[IGFmaglist] MAG Virtual Meeting - Main Session discussion

[Zeina BOUHARB]

Dear Lynn, and All
I Strongly agree with Wisdom and support his proposal.
Zeina BOUHARB


      From: Wisdom Donkor <wisdom.dk at gmail.com>
 To: Lynn St.Amour <st.amour at bluewin.ch> 
Cc: IGF Maglist <Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org>
 Sent: Tuesday, 4 July 2017, 2:32
 Subject: [IGFmaglist] MAG Virtual Meeting - Main Session discussion
   

Dear Lynn,
Thank you very much for the excellent work. I fully support the straw framework propose. However i believe Data for Sustainable Development Roadmaps deserve a main session slot. Which ever main session slot given will be very much appreciated.
The SDGs, which came into effect on 1 January 2016, sort to shape global sustainable development policy through to 2030. In addition to countries adopting the 17 goals and 169 targets in March 2016, the UN Statistical Commission agreed on an indicator framework to track SDGs at the global and national level. In order to provide the information that will be required by the indicator framework, robust data production and tracking systems will need to be built in every country so that achievements at the national and local levels can be assessed and fed into the wider global framework. These national mechanisms will need to be robust, effective and integrated, and will help countries to optimize their resources and actions to achieve the goals.
The SDGs and their accompanying indicators present both an opportunity and a challenge for data ecosystem. With increased international and national attention given to the importance of data, data producers and userswill  have the opportunity to harness the momentum to make lasting improvements and acknowledge the myriad challenges that must be overcome.
Apart from data gaps,  the traditional national statistical systems (NSS) in various developing countries does not currently have the capacity to produce data, there are a number of cross-cutting issues that must be addressed. Data disaggregation, alongside producing timely, relevant, quality and interoperable data are issues that must be considered across the SDGs.  
Strengthening censuses and surveys, administrative data systems, and exploring the use of new data would all help towards producing more and better indicators. What is also clear however, is that many of the indicators require cross-governmental and multi-stakeholder participation. Further discussion of how to build new data communities, mechanisms, and systems should  therefore be encouraged at the upcoming IGF to identify innovative ways of working to enable SDG data production and use. 
This proposal is open to all MAG members. 
On the other hand, i am in full support of NRI's been give 3hrs main session slot taken into consideration the importance of NRIs at the grassroots level.
Kind regards,

On Friday, June 30, 2017, Lynn St.Amour <st.amour at bluewin.ch> wrote:

Dear MAG members,
at our next virtual MAG meeting we are scheduled to finalize the Main Sessions.
We made some good progress at our last MAG meeting and after carefully reviewing the transcript and the Adobe Connect chat log, I have tried to capture the current state below.  Apologies for the length of this email, but I thought it best to pull all the threads together.
Back to the Beginning
So we know what we are working with: 
"Day 0”  2017 is slightly unusual.  Given the IGF is being held late in the year, the IGF meeting schedule was advanced one day.  This means that Day 0 is on a Sunday (not Monday).   This complicated some of the Day 0 events.  This combined with the Swiss government’s desire for the Host Country opening and ceremonial sessions to be more interactive and more integrated with the rest of the IGF program, led to a new proposal.  It was proposed that the Opening session (Monday afternoon) include a topic-based discussion among high-level speakers, tentatively titled, ‘What rules for our global digital polity?’ This would be followed on the second day of the IGF meeting with a high-level thematic (Main) session on (again tentatively titled) 'the Impact of digitization on politics, public trust and democracy’.  These sessions would be multistakeholder in nature with participation from all SH groups.  After some discussion within the MAG, it was agreed to proceed, despite there being some concern re setting a precedent and using an additional Main Session slot.   At the same time, many welcomed the innovative approach noting it addressed concerns heard in many of the previous years.  So, this is a pilot.
Where are We?
Given we have the Opening and Closing Ceremonies/Sessions and the "High Level Thematic” Session, this leaves five (5) 3 hour Main session slots (see attached grid).
Coming out of the MAG meeting we have:
a)  6 Main Session proposals remaining: 1 - Gender Inclusion and Future of the Internet (2 hours), 2 - Human and Social Dimensions of the Internet (1.5 hours), 3 - Creating an Inclusive Workforce in a Digital Economy,  4 - Empowering Global Cooperation, Cybersecurity for Sustainable Development and Peace, 5 - Data for Sustainable Development Roadmaps, 6 -  Local Interventions, Global Impacts, How Can International Multistakeholder Cooperation Address Internet Shut-downs, Encryption and Data Flows?
b)  a request from the DCs for a 1.5 hour Main session slot - Title: TBD (preference was for a 3 hour slot, but recognizing various program constraints this was reduced)
c) a request from the NRIs for a 3 hour Main session slot: ‘Rights in the digital/online world’ (separate document has been sent by the NRIs to the MAG)
d) the Connecting and Enabling the Next Billion(s) Phase III has said they will work to integrate their activities into the overall IGF Program.
And, to be discussed separately from Main Sessions, we also have a request from the NRIs for  6 - 12 thematic Workshops.
MAG members made several suggestions regarding Main Session selections, notably to look at possible mergers as well as to shorten requested durations.  The first pass of this was done during the MAG meeting.
One proposal (supported by several MAG members from different SH groups) was to select a small number of main themes to align/develop Main Session proposals around (something we lost when we moved to the community “tags” process for the workshops).   Suggestions were: Cybersecurity, Gender, Digital Economy, and a Technical Subject ("such as the merged proposal on the local interventions, multistakeholder cooperation on Internet shutdowns, encryption and data flows").    If the MAG decides to go forward with this approach we would align/develop the Main Session proposals above with these 4 themes.  This will require either consolidation or potentially moving some of the Main Session proposals above to a WS slot if the MAG feels this is appropriate.
There was also a proposal made by a MAG member that there were overlaps (“super-positions of subjects”) between 3 Main Session proposals: "Creating an Inclusive Workforce in the Digital Economy”, "Human and Social Dimensions of the Internet", and "Data for Sustainable Development Roadmaps” and that these should be factored down to (2?) main subjects.  I believe this proposal complements the one above.
Also there was considerable interest in the proposal on "Data for Sustainable Development Roadmaps” but a number of MAG members felt this was better suited to a WS format rather than a Main session.
Straw Chair Proposal
Building on the suggestions above and in order to help focus our discussions, I would like to put forward a 'Straw Chair Proposal’, subject obviously, to the MAG's approval.  
Chair Proposal: We go forward with the 4 themes proposed (tentative Main Session alignment below):
Four (4) Themes: Cybersecurity - (4) Empowering Global Cooperation, Cybersecurity for Sustainable Development and PeaceGender - (1) Gender Inclusion and Future of the Internet (2 hours)Digital Economy - (3) Creating an Inclusive Workforce in a Digital Economy,  Technical Subject - (6) Local Interventions, Global Impacts, How Can International Multistakeholder Cooperation Address Internet Shut-downs, Encryption and Data Flows?
This leaves 2 Main Session proposals: 2 - Human and Social Dimensions of the Internet (1.5 hours), and 5 - Data for Sustainable Development Roadmaps to either be integrated into other Main sessions or perhaps moved to a WS slot if the MAG feels this is appropriate.  
Going forward with the 4 Themes above leaves us with the following slots: 1 x 3 hour Main session, and 1 x 1 hour Main Session slot (as the Gender Main session is requesting 2 hours).  Total Available: 4 hours
The DCs have requested a 1.5 hour slot (title: TBD), and the NRIs have requested a 3 hour slot titled: ‘Rights in the digital/online world’.  As agreed, the NRIs will speak to this in our upcoming MAG meeting.  Total Requested: 4.5 hours
My reading of the discussions in the MAG meeting and on the MAG mailing list with respect to the importance of all the Intersessional work is that there is substantial support for Main session slots for the DCs and the NRIs (from several SH groups).  At the same time there were questions raised by some MAG members and alternative proposals put forward; and these are under review by the NRIs and the MAG.  Note: there has not yet been a consensus call within the MAG, this will take place at our MAG meeting next week.  Also, please note: while I am personally very supportive of giving the DCs and the NRIs Main Session time, I am only trying to reflect what I hear from the MAG overall.   If someone sees a different 'emerging consensus', please say so.  
If the MAG approves the 4 Themes approach above, and *if* the DC and NRI requests are approved *as they stand*, we will be over the available time by 30 minutes - so I see a few possible paths: 1 - the MAG asks the Main session proposers (and NRIs) if anyone could make a *2.5 hour split* Main session slot work (that is a 1 hour slot followed by a break and then a 1.5 hour slot or vice versa (giving 2.5 vs. 3 hours), 2 - another alternative is the NRIs have a 1.5 hour slot mirroring the DCs or, 3 - one of the "4 Theme” sessions above reduces their time to 1.5 hours (allowing the NRIs a 3 hour slot).  Note: if Option 2 is selected (a 1.5 hour slot for the NRIs), we still have a 1 hour slot available (perhaps for either the CENB program or one of the other 2 proposed Main Sessions?).
I very much appreciate the clear intent from everyone to work together to build a great IGF program.  Clearly, there is work to be done going forward to weave all the IGF activities together and this work will be undertaken in the MAG WGs (and are open to non-MAG members).   
Thankfully, there are a lot of creative people on the MAG.  So please review this carefully and send in any comments or suggestions, preferably ahead of next weeks MAG meeting so we can close expeditiously on this topic.
Best, Lynn


-- 
WISDOM DONKOR (S/N Eng.)
E-government and Open Government Data Platforms Specialist
ICANN Fellow / Member, UN IGF MAG Member, ISOC Member,
Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) Member, Diplo Foundation Member,OGP Open Data WG Member, GODAN Memember, ITAG Member
Email: wisdom.dk at gmail.comSkype: wisdom_dkfacebook: facebook at wisdom_dk
Website: www.data.gov.gh
www.isoc.gh / www.itag.org.gh
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