Thematic Intersessional Work

What is the IGF Intersessional Work?

In between the two annual IGF meetings, the community works on several substantive activities and presents and discusses them at the annual IGF meeting. These activities are collectively called the IGF intersessional work and are developed around:

• Dynamic Coalitions 
• Best Practice Forums
• Policy Options for Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion(s)

Working Modalities

All these intersessional activities produce analytical views of topics they focus their work on. The working modalities for these activities are:

• The IGF Code of Conduct should be followed by all stakeholders involved in IGF ‎community activities.‎
• Community intersessional working groups have the freedom to define their own ‎methodologies; tailored to each group’s specific needs and requirements. ‎
• Each community intersessional activity/working track should discuss and decide on ‎their respective working modalities in an open and transparent way on mailing lists ‎and during virtual meetings. ‎
• Decisions on working modalities should have support of the participants of the ‎activities and should also be made in an inclusive and transparent manner.‎
• MAG facilitators should act as stewards of the groups, assist in ‎scheduling and chairing the working virtual meetings, guiding work being carried out ‎on the mailing lists and carrying out outreach to encourage participation from all ‎stakeholders in the work. ‎
• The IGF Secretariat should primarily be acting as a neutral rapporteur, including ‎responsibility for drafting meeting summaries/meeting minutes and ‎providing logistical support to the work of the groups.  ‎
• In this regard, in developing outputs it was said that the format/length of such ‎outputs will be dependent on the working methods of the respective groups, ‎including BPFs, CENB Phase, etc. ‎
• In 2016 it has been agreed that each BPF will produce a draft output or outputs by 1 ‎November, a little more than one month prior to the annual meeting, and that ‎these draft output(s) should be made available for public comments online for this ‎one-month period leading up to the IGF and at the respective dedicated BPF ‎sessions at the annual meeting. (Each BPF is also responsible for organizing its own ‎respective session at the annual meeting). The outputs will then be updated ‎incorporating all comments and suggestions by the community immediately after ‎the annual meeting. A similar timeline is envisioned for CENB-Phase II.‎
• In the lead-up to and at the annual IGF meeting and post-annual meeting - MAG ‎facilitators/coordinators (and all MAG members) are encouraged to carry out ‎outreach activities to help disseminate IGF outputs, messages, etc. to other relevant ‎fora, future meetings, etc. 

How to participate?

All online and onsite meetings of the intersessional activities are open to everyone. Approach the IGF Secretariat to learn more about how to get involved at igf[et]un[dot]org and subscribe to dedicated mailing lists: https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/sign-up-and-contribute-...