Bangladesh Working Group on Internet Governance Forum is pleased to announce that Bangladesh Consultation on 4th Internet Governance Forum(IGF) will be held on 31 October, 2009 at 10: 00 AM in the Conference Room of Bangladesh Computer Council, BCC Bhaban Plot E-14/X Agargaon, Sher-e- Bangla Nagar, Dhaka – 1207.

The Meeting is organized by Bangladesh Working Group on Internet Governance Forum in collaboration with Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), The Monthly Computer Jagat,Center for e-Parliament Studies and J.A.N Associates Ltd.

Honorable Chairman for Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Post and Telecommunication Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu, MP will inaugurate the consultation as Chief Guest.

The overall theme of the Bangladesh Consultation will be 4th UN Internet Governance Forum – Creating Opportunities for All. The theme reflects the basic purpose of the IGF to develop a common understanding of how to maximize the opportunities the Internet offers for around the country and peoples, and how to address the risks and challenges, while also raising awareness of the development dimension of Internet governance in Bangladesh perspective.

Distinguished Member of Parliament (MP), Policy –Makers and Representatives from Government, Media, Academia, CSOs, and Corporate Sector are expected to join the Bangladesh Consultation. In this Meeting, We strongly believe, this consultation will add a new and positive dimension towards building the knowledge based society and Digital Bangladesh.

For more information regarding Bangladesh Consultation: M. A. Haque Anu, Secretary General, Bangladesh Working Group on Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Cell: 01911341654 e-mail: mharnab@yahoo.com

The financing of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for development is an important area to address in the context promoting a more inclusive global information society. Wider diffusion and better use of ICTs can help to achieve more effectively the goals outlined in the Millennium Declaration.

The WSIS Tunis Agenda for the Information Society (November 2005) recognizes the scale of the challenge in bridging the digital divide, which will require adequate and sustainable investments in ICT infrastructure and services, and capacity building, and transfer of technology over many years to come. There is a continuous need to evaluate how existing as well as new financial mechanisms can support greater access and use of ICTs in developing countries.

Following a recommendation by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UNGIS is pleased to announce that Open Consultations on Financial Mechanisms for Meeting the Challenges of ICT for Development will take place from 8-9 October 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Objectives
These Open Consultations will offer a unique opportunity to review progress, share views and discuss new approaches at the national, regional and international level to the financing of ICTs for development. It will give the possibility to develop a better understanding on the need for future actions to respond to the part B of the Tunis Agenda.

The meeting is intended to serve as a platform for information exchange, creation of knowledge, sharing of best practices and building partnerships. for mor info:http://www.ungis.org/Default.aspx?tabid=621

fourth annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on 15-18 November 2009, which is being graciously hosted by the Government of Egypt.

Participation will be open to all entities accredited to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Other institutions and persons with proven expertise and experience in matters related to Internet governance may also apply to attend.

The overall theme of the meeting will be Internet Governance – Creating Opportunities for All. The theme reflects the basic purpose of the IGF to develop a common understanding of how to maximize the opportunities the Internet offers for all nations and peoples, and how to address the risks and challenges, while also raising awareness of the development dimension of Internet governance.

A broad-based consultation process through the Multistakeholder Advisory Group has generated the following proposed agenda for the meeting:

• Managing critical internet resources;
• Security, openness and privacy;
• Access and diversity;
• Internet governance in light of WSIS principles;
• Emerging issues – impact of social networks; and
• Taking stock and the way forward – desirability of the continuation of the Forum.

On the last item, regarding the future of the IGF beyond its five-year mandate, we would like to invite ideas and comments from all stakeholders and urge you to share your views with us at: http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/review-process

ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP are pleased to invite you to the WSIS Forum 2009 to be held from 18 to 22 May 2009, at the ITU Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland. This event builds upon the tradition of annual WSIS May meetings, and its new format is a result of the open consultations with all WSIS Stakeholders.

The Forum will offer participants a series of diverse meetings, including high-level panels addressing critical issues to the WSIS implementation and follow-up in multi-stakeholder set-ups, WSIS action line facilitation meetings, thematic workshops, kick-off meetings for new initiatives and projects, speed-exchanges facilitating networking among the participants, and the others. You will have structured opportunities to network, to learn and to participate in the multi-stakeholder discussions and consultations on the WSIS implementation.

In case you are the WSIS Stakeholder and you are interested in organizing a session or having your kick-off meeting for a new initiative or ongoing project, please do not hesitate to contact WSIS Team at wsis-info@itu.int visit: http://www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2009/forum/geneva/index.html

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication(BNNRC) has published World Summit on the Information Society - WSIS Action Plan in Bangla.For more info about action plan in Bangla please visit: http://www.bnnrc.net/publication/WSIS_Book%2010%20pt.pdf

The UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 (21 December 2001) endorsed the holding of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in two phases. The first phase took place in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003 and the second phase took place in Tunis, from 16 to 18 November 2005.

Geneva Phase: 10-12 December 2003

The objective of the first phase was to develop and foster a clear statement of political will and take concrete steps to establish the foundations for an Information Society for all, reflecting all the different interests at stake.

Nearly 50 Heads of state/government and Vice-Presidents, 82 Ministers, and 26 Vice-Ministers from 175 countries as well as high-level representatives from international organizations, private sector, and civil society attended the Geneva Phase of WSIS and gave political support to the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Geneva Plan of Action that were adopted on 12 December 2003. More than 11,000 participants from 175 countries attended the Summit and related events.

Tunis Phase: 16-18 November 2005

The objective of the second phase was to put Geneva's Plan of Action into motion as well as to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of Internet governance, financing mechanisms, and follow-up and implementation of the Geneva and Tunis documents.

Nearly 50 Heads of state/government and Vice-Presidents and 197 Ministers, Vice Ministers and Deputy Ministers from 174 countries as well as high-level representatives from international organizations, private sector, and civil society attended the Tunis Phase of WSIS and gave political support to the Tunis Commitment and Tunis Agenda for the Information Society that were adopted on 18 November 2005. More than 19,000 participants from 174 countries attended the Summit and related events.

For more information: http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html

С1. The role of public governance authorities and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development :Ms. Haiyan Qian (UN DESA)

С2. Information and communication infrastructure : Mr. Emamgholi Behdad with the assistance of Mr. Jaroslaw Ponder (ITU)

C3. Access to information and knowledge :Mr. Axel Plathe (UNESCO)

C4. Capacity building :Ms. Radhika Lal (UNDP)

C5. Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs :
Mr. Alexander Ntoko (ITU)

C6. Enabling environment :Ms. Radhika Lal (UNDP)

C7. ICT Applications:
E-government:Ms. Haiyan Qian (UN DESA)

E-business :Mr. Torbjorn Fredriksson (UNCTAD)

E-learning :Mr. Tarek Shawki (UNESCO)

E-health :Mr. Jean-Claude Healy (WHO)

E-employment:Mr. Roberto Zachmann (ILO)

E-environment:Ms. Kerstin Ludwig (ITU)

E-agriculture :Ms. Charlotte Masiello-Riome (FAO)

E-science:Mr. Mustafa El Tayeb (UNESCO)


C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content :Mr. Mauro Rosi (UNESCO)

C9. Media :Mr. Vladimir Gai (UNESCO)

C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society :Mr. Boyan Radoykov (UNESCO)

C11. International and regional cooperation :Mr. Sergei Kambalov (UN DESA)

On 10-12 June 2009, Ministers, policymakers, business leaders, and innovators in the field of information and communication technologies for development from around the world will converge in Monterrey, Mexico for the Annual Meetings of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UNDESA-GAID).

The Annual Meetings will be jointly organized by GAID, the Government of Mexico, and Indigo Media. The Global Alliance for ICT and Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is the principal platform within the United Nations system for policy dialogue and collaborative partnerships among all stakeholders on the strategic use of ICT for achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The event in Monterrey will bring together IT leaders and the development community under the umbrella of the Global Alliance for a focused dialogue on emerging issues and challenges in the field of ICT for development, particularly in the areas of Education and Innovation, and foster cooperation among governments, private sector and civil society.


Key Components of the Monterrey Event : The 3-day meeting in Monterrey will be comprised of the following key sessions:

4th Meeting of the GAID Strategy Council
7th Meeting of the GAID Steering Committee
Global Forum on ICT and Innovation for Education
i-MarketSpace
World Summit Awards (WSA) Gala
Side-Events


For more information and registration: http://www.un-gaid.org/tabid/1048//Default.aspx

The World e-Parliament Conference 2009, to take place on 3, 4 and 5 November 2009 at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., builds on the results of two previous conferences held respectively in Geneva (2007) and Brussels (2008), as well as on the findings of the World e-Parliament Report 2008.

Background
The World e-Parliament Conference is the annual forum of the community of parliaments addressing, from both the policy and technical perspectives, how the use of information and communication technology can help improve representation, transparency, accountability, openness, and effectiveness in the complex parliamentary environment.

The World e-Parliament Conference 2009, to take place on 3, 4 and 5 November 2009 at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., builds on the results of two previous conferences held respectively in Geneva (2007) and Brussels (2008), as well as on the findings of the World e-Parliament Report 2008. The 2009 event is co-organized by the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Global Centre for ICT in Parliament .

At the conference, members of parliaments, secretaries-general, parliamentary staff and officials, experts from international organizations and academics who work and deal with information and communication technologies in legislatures will have the opportunity to analyze good practices, exchange views on latest trends and institutional developments, learn from each other’s experiences, network with peers, and build partnerships in an international setting.

Structure and topics of the Conference
The World e-Parliament Conference 2009 will last two and a half days, starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 November 2009 and ending in the late afternoon of Thursday, 5 November 2009.
The event is structured around three policy-oriented plenary sessions and ten parallel sessions of a more technical nature.

The three plenary sessions will touch upon the following topics:

Connecting Parliaments and citizens: new technologies to foster openness, transparency, and accountability

How ICT can strengthen Parliaments in emerging democracies

Promoting democracy and inter-parliamentary cooperation: a collaborative approach to institutional building through a shared framework for e-parliament
The first two sessions will take place in the afternoon of the first day, while the third will precede the conclusion of the conference in the afternoon of the last day.
Presenters will include Speakers and senior members and officials of parliament, high-level representatives of Governments and international organizations, and world renowned experts. In each session ample time will be set aside for open discussion from the floor.
In the conference agenda, the ten parallel sessions have been grouped into two tracks - general sessions and specialized sessions – to highlight the technical level addressed by the specific track. Each session will feature presentations delivered by three to four parliamentary experts followed by open discussions to foster exchanges of views among legislatures.

General sessions:

ICT strategic planning, management and oversight: the complexity of the legislature environment

How parliamentary websites can serve different purposes and users

The use of new media in the parliamentary environment: lessons learned

Systems for managing the lifecycle of legislative documentation

Chamber technologies: experiences and trends
Specialized sessions:

Open standards for parliamentary documentation

Implementing XML in parliament

Infrastructure and security: policies and implications in legislature settings

Technology options for recording and reporting floor and committee proceedings

Enhancing parliamentary library services through ICT
In all sessions there will be a focus on the point of view of constituents and their engagement with the institution of parliament.

During the World e-Parliament Conference 2009, the preliminary results of the Global Survey on ICT in Parliament will be presented, along with guidelines and tools developed to help parliaments assess and improve their technological level. The conference will also serve as a platform to identify and agree upon future goals and targets for the international community of parliaments and to provide inputs to the next World e-Parliament Report 2010.
The event will be officially opened and closed in plenary by the representatives of the co-organizing institutions.

Participants
It is expected that 400 participants will attend the World e-Parliament Conference 2009, representing parliamentary assemblies from around the world. Delegations will include parliamentary Leaders and members with decision-making power over the information and communication policies of the legislature, secretaries-general and clerks with management responsibilities over legislative processes and organizational matters, directors of ICT departments and information services, parliamentary IT staff and experts, as well as representatives of international organizations, the donor community, and academia.
To ensure a balanced representation, efforts will be made by the co-organizers to identify funds available for travel and accommodation of parliamentary staff from developing countries.

For more info: http://www.ictparliament.org/wepc2009/

The World e-Parliament Report 2008 constitutes the first assessment from a global perspective of how information and communication technologies (ICT) are being employed by parliaments across the spectrum of activities for which they are responsible.

It is based on the responses and comments provided by 105 assemblies from around the world to a survey on the use of ICT in parliament. It also draws on experiences exchanged during the World e-Parliament Conference 2007 and relevant publicly available information.

The World e-Parliament Report 2008 has been produced for the purpose of helping legislatures eval-uate the potential benefits of ICT in supporting parliament’s basic values of transparency, accessibil-
ity, accountability and effectiveness, and, at the same time, its representative, legislative and oversight functions.

Its publication is intended to establish a shared knowledge base among the parliaments of the world and, most importantly, promote international dialogue on these matters.

Throughout the Report, e-parliament is regarded as a continually evolving concept that is rooted in the institutional approach to modern technologies in the complex parliamentary environment. In this
context, the document outlines the definition of an e-parliament as a legislature that is empowered to be more transparent, accessible and accountable through ICT. It empowers people, in all their di-
versity, to be more engaged in public life by providing greater access to its parliamentary documents and activities.

It is an org anization where connected stakeholders use information and communication technologies to support its primary functions of representation, law-making and oversight more effectively. Through the application of modern technology and standards and the adoption of supportive policies, it fosters the development of an equitable and inclusive information society.

For full reportThe World e-Parliament Report 2008 : http://www.ictparliament.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=245

Bangladesh Consultation on Fourth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held on 31st October at Bangladesh Computer Council, Dhaka.

Mr. Hasanul Haque Inu, MP, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications attended the workshop as the Chief Guest while Mr. Akram H Chowdhury, MP, Chairperson, Center for e-Parliament Studis attended as the moderator of consultation.

The consultation jointly organized by Computer Jagat, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), Center for e-Parliament Studies and J.A.N Associates Ltd. This entire program was live casted through the website of Computer Jagat and facilitated online visitors to visit and post through online forum.

Three papers were presented to discuss the global, regional and national issues pertaining to IGF, to initiate discussion among civil society, government, technologists, research scientists, industry, media and academia. Mr. Md. Saifuddin Khalid, Lecturer, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) presented focusing the global issue, Mr. Tarique M. Barkatullah, Senior Systems Analyst, Bangladesh Computer Council talked on national issues, and Mr. T. I. M. Nurul Kabir, CEO, Spinnovation Ltd. focused on the action plan for reaching national and international goals

In the open discussion session a significant number of action oriented suggestion were made to achieve national and IGF goals. The Bangladesh Working Group on IGF will be publishing report on the feedback from the Internet Stakeholders in Bangladesh.

Distinguished Member of Parliament (MP), Policy–Makers and Representatives from Government, Media, Academia, CSOs, and Corporate Sector participated in the Bangladesh Consultation.

Affirming that privacy is a fundamental human right set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other human rights instruments and national constitutions;

Reminding the EU member countries of their obligations to enforce the provisions of the 1995 Data Protection Directive and the 2002 Electronic Communications Directive;

Reminding the other OECD member countries of their obligations to uphold the principles set out in the 1980 OECD Privacy Guidelines;

Reminding all countries of their obligations to safeguard the civil rights of their citizens and residents under the provisions of their national constitutions and laws, as well as international human rights law;

Anticipating the entry into force of provisions strengthening the Constitutional rights to privacy and data protection in the European Union;

Noting with alarm the dramatic expansion of secret and unaccountable surveillance, as well as the growing collaboration between governments and vendors of surveillance technology that establish new forms of social control;

Further noting that new strategies to pursue copyright and unlawful content investigations pose substantial threats to communications privacy, intellectual freedom, and due process of law;

Further noting the growing consolidation of Internet-based services, and the fact that some corporations are acquiring vast amounts of personal data without independent oversight;

Warning that privacy law and privacy institutions have failed to take full account of new surveillance practices, including behavioral targeting, databases of DNA and other biometric identifiers, the fusion of data between the public and private sectors, and the particular risks to vulnerable groups, including children, migrants, and minorities;

Warning that the failure to safeguard privacy jeopardizes associated freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of access to information, non-discrimination, and ultimately the stability of constitutional democracies;

Civil Society takes the occasion of the 31st annual meeting of the International Conference of Privacy and Data Protection Commissioners to:

(1) Reaffirm support for a global framework of Fair Information Practices that places obligations on those who collect and process personal information and gives rights to those whose personal information is collected;

(2) Reaffirm support for independent data protection authorities that make determinations, in the context of a legal framework, transparently and without commercial advantage or political influence;

(3) Reaffirm support for genuine Privacy Enhancing Techniques that minimize or eliminate the collection of personally identifiable information and for meaningful Privacy Impact Assessments that require compliance with privacy standards;

(4) Urge countries that have not ratified Council of Europe Convention 108 together with the Protocol of 2001 to do so as expeditiously as possible;

(5) Urge countries that have not yet established a comprehensive framework for privacy protection and an independent data protection authority to do so as expeditiously as possible;

(6) Urge those countries that have established legal frameworks for privacy protection to ensure effective implementation and enforcement, and to cooperate at the international and regional level;

(7) Urge countries to ensure that individuals are promptly notified when their personal information is improperly disclosed or used in a manner inconsistent with its collection;

(8) Recommend comprehensive research into the adequacy of techniques that “deidentify” data to determine whether in practice such methods safeguard privacy and anonymity;

(9) Call for a moratorium on the development or implementation of new systems of mass surveillance, including facial recognition, whole body imaging, biometric identifiers, and embedded RFID tags, subject to a full and transparent evaluation by independent authorities and democratic debate; and

(10) Call for the establishment of a new international framework for privacy protection, with the full participation of civil society, that is based on the rule of law, respect for fundamental human rights, and support for democratic institutions.


3 November 2009
Madrid, Spain

Please send your signature to privacy AT Datos-personales dot org
SIGNATORIES (as of 28 October 2009)

ORGANIZATIONS

ADIAR: Asociación de Derecho Informático de Argentina (Argentina)
AEDH: European Association for the defense of Human Rights (Europe)
Ageia Densi (Argentina)
The Aktionsbündnis Freiheit statt Angst e.V. (Germany)
ALCEI - Associazione per la Libertà nella Comunicazione Elettronica Interattiva (Italy)
Alfa-Redi (Peru/International)
AK Vorrat Berlin e.V (Germany)
APWKOMITEL: Association of Community Internet Centre (Indonesia)
ARCH - Action on Rights for Children (UK)
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (Australia)
Australia Privacy Foundation (Australia)
APC: Association for Progressive Communications (International)
APTI: Association for Technology and Internet/ (Romania)
Association UNINET (Bulgaria)
Asociación de Internautas (Spain)
BigBrotherAwards Deutschland(Germany)
BNNRC: Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (Bangladesh)
Bits of Freedom (The Netherlands)
Bytes For All (Pakistan)
CCH: Collectif contre l'homophobie (France)
CDD: Center for Digital Democracy (United States)
CDNUA: Chinese Domain Name Users Alliance (China)
CEU: Center for Media and Communications Studies (CMCS), Central European University (Hungary)
Citizen Lab, Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto (Canada)
Civil Liberties Australia
CFA: Consumer Federation of America (United States)
Consumer Focus (UK)
Consumers Korea (South Korea)
CLI: Comisión de Libertades e Informática (Spain)
CHOICE: The Australian Consumer Association (Choice)
CIS: Centre for Internet and Society (India)
CREIS: Centre de coordination pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Informatique et
Société (France)
CRID: Le Centre de Recherches Informatique et Droit (Belgium)
Digital Rights Ireland (Ireland)
EDRI: European Digital Rights (Europe)
EFF: Electronic Frontier Foundation (United States/International)
Effi: Electronic Frontier Finland (Finland)
Електронна граница България"/ Electronic Frontier Bulgaria (Bulgaria)
EPIC: Electronic Privacy Information Center (United States/International)
Eotvos Karoly Policy Institute (Hungary)
EsLaRed (Venezuela)
Foundation for Media Alternatives (Philippines)
FACT: Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (Thailand)
FoeBuD e.V.(Germany)
FSU: Fédération syndicale unitaire (France)
Fundación Guatemala 2020
GISTI: Groupe d'information et de soutien des immigrés" (France)
Global Voices Advocacy
ICT Consumers Association of Kenya (Republic Kenya)
IIJusticia: Instituto de Investigación para la Justicia (Argentina/International)
Internet Governance Project (United States)
IISI: Instituto Iberoamericano de Investigacion para la Sociedad de la Informacion (Argentina/Iberoamerica)
IP Justice (United States/International)
IRIS: Imaginons un réseau Internet solidaire (France)
ISOC: Internet Society Bulgaria (Bulgaria)
ISOC: l'Internet Society France (France)
ISOC: Internet Society Phillipines (Philippines)
ISOC: Internet Society New York (United States)
Jinbonet: Korean Progressive Network (South Korea)
JonDos (Germany)
LDH: Ligue des droits de l'homme (France)
Monitor de privacidad y acceso a la informacion
Mujeres Centroamericanas por el Software Libre (Central America)
NACPEC: North American Consumer Project on Electronic Commerce (Mexico)
Instituto Nupef (Brasil)
NSW Council for Civil Liberties (Australia)
Pakistan ICT Policy Monitors Network (Pakistan)
Pangea: Comunicació per a la Cooperació (Spain)
Privacy International (UK/International)
Privacy France (France)
Privacy Journal (United States)
Primer Palabra (Guatemala)
Quintessenz (Austria)
SAF: Syndicat des avocats de France (France)
SNUipp-FSU: Syndicat National des Instituteurs, professeurs des écoles et pegc (France)
The European Privacy Institute (Europe)
Telecommunities Canada (Canada)
Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Germany)
Via Libre Foundation (Argentina)
VIBE!AT - Austrian Association for Internet Users (Austria)
WikiLeaks
VOICE (Bangladesh)
World Privacy Forum (United States)

for more information: http://thepublicvoice.org/madrid-declaration/

The Information Age

Please find enclosed an official Invitation to Participate in the Open Consultation Process for the WSIS Forum 2010 announced by the WSIS Forum organizers (ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP). (www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2010/forum/geneva)

The consultation process will consist of three steps, as follows:

Ø Step One: Online Discussion (5 January – 5 February 2010)

Ø Step Two: Submission of Official Contributions (Deadline: 5 February 2010)

Ø Step Three: Participation in Final Review (10 February, 14:30-18:00, ITU Headquarters)

We encourage all WSIS stakeholders, prior to submitting the official contribution, to join online discussions on the WSIS Forum 2010 taking place at the WSIS community platform http://www.wsis-community.org/pg/announcements/view/15586/

Please note that the final review of all submitted comments will take place in the form of a physical meeting to be held on 10 February 2010 in the ITU Headquarters, Geneva. Badge requests need to be done online through WSIS Forum website not later than 5 February 2010.

Detailed information on the preparatory process is available at the WSIS Forum 2010 website: www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2010/forum/geneva

the fifth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum. The meeting, which is being graciously hosted by the Government of Lithuania, will be held in Vilnius from 14 to 17 September 2010.

Participation is open to all entities accredited to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Other institutions and persons with proven expertise and experience in matters related to Internet governance may also apply to attend.

The overall theme of the meeting will be IGF 2010 – Developing the Future Together. This theme reflects the open and inclusive nature of the IGF with its multilateral, multi-stakeholder, democratic and transparent approach to discussions of Internet-related public policy issues. The Vilnius meeting will help articulate a view of how we can use the Internet for the benefit of all humankind, and how we can further address the risks and challenges ahead. Internet governance should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means of achieving development for all as expressed in internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

In broad-based consultation with stakeholders, the Multistakeholder Advisory Group has prepared the following programme for the meeting:

• Managing critical Internet resources
• Security, openness and privacy
• Access and diversity
• Internet governance for development
• Taking stock of Internet governance and the way forward
• Emerging issues: cloud computing

The experience of the IGF so far illustrates the complexity and multifaceted nature of public policy issues related to Internet governance. While the IGF has no decision-making power, it has built bridges by bringing together people and institutions with diverse interests. Perhaps the greatest strength of the IGF is that it encourages stakeholders with diverse opinions and experiences to discuss concerns and move towards a common understanding.

For more information: http://intgovforum.org/cms/the-preparatory-process/492-invitation-to-the-fifth-meeting-of-the-internet-governance-forum

About APrIGF

According to Internet World Stats, with over 780 Million Internet users, Asia Pacific is already the region with the largest online population. Yet the penetration rate for Asia is only at around 20%, which signals continued rapid growth ahead.

Building on the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals, and the mandate given at the Second Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis in 2005, the IGF (Internet Governance Forum) is a United Nations activity initiated in 2006 as a global platform for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue on prevailing and emerging issues on Internet governance so as to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of Internet. The annual Forum was previously held in Greece (2006), Brazil (2007), India (2008), and Egypt (2009).

The Internet has become an integral part of people’s life. Despite the advantages, misuses and abuses lead to social problems, such as digital divide, Internet addiction, information safety, security, privacy and other evolving issues. These issues have no respect to national borders, and therefore require collaboration between countries and territories to address. The IGF approach is an open forum for knowledge sharing between stakeholders across borders, which in turn inform local policy development.

Asia Pacific Regional IGF (APrIGF) in Hong Kong

To complement and supplement the global IGF, a group of active participants, with the OGCIO (Office of the Government Chief Information Officer) as the advisor, have come together to organize the first Asia Pacific Regional IGF in Hong Kong. The event will consist of 3 parts:

* Asia Pacific Regional IGF Roundtable
(June 14-16), Cyberport
(Free of charge)
* Hong Kong IGF Conference
(June 17-18), Cyberport
(HK$300 Online / HK$350 Onsite)
* Youth IGF Camp
(June 12-14), Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp

While the global IGF is already in its fifth and final year of its initial charter, and Regional IGFs have been established in many other regions, including Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, to date, Asia has seen no parallel forum for discussing Internet governance issues at a regional level. For the first time, the APrIGF is therefore being convened with objectives to raise awareness and encourage participation from relevant stakeholders around the region on Internet governance issues, as well as to foster multi-lateral, multi-stakeholder discussion about issues pertinent to the Internet in Asia.

The Hong Kong IGF Conference aims to introduce to the various stakeholders in Hong Kong, in particular NGOs and youth, the status of internet governance and the global IGF. The APrIGF Roundtable will bring together experts in the region and around the world from the civil society, private sector and public sector for an intensive discussion that should help shape the future of the IGF. The Youth IGF Camp is organized and led by young leaders. During the 3-day (2 nights) forum, participants will role-play to represent different stakeholders in the society and interact with international experts in the field to discuss different social topics concerning the Internet.

All 3 component events combine to become a platform for regional collaboration and, albeit organised independently of the global IGF, intends to report its discussion to the global IGF to be held in September 14-17 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This adds to the significance of the APrIGF in that the ideas, recommendations and other outputs from the event will be used as inputs for the coming global IGF meeting in September.

More info: http://rigf.asia/about/