[IGFmaglist] Welcome to the 2022 IGF MAG

Wed Jan 5 03:56:10 EST 2022

Thank you Paul and congratulations on your nomination as the chair of the MAG.  Equally, thank you all to the previous members and the leadership for bringing us this far.  Please be rest assured that we will work together to ensure the objectives of the IGF and MAG are realised.  Together, we can make a positive difference in the IGF.

Hon. Alhagie Mbow
________________________________
8 Kairaba Avenue, KSMD
Serrekunda, The Gambia
Tel: 220 985 3970- WhatsApp
Tel: 220 786 7106

> On 5 Jan 2022, at 1:20 AM, Paul Mitchell <paul.mitchell at outlook.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear MAG Members,
>  
> I am delighted to welcome you to the Internet Governance Forum Multistakeholder Advisory Group for 2022.  I am honored to be your chair and am looking forward to working together to build upon the work of previous MAGs to continue to safeguard and enhance the multistakeholder model of Internet Governance that has fueled unprecedented innovation and brought previously unimaginable benefits to societies around the world.  Over the past 16 years, the IGF has evolved and innovated, and we owe a debt of gratitude to those who have participated on previous MAGs. 
>  
> I want to particularly thank Anriette Estherhuysen, my immediate predecessor as chair, for her stewardship of the IGF MAG over the past two years.  Anriette, and the others that have gone before her, have nourished and shaped the IGF and given life to the multi-stakeholder ethos that has enabled the IGF to grow in stature and relevance over the past 16 years.
>   
> This is an unprecedented time for the Internet.  For over 2 years the Corona Virus pandemic has forced us to adapt and innovate across the range of human activities. Even while we have faced shutdowns, travel restrictions, changes to our working environments, supply shortages, and isolation, the Internet has played a critical role allowing us to adapt to keep things going.  It has become central in our lives.  But that centrality has also highlighted the disparities and marginalization of some people, the threats to governance, and the abuses that erode trust.
>  
> And therein is the opportunity.  
>  
> It has been 19 years since the Geneva Declaration of Principles <https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/outcome/booklet/declaration_A.html> was developed. In that time period there have been successes and failures. The first IGF drew only a few hundred people.  The most recent IGF drew several thousand – due in part to the investment in foundational technologies and broadband infrastructure, and sub-sea connectivity and facilitating policy developments. Our world has profoundly changed and there is ever increasing interest in Internet Governance from every stakeholder group.  The UN’s Our Common Agenda <https://www.un.org/en/un75/common-agenda>, The Roadmap for Digital Cooperation <https://www.un.org/en/content/digital-cooperation-roadmap/>, and the discussions around theHigh Level Panel on Digital Cooperation <https://www.un.org/en/sg-digital-cooperation-panel>, are just a few examples of the work since the Geneva declaration in 2003. I recommend a readthrough of these documents for context if you haven’t done so recently.
> In my new role as MAG Chair, I look forward to working with you and the IGF Secretariat, as well as the wider community, to ensure that the Internet continues to evolve to enable people to realize the benefits of innovation while staying true to the founding values that have made it so crucial to businesses, governments, and users alike.
>  
> We will shortly begin our work together so I would like to articulate a few key points that I hope can help us work together collaboratively and efficiently.
>  
> The primary purpose of the MAG is to advise the Secretary-General on the programme and schedule of the Internet Governance Forum meetings.
> The IGF is a UN Project and its deliberations and outputs can help inform a variety of other UN activities.  
> Diversity is a key strength of the MAG and I hope for your full participation – respecting differences and striving for consensus.
> Maintaining focus is key – particularly in our role as advisor.  Our work will be necessarily focused on our Terms of Reference and available resources.  
> I strive for an atmosphere of collegiality.  While we may not all agree, we should endeavor to understand the differences that may exist and express ourselves respectfully.
> The Secretariat will soon be sending out a call for issues for the IGF2022 and logistical details for our initial meeting which will be scheduled shortly.
>    
> I look forward to meeting with you then. In the meantime, I extend an invitation to each of you to reach out if there is anything you would like to discuss with me. I am based in Seattle, Washington, UTC-8.  To facilitate collaboration, I will try to keep office hours as follows:
>  
> Monday and Tuesday:  16:00-17:30 UTC 
> Wednesday and Thursday: 02:00 – 3:30 UTC
> We are broadly scattered around the world with several people in multiple time-zones.  I ask you to consider all colleagues and adopt at least a minimum expected 48 hour read-and-respond expectation for most communications. 
> I can be reached through my email address and Skype address, paul.mitchell at outlook.com <mailto:paul.mitchell at outlook.com>, and my LinkedIn profile, Paul Mitchell | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-w-a-mitchell/>.
>  
> Sincerely,
>  
> Paul Mitchell
> Chair, Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG)
> United Nations Internet Governance Forum (UN-IGF)  
> Email/Skype: paul.mitchell at outlook.com <mailto:paul.mitchell at outlook.com>
>  
> <image001.png> <x-msg://19/linkedin.com/in/paul-w-a-mitchell> 
>  
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