Session
Subtheme
UNECA
Sorene Assefa , UNECA, IGO, Africa Mactar Seck , UNECA, IGO , Africa Adil Suliman , AUC, IGO, Africa Anriette Esterhuysen, APC, Civil Society, Africa Gitanjali Sah, ITU, IGO, Europe
Sorene Assefa , UNECA, IGO, Africa Mactar Seck , UNECA, IGO , Africa Adil Suliman , AUC, IGO, Africa Anriette Esterhuysen, APC, Civil Society, Africa Gitanjali Sah, ITU, IGO, Europe
Organization's Website
Speakers
Sorene Assefa , UNECA, IGO, Africa
Mactar Seck , UNECA, IGO , Africa
Adil Suliman , AUC, IGO, Africa
Anriette Esterhuysen, APC, Civil Society, Africa
Gitanjali Sah, ITU, IGO, Europe
Onsite Moderator
Dr. Mactar Seck (M) – Chief of Technology and Innovation Section, UNECA- IGO, Africa
Rapporteur
Ms. Sorene Assefa (F) Cybersecurity & Digital governance Expert, UNECA- Technical Community, Africa
SDGs
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Targets: This session aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG 17): Partnerships for the Goals, by promoting multi-stakeholder engagement, regional cooperation, digital cooperation, policy coherence, and data-driven decision-making. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, including governments, private sector actors, civil society, technical experts, academia, and regional organizations, the session fosters partnerships and collaboration essential for achieving the SDGs.
Targets: This session aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17 (SDG 17): Partnerships for the Goals, by promoting multi-stakeholder engagement, regional cooperation, digital cooperation, policy coherence, and data-driven decision-making. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, including governments, private sector actors, civil society, technical experts, academia, and regional organizations, the session fosters partnerships and collaboration essential for achieving the SDGs.
Format
Classroom Format
Duration (minutes)
30
Description
We are at a critical moment for the multistakeholder approach to the governance of digital technologies. Despite an increasing number of multilateral digital policy processes, the past few years have seen shrinking space for civil society to engage. The narrative that multilateral and multistakeholder approaches to governance are mutually exclusive has further exacerbated this gap.
As we progress through the WSIS+20 review, there is an opportunity to set a new standard that strengthens and embodies the principles of multistakeholder engagement—openness, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability. Experience has shown that the involvement of diverse stakeholder groups leads to better policy choices concerning technology governance. This forum will provide a space to refine strategies for integrating multistakeholder principles into Africa’s WSIS+20 engagement and beyond.
The NETmundial Principles, which emerged from the 2014 Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, provide a foundational framework for digital governance. These principles emphasize human rights and shared values, open and distributed governance, security and stability of the internet, collaborative decision-making, and accountability mechanisms. Integrating these principles into Africa’s WSIS+20 engagement will help ensure that digital governance in the region is inclusive, transparent, and resilient against emerging challenges.
This session brings together diverse African stakeholders, including governments, private sector actors, civil society, technical experts, academia, and regional organizations, to reflect on Africa's role in the WSIS+20 review process. The session aims to celebrate progress, chart a future course for digital governance, and provide reflections on regional consultations and deep dives, while contributing to the review process.
In the lead-up to the WSIS+20 review, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has facilitated regional consultations and provided technical assistance to African countries. Some highlights of UNECA's efforts include: Facilitating Regional Consultations, and Promoting Digital Transformation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa's Agenda 2063.
To facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees, we will use a hybrid event platform with a dedicated moderator to ensure seamless engagement. Real-time Q&A, polling tools such Mentimeter, and live chat monitoring will allow both in-person and remote participants to contribute equally.
To facilitate interaction between onsite and online speakers and attendees, we will use a hybrid event platform with a dedicated moderator to ensure seamless engagement. Real-time Q&A, polling tools such Mentimeter, and live chat monitoring will allow both in-person and remote participants to contribute equally.