Session
Panel - Auditorium - 60 Min
The Special Session of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network at IGF 2022 will provide stakeholders with an update on the work in 2021/2022.
The I&JPN Report "Framing, Mapping and Addressing Cross-Border Digital Policies in the Africa Union" has been produced with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Dr. Alison Gillward, Executive Director of Research ICT Africa (RIA) has been commissioned to prepare the Report. The Town Hall will provide a presentation on the report and its findings and an interactive discussion on the important trends and issues around cross-border digital policies in Africa. Marking the 10th-anniversary members of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, Contact Groups will share updates on the work of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network Policy Programs (Data & Jurisdiction, Content & Jurisdiction, and Domains & Jurisdiction) developing concrete proposals to support legal interoperability in specific policy areas related to domains names system abuse, content moderation and access to electronic evidence.
The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network will also share news of a new organization it has incubated the Datasphere Initiative which seeks to build agile frameworks to responsibly unlock the value of data for all.
To achieve inclusive and interactive participation, the online and onsite moderators will provide equal treatment to all speakers and participants, regardless they connect online or attend in person. The moderators will set up a private channel of communication to ensure fluent communication. The moderator of the town hall will give the floor to participants by the order they raised their hands, to avoid giving preference to those who are attending on-site. Chat messages will be addressed by order, and onsite participants will be encouraged to use online functions, and interact in the chat. Finally, the team will organize prep calls with all speakers to organize the dynamics of the session and explain the strategy to provide an engaging experience.
Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network
Sophie Tomlinson, Martin Hullin, Ajith Francis, Natalia Loungou, Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
• Bertrand de La Chapelle, Executive Director, Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, Civil Society, Western European and others Group (WEOG)
• Martin Hullin, Deputy Executive Director, Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, Civil Society, Western European and others Group (WEOG)
• Alison Gillwald, Executive Director of Research ICT Africa (RIA), non-profit, African group
• Laura-Theresa Krüger, Senior Policy Officer, BMZ, Government, Western European and others Group
• Ajith Francis, Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, Civil Society, Western European and others Group
• Robert Young, Legal Counsel, Department of Global Affairs Canada, Government, Western European and others Group
• Brian Cimbolic, Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, Public Interest Registry (PIR), non-profit, Western European and others Group
• Wolfgang Schulz, Research Director, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Academia, Western European and others Group
• Carolina Rossini, Chief Impact and Partnerships Officer, Datasphere Initiative, non-profit, Western European and others Group
• Tim Davies, Research Director, Connected by data, Western European and others Group
Martin Hullin, I&JPN
Sophie Tomlinson, Datasphere Initiative and I&JPN
Sophie Tomlinson, Datasphere Initiative and I&JPN
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Targets: The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network works towards reducing inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate policies and solutions, fostering cooperation between stakeholders, and giving a voice to those that are underepresented in policy debates, such as the Global South. It aims to enhance policy coherence and foster partnerships for sustainable development, and promote international support for implementing targeted capacity-building in the African continent.
Report
The Secretariat of the I&JPN is pleased to announce the launch of the new Internet & Jurisdiction Regional Status Report on "Framing, Mapping and Addressing Cross-Border Digital Policies in Africa". The report explores why policy coordination is important to building an inclusive and vibrant digital economy in Africa. It identifies key trends taking shape across the region and presents opportunities and challenges.
To spur the development of innovative data governance frameworks across borders in Africa, the Datasphere Initiative is launching a region-wide effort to build an Africa Forum on Sandboxes for Data. The Forum will leverage the know-how and community of regional policymakers curated through the I&JPN’s, Cross-border Digital Policies for Africa Project which led a mapping of data policy approaches across the continent.
The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network & Datasphere Initiative Town Hall, took place on Thursday, December 1, 2022 from 5:30pm to 6:30 pm EAT. It provided stakeholders with an update on the work in 2021/2022, shared announcements of upcoming projects, and how IGF participants can join the efforts.
The session presented the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network Regional Status Report "Framing, Mapping and Addressing Cross-Border Digital Policies in Africa", which has been produced with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Participants discussed findings from the Report and why policy coordination is important to building an inclusive and vibrant digital economy in Africa. Panelists identified key trends taking shape across the region and presented opportunities and challenges for government, private sector, and civil society actors to consider.
Marking the 10th-anniversary members of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, Contact Groups shared updates on the work of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network Policy Programs (Data & Jurisdiction, Content & Jurisdiction, and Domains & Jurisdiction) developing concrete proposals to support legal interoperability in specific policy areas related to domains names system abuse, content moderation and access to electronic evidence.
The Domains & Jurisdiction Contact Group has been working on addressing some cooperation and coordination challenges arising in the mitigation of botnets at a global scale and identified key questions that need to be addressed. Participants discussed recent outcomes including the Framing Brief on Improving the Workflow of Fighting Botnets: Handling Algorithmically Generated Domains (AGDs) which provides a brief outline of the way tackling AGD botnets is currently undertaken.
Speakers also shared updates on the work of the Content & Jurisdiction Program including work on the complex question of the geographical scope of online content restrictions and how this issue emphasizes the fundamental tension between the cross-border internet and territorial national laws.
Regarding the Data & Jurisdiction Program, the Contact Group Coordinator shared updates on the work and how the discussions have been leveraged in policy processes around cross-border access to electronic evidence. The I&JPN Toolkit on Cross-border Access to Electronic Evidence outlines the ways in which data flows and privacy can be reconciled with lawful access requirements to address crime. The Toolkit intends to inform public, private, and civil society actors in their own activities and interactions in developing and implementing alternate practices for cross-border access to electronic evidence.
Finally, the I&JPN shared news of the new organization it has incubated, the Datasphere Initiative, which seeks to build agile frameworks to responsibly unlock the value of data for all.
Data is growing at an accelerated pace and increasingly underpins, affects, and reflects most human activities. However, legitimate concerns have emerged regarding security threats, economic imbalances, and human rights abuses that can impact a society increasingly dependent upon data. The Datasphere can be defined as the complex system encompassing all types of data and their dynamic interactions with human groups and norms. Approaching the ecosystem in which all digital data exists as the Datasphere provides the fundamental perspective shift needed to govern data for the well-being of all. The Datasphere Initiative is a global network of stakeholders fostering a holistic and innovative approach to data governance. The speakers shared recent outcomes of the Datasphere Initiative and how IGF attendees can join as a partner or a friend.
The session also launched a new paper by Datasphere Initiative Senior Fellow 2021/2022, Tim Davies which provides a preliminary mapping of academic literature on data governance and explores how the conceptual framework of the “Datasphere” can help bridge research silos. Participants discussed how there is no single data governance academic field to speak of, literature related to data governance is growing and covers many different disciplines from computer science to health.
The session also announced the launch of the Africa Forum on Sandboxes for Data (2023) which will build a pan-African community to enable innovative cross-border data governance solutions. The multistakeholder process will invite local, regional, and global experts to explore the ways in which regulatory and operational sandboxes could facilitate responsible data flows and exchange.
The Forum will leverage the know-how and community of regional policymakers curated through the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network’s, Cross-border Digital Policies for Africa Project which led a mapping of data policy approaches across the continent with the contributions from regional actors including the African Union Commission and Research ICT Africa. Self-paced learning modules & certification will be developed to equip policymakers and in particular Parliamentarians on data policy issues.