Session
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: This layout maximises the audience capacity and allows the greatest number of attendees to participate. Through high level panellists and displaying innovative and hands-on approaches to multi-stakeholder-governance, we expect a high interest of the IGF communities. A theatre style room also allows to focus on the speakers, which will be especially important since the methodology of strategic foresight will be outlined at the start of the open forum, before the panellists will share their insights on the methodology and its outputs.It also allows for a structured Q&A as integral part of the open forum. The Q&A will be a structured audience interaction and ensures that the audience can ask questions and share their own experiences with strategic foresight.90 minutes are needed to set the stage in a comprehensive manner and allow for an in-depth discussion among the speakers and the audience.
This session explores innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement in international digital policy, with a focus on strategic foresight.The German Strategy for International Digital Policy, adopted in February 2024, establishes a framework to promote a democratic, free, prosperous, sustainable, and resilient digital future, while reinforcing the multistakeholder model as a cornerstone of international digital policy. Building on this, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) has introduced key initiatives, including most recently in form of financial support for the Internet Governance Forum, an innovative fellowship program for young adults, and a Strategic Foresight process on international digital policy.As part of the Strategic Foresight process, thirty experts spanning all stakeholder groups collaborate across six months to develop scenarios for the two priority areas, Internet governance and international AI governance in 2040, examining their intersections with society, the economy, and geopolitics. For both topics, the groups developed four future scenarios. This foresight exercise is intended to help policymakers and stakeholders to identify strategic priorities, reduce uncertainty and design future-oriented actions.This session explores how strategic foresight and multistakeholder engagement can shape the future of international digital policy, focusing on the development of scenarios for Internet governance in 2040.Session Structure: • Introduction: Overview of BMDV’s stakeholder initiatives and the strategic foresight approach. • Presentation: Drafting Internet governance scenarios for 2040. • Use Cases: Applying strategic foresight to prepare future-oriented actions. • Interactive Discussion: Structured Q&A with both online and in-person participants. Key Takeaways: Panelists will discuss how strategic foresight and stakeholder empowerment equip participants with tools to inform WSIS+20 negotiations, the future of the IGF, and the Global Digital Compact. The session will highlight how shared visions of a preferred digital future can drive coordinated stakeholder efforts toward a global, open, and free Internet.
1) There will be two moderators for this session. The session will mainly be moderated on site with support of a moderator for the virtual space. The on-site moderator will engage both the on-site and online speakers by asking questions and inviting on-site attendees to contribute to the discussion by making statements. The online moderator will monitor and moderate the chat and will be in direct contact with the on-site moderator to guarantee that the Q&A involves both on-site and online attendees. 2) Online interaction in this session will be facilitated by incorporating the thoughts and questions of the audience expressed in the chat in real time. The online moderator will encourage the online audience to use the Q&A function of the platform provided for the session.
Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport of Germany
Philipp Schulte, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG) Lars Radscheidt, GIZ, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Philipp Schulte, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG) Anriette Esterhuysen, APC, Civil Society, African Group Gbenga Sesan, Paradigm Initiative, Civil Society, African Group
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Targets: SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure SDG 17 Partnerships for Goals