The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> ANDY RICHARDSON: Good afternoon. Good afternoon, everybody. Good afternoon. If I could just ask everybody to assemble for the final closing of the Parliamentary Track. My name is Andy Richardson. I work with the Inter‑Parliamentary Union, the IPU, and we are here with a colleague, Celine Bal from the IGF Secretariat, who has done an absolutely fantastic job in organizing the Parliamentary Track. Thank you for all of that hard work.
But also to yourselves. So the point of this session is to try to draw this extremely rich discussion to a close. We'd like to introduce to you the output document from the Parliamentary Track. At the end of each Parliamentary Track at IGF, we try to capture the main recommendations coming out of your discussions. Why? So that what you have said can echo beyond this room. It can echo across the IGF as a whole. But also to take back to your parliaments. And across the UN system.
So earlier this afternoon, we shared a first draft of the output document based on what you discussed yesterday and this morning. You've been seen taking notes this afternoon on the discussion. Some of you may have had an opportunity to see that document already. Or will discover it shortly.
Essentially, the recommendations come in three groups. There are lots of recommendations for parliaments themselves. As we know, parliaments are complex organisations. And you, as the members of parliament here at the IGF, are somehow the key actors in this process. Because you have the knowledge and the skills from this meeting to go back and speak with your colleagues, in your parliaments, to speak with your governments as well.
The recommendations for parliaments that we have picked up fall into three main areas. One is working together to advance global cooperation on digital policy, and particularly making sure that parliaments are involved in the global processes at the Internet Governance Forum, at the WSIS+20 review, at the ongoing discussions on AI governance. Parliaments have to be part of this conversation as well.
The second is we've heard a lot about working together at regional level to define, together with parliaments in the same regions, what are your common priorities, and to see if you can work together towards coordination and harmonization of legislation within your regions based on your own priorities. Then the third big area is strengthening parliaments themselves, how your parliaments work. So making sure that you are having an active and ongoing dialogue with youth. Taking a wide range of perspectives. But also from different stakeholders from the IGF community. So the technical community, academia, civil society, and importantly, as we were hearing here, the private sector as well. So that as you work on legislation, as you work in your parliamentary committees, you are hearing a range of inputs to make the best possible legislative decisions.
So the output document also has a series of recommendations targeted particularly at the UN system. We've had representatives here from the ITU, telecommunications, UNDP, UNESCO, Global Digital Compact, and others. I think the unanimous message from you was that you are asking these organisations to do more to make sure that parliaments are involved. But also the unanimous message from these organisations themselves was that they are ‑‑ they want to do this. They are open to working with parliaments. So we have to find ways to make that connection better.
And that's where the third basket of recommendations comes to the IGF, to the IPU, to try to help to make these connections. As one of the delegates said just now, there are a huge range of resources that are available. Now, I wonder, as a question, to what extent these resources are already tailored to the specific needs of parliamentarians. Possibly not yet, but I am sure that they can be adapted to meet your needs. And then maybe we can work together to try to build that capacity.
Really listening to you, I was very much struck by two big themes that seem to have emerged. One is capacity, building your own capacity in parliament, both you, the people here, but your wider community of colleagues. So we collectively need to work together to do a better job.
And the second is this ongoing discussion around artificial intelligence. Which is, as we know, a new and emerging and continually evolving subject. And genuinely an open challenge, an open question to parliaments on what to do and how. A question that our colleague from Bahrain was raising. At what moment? So part of our job at the IPU is to provide a platform for exchange of experience that, in this parliament, we are doing this, and this is what we learned in this parliament. We are doing it this way. To try to connect the parliaments together.
Many of you will know that in October of this year, the Inter‑Parliamentary Union adopted a resolution tied on the impact of AI democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. So there was a strong commitment to work together, to build capacity, to exchange experience, and to make sure that the legislative frameworks in your countries are able to protect the rights and freedoms of the people that you represent in this digital era.
So in a nutshell, the output document contains these ideas.
We have an opportunity here to take any further feedback and suggestions. We've received some already by email. Thank you for those, which will be taken onboard. But we have an opportunity to, let's say, finalize the document here. And then it will be presented to the Closing Plenary of the IGF on Thursday as a result of your deliberations in the Parliamentary Track.
I'll stop here and invite Celine from the IGF Secretariat to say a couple more words about the next steps. And then I'll open the floor for any further message you may have.
>> CELINE BAL: Thank you very much, everyone. First I would like to sincerely thank you for the collaboration we have with the Inter‑Parliamentary Union already. It's been a couple of years. Also to the Saudi Council for the excellent collaboration we have had this year. You will be missed.
Also to Afnan. I am not sure if she is now in the room.
(Applause)
Yes. We just wanted to thank you for all the work that you've been doing.
>> (Off microphone).
>> CELINE BAL: She is the boss. Of course.
First and foremost, for all those who attended this year's Parliamentary Track, it is really a community like you that makes the IGF Parliamentary Track lively and needed. So we do hope that you enjoyed the past two days. That you enjoyed the sessions. And we really invite you also to take part in our parliamentary activities also in the upcoming years, not only at the global IGF, but also the regional IGFs we have and the national and subregional ones. I am going to go into that a little bit later.
Of course, what is important to us is that you do connect amongst each other. That you take something concrete home to your parliament. And also that you have an access to speakers. And this is where I come to my other point, where we have a very large and global community of experts, where you can always tap into. So please do not hesitate to reach out, in case you have seen some speakers that you are interested in, you know, further connecting with. Reach out to us, and we are more than glad to make the connection.
Before I go to the IGF 2025 cycle, I would still like to remind you that tomorrow we do have a Parliamentary Roundtable that will take place in the Plenary Hall, so not here, but in the Plenary Hall, from 3:15 to 4:15, one and a half hours, on "A powerful collective force for change, parliamentarians for a prosperous global digital future."
And we know that the IGF 2024 did not end yet, but as you may know, the IGF 2025 will come rather soon next year, already end of June, and host is going to be Norway. So tomorrow, for example, there will be a member of Parliament from Norway who will also be part of the panel. And would like for you to mark your calendars for end of June 2025. It will take place in Oslo. The date's yet to be confirmed. But you can mark the last week of June.
And before that, so to let you know a little bit also about the process of the IGF. We have a very vast network of national, subregional, and regional IGFSA ‑‑ IGFs. Basically, it starts with the regional IGF. So for example, Ghana taking place at the very beginning of the IGF cycle. Leading then to the subregional IGF, such as the sub‑Saharan or Korean IGF. Then continuing to the regional ones, so really we have the Latin manager and Korean IGF that takes place, the Asia Pacific, all culminating to the global one. And we try actively to also develop parliamentary tracks at the more regional IGFs, but it's also a call to you to be more active at the national ones.
In case you are interested, please do reach out to us, and we can gladly connect you to the coordinators of the various IGFs that we have. Currently, over 170 of them.
Also, something that is close to our heart, we have a mailing list. We have, as I said, the expert community that can be very helpful for you. And also, something that I wanted to share with you. The programme that we normally build for members of parliaments is really based on the input from you. It is close to our heart that we are not doing a top‑down programme, that we tell you this is going to take place next year. But that it is a consultative process. So in case you have any feedback that you would like to share, some topics that you would really like to discuss also a little bit more in depth next year, please do share this with us. And we will gladly integrate them during the development of the programme.
Now I would suggest, in case you have any final comments, questions whatsoever, please let us know. We still have, I think, a couple of minutes before we close the Parliamentary Track today.
Yes, Catherine, please.
>> CATHERINE: Thank you. I have sent my comments to you. And I am just reminded that the IPU is also ‑‑ also has developed the Charter on Science and Technology, which, in my view, is relevant, but you only made reference to the resolution. So I don't know whether you might want to include that. But I have given you my comments in writing.
>> CELINE BAL: Thank you. We will take that into account.
>> AUDIENCE MEMBER: I come from Argentina. In the document, it caught my attention that you were only referring to ‑‑ sorry, I took notes not to forget. But some of the questions to take into account, it was disinformation. And when talking about inequality, you were only talking about gender gap. But we were also talking about the inequality in terms of the employees. So yes, and one of them would be the gender gap. So I think that inequalities and disinformation, we should also refer to cybersecurity somehow because we can't talk about governance in AI if we don't have data governance and cybersecurity.
Furthermore, reference to sustainability and the opportunity that AI generates so we can reduce the CO2 footprint in terms of digital matters. And also the development of how this world generates, as well, a footprint. So I think these are topics that could be mentioned.
And also one more thing that is not as important but is related as well. I think that definitely in all the sessions, we were talking about whether we should regulate or not and how much. But definitely today, the digital and virtual worlds are part ‑‑ are just one world with ‑‑ it's two sides of the coin. And we are now citizens that are made of skin and bones, and we are digital as well. And also, we believe that the human being should be in the centre, as well as the dignity should be in the centre of all these regulations. And technologies should be a tool that serves humanity. And therefore, the human rights should be also in the framework that we work with. Thank you.
>> AUDIENCE MEMBER: Hi. Thank you. On point one, it's where can a minimum code of ethics for technologies that can be used and implemented by all countries based on a human rights approach? And then point two, share their strategies with mixes of parliamentarian strategies on how is the best way to legislate the digital agenda and draft guidance and good practices on this matter. That is related of the panel I am on. Thank you.
>> ANDY RICHARDSON: Thank you very much. I see we have a few hands. So the gentleman here, then the lady up front.
>> AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you. I know that you have thanked the Saudi authorities, particularly the parliaments of Saudi. I would like to thank you again. These last few days, you have shattered a few stereotypes, and you have endeared your country and parliament to us. I would like to come over and over again. Thank you to you.
We must also thank the body IPU and the IGF Secretariat. Thank you. I don't know where you get your energy from. We are extremely very grateful to the parliamentarians for the coordination you have done, particularly the logistics to get us here.
Also comments. Number one, in order to ensure that this document, the outcome we are developing, the same way communication was made to the heads of parliament to invite us here, I also would suggest that the same communication that was co‑signed by the head of Saudi, IPU, IGF, if you also send the same thing back to heads of parliaments across the world to say at the conclusion of the Parliamentary Track, these were the outcomes. Which allows that these come to enjoy the leadership of the parliament across the world, and parliamentarians can therefore do some follow‑up.
The second suggestion I would like to make, a number of organisations came, and they let us know the capacity building that I have. I mean, we listen to ITU. We listen to the world body of IGF. I also suggest the body IGF and IPU curate all these materials and send to the parliamentarians. So at the regional level, the general level, we may want to engage some of these resources and see what kind of capacity building can begin to take place at those levels. Again, I would like to thank you. And I also see the commitment of parliamentarians.
>> ANDY RICHARDSON: Thank you. Excuse me. Just in response to your colleague. To note that not only will we inform the speakers of the member of parliaments of IPU. But in this year in July, there will be the 5th World Conference of Speakers of California parliaments, where we, as IPU, commit to sharing the outcome of your discussions, both here and at the next IGF in Norway will be brought to the attention to the speakers, where there will be a panel dedicated to the topic "Shaping our digital1 futures." With high‑level discussions with world's speakers of parliament. Thank you.
>> AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you. I lead the Q of M Parliament. I highlight everything my colleague said before. So I don't need to mention those proposals, too, that were the same as mine. But I just want to add one more proposal. What's going to happen tomorrow? What are we going to do tomorrow and the days after this session until the next session? We all have something to share. And we all have some need, some training need or elements that we were talking about, lessons learned, good practices. So maybe we should work in doing some mapping of the needs of each parliament and to see which parliamentary group can offer. So this could be a tool that could be useful so we can keep working, collaborating, incorporating, and sharing all these lessons learned as well as good practices.
>> CELINE BAL: Thank you very much. In response, what we try to do, especially in this year, after the IGF Parliamentary Track ends, we put as an annex some suggested sessions that will take place at the IGF and organized by some IGF session organizers, community members. Also, with the aim of including more parliamentarians in the discussions, not only here, part of the Parliamentary Track, but also with community members. But we take note, and we will think about how to, you know, improve for next year. Thank you.
>> AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you very much for the track, and I would love to thank Celine, a special thanks for her.
I would second what Honorable Shuaib said. Actually, I said the same suggestion in the last session. Because we need to gather up all the initiatives and programmes that are tailored for parliamentarians and to be sent to us, please, if this is possible.
And actually, you talked about a platform that ITU is making to compare the legislations from different parliaments and the best practices, especially in the new legislations. That would be extremely helpful. But please share it with us. Thank you.
>> CELINE BAL: Thank you very much. We took notes. Again, we remain available via email. We look forward to the session tomorrow. For those who are already leaving a little bit earlier, please have safe travels. Those who are staying until the end of IGF, please enjoy not only the IGF, but also Riyadh. Thank you so much.
>> ANDY RICHARDSON: A special thank you to everyone, the Council, everyone have a good night.