Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
2018 Renewal of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG)
General guidance and notes to take into consideration regarding nominations for a position on the MAG
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) was established by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2006 to assist the Secretary-General in convening the annual IGF Meeting by advising on the programme and schedule. MAG members serve in their personal capacity, but are expected to have established linkages within stakeholder communities. More information is available in the MAG Terms of References.
The United Nations Secretary-General appoints members, with careful consideration to the recommendations from the Stakeholder Groups, as well as considering nominations from the broader community, as the overall composition of the MAG should have a regional, stakeholder and gender balance.
Members coming from the Government Stakeholder Group may hold up to 40 % of the total number of seats on the MAG, with the remaining percentage shared equally across the three other Stakeholder Groups. Individual appointments are for one (1) year term, with a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms. The total number of the MAG should be fifty (50) members, for the purposes of rationalizing the overall process.
These numbers have fluctuated in the past due largely to the fact that returning members have occasionally changed stakeholder groups.
The IGF Host Countries hold one seat each, on the MAG. Treaty based intergovernmental organizations can also hold observer seats on the MAG.
Countries that were not represented or were underrepresented in previous MAG compositions, will have an advantage over those that have had continuous or frequent representation on the MAG.
At the end of the 2017 IGF cycle, twenty-three (23) MAG members are due to be rotated out. Of the twenty-three (23), twenty-one (21) MAG members have served a full three (3) year term. Two (2) members will be rotated out on the basis of personal requests.
Each of the MAG members who is rotating out, is freeing up one seat for the Regional and Stakeholder Group they initially occupied.
For the 2018 MAG Renewal, one (1) member who had previously changed from the initial Stakeholder Group of Government to the Private Sector, will free up a seat for the Government, as the original Stakeholder Group he was appointed in.
Given the overall aim for the MAG 2018 to be composed of fifty (50) MAG members per the above Stakeholder Group breakdown, this year’s nominations announcement calls for the following number of seats:
Stakeholder Group Balance
| Stakeholder Group | 2017 Rotations | Available seats for the MAG 2018 Renewal |
| Government | 4 (out of 181) | 5 (to equal 20) |
| Civil Society | 9 (out of 13) | 6 (to equal 10) |
| Private Sector | 4 (out of 132) | 2 (to equal 10) |
| Technical Community | 6 (out of 10) | 6 (to equal 10) |
| Total | 23 (out of 543) | 19 (total seats = 50) |
1 During the 2016/2017, two members have changed their stakeholder groups from Government to Private Sector, making the total number of Government seats be 18. One member is ending his tenure, and he will free the seat for the Government as the group he initially was appointed with.
2 During the 2016/2017, two members have changed their stakeholder groups from Government to Private Sector, making the total number of the 2017 Private Sector seats be 13. One member is ending his tenure, and he will free the seat for the Government as the group he initially was appointed with.
3 Media (EBU) representative to be assigned a seat with international organization representatives. This reduces the total number of the 2017 MAG members to 54.
Regional Group Balance
| Regional Group | 2017 Rotations | Available seats for the MAG 2018 Renewal |
| Africa | 3 (out of 10) | 3 (leading to 10 seats) |
| Asia Pacific | 3 (out of 14) | 0 (leading to 11 seats) |
| Eastern Europe | 6 (out of 8) | 7 (leading to 9 seats) |
| GRULAC | 3 (out of 10) | 3 (leading to 10 seats) |
| WEOG | 8 (out of 124) | 6 (leading to 10 seats) |
| Total | 23 (out of 545) | 19 (total seats = 50) |
4 Media (EBU) representative to be assigned a seat with international organization representatives. As the member comes from the WEOG regional group, this reduces the MAG 2017 total number of the WEOG members to 12.
5 Media (EBU) representative to be assigned a seat with international organization representatives. This reduces the total number of the 2017 MAG members to 54.
Gender Balance
The 2018 MAG composition will aim for balance in terms of gender representation.
Excluding the members that are due to be rotated out, the breakdown per gender of the remaining members that are eligible to continue serving, is: ten (10) Female and twenty-one (21) Male members.
Please note that these breakdowns are provided for general guidance only, and that the overall composition depends on several considerations including the nominations received, as well as the final decision of the UN Secretary-General.
List of members that are due to be rotated out
The table below indicates the MAG members who have served three (3) consecutive terms on the MAG, and members who have informed the IGF Secretariat and the MAG that they will no longer serve on the MAG after the IGF 2017 cycle.
| Title | Lst Name, First Name | Regional Group | Stakeholder Group | Terms Served |
| Mr. | Kenyanito, Ephraim Percy | Africa | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Olugbile, Segun | Africa | Private Sector | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Ho, Bianca Caroline | Asia Pacific | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Kee, Jac sm | Asia Pacific | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Laksmi, Shita | Asia Pacific | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Kaspar, Lea | Eastern Europe | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Mahmutovic, Aida | Eastern Europe | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Sakalova, Marianne | Eastern Europe | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Elanskaya, Yulia | Eastern Europe | Government | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Ostrowski, Igor* | Eastern Europe | Private Sector* | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Markovic, Slobodan | Eastern Europe | Technical Community | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Fernández González, Juan Alfonso | GRULAC | Government | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Bidart, Silvia | GRULAC | Private Sector | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Wagner, Flávio | GRULAC | Technical Community | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Doria, Avri | WEOG | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Paque, Virginia | WEOG | Civil Society | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Moisander, Juuso | WEOG | Government | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Lazanski, Dominique | WEOG | Private Sector | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Miller, Cheryl Ann | WEOG | Private Sector | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Dengate Thrush, Peter | WEOG | Technical Community | 3 Terms |
| Mr. | Valdez, German | WEOG | Technical Community | 3 Terms |
| Ms. | Watkins, Laura** | WEOG | Technical Community | 2 Terms |
| Ms. | Inne, Anne Rachel** | Africa | Technical Community | 1 Term |
* During the 2016 term, the member has changed the initial stakeholder group from Government to Private Sector. The change has been made accordingly. The member will free the seat for the group he initially was appointed with (Government).
** During the 2017 term, two (2) members have informed the IGF Secretariat that due to changes in their employment, they will not continue to serve on the MAG.