Session
Subtheme
Organizer 1: Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Xiao Zhang, Government, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Konstantinos Komaitis, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Carolina Aguerre, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Konstantinos Komaitis, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Carolina Aguerre, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: We envision this session to invite maximum interaction and participation from the audience in terms of providing views and sharing experiences and case studies/best practices on this topic.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: We envision this session to invite maximum interaction and participation from the audience in terms of providing views and sharing experiences and case studies/best practices on this topic.
Policy Question(s)
1) How can multistakeholder cooperation (governments, businesses, civil society, and technical communities) shape policies that protect user rights while respecting national regulatory priorities?
2) What best practices exist for balancing national control over digital infrastructure with commitments to global internet openness?
3) How should global technology companies navigate the increasing regulatory complexity of operating in economies with different national digital policies?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain insights in several key areas, such as:
- The viewpoints of the multistakeholder community involving governments, civil society, the private sector, and technical communities on the concept of digital sovereignty (how nations control their digital spaces) vs. the vision of a borderless Internet (global connectivity and interoperability).
- Case studies of successful cooperation models between Internet organizations and respective economies.
- The future of internet governance and how participants can shape it.
SDGs
Description:
This workshop will explore the tensions and intersections between digital sovereignty and the vision of a single, globally connected Internet. As the debate between digital sovereignty and a globally open Internet intensifies, governments, businesses, and civil society must navigate the tensions between national control and a borderless digital ecosystem. While some countries push for greater sovereignty over digital infrastructure, data governance, and cybersecurity, others warn of the risks of Internet fragmentation, reduced interoperability, and barriers to innovation. This roundtable will explore finding a balance between national priorities and the need for a cohesive, trusted, and inclusive Internet governance model. It will examine the role of key Internet coordination bodies, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and the Regional Internet Registries, alongside the broader technical community, in ensuring that the Internet remains stable, secure, and globally accessible.
This workshop will explore the tensions and intersections between digital sovereignty and the vision of a single, globally connected Internet. As the debate between digital sovereignty and a globally open Internet intensifies, governments, businesses, and civil society must navigate the tensions between national control and a borderless digital ecosystem. While some countries push for greater sovereignty over digital infrastructure, data governance, and cybersecurity, others warn of the risks of Internet fragmentation, reduced interoperability, and barriers to innovation. This roundtable will explore finding a balance between national priorities and the need for a cohesive, trusted, and inclusive Internet governance model. It will examine the role of key Internet coordination bodies, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and the Regional Internet Registries, alongside the broader technical community, in ensuring that the Internet remains stable, secure, and globally accessible.
Expected Outcomes
- Encouragement of multistakeholder cooperation among governments, civil society, businesses, and technical communities.
- Practical strategies for governments, businesses, and civil society to navigate national and international digital policy challenges.
- Discussion of future sessions and platforms to continue the conversation beyond this IGF session.
Hybrid Format: There will be onsite and online moderators dedicated to ensuring all voices are heard and represented in this session. We will use interactive guiding questions to open the floor to comments for the audience to share their thoughts on local, regional, and global experiences and best practices.