This main session will showcase IGF Dynamic Coalitions (DCs) as examples of multistakeholder digital cooperation mechanisms. In the first part of the session, DCs will show how their work relates to the IGF 2021 issue areas and how this work contributes to advancing the debate on specific topics included within those areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost all spheres of life. It is just one in addition to many crisis humanity has faced. Certainly, the impact differs from country to country. This session will bring perspectives of communities gathered around the national, regional and youth IGF processes (NIRs) on roles the Internet has in times of crisis.

The session will build on the preparatory session. The inputs from the preparatory session will help to map the cyber security situation based on how the community perceives and prioritizes threats, identifies measures and instruments, which stakeholders presently address these issues, identify which are threats that possibly have no measures or instruments, what needs to be done, etc.

Even though we still need more work and more evidence, the digital world has a strong influence on the environment (and vice versa). The environmental footprint of the digital world is estimated to virtually amount to a 7th continent (or up to 5.6% of humanity’s global footprint). At the same time, digital technologies can be of paramount importance in effectively tackling environmental issues. Operations related to information and communications technologies (ICT) are expected to represent up to 20 percent of global electricity demand, with one third stemming from data centres alone.

Stakeholders around the globe are increasingly considering legal and regulatory approaches to address various public policy issues posed by rapid digitalization. However, the very nature of the Internet as a borderless, interconnected system makes it too complex to be solely managed by any single country, company or organisation.

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While the topic of economic and social inclusion and human rights is not new to internet governance, this issue area has been gaining strength as compared to previous IGFs. This was also reflected by the total number of workshop applications received (34%), which made this the issue group with the highest number of submissions.