IGF 2017: Shape Your Digital Future!

During the Opening Ceremony, welcoming remarks will be given by:

o   Ms. Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation

o   Mr. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General (Video-message)

o   Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

o   Mr. Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

o   Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU

o   Mr. Frank La Rue, Assistant Director-General Communication & Information, UNESCO

o   Mr. Pierre Maudet, Conseiller d’Etat, Genève

o   Mr. Rémy Pagani, Maire de la ville de Genève

The Opening Ceremony will start and conclude with a cultural performance.

High Level Session of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2017

“Shaping our future digital global governance”

Monday, 18 December 2017, 4pm – 6pm

Assembly Hall, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

*Participants are advised seating in the Assembly Hall is limited; all those interested in attending this session should secure their seats in the preceding opening ceremony.*

Theme: Digitisation provides unique opportunities for growth and development. But in recent times, the Internet has also been associated with growing challenges that call for a better coordinated global digital governance system. Pooling the strengths of different stakeholders – governments, private sector, technical community and civil society – is essential in any such effort. This session aims to discuss the pressing matters relating to digitisation and to the future evolution of the global digital governance framework. Potential gaps in the current digital governance system would be part of the conversation and suggestions for improving global cooperation among all stakeholders can be developed.

Host Chair: Ms. Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation

UN Representative: Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and UNSG representative

Format: Moderated interactive roundtable discussion

Moderator: Ms. Nathalie Ducommun, Talk Master of Swiss Television RTS

Remote Moderator: Mr. Jovan Kurbalija, Head of Geneva Internet Platform

Policy questions:

The session will discuss the following policy questions:

• What is your vision for the global digital governance in 10 years? 
• Where do you see the main challenges?
• Which opportunities could be seized?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders?

Agenda:

• First general question “What is your vision for the global digital governance in 10 years?” and 2-minute inputs from each speaker (around 30 minutes in total).
• Subsequently, 30-40 minutes for interactive debate, which will consider the other policy questions and be focused and respond to a short number of theses shared with the speakers and the audience at the start of the session.
• Lastly, 40-50 minutes for open debate with audience, of which the first 20 minutes will be reserved for 2-minute inputs from other VIP speakers in the audience (“VIP mic”).
• Wrap-up with tweet-like final remarks from panelists (5-10 minutes)

Speakers:

• Ms. Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation
• Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and UNSG representative
• Mr. Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU
• Ms. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, European Commission
• Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu, Minister of Information, Bangladesh
• Ms. Anriette Esterhuysen, Director of Global Policy and Strategy, APC
• Ms. Kathy Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer, ISOC
• Mr. Eric Loeb, Senior Vice President International External and Regulatory Affairs, AT&T  
• Mr. Vinton G. Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
• Ms. Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women
• Mr. Masahiko Tominaga, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination (International Affairs), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan

Twelfth Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 

Geneva, Switzerland, 18-21 December 2017

Closing Ceremony & ‘Taking Stock’

  15:00 to 18:00, Thursday 21 December 2017

Introductory closing speech from Ms. Krystyna Marty Lang, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland 

‘IGF 2017 Taking Stock & Open Mic’ – led by Amb. Thomas Schneider; Ms. Lynn St. Amour, MAG Chair; Mr. Chengetai Masango, IGF Programme and Technology Manager; and Mr. Armin Plum, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, Division for Sustainable Development (DSD)/UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

Closing remarks 
-Mr. Matthew Rantanen, Director of Technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association (SCTCA) – representing Civil Society

-Ms. Jianne Soriano, NetMission.Asia Ambassador – representing Youth

-Sundeep Singh Bobby Bedi, International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) – representing Private Sector

-Raquel Gatto, Manager for Chapter Development in The Americas for Internet Society – representing Technical Community

-Ambassador Thomas Schneider, Vice Director, Federal Office of Communications of Switzerland

-Ms. Lynn St. Amour, Chair of the MAG

-Mr. Armin Plum, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, DSD/DESA