data protection are commonly understood among internet governance community. A lightning session could be a great opportunity to discuss some of the definitions that are defined in Council of Europe instruments and used by several countries already, and whether they are commonly understood the same way in an internet governance setting. How do the various jurisdictions and stakeholders define who is a data subject on the internet or who is a data controller and processor? This can have significant impact on public policy. The discussion around WHOIS data showed how difficult it could be to have a common understanding across all jurisdiction and stakeholders. These definitions can open up other field for discussion such as forced data localisation, data security and access rights in a cloud based service, just to name a few.
The online moderator will facilitate the online chat session and raise comments in the in-situ meeting or invite online participants to take the floor if technically feasible.