17th Internet Governance Forum

Stakeholders from the technical community, private sector, civil society as well as Governments and international organizations will meet at the 17th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) from 28 November to 2 December in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to determine concrete steps for advancing global Internet governance and achieving universal and meaningful Internet connectivity. The IGF, convened annually by the UN Secretary-General, is a critical platform for enabling open and engaging discussions on Internet governance, including the Internet’s sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development.  

Under the overall theme of Resilient Internet for a Shared Sustainable and Common Future the discussions will focus on five key areas: (1) connecting all people and safeguarding human rights; (2) avoiding Internet fragmentation; (3) governing data and protecting privacy; (4) enabling safety, security and accountability; and (5) addressing advanced digital technologies. In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, a Parliamentary Track and a Youth Global Summit, there will also be three High-level sessions on Universal, affordable and meaningful connectivity (28 November), Digital Rights (28 November) and Digital Trust and Security (29 November). Hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and supported by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the Forum will be in a hybrid format.

More information is available here.