IGF 2020 Call For Validation of Thematic Tracks

Based on community input received during the open mic session in Berlin, the IGF 2019 Taking ‎Stock Process and Call for Issues that went out in December 2019, and discussion during the First IGF 2020 open consultations and face-to-face MAG meeting, the MAG agreed that the IGF ‎‎2020 programme should again be structured along main thematic tracks as in 2019 cycle. Input ‎received indicated that the Berlin themes of Data Governance; Digital Inclusion and Security, Safety, Stability, Resilience were still relevant. Two additional themes were identified - climate change and environmental sustainability and digital economy ‎- as important issues that should be considered for the 2020 programme. A number of stakeholders felt that these topics ‎are at the centre of current global discussions and political ‎processes. ‎

1. Proposed thematic tracks for 2020‎

To facilitate continuity and accommodate the range of sub-themes and issues linked to the three ‎tracks the MAG proposed simplifying the wording of the thematic tracks to: Data (adapted from ‎‎2019’s Data Governance); Inclusion (adapted from 2019’s Digital Inclusion); and Trust ‎‎(adapted from 2019’s Security, Safety, Stability, Resilience).

Simplifying the titles of the tracks, but still linking them clearly to the 2019 tracks will enable ‎building on and deepening 2019 discussion as well as allowing for new subthemes and ‎issues within each track to be addressed. To accommodate the additional suggested themes (environmental ‎sustainability/climate change and digital economy) the MAG proposes integrating them into the three main tracks, or adding an additional track.‎

The MAG, therefore, proposes the following thematic structure for the 2020 ‎IGF:‎

• Track one: Data
• Track two: Inclusion
• Track three: Trust

To accommodate the initially suggested additional themes (environmental sustainability/climate change and ‎digital economy), the MAG is currently considering two options:‎

Option one: Integrate them into the three main tracks, e.g. the impact of the massive use of energy by ‎servers storing and processing massive amounts of data could be a subtheme of the ‎Data track and the impact of changes in the job market and conditions of employment in ‎the “gig” economy could be a subtheme of the Inclusion track.‎ ‎

Option two: Create an additional track with the title “Sustainability” and then address environmental sustainability/climate change and/or digital economy as part of this additional track.

2. Call for validation of thematic tracks and further input

Through this consultative process, the MAG wishes to validate the above-mentioned thematic tracks ‎and get input on how to deal with the proposals for additional themes. Specifically, the MAG would appreciate hearing:

1. What issues, subthemes and/or policy questions or solutions should be addressed within ‎each of these three thematic tracks?‎
2. What you believe are the most important issues, subthemes and/or policy questions or ‎solutions related to environmental sustainability/climate change and digital economy? ‎

All stakeholders were invited to express feedback to this call by responding to the form further below.
Deadline for submission was on Thursday 6 February 2020, 23:59 UTC. The form below is not accepting further submissions.

An analysis of the results is available​.