NRIs Virtual Meeting VII, 02 September 2019, 13:00 p.m. UTC ‎

NATIONAL, (SUB)REGIONAL AND YOUTH IGF INITIATIVES
- Virtual Meeting VII, 02 September 2019, 13:00 p.m. UTC -

SUMMARY REPORT

About 

1. The 7^th virtual meeting of the National, Sub-regional, Regional and Youth IGF Initiatives (NRIs), took place on 02 September 2019 at 13:00 p.m. UTC.
2. The meeting was hosted by the IGF Secretariat’s NRIs Focal Point. The final, adopted version of the Agenda is attached to this document as Annex A1 and a list of meeting Participants as Annex A2. The list of shared documents is attached to this report as Annex A3.

Summary of key points

3. The Host opened the meeting by introducing the agenda and asking participants to briefly introduce themselves. Two NRIs coordinators requested to add to the agenda the following subjects: outcomes of the IGF 2019 Call for Travel Support; position of the NRIs sessions in the IGF 2019 schedule and logistics regarding the remote hubs. With these additions, the agenda was adopted (Annex A1).
    
4. The Host opened the meeting with a reminder to the agreed format for the NRIs main session at the 14^th annual IGF meeting: ‘’Emerging technologies and their interfaces with inclusion, security and human ‎rights’’, currently schedule to be on 27 November, from 14:15 – 16:15 p.m. It was stressed that the session format will be divided into two major parts. The first part will be up to 45 minutes long and it will serve as a ‘setting the stage’ introduction, with approximately ten (10) key NRIs drawing participant’s attention to the case-studies of impact of the emerging technologies on people in their countries. The second part of the session will be 75 minutes long and will allow for all participating NRIs to deliver their cases of impact of emerging technologies on lives of people in their countries and regions.
    
5. The Host further reminded that the above-mentioned case study inputs should be communicated to the IGF Secretariat beforehand, for their consolidation into a unique publication that will serve as an input to this session. It was reminded that inputs need to be concrete, focused on the impact of emerging technologies on lives of people and attractive to the audience. The Host advised that the NRIs coordinators summarise what has been discussed on this topic at their meetings, clear with their organizing committees and communicate to the IGF Secretariat in a form of no more than 2 paragraphs of max. 400 words.
    
6. The Host asked the NRIs to advise how the first part of the session should be organized, especially related to the endorsement of up to ten (10) NRIs that will ‘set the stage’, as well as on the duration of their remarks. As agreed during previous NRIs meetings, the IGF Secretariat has developed a set of criteria, based on the so far exchanges with the NRIs coordinators, and posted for the NRIs endorsement. The initially displayed criteria were:
   1. Group composed of: Least Developed Countries, Land Locked Developing Countries, Small Island Developing Countries, transitional economies and developed countries
   2. From all subregions within each UN regional group
   3. Active with the NRIs Network
   4. Speakers: gender and age balanced group

7. Some of the NRIs coordinators raised concerns regarding the criteria ‘’ iii. Active with the NRIs Network ‘’, as it could exclude other recognized NRIs that are not necessarily active with the NRIs as a Network. The compromised view was that all NRIs are active with the Network either through participating at join calls, communicating through the NRIs mailing list or just providing feedback to the NRIs Focal Point for further communication to the NRIs Network. It was agreed that a very broad view and understanding of the ‘NRIs activity within a Network’ will be considered.
    
8. An additional concern shared by one coordinator was the feasibility of achieving the gender and age balanced group among the ten NRIs. The Host suggested that the NRIs try designating two potential speakers of different gender. This would help balancing group, as the IGF aims for gender diversity, among other factors of inclusion, and each session needs to be committed to achieving this important objective.
    
9. After endorsing the above-mentioned criteria and agreeing on the same understanding regarding a broad interpretation of each, the IGF Secretariat displayed the proposed list of the NRIs that could be speakers during the first section of the session. From the West African IGF and Nigerian IGF, it was advised to have the Benin IGF speaking during the second segment of the session and instead to bring the national IGF of Gambia to the fist section, given that this national IGF is younger, needs more visibility and in addition has hosted an excellent meeting very recently that resulted in tangible changes. From the WEOG group, it was advised to have the IGF-USA represented in the second section of the session and for the national IGF of the IGF 2019 Host Country – Germany, to be represented in this first section. One coordinator noted that the Arab region is not represented and that the group should balance this region with others. Another coordinator advised to also explore having the representation of a more experienced Youth IGF initiative in this first section, suggesting the Youth LACIGF as an alternative to the below proposed one. The Host noted an excellent report of the Argentina Youth IGF on their recently hosted meeting, which is the reason for suggesting them as potential candidates for the NRIs endorsement.  With these updates, the following final proposal for the consultations of the wider NRIs Network was developed:

10. The above agreed table will be communicated to the NRIs mailing list for the final advice and endorsement by the entire Network.
     
11. The group moved to discussing the next agenda items, which is to agree on the timeline for submitting the case-study inputs for the NRIs main session.
     
12. The Host noted that so far only three NRIs submitted inputs: Canada IGF, Lebanon IGF and SEEDIG. All these are attached to this report (Annex III).
     
13. Participants were reminded that only the NRIs that demonstrate their commitment toward preparing this session (through participating and contributing to the work; attending the meetings or explaining why they can not attend) will be given a speaking slot, as per the NRIs agreement earlier in this year. Consequently, only the NRIs that submit a written input by the agreed deadline, will be able to delegate speaker to represent them at the NRIs main session.
     
14. The following timeline was endorsed during this meeting:
    • NRIs to send inputs: 15 September 2019 25 September 2019*
    • IGF Secretariat to consolidate all inputs: 10 October 2019
    • NRIs Feedback: 20 October 2019
    • Final publication: 1 November 2019
       
15. The IGF Secretariat, after internal consultations, *extends the deadline until 25 September 2019, to give the agreed wo weeks’ time-framework for this activity after this report has been published. This input was added post-meeting.
     
16. The Nigeria IGF confirmed to delegate a rapporteur for the NRIs main session. The Host thanked the Nigeria IGF and invited participants to advise on at least one more rapporteur, no later than 17 September 2019[1], to support this session. Mr. Olivier Kouami volunteered to support this session as a rapporteur, as well.
     
17. Participants have also discussed the above-mentioned added points to the Agenda. The first added point related to the announcement of the outcomes of the IGF 2019 Call for Travel Support. The IGF Secretariat noted that 830 applicants were received and processed and tanked the NRIs for their advices. It was said that successful applicants will be announced during this month.
     
18.  On the concern raised by one coordinator regarding the position of the NRIs sessions in the IGF 2019 Schedule, the Host acknowledged the feedback and noted that the NRIs sessions do not overlap thematically or organizationally with any other and that an additional benefit is that the sessions are only 60 minutes long, while others are usually longer. This allows for at least partial attendance to those sessions of a longer duration. Concretely for the African Open Forum it was said that the IGF Secretariat will engage with the organizers and explore options of rescheduling the Forum, to make possible for the organizers of the NRIs collaborative sessions to take active participation.
     
19. The Host also responded to the questions of the logistics for the IGF 2019 Remote Hubs. All NRIs were encouraged to facilitate the process of setting up hubs in various local communities and inform the IGF Secretariat by 25 October 2019 through a dedicated form:  https://www.intgovforum.org/content/igf-2019-remote-hubs It was said that the participation coming from the Remote Hubs will be prioritized by the session moderators.

Next Steps

20.  A full summary report will be sent to the NRIs mailing list, for further consultations.
21. Next meeting: It was agreed that the next meeting will be in October 2019. A doodle poll will be sent two weeks before the proposed meeting options.
22.  For any suggestions or questions regarding the Report, kindly contact the IGF Secretariat, NRIs Focal Point at: anja.gengo@un.org.

ANNEX A1
AGENDA: Virtual Meeting VII

1. Welcome and introduction
2. NRIs Main Session
3. Format
4. Endorsing the list of NRIs that will speak in the 1st and 2nd section
5. Publication as an input to the NRIs Main Session: review of submissions and agreeing on time-framework
6. Rapporteurs for the main session
7. AoB
    

ANNEX A2 
MEETING PARTICIPANTS (in alphabetical order):

1. Adef Fadoul
2. Amrita Choudhuru, India
3. Andrea Beccalli, Italian IGF
4. Anja Gengo, IGF Secretariat
5. Barrack Otieno, Kenya IGF
6. Chamsa Al Marif
7. Concettina Cassa, Italian IGF
8. Dajana Mulaj, Albanian Youth IGF
9. Fotjon Kosta, Albania IGF
10. Franck Kouami, West African IGF
11. Imran Ahmed Shah, Pakistan
12. Jana Priyatosh, India Youth IGF
13. Jennifer Chung, APrIGF
14. Joshua Joshua, West African Youth IGF
15. Judith Hellerstein, IGF-USA
16. Julian Casasbuenas G., Colombia IGF
17. June Paris, Barbados IGF
18. Keisuke Kamimura, Japan IGF
19. Lianna Galstyan , Armenia IGF, SEEDIG
20. Lillian Nalwoga, East African IGF
21. Lima Madomi, IGF Secretariat
22. Lucien Castex,   France IGF
23. Mahamat Haroun, Chad
24. Mahamat Silim, Youth African IGF
25. Mahamat Yamani, Chad
26. Marilyn Cade, IGF-USA
27. Mary Uduma, Nigeria IGF, West African IGF
28. Michel Tchonang Linze, Central African IGF, Cameroon IGF
29. Mohammad Abdul Haque, Bangladesh IGF
30. Nathalia Sautchuk, Brazil IGF
31. Nick Wenban-Smith, UK IGF
32. Obed Sindy, Haiti IGF
33. Olivier Kouami, Senegal
34. Omar Mansoor Ansari, Afghanistan IGF
35. Peter Koch, German IGF
36. Roberto Zambrana, Bolivia IGF
37. Sandra  Hoferichter, EuroDIG
38. Shreedeep Rayamajhi, Nepal IGF community
39. Sorina Teleanu, SEEDIG
40. Uffa Modey, Nigeria
41. Veronica Birindelli, Youth Italian IGF
42. Vrikson Acosta, Venezuela
43. Zeina Bou Harb, Lebanon IGF

ANNEX A3 
LIST OF SHARED INPUTS

1. Inputs to the NRIs Main Session: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H-IWO9AaxG_AxYHbS3m8y9iaQ8g4oSqTKbmJO0y6iFA/edit?usp=sharing
    
2. NRIs Main Session Proposal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BXSCLAw9kiBBWcbc41uve990Jp2rqiB5V2bqVtSDImE/edit?usp=sharing