Listen to EuroDIG Extra Vol. 6
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On 22 and 23 September 2024, during the Summit of the Future, which took place in New York, the UN member states agreed on a Pact for the Future, to which the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the Declaration on Future Generations were incorporated as annexes. EuroDIG followed and contributed to this process at all stages.

This EuroDIG Extra did provide a short review on the negotiations and offered space for an exchange on interpretations and expectations. Unfortunatly we were not able – due to time constrains – to look into the future role of NRIs in the implementation of the compact this time.

Agenda

Part 1 – Review on the GDC and the Summit of the Future

• Highlights, process and outcomes by Mark Carvell
• Were the EuroDIG Messages on the GDC considered?
• Stakeholder views:
  • Aki Enkenberg, Finish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Ana Neves, Vice Chair of  the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development
  • Octavian Sofransky, Council of Europe
  • Chris Buckridge, ICANN Board
  • Prof. Emeritus Wolfgang Kleinwächter, University of Aarhus

Part 2 – Moderated interactive discussion
Part 3 – Implementation of the Global Digital Compact

Para 66 of the GDC (page 55): “We invite international and regional organizations, the private sector, academia, the technical community and civil society groups to endorse the Compact and take active  part in its implementation and follow-up. We request the Secretary-General to put in place modalities for the voluntary endorsement of this Compact, and to make this information public and accessible from December 2024.

• What is the “active part in its implementation and follow-up” for EuroDIG and the NRIs?
• How to facilitate the “voluntary endorsement of this Compact” by the EuroDIG community?

Concluding remarks

We met online on 1 October 2024, 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC) for about 90 minutes.

Listen to EuroDIG Extra Vol. 5
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In July 2018, UN Secretary-General António Guterres established the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. One outcome of this panel is the recommendation for a Global Digital Compact (GDC). The EuroDIG community is following this process closely and contributed to all related developments. (See here the history.)

This EuroDIG Extra will look into the zero-draft paper on the GDC. It is the opportunity for the EuroDIG community to develop a consensus-based position on the structure and substantive content of the Compact as set out in the zero draft. We will give a detailed and comprehensive presentation followed by interaction with stakeholders. This would enable the EuroDIG community to formulate an input into the ongoing multilateral process in New York that will build on the zero draft in the period leading up to the summit in September.

Agenda

Introduction: Summary of GDC process; structure of zero draft text (5 minutes)

Moderated interactive discussion:
Part 1 – General comments on the zero daft text (20 minutes)
Part 2 – Commitments and actions under each of the five GDC objectives (45 minutes)
Part 3 – Follow up and review (15 minutes)

Concluding remarks and next steps (5 minutes)

We met online on 25 April 2024, 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC) for 90 minutes.

Listen to EuroDIG Extra Vol. 4

In 2020, EuroDIG started a series of publications in which experts are assessing how the discussion on a specific topical cluster developed over a decade.

As latest editions in this series, we are pleased to present “Youth Dialogue on Internet Governance: A Decade of Youth Participation“ by Nadia Tjahja and “Human Rights: A Decade of Digital Human Rights Evolution” by Farzaneh Badii and Jörn Erbguth.

We are delighted that all the authors attended EuroDIG Extra to present their findings, answer questions from the audience and engage in a discussion with the community.

We met online on 1 Dec 2023, 13:00 CET (12:00 UTC) for 90 minutes.

Listen to EuroDIG Extra Vol. 3

The session on Delay Tolerant Networks found great interest at EuroDIG this year and the organisers agreed to have a follow up on this emerging issue. Therefore, we organise an EuroDIG “Extra!” on 15^th October 2021 from 15:00–16:30 UTC (17:00–18:30 CEST).

Special guest will be Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist for Google.

The InterPlanetary Networking Special Interest Group (IPNSIG) contributed to this topic with their thoughts on the development of a Solar System Internet and a related report was released recently:
“Strategy Toward a Solar System Internet For Humanity”

• IPNSIG SWG REPORT 2021-June (Compressed)
• IPNSIG SWG REPORT 2021-June-High Def (High Definition).

Listen to EuroDIG Extra Vol. 2

We invited European Stakeholder on 3^rd March 2021, 9:00 UTC to a Consultation on paragraph 93(a) of the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and here in particular on the first recommendation of a “strategic and empowered multi-stakeholder high-level body”.

Paragraph 93 (a) reads as follows:

93. While discussions on the different digital architecture models proposed by the Panel are ongoing among stakeholders; the following ideas have emerged with a view to making the Internet Governance Forum more responsive and relevant to current digital issues. These include:

(a) Creating a strategic and empowered multi-stakeholder high-level body, building on the experience of the existing multi-stakeholder advisory group, which would address urgent issues, coordinate follow-up action on Forum discussions and relay proposed policy approaches and recommendations from the Forum to the appropriate normative and decision-making forums;

The agenda was formed around the questions that were prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology:

1. What do you consider should be priority functions of this multi-stakeholder high-level body, should it be established? And what would be the relationship between this body and the existing Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the IGF?
2. What suggestions do you have on the governance structure and composition of this body (e.g., number of members, representation of stakeholder groups, regional balance, rotation of members)?
3. How could this body be supported and funded?
4. Any other comments on paragraph 93 (a)?

We did focus on Q1 of the survey and discussed the function of the MHLB and it’s relationship to the MAG.

Agenda:

• Opening and introduction, Sandra Hoferichter, EuroDIG Secretary General
• Presentation of the 3 approaches from the IGF Strategy Working Group, Giacomo Mazzone Member of the MAG WG
• Moderated discussion by Mark Carvell, Internet Governance Expert

Read the transcript of the session.

Around 40 participants coming from all stakeholder groups and across Europe participated in this session. The discussion was engaging and was summarised in two short paragraphs (one on the function and one on the relationship to the MAG). On this basis we invited to comment on our Commenting Platform, but no further comments were was received until the deadline 8 March 2021.

Our aim was to come up with a shared view from participants and make a submission to the IGF Consultation Process.

Main messages

1. Functions of the new body

• There was broad agreement among the EuroDIG Extra participants in support of the rationale for creating the MHLB to undertake specific functions as outlined in Paragraph 93a of the UNSGs Roadmap, in particular coordinating follow-up actions and relaying proposed policy approaches and recommendations to decision-making fora.
• None of the MHLB’s activities should draw attention away from the IGF or undermine its bottom-up, multistakeholder nature.
• By creating a table at the IGF for decision-makers from all stakeholder groups to have high-level discussions, the MHLB would serve to bridge the gap between discussions and decisions.
• There were tentative expressions of support, subject to further clarifying discussion, for the MHLB to address specific “urgent issues” as stated in Paragraph 93 A. This should be undertaken in full consultation and coordination with the MAG.
• There was support for the MHLB providing strategic inputs with the aim of helping to shape the IGF programme and long-term strategy. Participants emphasised, however, that the MAG should continue to have full authority and responsibility for the IGF’s programme development.

1. The MHLB’s Relationship with the MAG

• There was general agreement on the need for the MHLB to have a strong linkage with the MAG rather than being a separate body.
• Differing views were expressed on how this linkage should be achieved, either as a single combined body (the smaller MHLB being part of the MAG), or by creating a layered governance structure with the MHLB supporting the MAG. There were several expressions of support for one or more of the three options developed by the MAG Working Group on Strengthening and Strategy, as providing the basis for a final decision.
• Participants agreed that it would be essential to ensure multi-stakeholder accountability and transparency for the MHLB’s membership nomination.

Individual proposals and comments worth recording

• The Chairs of the MHLB and the MAG should sit on both groups. The Technology Envoy should also have a seat on the MHLB. (DE)
• The MHLB should draw on the IGF’s extensive repository of expertise and knowledge when formulating its advice. (G. Mazzone).
• The accountability of the MHLB would be established by building on the MAG’s nominations system (Telefonica and CH).
• In order to ensure full diversity of geographical and constituency representation, the size of the MHLB’s membership needs to be 15-20 high ranking people with appointments made on a rotating basis (CH)
• The MHLB would have a valuable role in addressing specific major crises and emergencies and major global challenges such as climate change, and informing the Tech Envoy’s engagement across the UN system on these issues (AmaliDe Silva-Mitchell).

Download pdf

Recently we released the publication Media and Content: A Decade of Change – Coping with the digital shake-up. It is the first in a series of publications and the next edition on the cluster security and crime is already under way.

The actual political development, in particular with regard to the role of social media networks, is already calling for a continuation of the debate and we would not like to wait until the EuroDIG event In June but would like to invite you to a virtual EuroDIG Extra on 29^th January 2021 from 10:00–11:30 CET on the topic of SoMe vs Politics: Who’s the Boss?

At the same day you are invited to a related event organised by Eurovisioni “Transformation of European communication space into a virtual space: which consequences in relationships between media and citizens”. This event is starting right after we finish and participation is possible via various channels, in 3 languages ITA-FR-EN. Get information about this event here.

SoMe vs Politics: Who’s the Boss?

Listen to “SoMe vs Politics: Who’s the Boss?”

Social Media as an important resource for political actors is old news since early 2000’s. Like fire or money, it is a good servant, but a bad master. At least this is what Donald Trump probably feels, now that his favorite tools have been taken away.

After the occupation of Capitol by a ragtag army egged on by the President, shutting him up as an emergency measure might have been the prudent thing to do. However, permanently banning him from Twitter and temporarily from various other platforms has raised questions around the world, including from political leaders who since a decade have grown accustomed to these convenient channels they can use to speak directly to voters and citizens, instead of using traditional media as an intermediary.

Since 2008, European Dialogue on Internet Governance – EuroDIG – has tackled key contemporary issues related to the Internet at its annual sessions. But with the quickening pace of development of all things digital, a year can be a long time. That is why EuroDIG Extra is now launched to fill the gaps, taking advantage of the virtual conference tools that have served EuroDIG well during the pandemic.

The first EuroDIG Extra will take up long-standing but little discussed problems in the dynamics between Social Media giants and political powers that be, that banning Trump has now thrown wide open.

Agenda:

1. Intro: Welcome and introduction (Sandra Hoferichter, EuroDIG) 5′
2. Summary of the publication “Media and Content: A Decade of Change” (Yrjö Länsipuro, EuroDIG Member) 5′
3. Presentation of the panel (Yrjö). 5′
4. Summary of events that lead to banning Trump from Social Media Networks (Maria Stasi, Article 19) 10′
5. Reactions from European politicians (Miapetra Kumpula, Member of the European Parliament) 10′
6. Right or wrong? (Maria, all) 15*
7. Questions and comments from the chat (Michael Oghia, Global Forum for Media Development) 10′
8. Twitter vs traditional journalistic media as politicians’ pulpit (Miapetra, all) 10′
9. Impact on DSA, DMA and other European regulation efforts (Miapetra, all) 10′
10. Announcement of the “Eurovisioni” event starting 11:30 (Yrjö) 5´