Programme for the Main Sessions
Sharm El Sheikh, 15-18 November 2009
The objective of the programme is to maximize the opportunity for open and inclusive dialogue and the exchange of ideas; to try and create feedback loops between the different types of sessions; to create opportunities to share best practices and experiences; to listen, dialogue and learn as well as to identify key themes that would, in the future, benefit from the multistakeholder perspective of the IGF.
“Internet Governance – Creating Opportunities for all” is the overall title of the meeting. The agenda is as follows:
• Managing critical Internet resources;
• Security, openness and privacy;
• Access and diversity;
• Internet governance in the light of WSIS principles;
• Taking stock and the way forward – on the desirability of the continuation of the Forum;
• Emerging issues: Impact of Social Networks.
The basic format of the previous meetings, with main sessions, workshops and other events, will be maintained.
Each of the main sessions will be an opportunity for productive exchange between all stakeholders on policy approaches, challenges, and practical options to address them. The goal is to discuss practices or issues and their relevance to all stakeholders.
Internet governance – Setting the Scene:
15 November, 10:00 – 11:30: Orientation Session
Moderator: Markus Kummer
Executive Coordinator, IGF Secretariat
Panellists:
• N. Ravi Shanker Joint Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India
• Nermine El Saadany Director, International Relations Division, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt
• Marilyn Cade President, ICT Strategies, mCADE llc
• Rafik Dammak Masters research student, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo
• Lee Hibbard
Media and Information Society Division / Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Council of Europe (CoE)
• Alexander Ntoko Head of ITU Corporate Strategy Division, ITU
• Virginia (Ginger) Paque Program Coordinator, Internet Governance Capacity Building, DiploFoundation and co-coordinator of the Internet Governance Caucus
• Nii Qaynor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Network Computer Systems; President, Internet Society of Ghana
This session will give participants background on Internet governance in general and the IGF in particular. The intent of the session is to improve participants’ ability to engage in and benefit from the IGF meeting. It will explain the basic functioning of the IGF and the issues it has been dealing with to assist in creating a common background with regard to the depth and focus of the discussions and maximize participation. The session will also give an overview of the programme.
15 November, 11:30 – 13:00: Regional Perspectives
Moderator: Markus Kummer
Executive Coordinator, IGF Secretariat
Panellists:
• Graciela Selaimen , Executive Coordinator, Núcleo de Pesquisas, Estudos e Formação (NUPEF), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Alice Munyua, Member of the Board of Directors, Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), Vice Chair, Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC-Kenya's ccTLD manager).
• Thomas Schneider Information society coordinator, International Affairs Department, Swiss Federal Office of Communication (OFCOM).
• Issah Yahaya Head, Policy Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation/Telecoms, Ministry of Communications, Ghana
This session will bring in different regional experiences, as they emerged from various regional and national meetings.
Opening Ceremony/Opening Session:
15 November, 14:00 – 16:30
Keynote Panel
15 November, 16:30 – 18:00
Managing Critical Internet Resources: 16 November, 10:00 – 13:00
Chair: TBD
Moderators:
• Chris Disspain Chief Executive Officer, .AU Registry; Chair, Council of Country-Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)
• Jeanette Hofmann Senior Researcher, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)/Social Science Research Center Berlin
This session will be held in the form of an open discussion, without panellists, in order to promote greater participation by all stakeholders to inform and provide their perspectives. It will be managed by the Chair and moderators with resource persons on call in the audience. The following issues were mentioned, among others, to be addressed under this heading:
• Transition from IPv4 to IPv6;
• The JPA, the IANA contract and the role of governments;
• The internationalization of critical Internet resources management;
• The importance of new TLDs and IDNs for development;
• Enhanced cooperation.
Security, Openness and Privacy:
16 November, 15:00 – 18:00
Chair: TBD
Moderator: Simon Davies,
Founder and Director of Privacy International
Panellists
• Joseph H. Alhadeff Vice President for Global Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer, Oracle Corporation
• Nazila Ghanea Lecturer, International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Religion and Human Rights
• Cristine Hoepers Senior Security Analyst and General Manager, CERT.br
• Namita Malhotra Researcher, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, India
• Bruce Schneier Chief Security Technology Officer, British Telecom
• Alexander Seger, (TBC) Head of Economic Crime Division, Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Council of Europe
The discussion of this cluster of issues will be introduced by a panel of practitioners to set the stage and bring out options for how to deal with the policy and practical choices related to the different facets of these themes. The discussion will cover practical aspects of the coordination needed to secure the network (e.g. to fight spam) and their relationship to issues pertaining to openness (e.g. ensuring the open architecture of the Internet).
Issues to be discussed will include:
• The respect for privacy as a business advantage;
• Identity theft, identity fraud, and information leakage;
• Web 2.0;
• Social networks;
• Cloud computing and privacy, e.g. control of one’s own data and data retention;
• Cultural and technical perspectives on the regulation of illegal Web contents;
• Regulatory models for privacy;
• Ensuring the open architecture of the Internet;
• Net Neutrality;
• Enabling frameworks for freedom;
• Ethical dimensions of the Internet.
Access and Diversity:
17 November, 10:00 – 13:00
This session will be split into two and draw in the outcomes of related workshops, which could compare and contrast approaches and best practices.
Diversity:
Chair: TBD
Moderator: Jonathan Charles
Presenter, BBC World News
Panellists:
• Gerry Ellis Accessibility and Usability consultant, Feel The BenefIT
• Shadi Abou Zhara Activity Lead, WAI International Program Office, W3C
• Cynthia Waddell Executive Director, International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI)
• Andrea Saks Convener of the joint coordination activity on accessibility and human factors, Coordinator, Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability
• Abdul Waheed Khan Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO
• Abdulaziz Al Zoman SaudiNIC (.sa)
• Dwayne Bailey Research Director, ANLoc (African Network for Localisation)
Issues:
• Access for people with disabilities;
• Multilingualism and IDNs.
Access:
Chair: TBD
Moderator: Hopeton Dunn
Director, Caribbean Programme in Telecommunications Policy and Technology Management (TPM), Mona School of Business, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Panellists:
• Ben Akoh CT Programmme Manager, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)
• Pierre Dandjinou CEO, Strategic Consulting Group SCG
• Ernest Ndukwe Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
• Ermanno Pietrosemoli President, EsLaRed, Venezuela
Issues mentioned for this session included:
• National and international regulatory issues;
• National and regional backbones;
• Infrastructure;
• Interconnection costs;
• Enabling Internet Exchange Points (IXPs);
• Modes of access and regulatory challenges;
• Safety and redundancy of access, e.g. cable cuts;
• Issues in mobile access.
Internet Governance in the light of the WSIS Principles:
17 November, 15:00 - 18:00
Chair: TBD
Moderators
• Anriette Esterhuysen
Executive Director, Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
• Bill Graham
Gloal Strategic Engagement, the Internet Society (ISOC)
• Jānis Kārkliņš (TBC)
Ambassador of Latvia to France and Permanent Representative to UNESCO,
This session builds on the WSIS Principles, as contained in the Geneva Declaration of Principles and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, in particular on Paragraphs 29 and 31. The Session will be based on Paragraph 72 i) of the Tunis Agenda which mandates the IGF to “promote and assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS principles in Internet governance processes”. This session will be held in the form of an open discussion without panellists.
Taking Stock and Looking Forward – on the desirability of the continuation of the Forum.
18 November, 10:00 – 13:00
Chair: TBD
The focus of this three hour session will be: “formal consultations with Forum participants” on the “desirability of the continuation of the Forum”, as stipulated by Paragraph 76 of the Tunis Agenda. These consultations have been initiated by an online process, starting with a questionnaire prepared by the IGF secretariat. A synthesis paper reflecting all commentaries received is available in all UN languages.
The discussions will be held on the basis of a pre-established speakers list. Interested participants can request a speaking slot by sending an email to [email protected] with the heading “taking stock”.
Emerging Issues: Impact of Social Networks
18 November, 15:00 – 16:30
Chair: TBD Moderator: TBD
• Sunil Abraham
Director of Policy, Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore
• Rebecca MacKinnon Open Society Institute fellow, Global Network Initiative co-founder, Hong Kong
• Grace Bomu Manager, Actor and Policy advocate, Kenya-Heartstrings Kenya and Fanartics Theatre Company, Kenya
• Sergio Suiama, Prosecutor for the State of São Paulo, Brazil
• Marc Rotenberg Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
This session will focus on the development on the development of social media (social networks, user-generated content sites, micro-blogging, collaboration tools, etc. and explore whether this development requires to modify traditional policy approaches, in particular regarding privacy and data protection, rules applicable to user-generated content and copyrighted material, as well as freedom of expression and illegal content. The session will also address the importance of the “terms of service” of large platforms, how they are developed and their relationship with emerging business models based on behavioral analysis.
Closing Ceremony
18 November, 16:30 -18:00