More than 2,500 participants representinggovernments, inter-governmental organisations, private sector, the technical community and civil society are expected to examine cross-border Internet governance issues at the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Internet GovernanceForum (IGF), to take place from 2-5 September, in Istanbul, Turkey.
The theme for the Istanbul meeting will be ‘Connecting Continents for Enhanced Multistakeholder Internet Governance,’ and an emphasis will be placed on strengthening the evolving multistakeholder model for Internet governance. The IGF aims to provide a comprehensive dialogue among all stakeholders across a wide and diverse range of agendas.
The various main sessions and workshops included in the programme of the meeting will address a wide range of Internet governance issues, categorised under the following sub-themes: Policies Enabling Access; Content Creation, Dissemination and Use; Internet as an Engine for Growth & Development; IGF & The Future of the Internet Ecosystem; Enhancing Digital Trust; Internet and Human Rights; Critical Internet Resources; and Emerging Issues.
The IGF provides a platform for the involvement of all stakeholders, from developed as well as developing countries, in Internet governance debates needed for the future evolution of the Internet and its governance mechanisms.
By the end 2014, there will be nearly three billion Internet users, and two-thirds are from developing countries. However, this means that more than four billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and most people without Internet access live in developing countries. In Africa, only 20 per cent of the population is expected to be online by the end of 2014.
The IGF is expected to emphasize the need for increasing Internet access to those without it by raising awareness and initiating discussions to identify innovative ways to address the digital divide and inform policymakers.
For additional information, visit: www.intgovforum.org
Remote participation: Media and other stakeholders not present in Istanbul can participate remotely and send text questions and/or video/audio interventions using the remote participation platform (Webex). Further details about remote participations are available at: http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/remote-participation-2014
