The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.
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>> Celine Bal: Hello, everyone. We will try to close the session as soon as possible. We know we are over time. So it is scheduled to be until 5:00 p.m. If we manage to do it by then, the better. But we can extent by five to 10 minutes. The technical team ‑‑
>> Andy Richardson: If I can ask for your attention for the closing session. If anyone can continue your conversations outside. Your attention for Celine Bal.
>> Celine Bal: Thank you so much. We are soon done. We want to thank all Members of Parliament for joining the IGF. We're closing the Parliamentary track today. The sessions and conversations continue in other parts of the Forum. So in general since you may know, since 2019, we're providing a space for members of Parliament to be part of the Forum. And this is where we try to develop from year‑to‑year what we call the IGF Parliamentary track. We welcome your feedback and welcome it very much.
Before I give the floor to ANDY, we have very members, and we encourage you to take part in the Global tract and those that exist at Regional, sub‑Regional or National levels. So I give the floor to Andy Richardson so we discuss more the next steps for the output document resulting from the track.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you, Celine Bal and everyone that is still with us today.
At the end of each Parliamentary track there is an output document to capture and summarize your discussions and becomes part of the formal record of the Parliamentary track, part of the record of this IGF and distributed to all National Parliaments. So between Celine Bal and myself and others we tried to capture the different points that have come up in your discussions. A draft was circulated this morning. And we received a lot of very positive feedback indicating a strong consensus. I will say a couple of words and open the floor if anyone would like to make further observations.
Firstly, on the output document itself, what does it say? Our discussions have been largely focused on questions of information integrity, of combating online harms while protecting freedom of expression. And the main ideas can be maybe captured with Parliament, platform, and power, the three Ps. Noting Parliament if the fundamental law making role, legislation should be in line with and compliant with international human rights principles. And really inviting Parliaments to draw upon the best available expertise within the technical community and amongst the whole IGF multistakeholder community. There has been a lot of discussion of the role of platforms and the particular responsibilities that platforms bear when it comes to keeping integrity and combating harms. You have heard the different perspectives, but there is a live issue of where does the power lie.
And out of your discussions, the main conclusion that we heard from you was about the fundamental importance of cooperation and dialogue. Cooperation between Parliaments to share experiences and cooperation between Parliaments and public Authorities and the whole range much stakeholders, including powerful companies. These can be resolved with ongoing dialogue. The output document attempts to capture these points, the feedback on the draft made some really interesting and useful suggestions for additions, which with your approval, we propose to take on board. So points around noting the environmental impact reinforcing digital inclusion, for women and children and other Groups that risk exclusion such as people with disabilities. And reinforcing some of the points around trying to balance security with freedom it of expression and combating hate speech. So there are a lot of really useful comments to which will be integrated into the output document. Couple of proposals for deletions that didn't meet with the consensus of the discussions, I'll reference them. Proposals to delete references to IGF and participation in international processes delete references to Civil Society, but really it didn't feel these were in line with the majority of views during the discussions of unless someone wishes to explain the points. This is the main ideas around the output document as a reflection of your discussions. We have a little bit of time, a couple of minutes, if there are any further observations on the draft which you received earlier today and following these comments, would anyone like to make further comments? Raise your hand.
>> ATTENDEE: I am here with EQ. I had a question. Given the importance of speed concreteness and credibility in these types of statements, from your experience and that of the people in this room, how do we make sure that this statement has weight and credibility, do we state we will monitor this or come back and review progress on each of the points and subpoints in six months how do we make this more than talk? Talk matters but talk itself loses the power of its content if not followed by action.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you a comment from this side.
>> ATTENDEE: I'm from Egypt, this is the third international IGF I'm attending. I can say that we always say very great things so capitalizing on what my colleague was saying. I would love to have the next IGF something like, I don't know a table saying that we need to take down what is already dona we don't just get the good document, we don't know what they're going to do with it in our Parliaments or in our Governments or countries or whatever. Thank you.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you, colleague from Algeria.
>> ATTENDEE: Thank you, Andy Richardson. I will switch to French. In the outcomes of the parliamentary track, we would like in the name of the Parliament Assembly to formulate three reservations with respect of the National sovereignty because we would like each to regulate the digital space according to its societal and cultural framework. This is very important when you are talking about legislative approaches, about the regulation of tropical storm platforms and online content. I have sent references of the paragraphs we are talking about. Secondly we need a balance between freedom of expression and Freedom Online. We have to reach this balance between freedom of expression and of combating disinformation. However, we cannot allow for compromising like harmful content, disinformation or bullying.
So equitable, accountable inclusion is important. We need the support of assistance to southern and eastern Parliaments of the Mediterranean Region in order to have an inclusive and proper implementation of the principles. We thank you for the good collaboration and mutual respect. I would like to ask you when we will have the final version of this document? Thank you.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you we have received your written input as well. We have a couple more inputs from it Kenya and Egypt and colleague at the back of the room.
>> Kenya: Thank you, I must thank you and the organizers, the team from my view did a good job. Thank you to the panelists during the Parliament track. Amazing. One thing that needs to be captured out of IGF 2025 is the urgency with which every member of Parliament was spoken here is asking for us to define the Mission. We have been coming to IGF and generally speaking about technology and then in the last few years now, we are hearing about AI the conversations are general, talking about what parameters we should put but now there is urgency in terms of what instruments specific instruments are going to be developed so that we can grow the river bank for the work that we're doing. Each and every person I have listened to, including at the Plenary when Joseph Gordon was presenting, each of them has a struggle. The developers have a struggle. I heard him speak about the struggle the creatives have. We definitely have a struggle about data representation and people are asking what is that common ground that defines the struggle for all of us so that it is not a developer versus Government front or Civil Society versus Government or even people versus big tech. We are asking what is that common ground and how can it be put in an instrument that we're able to pursue and to my mind I'm thinking about working towards strategies, working towards frameworks, and with the need to come to Treaties or universally binding conventions. And the urgency is real. Everybody is saying to us, you have spoken too much, let's put it to the ink to paper. Thank you.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you very much. From Egypt?
>> Egypt: Thank you very much. I will be very quick. In my experience, the draft in climate and Egypt are used as a climate policy, which is very relevant to any legislation related to climate is put on the map and accessible for every Parliamentarian. It is a wealth of knowledge. I suggest it done with the Interparliamentary Union and IGF it is the Digital Governance. All that is released from the Parliamentarians across the world with Digital Governance, it is beneficial to any Parliamentarian. Thank you.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you very much. Perhaps a final comment at the back of the room, please.
>> ATTENDEE: Thank you so much Honorable colleagues and experts. First of all, I want to thank you for the enlightenment and discussions and inputs regarding the last two days. Amazing. We tackles a lot of issues that are very important. Especially we discussed risks of the digitalization of AI explored threats to human rights to democracy to truth itself through deepfake and algorithmic manipulation. One thing we tackled not enough that I also sent to you is the issue of environmental impact of the technologies we use, especially AI is a very intense energy and I wanted to stress out the point that we also have to think about that. Probably all the time because it is an issue that tackles the world. We didn't ‑‑ the only part we did that was yesterday and in the Parliament. There was a discussion about that. I want to enforce we get that, too. Thank you.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you very much to everybody for the very useful inputs. We take good note of all of the points. I think the first speakers raised the core action referring to the urgency. To the need to move. I think that this is a shared responsibility amongst every person in the room, whether they're a member of Parliament or different type of participant.
There are different ways and different levels that each of us can be taking action. Firstly, the Parliamentarians here are truly and genuinely the central figures in this. So it is within your National Parliaments what questions are raised and carried out. Are you able to move the political Agenda in your own countries? We heard a lot about the different resources available within the IGF community and really an invitation to draw upon the expertise of the technical community of Civil Society and the Private Sector. Parliaments can engage in the National IGF communities, the communities exist broadly and engage at the Regional level as well, where there are many guidance Documents and fora that exist.
And at our level, at the IPU level, we are committed to continuing the exchange between Parliaments, providing for ongoing exchange of experience.
I talked about a little bit earlier about we have a specific focus around AI at the moment, because it is so now and emerging, so many are asking themselves questions. Tomorrow, there will be a session on AI regulation where we will hear examples from different jurisdictions from the European Parliament, Egypt and from Uruguay, but also all other Parliaments that want to come and share what they have done and what they're doing.
We are tracking AI policy and what exists and links to all of the Committees that are acting to all of the draft legislation. If your Parliament is taking action on AI policy we want to hear about that. So that can be shared. As the colleague from UNDP referred to earlier, we are about to publicly announce that at the end of November, the Parliament of Malaysia will host along with the IPU, NDP and Parliamentary association, the role of developing responsibility AI. We see our role as trying to connect the members of Parliament that are trying to take action to exchange notes on progress and examinations and obstacles and how to try to work together and build the Coalitions that you have been describing today.
At all of the different levels, we believe that there is space for progress. And frankly, I think we are heartened by the high‑level of participation in this Parliamentary track. It is a sign that there is action taking place in your Parliaments.
We'll clean up the output document. Circulate it and hope it is helpful to you as you try to advance your Agendas in your Parliaments. Celine Bal, maybe a closing word?
>> Celine Bal: Thank you, Andy Richardson for the summary. We will also in addition to the output document have summary of discussions from each of the sessions. And we will of course also track the different references that have been done, different Documents mentioned, especially from the session that happened just before with all the various stakeholder Groups that came together. And wanted to show concrete collaboration opportunities with you Members of Parliament. Last but not least before closed Parliamentary track, there are other sessions taking place from the different stakeholder Groups organized. And there are specific ones that are really inviting members of Parliament to join. One is at 9:00 in studio N in the Foundations of Cloud policy and one mentioned by the European Parliament including youth and policy visions happening later in the vestibule, also in the morning and the session mentioned by Andy Richardson co‑organized by UNDP with the Interparliamentary Union in the afternoon from it 2:45 to 3:45 on the AI regulation. Last but not least, there is a session on the 26th organized by the SAMI Parliament with the Norwegian Government and UNESCO on the barriers to Indigenous language technology and AI uptake.
Again, explore the Programme. Also last but not least let us know about feedback you may have. We will integrate it also for future sessions.
>> Andy Richardson: Thank you. With that ...
(Applause)
Thank you, with those final words I thank the Parliament of Norway for hosting the track and the participants and Celine Bal for the efforts in putting this together. Thank you, enjoy the rest of the IGF.
