[IGFmaglist] IGF 2020 Call For Validation of Thematic Tracks and Action Items

Wed Jan 22 03:06:56 EST 2020

I support Susan‘s and Sylvia‘s interventions. We should limit ourselves to the three tracks and add environmental sustainability and digital economy as cross-cutting themes for the program.
Best,
Rudolf

Von: SChalmers at ntia.gov [mailto:SChalmers at ntia.gov]
Gesendet: Dienstag, 21. Januar 2020 20:28
An: Sylvia Cadena; MAG-public
Betreff: Re: [IGFmaglist] IGF 2020 Call For Validation of Thematic Tracks and Action Items

I support Sylvia’s points.

For what it is worth, I support Option 1, or adding “environmental sustainability” and “digital economy” as suggested tags or cross-cutting themes for the program instead of creating a new track.  An “emerging and evolving issue” fourth category will inevitably be viewed and responded to by workshop proposers as a catch-all or miscellaneous category, despite any of our clarifying efforts to the contrary.  We would be stepping back from the progress made last year in preparing a more focused, more approachable IGF agenda. But, let’s see how the community responds…

As Sylvia points out, we’d have to draft a narrative for the category.  For evaluation purposes, proposals must align with the narrative, which means that MAG members will spend precious time during the June meeting debating which issues (proposals) are “evolving and emerging” and which are not.  We would also find ourselves trying to distinguish between “evolving and emerging” and “data,” “inclusion,” and “trust” because folks will ask whether a given proposal would better fit in a different category.

In any event, all issues “evolve,” but only new issues “emerge.”

So, with all due respect to my colleague and collaborator Paul R., I would not support his suggested edits for a few reasons, but most basically because they add more words and categories, which magnifies the opportunity for confusion for an audience that has repeatedly expressed a desire for a more concise and comprehensible IGF agenda.

Note bene:  the MAG has been asked for feedback by COB 0800 CET on 1/22, yet the text has already been modified by the Secretariat on the website<hXXps://wwwXX.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2020-call-for-validation-of-thematic-tracks>.  This shouldn’t be the case.  The decision on the text should be taken following the review of all MAG member feedback, once the notified deadline to provide input has run.

Thanks,
Susan

Susan Elizabeth Chalmers
Internet Policy Specialist
Office of International Affairs
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
schalmers at ntia.gov
202.482.6789

Please note my new email address:  schalmers at ntia.gov<mailto:schalmers at ntia.gov>

From: Sylvia Cadena <sylvia at apnic.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 11:17 AM
To: MAG-public <Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org>
Subject: Re: [IGFmaglist] IGF 2020 Call For Validation of Thematic Tracks and Action Items

Dear MAG colleagues,

Although I was not there neither in person or online to express my dissent during the MAG meeting, and it may be too late, I am sorry, but I don’t agree.

Although there is support for the changes proposed by Paul, I think the MAG should make a stronger effort to be clear on what a track actually covers. A track with such a wide title “evolving and emerging issues” or “emerging issues” can end up as a basket for everything that doesn’t fit in the other 3 and we will lose all the effort done last year to narrow the focus.

In my opinion, if a 4th track is to be added, the MAG should be a lot clearer about what the focus should be among the other topics identify. It is within the MAG’s mandate to make the decision to focus on one of those topics (environmental ‎sustainability/climate change and digital economy). Maybe the consultation process can ask the community which one to prioritize and to clarify that it is impossible to please everyone and discuss everything.

Please consider that for every decision that the MAG makes, there are a lot of implications on the evaluation of session proposals, design of reports and structure of the intro&concluding sessions. We will have to agree on a narrative for the “evolving and emerging issues”, and design the intro & concluding session for it, that fits the scope of the sessions approved under such track. That was my experience helping with the SSS&R track last year, as the concepts covered where extremely wide and in some cases the definitions didn’t even fit (like the workshop around access to medicines, that referred to the resilience definition, which didn’t have anything to do with Internet resilience, but with resilience in a more generic definition). Same goes for the definition of the subthemes under each one of the tracks. Clear definitions (as everyone that presented a session under the SSS&R track) are a key element to be able to advance on a discussion and wrap it up. Most of the discussions goes in circles just because speakers/contributors have very different definitions to begin with.

Even in 2018, when we had 8 tracks, the MAG made a very conscious effort to have them clearly defined.

Please reconsider.

Regards,

Sylvia

________________________________________________________________________

Sylvia Cadena | APNIC Foundation - Head of Programs | sylvia at apnic.net<mailto:sylvia at apnic.net> | hXXp://wwwXX.apnic.foundation<hXXps://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=hXXp%3A%2F%2FwwwXX.apnic.foundation%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cschalmers%40ntia.gov%7Cb88a80a26c1e4e4435ca08d79e8d84cd%7Cd6cff1bd67dd4ce8945dd07dc775672f%7C0%7C1%7C637152202969920264&sdata=qs5%2FDrx%2Bt%2BmhCqcXHk013SX%2F9s4UoIyVkSUmbxZAess%3D&reserved=0>
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From: June Parris <parrisjune51 at gmail.com<mailto:parrisjune51 at gmail.com>>
Date: Tuesday, 21 January 2020 at 5:39 am
To: Chengetai Masango <chengetai.masango at un.org<mailto:chengetai.masango at un.org>>, MAG-public <Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org<mailto:Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org>>
Subject: Re: [IGFmaglist] IGF 2020 Call For Validation of Thematic Tracks and Action Items

Dear All,

I agree to Paul and Karim and will give support.

Regards

June Parris

Get Outlook for iOS<hXXps://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=hXXps%3A%2F%2Faka.ms%2Fo0ukef&data=02%7C01%7Cschalmers%40ntia.gov%7Cb88a80a26c1e4e4435ca08d79e8d84cd%7Cd6cff1bd67dd4ce8945dd07dc775672f%7C0%7C1%7C637152202969930220&sdata=1EYNxyMhzZWikbA6Ijw6ePjPtQFofZttnc0ceOqwfsM%3D&reserved=0>

________________________________
From: Chengetai Masango <chengetai.masango at un.org<mailto:chengetai.masango at un.org>>
Sent: Monday, January 20, 2020 12:24
To: MAG-public
Subject: [IGFmaglist] IGF 2020 Call For Validation of Thematic Tracks and Action Items

Dear All,

As agreed at the end of the MAG meeting

Please find attached a word document containing the meeting action items

and

The link to the draft “IGF 2020 Call for Validation of Thematic Tracks”

hXXps://wwwXX.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2020-call-for-validation-of-issues<hXXps://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=hXXps%3A%2F%2FwwwXX.intgovforum.org%2Fmultilingual%2Fcontent%2Figf-2020-call-for-validation-of-issues&data=02%7C01%7Cschalmers%40ntia.gov%7Cb88a80a26c1e4e4435ca08d79e8d84cd%7Cd6cff1bd67dd4ce8945dd07dc775672f%7C0%7C1%7C637152202969930220&sdata=vtCTGqbtgDAOLB8gzx6tJ64aETAmAkYXs3sjyz2tEiQ%3D&reserved=0>

If you have any comments on the form  please let us know by O.O.B 22 Jan Geneva time. (08:00am)

Best regards

Chengetai
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