Uniting for the Internet's Future: Strategic Planning for WTSA-24 and beyond - Roundtable

Monday 16th September 2024| 3pm-6:30pm BST

Roundtable event from 3:30PM to 6:30PM BST followed by drinks and dinner reception from 6:30PM to 8:30PM BST

One Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London, SW1H 9JJ

By invitation only. Event to be held under the Chatham House rule.

Internet governance is entering a new period of challenge. An obscure technical standards meeting will impact on the open, interoperable Internet and its multistakeholder model.

This roundtable places the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) in the wider context of the WSIS+20 review, the Global Digital Compact (GDC), the Summit of the Future. These processes have rekindled attempts to steer Internet and digital governance to multilateral fora, against a transformed international backdrop of heightened geopolitical tension and competition.

Recent negotiations at the GDC have kept the Internet community alert and seen the exclusion of non-governmental stakeholders from key meetings. This roundtable discussion will bring together supporters of the open, interoperable Internet to discuss WTSA preparations in the context of today’s evolving Internet governance landscape.

3:00PM- 4:30PM. WTSA-24: What to expect

Moderator: Emily Taylor, CEO at DNSRF

Discussants: Fiona Alexander, American University, Mark McFadden, Internet Policy Advisors, Oli Bird, Ofcom. UK Head of Delegation for WTSA, and Carolina Caeiro, DNSRF.

The opening session will dive straight into WTSA-24 and what to expect of this pivotal ITU meeting. Four discussants will reflect on what to expect at WTSA based on regional meeting preparations, as well as lessons from the Global Digital Compact, ITU-T’s recent Study and Focus Group work, and ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference in 2022. In addition, the DNS Research Federation will present its WTSA Resolution Tracker to map and anticipate controversial edits to governing resolutions.

What can we expect in WTSA-24 based on the GDC, ongoing ITU-T work and PP22?
What tools and resources are available to support WTSA-24 meeting preparations?
Beyond the negotiation WTSA resolutions, what other moving pieces should the Internet community watch out for?
How can we expect WTSA-24 to inform subsequent WSIS+20 negotiations?

4:30 PM-5:00 PM. Networking break.

5:00 PM-6:30 PM. Beyond WTSA-24: A proactive strategy in favour of Multistakeholder Internet governance

Moderator: Carolina Caeiro, DNSRF

Discussants: Roxana Radu, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, Sheetal Kumar, Global Partners Digital, John Curran, ARIN and Chris Buckridge, Internet Governance Expert.

The second session will focus on the aftermath of WTSA-24 and what it takes to shift from a reactive to a proactive strategy to uphold multistakeholder Internet Governance going into WSIS+20. Discussants will reflect on open flanks and how the Internet Community can best prepare a unified front to convey the continued importance of multistakeholder governance and existing Internet standardisation bodies and resource management organisations. The session will also discuss whether the Internet community needs to concern itself with broader digital governance, eg of AI and emerging technologies, or

Where has the multistakeholder Internet governance model done well, and where does it need strengthening? What actions are required to signal that the model is still fit for purpose?
What is a realistic role for the future of the IGF? What does the Internet community need to (re)commit to protect the IGF?
How to protect Internet standardisation, if emerging technology standardisation and governance shift to the multilateral?
How does the Internet community grapple with
Is the politicisation of the standardisation space inevitable?
How can various stakeholder groups support preparatory processes and country delegations ahead of WSIS+20?
What is a realistic role for the technical community and existing entities managing Internet resources?

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